Overview
Quests are the primary means of progression in Crimson Desert. The game features over 400 missions spanning its main story, optional faction storylines, and a wide variety of challenges. Players follow Kliff and the Greymane mercenaries across the continent of Pywel, taking on missions that range from large-scale battlefield sieges to quiet investigations in rural towns. Quests are divided into three broad categories: Main Quests, Faction Quests, and Challenges.
Quest Types
Main Quests
Main Quests form the core storyline and are divided into a Prologue ("Dead of Night"), twelve numbered chapters (from Chapter 1: "The First Encounter" through Chapter 12: "The Abyss"), and an Epilogue ("Journey's End"). Each chapter contains several quest groups, and each group is further divided into individual quests. The main story follows Kliff's journey to reunite the scattered Greymanes after the Black Bears' ambush, rebuild Howling Hill as a base of operations, and ultimately confront the threat of the Abyss. Three playable characters are unlocked as the story progresses: Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka.
Faction Quests
Faction Quests are optional side missions tied to specific organizations and groups throughout Pywel. Completing them improves the player's relationship with that faction and often unlocks unique rewards. Faction quests are accessed through notice boards in major cities, by speaking with NPCs directly, or by discovering letters and notes in the world. The following factions offer quest lines:
Faction | Description |
|---|---|
Internal missions for the mercenary band, including recruitment drives, resource gathering, and personal storylines for individual members. | |
Bounty notices posted by the noble house, tasking players with hunting down criminals and dangerous creatures. | |
Duchy-related missions tied to the political intrigue surrounding Marquis Serkis and his territory. | |
Political and military missions connected to the Roberts duchy. | |
Trade and commerce missions from the merchant guild, often involving supply routes and negotiations. | |
Nature-focused quests centered on protecting the Pororin Forest and its inhabitants. | |
Mystical tasks connected to the witches of Pywel, often involving supernatural elements and the Abyss. | |
Defensive missions for the Pailune region, including bandit suppression and border patrol. | |
Tribal missions involving the Beighen people and their customs. | |
Secretive missions tied to the Antumbra Order, an organization connected to the Abyss. | |
General requests from the people of Hernand, covering a wide range of tasks from pest control to missing persons. | |
Demeniss Quests | Missions connected to the Demeniss region and its political affairs. |
Challenges
Challenges are optional objectives that test the player's skills across five categories. Unlike standard quests, challenges do not have narrative context and instead focus on specific gameplay tasks. Completing challenges rewards players with skill points, equipment, and other useful items.
Category | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Discovering ruins, solving environmental puzzles, activating mechanisms, and finding hidden locations. | Fix a broken fountain in Arboria Forest; solve the wheel mechanism at Dragon's Stone Chamber Ruins; navigate through Root's End. | |
Mastery | Weapon-specific training trials for each combat style in the game. | Sword technique trials, shield proficiency tests, bow accuracy challenges, spear drills, two-handed weapon tests, rapier and shield combos, horse riding distance challenges. |
Combat | Battle-focused objectives with specific conditions such as time limits or restricted tactics. | Defeat enemies within a time limit; avoid taking damage during a fight; eliminate a set number of enemies consecutively. |
Life | Non-combat activities tied to the game's crafting, stealth, and survival systems. | Learn new cooking recipes, forge equipment at smithies, complete stealth missions, pick locks. |
Minigame | Competitive events and recreational activities found across Pywel's settlements. | Duo card game tournaments, weapon dueling, arm wrestling, boxing matches, shooting competitions. |
How to Obtain Quests
Quests in Crimson Desert are obtained through several methods:
Story progression: Main quests trigger automatically as the player advances through the narrative.
Notice boards: Major cities like Hernand and Pailune have notice boards where faction quests and bounties are posted.
NPC conversations: Speaking with townspeople, merchants, and faction leaders can unlock new quest lines.
Letters and notes: Discovered documents in the world can trigger quest chains.
Dynamic world events: Random encounters such as burning houses, fleeing thieves, hostage situations, and bandit ambushes can turn into quests if the player intervenes.
Quest Rewards
Completing quests provides a variety of rewards. Main Quests advance the story and unlock new regions, abilities, and playable characters. Faction Quests improve standing with their respective organizations and often reward equipment, gold, or faction-specific items. Challenges grant skill points and crafting materials.
Notably, Crimson Desert uses Abyss Artifacts as a core reward mechanism instead of traditional experience points. These artifacts are tied to the game's "Observing" mechanic, where Kliff learns new skills by watching enemies and allies in action rather than through a conventional leveling system. Certain skills can only be unlocked by completing specific story or side missions.
Tips
Pay attention to notice boards whenever you arrive at a new settlement. They are updated as the story progresses.
Dynamic world events are missable. If you see smoke on the horizon or hear cries for help, investigate before moving on.
Faction quests can influence how certain story events play out, so completing them alongside the main story is worthwhile.
Challenges can be attempted at any time and provide useful skill points early in the game.
Use the Observing mechanic during boss fights and enemy encounters to unlock new skills that might not be available through any other quest reward.