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Observation Learning - Version 44 vs Version 45
Jun 9, 2026, 12:41 AM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
Jul 22, 2026, 06:14 AM
Accuracy update (2026-07-22)
11Overview22Observation Learning is a skill acquisition mechanic in Crimson Desert that supplements the traditional "spend skill points from a menu" approach with an experiential, world-driven system. Certain skills can only be obtained by personally witnessing someone else perform them, whether a friendly NPC practicing a craft, an enemy unleashing a powerful attack mid-combat, or a holographic echo of a past fighter. The system encourages explorationattentive observation, and engagement with the world of Pywel rather than passive menu navigation.44The community has praised the system widely. One viral breakdown captured the appeal: "You fight a boss, see them perform a spectacular comboyour character observes it during combat and learns it," as opposed to "open a menu, spend a skill point, magically know a new attack." described the fan response as believing the system could make Crimson Desert "one of the greatest RPGs of this decade."77The Two-Step Process99Observation Learning uses a two-step loop to acquire new skills.1111StepWhat Happens1. ObserveWitness an NPC, enemy, or hologram performing a technique. For peaceful NPCshold the observation button for about two seconds. During combat, the observation can trigger automatically when an enemy performs a notable move.2. Lock InConfirm the observed technique to Abyss Artifactpermanently add it to your skill set for free on the Abyss Tree. Watch and Learn skills do not cost any Artifact and are immediately usable once observed and confirmed.1414Observation Learning provides a free way to acquire skills. Unobserved skills can still be unlocked by spending Abyss Artifacts directly on the Abyss Treethough some specific skills can only be obtained through observation and cannot be purchased with Artifacts. This encourages players to explore the world and interact with its inhabitants rather than relying solely on Artifact spending.1515Peaceful NPC Observation1717Throughout PywelNPCs practice various crafts and combat techniques in their daily routines. Players can approach these NPCs, hold the observation button for about two seconds, and watch a short animation where Kliff studies the action being performed. A "learning in progress" indicator appears in the top-left corner of the screen. Once observation completes, the technique appears in the skill menu as a learnable technique.1919SkillObservation SourceLocationFishingWatch fishermen at the dockNas River Fishing Dock in Hernandor liberated fish marketForce PalmWitness a holographic echo of a figure performing the techniqueFound while exploring the open worldPalm StrikeWatch a passive NPC practicing the techniqueShown in official footage2121The fishing skill demonstrates how observation chains with other systems. In one documented example, bandits had occupied a fish market. After the player liberated the area by driving out the bandits, fishermen moved back in. The player could then observe the fishermen to learn the fishing skill, illustrating how exploration, combat, and life skill acquisition connect organically.2222Mid-Combat Observation2424One of the system's most distinctive features is the ability to learn new skills during active combat. When an enemy performs a notable technique, Kliff can observe and learn it on the spot, even in the middle of a heated fight.2626SkillHow LearnedBelly SlamLearned when an enemy commander jumps on top of Kliff and performs a flying belly flop during combatChest KickDuring an early boss battle, a knight attempted to kick Kliff in the chest. After seeing the move, Kliff learned it and could use it to send enemies flying2828The hands-on report described the chest kick discovery: "Midway through one early boss battle, a knight attempted to kick Kliff in the chest, and after seeing the move, Kliff learned it, incorporating it into his fighting style. From then on, I could give enemies the boot to send them flying." There is no indication that the player must dodge or survive the attack first; the observation appears to trigger simply by the enemy executing the move during combat.2929Holographic Echoes3131Some skills are learned by witnessing ghostly holographic echoes scattered throughout the world. These are remnants of past fighters or practitioners whose techniques persist as Abyss-related phenomena. Force Palm, a spirit-focused ability that can also provide vertical boosts during traversal, is confirmed as learnable from one such hologram. These echoes add another layer of discovery to explorationrewarding players who investigate unusual visual phenomena in the environment.3333Alternative Learning Sources3535Not all skills require direct observation of a living NPC or enemy. Life skills and recipes can also be learned from books and parchments found while exploring. Crafting recipes can be obtained through exploration or purchased from merchants. This means learning sources include: direct NPC observation, enemy observation during combat, holographic echoes, and written materials discovered in the world.3737Connection to the Abyss Tree3939The Abyss Tree is the central progression system where observed skills appear once learned. Skills acquired through observation are free and do not cost Abyss Artifacts. It is divided into color-coded branches.4141BranchFocusBlueBasic combat skills and foundational techniquesGreenSpirit-focused