Overview
Equipment upgrades in Crimson Desert are handled through the Refining System at Blacksmiths located in towns across Pywel. The primary Blacksmith is found in Hernand. To refine a piece of gear, players select the Refinement option and provide the required materials. Higher-level upgrades require rarer materials along with Abyss Artifacts.
Materials fall into three broad categories: wood (for wooden shields), ores and gems (for weapons, plate armor, metal shields, and jewelry), and animal/miscellaneous materials (for leather armor, soft armor, cloaks, and jewelry). Each category has its own gathering method and tool requirements.
How to Gather Materials
Two specialized tools are needed for resource gathering. Both can be purchased at the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand. Players can also use certain combat abilities as substitutes in the field.
Tool | Use | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
Logging Axe | Fell trees for Timber and Fine Timber | Turning Slash ability |
Pickaxe | Strike ore and crystal deposits for metals and gems | Force Palm Attack ability |
Animal materials come from hunting wildlife across Pywel, and miscellaneous materials like cloth, fleece, and feathers come from camp production, enemy drops, and world exploration.
Ores and Metals
Ores are mined from rock deposits found along cliffs, inside caves, and on mountain walls. They are used to upgrade weapons, plate armor, and metal shields at the Blacksmith.
Material | Primary Regions | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Weapons, plate armor, metal shields | ||
Hernand, Demeniss, Delesyia, Crimson Desert | Weapons, plate armor, metal shields, jewelry | |
Pailune, Crimson Desert, Delesyia | Weapons, armor, metal shields | |
Crimson Desert (northern road, Tashkalp) | Weapons, plate armor, metal shields | |
Gold Ore | Various regions | Weapons, plate armor, metal shields |
Silver Ore | Various regions | Weapons, plate armor, metal shields |
Gems and Crystals
Gems are mined from crystal deposits, which look different from standard ore veins. They tend to appear in mountainous terrain, caves, and harder-to-reach areas. Gems are primarily used to upgrade jewelry.
Material | Primary Regions | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Crimson Desert, Demeniss, Hernand, Delesyia | Jewelry | |
Demeniss, Delesyia | Jewelry | |
Pailune, Delesyia, Crimson Desert borderlands | Jewelry | |
Hernand, Demeniss, Crimson Desert | Jewelry |
Wood Materials
Wood is gathered by felling trees with a Logging Axe. After chopping a tree down, continue hitting the fallen trunk to break it into collectible pieces. Wood materials are used to upgrade wooden shields.
Material | Source | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Any tree (Logging Axe) | Wooden shield upgrades | |
Any tree (Logging Axe) | Wooden shield upgrades | |
Flawless Timber | Rare tree drops | Higher-tier wooden shield upgrades |
Animal Materials
Animal materials come from hunting wildlife throughout Pywel. Different animal sizes yield different material types. These are primarily used for leather armor and jewelry upgrades.
Material | Source | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Small Bone | Hunting small animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Large Bone | Hunting large animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Thin Hide | Hunting small animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Thick Hide | Hunting large animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Short Hair Hide | Hunting specific animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Long Hair Hide | Hunting specific animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Sturdy Hide | Hunting large or tough animals | Leather armor, jewelry |
Fang | Hunting predators | Leather armor, jewelry |
Miscellaneous Materials
These materials are used for soft armor, cloaks, and certain jewelry upgrades. Sources vary from camp production to enemy drops and world exploration.
Material | Source | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Cloth Pieces | Enemy drops, world exploration | Soft armor, cloaks, jewelry |
Fleece | Ranch animals at camp | Soft armor, cloaks, jewelry |
Feather | Hunting birds, world exploration | Soft armor, cloaks, jewelry |
Ivory | Hunting large animals | Soft armor, cloaks, jewelry |
Spider Web | Caves, spider enemies | Soft armor, cloaks, jewelry |
Abyss Artifacts
In addition to standard materials, higher-tier refinements require Abyss Artifacts. These are obtained through combat: defeating enemies, completing challenges, and earning quest rewards. They cannot be gathered from the open world like other materials.
Tips
Buy your Pickaxe and Logging Axe early from the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand. Having both tools on hand lets you gather any deposit you come across during exploration.
Ore deposits respawn over time, so revisiting productive areas is a reliable farming strategy.
Each ore or crystal deposit contains up to 6 pieces of material per harvest.
The Force Palm Attack and Turning Slash can substitute for the Pickaxe and Logging Axe respectively, letting you gather without switching tools.
Expanding your Greymane Camp unlocks passive material production, including fleece from ranch animals.
Rarer materials like Diamond and Epidote tend to be found in caves and hard-to-reach locations rather than along roads.