Life Challenges

Overview

Life Challenges are a set of 12 challenges in Crimson Desert that belong to the Life category. These challenges cover non-combat activities: gathering resources, logging, taming pets, and collecting materials from the natural world. Completing all 12 Life Challenges unlocks the Natural Collector trophy and achievement.

Each Life Challenge is tied to a Sealed Abyss Artifact found along roads and paths. Pick up the artifact, read its description to learn the objective, then complete the task to unseal it. Life Challenges tend to be less time-pressured than Combat challenges, focusing instead on patience and exploration.

Life Challenge Categories

How Life Challenges Work

Life Challenges test your engagement with Crimson Desert's non-combat systems. Several require gathering specific quantities and qualities of raw materials. Others involve the pet system, where you gradually build trust with animals until they become your companions. A few require purchasing tools from shops (like a Logging Axe from the Provisioner's Shop).

Pets auto-loot defeated enemies once tamed, so the pet challenge has practical benefits beyond just challenge completion. Dogs and cats found in towns can be petted daily for up to 25 trust points per interaction. Reaching 100 trust with an animal tames it.

All Life Challenges

Detailed Walkthroughs

Acquire Timber

The Sealed Abyss Artifact is southeast of the Well of Patience. Your task is to collect 5 pieces each of normal timber, fine timber, and flawless timber (15 total). You need a Logging Axe to fell trees, which you can buy from the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand.

Normal timber comes from common trees found everywhere. Fine timber drops from larger, healthier-looking trees (often in dense forests). Flawless timber is the rarest and typically comes from old-growth trees in less-explored areas. The logging skill affects your chance of getting higher-quality timber, so level it up before attempting this challenge.

Pets

Pick up the artifact east of Delesyia's South Gate. The challenge is to tame 30 unique pets. Each animal has a trust meter that goes up to 100. Once you hit 100 trust, the animal becomes your pet.

Dogs and cats in towns are the easiest starting point. Interact with them daily to pet them, which adds up to 25 trust per day. After 4 days of daily visits, a town animal will be tamed. Wild animals take more effort since you cannot pet them. Instead, you need to approach them passively and use food items to raise their trust.

Tamed pets follow you around and automatically loot defeated enemies, making them genuinely useful beyond just completing this challenge. Since you need 30 unique pets, start early and pet every animal you encounter. Different species count as different pets, so seek variety across all regions.

Animal Meat

The Animal Meat challenge requires you to acquire all knowledge related to meat. This means hunting every type of animal that drops meat and registering each meat type in your knowledge log. Different animals across Pywel's regions yield different kinds of meat, so you will need to travel widely and hunt a variety of creatures. Focus on wild animals in forests, plains, and mountain areas. Each new meat type you obtain for the first time counts toward the challenge. Completing this challenge awards the Gourmet III Abyss Core.

Equipment

The Equipment challenge tasks you with forging a sword and a bow at the smithy. Visit a crafting station in any major town (the smithy in Hernand works well) and forge one sword and one bow. You will need the appropriate raw materials for each weapon type. If you have been collecting ore, timber, and other resources during normal gameplay, you should have enough to complete this challenge without much extra farming. The reward is the Efficiency I Abyss Core, which is useful for reducing resource costs in future crafting.

Night of the Silent Banner Pike

This stealth-focused challenge requires you to destroy ten banner pikes scattered around Hernand without being detected. The banner pikes are tall poles with flags attached, placed at various guard posts and intersections throughout the town. You must approach each one and destroy it while remaining undetected by nearby guards and patrols.

Attempt this challenge at night when fewer NPCs are wandering the streets. Use rooftops and back alleys to approach each banner pike from angles where guards cannot spot you. If you are detected, the attempt does not reset, but the current pike will not count as a stealth destruction. You can leave the area, wait for the alert to subside, and try again. Completing all ten rewards Destruction II plus a Faded Abyss Artifact.

Trespassing

The Trespassing challenge asks you to open 20 locked doors across the world. Locked doors are found in towns, dungeons, ruins, and enemy encampments. Some require lockpicks while others need specific keys obtained through quests or exploration. Keep an eye out for doors with lock icons as you explore. The 20-door count is cumulative across all regions, so there is no need to find them all in one area. Your reward for completing this challenge is the Shadow's Touch I Abyss Core, which enhances stealth-related abilities.

Combat Challenges

While Life Challenges focus on non-combat activities, Crimson Desert also has a set of Combat Challenges that test your proficiency in battle, movement, and support abilities. These challenges reward Abyss Cores and Abyss Artifacts upon completion. Unlike Life Challenges, Combat Challenges often require precise timing or specific combat techniques.

Combat Challenge Walkthroughs

Desperate Rescue

Desperate Rescue requires healing allies three times using the Healing Force Palm. This challenge is most easily completed during group encounters or escort missions where NPC allies take damage. Position yourself near injured allies and use the Healing Force Palm ability to restore their health. The three heals do not need to happen in a single encounter; they accumulate across multiple fights. Your reward is Breath of Life I plus a Faded Abyss Artifact.

