Overview
The Plate Helm of Cursed Soul is a piece of Headgear in Crimson Desert. With a base Defense of 8 and an additional +3 Defense bonus, it is the highest-defense headgear currently known in the game. The helm also provides Daze Immunity, blocking one of the most disruptive status effects that enemies can inflict. It is found inside Windrift Cave, a hidden cave located behind a waterfall.
The combination of massive defense and Daze Immunity makes the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul a top-tier piece of endgame headgear. At 8 DEF (11 with the bonus), it far exceeds other headgear options like the Bolton Plate Helm (4 DEF) and the Plate Helm of the Shadows (5 DEF). It also features Abyss Core slots, giving players room to socket additional passive effects.
Stats
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
Type | |
Material | Plate |
8 (+3 bonus = 11 total) | |
Special Effect | |
Yes | |
Refinement | 10 levels |
Sell Price | 5.48 Silver Coins |
The +3 Defense bonus is applied on top of the 8 base Defense, bringing the total to 11 before any refinement upgrades. This makes the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul the single strongest defensive headgear in terms of raw damage reduction. The Daze Immunity effect prevents the stun-like Daze condition, keeping Kliff mobile and reactive even when hit by striking attacks.
How to Obtain
The Plate Helm of Cursed Soul is found inside Windrift Cave, a hidden cave located behind a waterfall. The cave entrance is not visible from the surface; you must pass through the falling water to enter.
Locate the waterfall that conceals Windrift Cave. Look for a waterfall in the world where the water cascades down over a rocky cliff face.
Position Kliff directly in front of the waterfall. The entrance to the cave is hidden behind the curtain of water.
Use the Stab ability (R1 + Triangle on PlayStation, or the equivalent key combination on PC) to lunge through the waterfall and into the cave beyond.
Explore Windrift Cave. The cave contains enemies and environmental hazards that must be dealt with before you can safely collect the helm.
Find the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul inside the cave. It is located in the deeper sections of Windrift Cave, past any guardians or obstacles.
The waterfall entrance mechanic makes Windrift Cave one of the game's hidden locations. Many players walk past it without realizing a cave is behind the water. Keep an eye out for waterfalls throughout Pywel, as several hide secret areas and loot.
Daze Immunity
Daze is a status effect that temporarily stuns Kliff, preventing all movement and actions for a short duration. Certain enemies and bosses rely on Daze-inducing attacks as a core part of their combat pattern, using the stun window to land follow-up damage. With the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul equipped, these Daze attacks still connect but have no effect, allowing Kliff to continue fighting without interruption.
Daze Immunity is shared with the Ferman Plate Helm and Witter's Plate Helm. However, the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul offers far higher Defense (8+3) compared to the Ferman (3 DEF) and Witter's (3 DEF), making it the clear choice for players who want both Daze protection and maximum damage reduction.
Refinement and Upgrades
The Plate Helm of Cursed Soul supports up to 10 refinement levels at the blacksmith in Hernand. Each level adds to the already high base Defense stat. Given the helm's starting value of 8 DEF (+3 bonus), even modest refinement pushes the total defense well beyond what any other headgear piece can match.
Plate headgear refinement requires ores obtained through mining. Higher refinement levels demand rarer ores, so plan your mining routes accordingly. Prioritize refining this helm if it is your primary headgear, since the defense gains are substantial at every level.
Combat Tips
The Plate Helm of Cursed Soul is arguably the best defensive headgear in the game. Equip it for boss fights, dungeon runs, and any encounter where survivability matters more than mobility.
The Daze Immunity effect removes one of the most frustrating crowd control mechanics in the game. Bosses that rely on striking you become much more manageable with this helm equipped.
Use the Abyss Core slots to further customize the helm. Consider socketing cores that boost health regeneration or reduce incoming damage to complement the already high defense stat.
At 5.48 Silver Coins sell price, the helm is not worth selling. Its combat value far exceeds its monetary value.
If you need both Daze Immunity and offensive counterplay, consider Witter's Plate Helm instead, which has lower defense but comes with the Rising Torrent Abyss Gear. The Plate Helm of Cursed Soul is the better pure-defense choice.
Explore all waterfalls in the world. Windrift Cave is not the only hidden location behind a waterfall, and similar secrets may yield other valuable equipment.
Early Pickup Route via Thornbriar
The Plate Helm of Cursed Soul can be collected almost as soon as you unlock the Stab ability. Because the cave is gated entirely by the stab mechanic rather than by a boss or a chapter flag, a new Kliff who has just finished the intro quests around Hernand can detour to the pickup and walk out with the highest-defense headgear in the game. The only catch is that the helm is not usable until you can transfer the Momentum socket (which grants Turning Slash damage) onto it, so most speed runners grab the socket from the leather helm of the fallen kingdom near the Sanctum of Benediction before heading here.
Travel Path to the Cave
Start from any of the central Abyss Nexus islands after returning from the Frostveil run. Drop from the Abyss island network down toward the mainland, then continue falling south until you are below the Thornbriar fortresses. The target area is the bottom right corner of the map, where three rivers meet in a rough triangle. A teleportation point sits right at the triangle of rivers, so activating it on arrival saves a lot of travel time on later visits.
Important hazard: the area around the triangle is covered in bright flowers. These are instant-kill flowers in practice; as soon as you notice you are taking damage from them you are probably already dead. Stay clear of the flower patches on foot and glide over them whenever possible.
Finding the Right Waterfall
From the triangle teleporter, head upstream. You will pass a waterfall that is sealed by a locked door. Ignore that one. Keep going one more waterfall upstream until you reach a pair of double waterfalls sitting side by side.
You want the right-hand waterfall of the pair. Stand directly in front of it and use the stab mechanic to lunge through the curtain of water. The stab ability is required here; there is no alternate entry. Once you have punched through the water, the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul is sitting inside waiting to be picked up.
At this point you will have the helm in your inventory but no way to use its best socket yet. This is fine. Store the helm, continue the main story until you unlock the witch in chapter three (the earliest point where you can transfer sockets between pieces), then move the Momentum socket over from whatever helmet it is currently sitting on. After the transfer, the Plate Helm of Cursed Soul becomes your permanent endgame headgear.
See Also
Headgear - All headgear in Crimson Desert
Witter's Plate Helm - Another Daze Immunity headgear with Rising Torrent Abyss Gear
Ferman Plate Helm - Another Daze Immunity plate helm
Plate Helm of the Shadows - High-tier plate headgear (5 DEF)
Status Effects - Complete list of status effects
Refining System - How refinement works