abilities, including time-slowing effects. These consume Spirit, a third resource alongside Health and Stamina.RedElemental abilities centered on the grapple hook and elemental enhancements (Fire, Ice, Shock)4343Abyss Artifacts can be found through exploration, questsboss victories, and within the Abyss itself. The tree has core nodes for stat boosts (Health, Stamina, Spirit) and branch nodes for techniques. Artifact stat investments can be reset and redistributed at any time, enabling experimentation with different builds without permanent commitment.4444Boss Abilities: Two Systems4646Bosses offer skills through two distinct mechanisms that should not be confused.4848SystemHow It WorksObservation During FightObserve a boss's technique mid-battle (e.g. the knight's chest kick). Follows the standard observe-then-Artifact process. The learned skill belongs to the player permanently.Signature Abilities from Boss GearDefeat a boss and equip their dropped equipment to gain their Signature Ability plus unique stat bonuses. These are equipment-boundswapping the gear removes the ability.5050Scope of the System5252Not all skills in the game require observation. Many can be unlocked purely through Abyss Artifacts on the skill tree. However, a significant portion of skills can only be acquired through the observation process. This creates a hybrid system where some skills are artifact-only, some are observation-only (and free), and others can be acquired through either method.5454Observation learning applies to both combat and non-combat activities. Confirmed combat skills include Belly Slam, Force Palm, and the Chest Kick. Confirmed life skills include fishing. Recipes for cookingalchemyand crafting can be learned from books and parchments.5656Comparisons to Other Games5858GameComparisonWhere Winds MeetThe most directly comparable system. explicitly notes the similarity to Where Winds Meet's skill-theft mechanic, where players learn skills by watching martial arts masters.Black Desert OnlineDespite sharing a developer (Pearl Abyss), the two games use different progression systems and the observation-learning mechanic is unique to Crimson Desert.Zelda: Breath of the WildAbyss Artifacts are compared to BotW's progression, where stat boosts come from collectible items found through exploration rather than traditional leveling.SkyrimExplicitly called out as a contrast. Skyrim locks progression behind trees that require skill pointswhile Crimson Desert lets players learn organically.6060Narrative Significance6161The Observation Learning system reinforces the game's central narrative theme. Kliff lost everything in the Black Bear ambush and must rebuild from nothing. Learning by watching others reflects his journey of recovering skills and knowledge through perseverance and exploration. After his resurrection at the Corridor of the VoidKliff gains supernatural perception that allows him to learn through observation in ways that an ordinary person could not.6363Tips6565Pay attention to NPCs going about their daily routines in settlements. A blacksmith hammering, a fisherman casting, or a guard sparring could all be observation opportunities.During boss fights, watch for new attack patterns. Getting hit by a boss move may teach you that technique for your own use.Explore off the beaten path to find holographic echoes that teach unique skills not available from living NPCs.Check books and parchments found during exploration for life skill recipes and crafting knowledge.Observation Learning skills are free and do not cost Abyss Artifact. Save your Artifacts for skills that can only be unlocked through the Abyss Tree.Observing a skill you already own now refunds an Abyss Artifact. Patch 1.04 added compensation so that duplicate observation is no longer wasted. If you unlocked a skill early by spending an Abyss Artifact on the Abyss Tree and later run into the observation prompt for the same skill, the system returns an Abyss Artifact to your inventory rather than ignoring the interaction. This means doubling up on an observation-eligible skill is now a neutral action, and you can safely spend artifacts on skills that you are not sure whether you will organically observe later in the playthrough.6767Mid-Combat Learning Examples7070Several specific examples of mid-combat observation learning have been shown in pre-launch previews and gameplay footage.7272Skill LearnedSourceContextForce PalmHologram NPCKliff watches a holographic figure execute a palm strike technique at a specific world location. A "learning in progress" indicator appears on screen.Belly SlamEnemy mid-combatAn enemy jumps on top of Kliff and performs a belly slam. Kliff observes the technique during combat and can learn it for himself.Knight's KickKnight enemy mid-combatDuring a fightKliff copies a knight's kick mid-fight and adds it to his own move set for immediate use.FishingFisherman NPCAt the Nas River Fishing DockKliff observes fishermen to learn the fishing life skill. Only available after liberating the area from bandits.7474The system works both ways: some skills are learned from friendly NPCs performing routine activities (fishing, cooking, crafting), while combat skills are learned by watching enemies perform techniques during active fights. This creates a dynamic where even losing a fight can be valuable if the player observed a new technique to try next time.7575Community Reception7777The observation learning system has received widely positive reactions from the gaming community. reported that players are "losing it" over the chance to