Keeping Balance on the Wind

Walk 10 meters along a rooftop beam or a tightrope without falling. Rooftop beams are found in towns and settlements, particularly in Hernand where buildings are close together and connected by narrow walkways. Tightropes appear at certain elevated locations and between towers. Move slowly and steadily to maintain balance. If you fall, climb back up and try again, as the distance resets on a fall. Completing this challenge earns Composure I plus a Faded Abyss Artifact.

Rainbow Across the Sky

Pole vault five times within 30 seconds using a banner pike. Banner pikes are long poles found at guard posts and checkpoints. Pick one up and use it to vault over obstacles in rapid succession. The 30-second timer is tight, so find an area with multiple low walls or fences close together before starting. Open fields near town gates often work well since there are consecutive barriers to vault over. The reward is an Abyss Artifact.

Sliding Down the Slope

Slide down 100 meters in one continuous go. Look for long, steep hillsides or mountain slopes. The slide must be uninterrupted, so choose a slope that is smooth and free of large rocks or ledges that would stop your momentum. Mountain paths in the northern regions of the map tend to have the longest unbroken slopes. Simply sprint toward a steep incline and initiate a slide. If you pick the right spot, 100 meters goes quickly. The reward is the Haste I Abyss Core, which boosts movement speed.

The Underwater Ecosystem

The artifact is west of Demeniss Sentry Camp in Demeniss. You need to acquire all aquatic knowledge: 25 freshwater species, 15 saltwater species, 5 legendary fish, and 11 underwater wildlife entries. You do not need to catch every fish yourself. Viewing items in shop inventories at fish merchants also counts toward knowledge entries. Visit fishing spots in all regions and check merchant stocks to fill gaps in your knowledge log.

The Fruit of Patience

The artifact is south of Coast Windmill Watchtower in Delesyia. Acquire all grain, vegetable, and fruit knowledge. This means gathering or viewing one of every crop type in the game. Visit farms, markets, and merchants across all regions to fill out your knowledge log. Planting and harvesting at your own ranch also counts.

Bounty of Meadows

The artifact is south of Silverbrook Ruins in Delesyia. Acquire all 7 rare gatherable knowledge entries. Rare gatherables are uncommon plants and materials found in specific locations across the world. Explore thoroughly and check gathering nodes in remote or hard-to-reach areas. The knowledge log tracks your progress.

Cave Exploration Log

The artifact is northeast of Whisperleaf Fortress in Pailune. Explore and document 100 caves. Caves are scattered throughout every region and appear as dark openings on cliffsides, hillsides, and underground entrances. Many caves contain loot, enemies, or puzzle elements. Your journal tracks the total count, so you can chip away at this over the course of the entire game.

Hunting Challenges (White Crow's Gaze)

The 11 Hunting Challenges revolve around wildlife interaction, including catching birds, hunting animals, collecting hides through skinning, and tracking rare creatures across Pywel.

Gathering Challenges (White Crow's Gaze)

The 12 Life Challenges focus on gathering, crafting, and interacting with the natural world. Completing all 12 unlocks the Natural Collector trophy.

Trade Challenges (White Crow's Gaze)

The 5 Trade Challenges involve traveling between regions and completing commerce-related objectives. Completing all 5 unlocks The Golden Merchant trophy.

Above the Law Challenges (Master Du's Dare)

The 10 Above the Law Challenges involve criminal activities such as destroying banner pikes undetected, selling stolen goods to fences, and other outlaw-themed tasks. Completing all 10 unlocks the Shadowlord trophy.

Challenges and Changes (Alustin's Trials)

The 9 Challenges and Changes challenges (also known as Greymane's Vow) test your dedication to the Greymane faction and your willingness to explore unusual activities. Completing all 9 unlocks the Lord of Honor trophy.

Tips

• Buy a Logging Axe from the Provisioner's Shop before attempting timber challenges.

• Pet every dog and cat you see in towns. Daily interactions build trust over time, so start early.

• Tamed pets auto-loot enemies, which saves time during combat-heavy exploration.

• Life Challenges are generally low-pressure. Most have no time limits, letting you work on them at your own pace.

• Higher logging skill increases your chance of getting fine and flawless timber.

• The Animal Meat challenge requires hunting across multiple regions. Check your knowledge log to see which meat types you are still missing.

• For Night of the Silent Banner Pike, wait until nighttime and use rooftops to stay out of sight. Guards have shorter detection ranges in the dark.

• Locked doors for the Trespassing challenge appear throughout all regions. Keep a stock of lockpicks as you explore.

• Combat Challenges like Rainbow Across the Sky benefit from practice. Scout the area first to identify the best sequence of obstacles.

See Also

• All Challenges

• Abyss Core

• Artifacts and Abyss Fragments

• Sealed Abyss Artifact Locations

• Hunting

• Crafting

• Stealth