Priscus the Ancient

Overview

Priscus the Ancient is a boss enemy encountered during a Delesyia Faction Quest in Crimson Desert. This flying boss is found in the basement of the Spire of Ringing Truthlocated west of Waywards Woods in the Pailune region. Priscus spends most of the fight airborne, making ranged combat and crowd control essential to defeating it. Of the three Ancients in the Shackled God quest line, Priscus is widely considered the easiest encounter, making it a good first target for players starting the Aeserion the Great Serpent quest chain.

Boss Stats

Priscus the Ancient is classified as a World Boss in Crimson Desert. Its base stats are listed below,.

Skills

Priscus possesses one passive ability that governs how it behaves during the encounter:

• Boss Large Human (passive): Priscus is categorized as a large humanoid boss type. This classification determines which crowd-control effects can apply to it and how the stagger system interacts with its frame size. Sleep Arrows and similar incapacitating effects still function against this boss type, making stagger-based tactics viable.

Equipment

Priscus the Ancient wears a matching cloth armor set. These items make up the Priscus Cloth set, which defines the boss's visual appearance during the fight.

Location

The Spire of Ringing Truth is located west of Waywards Woods in Pailune. If you have previously unlocked the Abyss Nexus waypoint nearby, you can fast-travel to it. Otherwise, you will need to travel to the spire on foot or horseback from the nearest campsite.

How to Access the Boss

Priscus the Ancient is hidden in the basement of the spire. To reach it, you must complete a climbing puzzle and drop the bell from the top of the tower. This is the only one of the three Ancient fights that involves a puzzle before the battle.

1. Enter the Spire of Ringing Truth and begin climbing upward using stone stairs and wooden ladders.

2. Navigate through multiple platforms, including rope-triggered wooden planks and a chandelier crossing.

3. Use the Double Jump skill to cross wider gaps between platforms. This skill is required for the puzzle.

4. At the top of the tower, shoot the wooden planks supporting the large bell to make it fall.

5. The falling bell smashes through the floor, creating an opening to the basement where Priscus the Ancient awaits.

Save your game before dropping the bell. The boss fight begins immediately after entering the basement with no further opportunity to prepare.

Preparation

Because Priscus stays airborne for most of the fight, you should prepare the following before entering:

Make sure you have Marksmanship Lv 2 and Focus Lv 2 unlocked to use Focused Shotwhich is the primary tool for building stagger against airborne bosses.

Combat Strategy

Many players find Priscus a fairly frustrating fight because the boss spends the majority of the encounter out of melee range. Priscus teleports around the arena and shoots projectiles, making it difficult to engage with melee-focused builds. An upgraded bow is essential for chipping away at health from range. When the boss does come within melee range, you should maximize your damage output during these brief windows with your strongest combos and Force Palm strikes.

Phase 1: Airborne Combat

Priscus remains airborne for the majority of the fight, firing laser projectiles at the player. Use Focused Shot (hold aim with the bow, activate Focused Shot with L3+R3, mark Priscus with R1, then release to fire four rapid arrows) to build the stagger meter. Sleep Arrows are particularly effective because they contribute additional stagger buildup. Once the meter fills, Priscus will crash to the ground.

Phase 2: Ground Window

When Priscus is staggered and grounded, close the gap quickly and unleash your strongest melee combos. This window is brief, so prioritize high-damage abilities like Turning SlashForward Slashand Armed Combat. After the stagger wears off, Priscus will take flight again and the cycle repeats.

Key Ability: Nature's Snare

The fastest way to beat Priscus is by using Nature's Snare to block the boss's laser projectiles, then following up with Nature's Snare Retribution to bring Priscus down. This combination both negates incoming damage and accelerates the stagger process, making it the most efficient strategy for this fight. Players who have invested in Nature's Snare can finish this encounter significantly faster than those relying on bow stagger alone.

Recommended Approach

1. Open with Focused Shot to begin building stagger from range.

2. Use Nature's Snare to deflect laser projectiles back at Priscus for bonus stagger.

3. Once staggered, switch to melee and use Turning Slash for maximum damage during the ground window.

4. Retreat and re-equip your bow when Priscus takes flight again.

5. Repeat the cycle of stagger, melee burst, and retreat until Priscus is defeated.

Part of the Aeserion Quest Line

Priscus is the first of three Ancient bosses that must be defeated as part of the Shackled God Faction Quest chain in Delesyia. The quest objectives can be found under Journalthen Faction Queststhen Delesyia, then Aeserion the Great Serpent. After defeating Priscus, players must also hunt down Praevus the Ancient at the Abyss Debris and Primus the Ancient at Daggerhead Monolith before the final confrontation with Aeserion at the Serpent Shrine becomes available.

Since Priscus is the easiest of the three Ancients, many players recommend tackling it first. The fight teaches the core mechanics shared by all Ancient encounters (airborne stagger, ground burst windows) without the additional hazards present in the Praevus and Primus fights.

Defeating Priscus is a required step in the Frost Mantle unlock path. After the boss falls, an abyss gate opens in the basement, leading to the Either Rest abyss island, which is the first of three puzzle islands that must be completed to earn Frost Lv. 1.

Comparison with Other Ancients

Tips

• Priscus is the easiest Ancient and a great introduction to the Shackled God quest line. If you are struggling, farm better gear before trying Praevus or Primus.

• Sleep Arrows are your best friend for this fight. Stock up from vendors before entering the Spire.

• Nature's Snare trivializes the projectile phases. If you have it, use it aggressively to both defend and deal stagger damage.

• Focused Shot requires Marksmanship Lv 2 and Focus Lv 2. Make sure these skills are unlocked before attempting any Ancient fight.

• Bring Palmar Pills as a safety net. They let you revive after death without restarting the fight.

• The tower puzzle before the boss contains no enemies. Take your time solving it and save before dropping the bell.

• The Double Jump skill is required for the tower puzzle. Make sure you have it before traveling to the Spire.

Rewards

Defeating Priscus the Ancient grants the following rewards and progresses the Shackled God quest line. Completion is required to eventually unlock the Aeserion boss encounter and access Aeserion's Scales at the Serpent Shrine.

Priscus drops several rewards upon defeat, including equipment pieces and crafting materials. The most important reward is access to the Either Rest abyss island through the gate that opens in the basement. This begins the chain of three abyss puzzle islands required to unlock Frost Mantle.

See Also

• Praevus the Ancient

• Primus the Ancient

• Aeserion the Great Serpent

• Aeserion's Scale

• Shackled God

• Serpent Shrine

• Nature's Snare

• Faction Quests