truly learn skills through observation, calling the system "revolutionary." Community discussion suggests the system could make Crimson Desert "one of the greatest RPGs of this decade." The main point of praise is that the system removes the traditional "skill point menu" abstraction and replaces it with something that feels organic and exploration-driven.78+The observation learning system has received widely positive reactions from the gaming community. Community discussion suggests the system could make Crimson Desert "one of the greatest RPGs of this decade." The main point of praise is that the system removes the traditional "skill point menu" abstraction and replaces it with something that feels organic and exploration-driven.7979Since launch, the community consensus is that the system scales well across the full game length. The observation mechanic interacts with the Abyss Artifact progression system: observation skills are free while other skills require Artifact spending, which keeps exploration relevant throughout the late game.8181Watch and Learn Skill Locations8383Crimson Desert has a unique skill acquisition system called Watch and Learn. Instead of spending Abyss Artifacts on every abilityKliff can observe enemies, bossesNPCsand even spirit holograms performing techniques, then permanently absorb those skills at no cost. When an observable move is performed nearby, time slows down and a "Learning in Progress" bar appears in the top-left corner of the screen showing the skill name and a counter (for example, 1/3). Once the counter fills, Kliff learns the skill automatically.8585Skills acquired through Watch and Learn are permanently kept even after a full respec with Faded Abyss Artifacts. Because you never invested an Abyss Artifact into these abilities, the reset process does not touch them. This makes observed skills a free, permanent foundation for any build.8787Skills that can be obtained through observation are marked in the skill tree with the note "observe this skill in action to learn it." You can still unlock these skills by spending Abyss Artifacts if you prefer, but watching for them during gameplay saves those Artifacts for abilities that can only be purchased.8989How Watch and Learn Works9292There are three main ways to trigger the Watch and Learn mechanic in Crimson Desert:9494StepDetailsBoss fightsMost major campaign bosses perform at least one learnable move during their fight. The screen will darken slightly and the learning bar will appear in the top-left corner. You need to see the move performed a set number of times (shown by the counter) before Kliff absorbs it. Do not rush the fight; let the boss cycle through its attacks so you have time to observe.Regular enemiesSome common enemies use moves that Kliff can learn. Because regular enemies die faster than bosses, you may want to slow-roll the encounter. Kill all other enemies first, then bait the remaining enemy into repeating its signature attack until the learning bar fills.NPCs and spirit hologramsCertain skills are taught by peaceful NPCs or by spirit holograms found near Abyss Cressets and ancient ruins. Walk up to the NPC or hologram, hold the Observe button (L1 on PlayStation, LB on Xbox), and watch until the learning bar fills.9696You must have your camera facing the source of the skill for the observation to register. If you turn away or run too far from the action, the progress bar will pause.9797Skills Learned From Bosses9999The following skills can be learned by observing campaign bosses during their fights. Each boss performs the listed move as part of its regular attack pattern, so you will see it if you stay in the fight long enough.101101SkillLearned FromChapter / QuestHow to TriggerEffectEvasive RollKailok the HornsplitterChapter 2Keep your camera on Hornsplitter while he attacks. The learning bar appears automatically during the fight.Perform a quick dodge roll after getting hit, preventing combo stun-locks. Activates even if you miss a parry.Pump KickMatthiasChapter 2Hernand in ChaosFace Matthias during the boss fight in Hernand City. Hold the Observe button when the learning prompt appears.Leap high and deliver a powerful double kick that sends enemies flying. Hitting Matthias with his own Pump Kick leaves him completely vulnerable.Swift StabReed DevilChapter 3During the first phaseReed Devil charges up and performs the move. Keep your camera on him as he uses it.Execute an immediate follow-up slash after a successful stab, dealing extra damage.Aerial RollCrowcallerChapter 5Guest UnbiddenObserve the Crowcaller during either of the two encounters in this quest. He performs the aerial dodge repeatedly, especially in later phases.Instantly unleash Stamina to perform a high-speed dash in mid-air. Requires Flight Lv.1 as a prerequisite.ClotheslineVarious enemies and bossesMultiple chaptersLook for the learning bar to appear when an enemy catches Kliff while running. Works during several boss encounters.Catch an enemy while running to slam them to the ground.DropkickVarious enemies and bossesMultiple chaptersObserve when an enemy launches forward with both feet. The learning counter will appear in the top-left corner.Launch your body forward and strike an enemy with both feet, sending them flying.Explosive Evasive ShotVarious enemies (or Evasive Shot Lv.3)Mid-to-late gameObservable from enemies who use it in combat. Can also be unlocked by raising Evasive Shot to Level 3.Fire a powerful arrow into the ground to leap into the air and evade enemy attacks. Functions as an invincibility-frame