Overview
Ginseng is a valuable medicinal herb in Crimson Desert with thick split roots, a bitter taste, and a subtle fragrance. It belongs to the Mushrooms and Herbs category of gatherables and is one of the more location-specific herbs in the game, growing only in the soil near the Scholastone Institute. Its rarity is matched by its potency; Ginseng provides a strength boost when processed through alchemy.
Item Properties
Property | Value |
|---|---|
Type | Medicinal Herb |
Category | Mushrooms and Herbs (Gatherable) |
How to Obtain | Foraging near the Scholastone Institute |
Strength boost | |
Region |
Where to Find
Ginseng grows exclusively in the vicinity of the Scholastone Institute, making it one of the most location-restricted herbs in Pywel. The soil composition near the institute provides the specific conditions this root requires.
Scholastone Institute Grounds: Search the immediate surroundings of the institute, particularly shaded areas under trees and along garden borders.
Nearby Forest Edges: The woodland fringe around the institute grounds supports Ginseng growth in limited quantities.
Tip: Mark every Ginseng node you discover on your map. With such a limited growing area, knowing exactly where each spawn point sits saves considerable time on return trips.
Uses
Alchemy
Ginseng produces strength-boosting elixirs when processed through alchemy. The strength boost effect increases raw physical power, translating into higher damage output for melee attacks. This makes Ginseng elixirs highly sought after for players focused on close-range combat.
Comparison with Wild Ginseng
Regular Ginseng should not be confused with Wild Ginseng, which is a rarer variant that grows longer in the ground and accumulates greater potency. While both roots share a similar appearance, Wild Ginseng is significantly harder to find and commands a much higher value.
Tips
The Scholastone Institute area is the only place Ginseng grows. Visit every time you are in the region and harvest every node you can find.
Strength-boosting elixirs are excellent for melee builds. Combine them with attack enhancement potions from Marigold for stacked offensive power.
Since Ginseng is rare, avoid selling it unless you have a large surplus. Prioritize saving it for alchemy use.
Refined Palmar Pill Substitute Role
Ginseng is one of the three accepted ingredients in the Refined Palmar Pill recipe, filling the third slot alongside Palmar Leaf, Palmar Beetle, and water. The other two accepted substitutes are longhorn (dropped by antlered deer near Scholar Stone Institute) and Bear's Gallbladder. All three produce identical pills; only the farming speed differs.
Substitute Alternatives
Longhorn is the fastest substitute for players who just need to stockpile refined pills. The fast-travel reset loop west of Scholar Stone Institute has no loading screen and respawns the deer pack every warp.
Bear's Gallbladder is the middle option: one drop per bear, no fast-reset, but valuable for players already running bear hunts for other crafting paths.
Ginseng is the slowest because it requires stealth gardening inside the Scholar Stone Institute or a trickle purchase from the Pailune merchant after Chapter 9 reconstruction. It remains the correct choice when both longhorn and bear's gallbladder inventories are empty.
Be careful with the distinction between plain Ginseng and Wild Ginseng. Both share the same inventory icon, but only plain Ginseng satisfies the refined pill input. Wild Ginseng silently fails the Improvise craft with no error message.