Freesword Dispatch System

Overview

The Freesword Dispatch system is a companion management and passive mission system in Crimson Desert. It allows players to assign their Greymane companions, called Freeswords, to off-screen missions that run in the background while the player explores, fights, or pursues other activities across the continent of Pywel. The system is accessed through the dispatch coordinator Ross at the Greymane Camp on Howling Hill.

Dispatch missions are one of the most important systems in the game. They act as the gateway to craft technologies, farm resources, and improve every other element of progression. Keeping missions running continuously is the only reliable way to build the material stockpile needed for camp expansion, equipment refinement, and advanced crafting. Players who neglect dispatch will find themselves bottlenecked on resources throughout the mid and late game.

How it Works

Players select a dispatch mission from the dispatch interface, assign a team of Freesword companions to the task, and pay the required resource cost to initiate the mission. Each mission has specific requirements for personnel count (typically four to six companions), resource costs (such as silver, food, or timber), and a timed duration. Once launched, the mission runs passively while the player continues their own activities.

Active missions can be monitored through the Mission List tab, which displays each task with a countdown timer showing remaining time. When a mission completes, players collect the rewards from the Supply Chest behind Carl at camp.

Unlocking Dispatch

The dispatch system unlocks during Chapter 3 as part of the Bustling Hill quest line. The first mission is the Howling Hill Expansion, which requires assigning two recruits (Luke and Ronald are provided for this). After upgrading the camp to level 2, Ross opens his Dispatch Coordinator station and the full dispatch system becomes available.

Mission Timers

Dispatch mission timers are tied to in-game time, not real-world time. If a mission requires eight hours to complete, you do not need to wait eight real hours. Instead, find a bed or campfire and rest to advance time by 3, 6, or 12 hours. You can rest at the bed inside the main tent at Greymane Camp to fast-forward through dispatch timers. Combine multiple rest sessions (with some activity in between to clear the cooldown) to complete longer missions without waiting.

Companion Stats

Each Freesword has individual stats and a specialization that makes them better suited to certain types of missions. The dispatch interface displays six stats per companion:

Comrade Skills

Each recruited comrade has individual skills that affect their effectiveness on dispatch missions. These skills determine how much bonus yield a comrade provides when assigned to a matching mission type. Skills fall into two functional groups:

Efficiency Boosters

These skills increase yields when the comrade is assigned to a mission that matches their specialization. They are optional for mission completion but provide percentage bonuses to rewards.

Required Skills

Certain specialized missions require at least one comrade with the matching required skill to be assigned. Without the required skill, the mission cannot be initiated.

• Craftsman, Jeweler, Engineer, Cook, Explorer, Painter, Weaver

For example, construction missions require at least one comrade with the Engineer skill. Crafting missions require a matching required skill (Craftsman, Jeweler, Cook, etc.) depending on the item being produced.

Skill Levels and Bonuses

Comrade skills have three levels, each providing a progressively larger bonus to mission yields:

The Skill Bonus caps at 100%. To check a comrade's current skill levels, open the dispatch interface and inspect their profile. The icon colors indicate the level at a glance.

How to Upgrade Comrade Skills

Comrade skills are upgraded by expanding Howling Hill through camp expansion dispatch missions. Each time you complete a camp expansion, it increases the skill levels for all comrades, or unlocks the next skill they have available. This is the only way to raise comrade skill levels; individual comrades do not gain experience or level up independently through dispatch missions.

Dispatch Bonuses

Three types of bonuses can increase dispatch mission rewards. Stacking all three maximizes the return on every mission you send.

Mission Types

Dispatch missions span several categories, from peaceful resource gathering to military operations against hostile forces:

Rewards

Completed dispatch missions yield several types of rewards. All rewards are deposited in the Supply Chest behind Carl at camp.

Recruiting Freeswords

Freeswords are primarily recruited by reuniting scattered Greymane members through the main story. The Greymanes lost their homeland, Pailune, to the Black Bears, scattering the band's members across Pywel. As Kliff progresses through the story, he finds and reunites with these scattered companions, adding them to the dispatch roster.

Key named companions like Damiane and Oongka join through story events and eventually become playable characters. Other Freeswords arrive at the camp as its reputation grows. Helping attacked soldiers, completing side quests, and finishing "A rumor..." faction quests under the Greymanes tab can bring multiple recruits at once.

Connection to the Greymane Camp

The Freesword Dispatch system is one component of the broader Greymane Camp management system. The camp starts as a humble tent settlement and can be upgraded into a fortified base using resources and currency earned through exploration, combat, and dispatch missions. Camp management encompasses several interconnected systems beyond dispatch:

Upgrading the camp directly improves character stats, unlocks new skills, raises comrade skill levels, and expands the roster of available companions.

Comparisons to Other Games

Hiring Temporary Workers

After Chapter 8, the dispatch system gains a powerful second source of personnel. Defeating the Flame Knight at the Flame Knight's castle in Demeniss rewards the Seal of Devotion. Once the seal is in your inventory, the dispatch screen gains a hire option that lets you fill empty dispatch slots with temporary workers paid for with Contribution Points.

Hired workers function as regular Freeswords for the purpose of the personnel count. If a mission requires four companions and you only have one qualified Freesword for its required skill, you can assign your specialist and hire three more workers to complete the team. Contribution Points spent on hires are refunded after the mission returns, so the expense is effectively a temporary deposit rather than a permanent cost. Treat it as a reason to never leave dispatch slots empty.

Church Donations for Regional Conversion Bonus

The Conversion Bonus section above caps out much higher than commonly documented. In practice, donating camp money to a region's church builds up to a 200% Conversion Bonus for dispatch missions inside that region, which can double or even triple mission rewards at maximum. Each level of blessing adds roughly 2%, and costs rise sharply at higher tiers due to diminishing returns. Fully maxing out the Church of Hernand runs about 500,000 camp money, so prioritise the region where your most valuable dispatch missions live. Hover over any church icon on the world map to see which specific missions it boosts before committing a large donation.

Tips

• Start dispatching companions as soon as they join your camp. Even early missions provide useful materials.

• Prioritize fortress siege (Recapture) missions if you plan to visit a hostile area soon. Softening up the opposition beforehand saves healing items and time.

• Check back at camp regularly to collect completed mission rewards from the Supply Chest behind Carl. Uncollected resources do not contribute to your stockpile.

• Balance your dispatch roster. Sending everyone on long missions leaves no companions available for short, urgent tasks.

• Armaments become a bottleneck in later camp expansions. The fourth expansion alone requires 1,500 armaments. Prioritize production missions early to avoid shortages.

• Use rest at beds and campfires to advance in-game time and speed up dispatch timers. Combine rest sessions with exploration and bounty hunting between cooldowns.

• Assign comrades whose skills match the mission type to maximize the Skill Bonus. A fully leveled comrade with all three skill levels provides a 100% yield increase.

• Send more comrades than the minimum required to earn the Comrade Bonus (up to 40% extra rewards).

• Donate silver at church donation boxes to increase the Conversion Bonus for dispatch missions in that region.

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