escape.103103Skills Learned From NPCs and Holograms104104Not all Watch and Learn skills come from combat. Some of the most important abilities in the game are taught by peaceful NPCs or by spirit holograms found at specific locations across Pywel. These observations use the same mechanic: hold the Observe button while facing the source.106106SkillLearned FromLocationHow to TriggerEffectFocused Force PalmSpirit hologramRoad to ScholastoneHernand regionDuring Chapter 4 (The Price of KnowledgeForbidden Knowledge), follow the road toward Scholastone. Near a blocked passageway you will see a blue spirit guide performing the move. Hold the Observe button.Condense energy in your hands and release it in a powerful unarmed strike. One of the best utility skills in the game, used for both combat and puzzle-solving.Nature's GraspSpirit hologramMeandering Hills ruinsDuring the Reunion quest (Chapter 4), follow the black cat from Lioncrest Watchtower to the ruins. A shadow appears near the sealed gate. Observe the hologram to learn the skill.Telekinetically lift and move heavy objects. Can also be used in combat to grab large objects and swing them at enemies.FocusSpirit hologramMeandering HillsAbyss Cresset areaFound in the same Abyss Cresset area as Nature's Grasp. After learning Nature's Grasp, proceed further and observe the next hologram to learn Focus.Enhance your concentration for improved precision during combat and ranged attacks.FishingFisherman NPCNas River Fishing DockWalk up to any fisherman NPC along the riverbank and hold the Observe button (L1/LB). The screen turns blue and a learning bar fills. Once complete, you unlock the skill and receive a basic Fishing Rod.Unlocks the ability to fish at any body of water. Also grants a basic Fishing Rod to your inventory.Force PalmSpirit hologram (blue ghost)Abyss Without Balance quest areaDuring the Abyss Without Balance quest, you will see a blue ghost placing a power cell. Observe the ghost with the Observe button to learn Force Palm.Press R3 / Right Stick when you have enough Spirit to deal damage and push back an enemy.108108Story-Gated Skills109109Some abilities are unlocked automatically as you progress through the main story. These are not exactly traditional Watch and Learn skills since the game grants them as part of a quest cutscene, but they follow the same observation-style presentation.111111SkillUnlocked DuringChapterNotesFlightWoman in White main questChapter 4The base Flight skill is unlocked as part of the quest's conclusion. Upgrading to Level 2 (Swift Flight) allows faster gliding at the cost of additional Stamina. Found in the Red skill tree.Double JumpStory progression / observationMid-gameJump again by stepping on air or an enemy. Can be unlocked by observing the technique during exploration or through quest progression.113113Tips for Watch and Learn114114Check the skill tree first. Before spending Abyss Artifacts on a skill, open the skill tree and look for the "observe this skill in action to learn it" label. If a skill can be observed, save your Artifacts for abilities that can only be purchased.Do not rush boss fights. Most bosses need to perform the learnable move multiple times before the counter fills. Drag the fight out and focus on dodging rather than dealing damage until you see the learning bar complete.Face the source. Your camera must be pointed at the enemy, NPC, or hologram performing the skill. If you turn away or dodge out of line of sight, the learning progress will pause.Kill other enemies first. When learning from a regular enemy rather than a boss, clear out all other hostiles first. Then bait the remaining enemy into repeating its signature attack without interruption.Observed skills survive respec. When you reset your skill tree using Faded Abyss Artifactsall Watch and Learn skills remain unlocked. This means you can rebuild your character around different purchased skills while keeping every observed ability.Explore thoroughly. Some NPC tutors and spirit holograms are tucked away in side paths, ruins, and Abyss Cresset areas. Thorough exploration directly increases your combat potential by giving you free abilities.Interact with every NPC. Life skills like Fishing are unlocked by observing NPC craftspeople and workers in the world. When you see someone performing an activity, hold the Observe button to check if there is a skill to learn.Duplicate observations now refund an artifact. Patch 1.04 added compensation when you observe a skill that you had already unlocked by spending an Abyss Artifact. The refund returns one artifact to your inventory, so paying for an observation-eligible skill early is no longer a punitive decision if you later run into the observation window.116116Patch 1.04 Changes118118Patch 1.04 reworked how the Observation Learning system handles a skill that has already been acquired through another route. Before the patch, triggering an observation prompt for a skill that Kliff, Damiane, or Oongka had already unlocked by spending an Abyss Artifact did nothing beneficial. The prompt still appeared, the learning bar still filled, and then the game simply told you the skill was already known. Players who spent an artifact on a skill early and later stumbled onto its observation source in the world felt (correctly) that the earlier artifact purchase had been wasted.120120After Patch 1.04, the observation still completes, but instead of being a no-op the game now returns an Abyss Artifact to your inventory. Effectively the system refunds the artifact you originally spent on the skill, so the double-acquisition ends up cost-neutral. Official patch-note language presents this as an improvement to the observation feature: Abyss Artifacts can be earned when observing a skill that was already acquired by using Abyss Artifacts. Community summaries describe it as a clean fix for the awkwardness of having paid for a skill only to find a way to learn it for free afterwards.122122What Changed124124Observing a skill that has already been unlocked by spending an Abyss Artifact now returns an Abyss Artifact to your inventory. The refund is a full one-for-one return on the original purchase, so the player ends up having paid nothing net for a skill that was ultimately obtainable through observation.The change applies to all three playable characters. Any observation prompt triggered by Kliff, Damiane, or Oongka on a skill already present on that character's tree is eligible for the refund. The list of observation opportunities is the same one tracked in All Observation Skill Locations.The refund does not stack. Observing the same already-owned skill a second time does not issue a second Abyss Artifact. Once the system has compensated you for a duplicate observation on a given skill, further encounters with that observation prompt simply behave as if you have already learned the skill.The patch does not change the free behavior of the original observation path. Learning a skill you do not yet own by observing it still costs zero Abyss Artifact. The refund only applies when the skill was already in your Skills set at the time the observation triggers.126126Why This Matters for Skill-Point Planning128128Before Patch 1.04 the dominant strategy guidance was to leave observation-eligible skills alone until you had either confirmed the observation location or decided you were willing to eat the cost. That advice was fragile. Some observation sources are missable after specific story beats, some are tied to side quests that are easy to skip, and some are only practically reachable after clearing particular bosses. Players who spent artifacts defensively on a missable observation skill could end up having paid for something that later became freely available, and vice versa.130130The refund behavior removes most of that tension. If you are comfortable with the skill, you can pay the artifact cost now and start using it immediately. If you later observe that same skill, the artifact comes back. The only remaining downside to the artifact-first path is the temporary opportunity cost of having spent the artifact in the first place. The patch also explicitly addresses the most infamous example of this problem: Quick Reload for Damiane. Before 1.04, Quick Reload was observation-only, which meant advancing past a key campaign beat permanently stripped access to the skill on that save. 1.04 makes Quick Reload also obtainable through an Abyss Artifact, and the refund rule described above further guarantees that any player who later encounters a Quick Reload observation window is compensated rather than penalized. The full detail on that change lives on the Quick Reload page.132132Practical Guidelines Under the New Rules134134Artifact-first is now safe on observation-eligible skills. If a skill is marked with the observe-in-action label on the skill tree and you want it right now, spend the artifact. The patch guarantees a refund if you ever observe the same move later.Observation-first is still the best use of time when convenient. Observation has always been the zero-cost path. Nothing in the patch changes that, so if you already know where a skill's observation source is, simply observing it first remains the cleanest option and leaves your artifacts available for other purchases.Missable observation sources are no longer a hard trap. The fear that drove conservative skill-point planning was losing access to a skill by progressing past its observation beat. Because 1.04 lets you re-route through an artifact purchase or, in the specific case of Quick Reload, buy it outright, missable observations no longer lock you out. You may still prefer to finish observation windows on time just to avoid the resource spend, but your build is no longer at risk.Plan around artifact stock, not around fear of waste. Because duplicates now refund, the remaining constraint on skill acquisition is simply how many unspent Abyss Artifact charges you have at any given moment. Keep a reserve for skills that are purely artifact-gated and spend down to the reserve line freely on skills that have an observation path as well; the worst case is that a later observation puts the charge back in your pocket.136136Interaction with Respec138138Respec interaction is unchanged by Patch 1.04. Skills learned through observation have always survived a full skill reset, because the player never spent an artifact on them in the first place; Faded Abyss Artifacts only refund artifacts that were actually spent on the tree. Skills acquired by spending an Abyss Artifact and then later refunded under the 1.04 duplicate-observation rule are treated, after the refund, the same as any other observed skill: the character retains the skill permanently regardless of future respecs, and the refunded artifact can be reassigned to any other tree node. The net effect is that a player who goes the artifact-first route and later observes the same skill ends the sequence with the skill permanently known and the artifact still in inventory.140140See Also142142Skills OverviewAbyss ArtifactsKliffBossesSealed Abyss Artifact LocationsFaded Abyss ArtifactsMain Story Walkthrough
