The Claw

Overview

The Claw is a unique fishing pole in Crimson Desert. Unlike standard fishing rods, The Claw has an auto-reel ability that automatically reels in hooked fish without requiring the player to manually work the reel. This makes it the most convenient fishing tool in the game for players who want to simplify the fishing mini-game.

The Claw is not sold by any merchant and cannot be crafted. It is obtained exclusively as a gift from a secret traveling vendor who wanders across Pywell. This vendor does not have a fixed spawn point. Players have reported encountering him near the Goldleaf Guild House and at Greymane Camp, but he can appear at other locations throughout the world. The vendor only gives The Claw once his Trust level reaches 100, making it one of the more time-intensive items to acquire.

Auto-Reel Ability

With The Claw equipped, fishing works differently from standard rods. Instead of manually spinning the right stick to reel in a catch, The Claw introduces a new input option: simply press X (or the equivalent button on your platform) to reel the fish in. This change is a genuine game changer when fishing for multiple fish in a row, because it removes the repetitive stick-spinning that makes extended fishing sessions tedious. You still cast the line and wait for a bite as normal, but the reeling phase is dramatically simplified.

The auto-reel is especially valuable for players who focus on the life skill side of Crimson Desert. Fishing quests and requests that require multiple catches become far less tedious with The Claw equipped, since the player only needs to cast the line and wait for a bite. The rod handles the rest.

How to Obtain

The Claw is a friendship reward from a secret traveling vendor who roams Pywell. Unlike fixed-location merchants, this vendor wanders between landmarks and does not always appear in the same place. The process requires tracking him down and building a relationship over time.

Finding the Vendor

The secret vendor is a wandering merchant named Patreo (sometimes spelled Patrigo in community discussions). Patreo is one of the game's Secret Shop merchants, and unlike fixed-location vendors he has no permanent stall. He wanders the road that runs from Greymane Camp to Hernand and tends to appear more commonly at night (between approximately 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM in-game time). Because of his nocturnal tendencies and wandering behavior, he can be difficult to locate on any given day. Reported sighting locations include:

• Near the Goldleaf Guild House

• Greymane Camp (he has been seen wandering directly into the camp)

• Various other landmarks throughout southern Pywell

Because his location is not fixed, players may need to travel around the map to find him. Keep an eye out while exploring, particularly near settlements and camp areas.

Building Trust

The Claw is not available for purchase in the vendor's shop inventory. Instead, you need to increase his Trust level to 100. Like most NPCs in Crimson Desert, Trust can be raised through repeated interactions, purchasing items from his shop, and giving gifts.

The fastest method for raising Trust is giving copper coin pouches. These are commonly looted from bandits and enemy camps. Approximately 20 copper coin pouches will bring the vendor's Trust from zero to 100, making this by far the quickest route to earning The Claw. You do not need to open the pouches first; they can be gifted directly.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Progress the main story past Chapter 3. The traveling vendor does not appear before this point.

2. Explore Pywell and look for the secret traveling vendor. Check near the Goldleaf Guild House and Greymane Camp as starting points, but be aware he may be elsewhere.

3. Once you find him, interact with him and begin building Trust. The most efficient approach is to gift copper coin pouches, which you can stockpile from looting bandits.

4. Buy items from his shop each time you visit. Purchases also contribute to Trust gain, even if you do not need the items.

5. Once Trust reaches 100, the vendor gives The Claw as a gift automatically the next time you speak with him.

Alternative Method: Stealing From Bounty's Net

There is a much faster (though morally questionable) way to obtain The Claw that does not require building 100 Trust with Patreo. You can steal it directly from an NPC at Bounty's Net, a small hidden fishing pier located just east of the fishing town of Vellua, on the southwest side of Hernand.

At Bounty's Net, one of the fishermen standing on the pier is using a fishing rod that looks visibly different from the standard rod. This is The Claw. The NPC carries it on his back while fishing. To steal it, follow these steps:

1. Equip a mask. Stealing in Crimson Desert requires wearing a Mask. If you do not have one, Masks can be obtained from Bleed Bandits as drops or purchased from the back-alley merchant Grimrak, found southeast of the church in Hernand. See the How to Use Masks guide for more details.

2. Spook the NPC. Walk up to the fisherman and scare him into dropping the rod. You can do this by pulling out your weapon and swinging near him, standing right next to him for an extended period, or gliding in and landing right beside him. Any action that startles him will cause him to drop The Claw on the ground.

3. Steal The Claw. Once the rod is on the ground, hold the steal button (LB/L1 on controller, or CTRL on keyboard) and select The Claw to pick it up.

4. Escape the red circle. After stealing, a red detection zone appears around you. Sprint out of this area as quickly as possible to avoid incurring a fine or bounty. Swimming away from the pier is often the fastest escape route.

Common Issue When Stealing

Because the fisherman stands right at the edge of the pier, The Claw sometimes falls into the water when he drops it, making it impossible to pick up. If this happens, walk into the NPC and push him further toward the center of the pier, away from the water's edge. Try spooking him again once he is positioned on solid ground. Eventually he will drop the rod in a spot where you can reach it.

Fishing Rods Comparison

The Claw stands out from other fishing rods due to its unique auto-reel feature. The table below compares all available fishing rods in Crimson Desert.

Known Issues

At launch, the auto-reel effect on The Claw did not function as intended. Players who obtained the rod found that hooked fish were not being reeled in automatically despite the item's description. This issue was widely reported by the community and brought to the attention of Pearl Abyss.

If you encounter an issue where the auto-reel does not trigger after equipping The Claw, check for game patches. Pearl Abyss has acknowledged the bug and it may be addressed in a post-launch update. In the meantime, The Claw still functions as a standard fishing rod for manual reeling.

Locals's Favorite Fishing Spot (Velour)

Community testing has confirmed a second, simpler stealing location for The Claw that does not require tracking the wandering vendor and does not line up with the Bounty's Net pier entry. This spot is called Locals's Favorite Fishing Spot and sits just outside the coastal village of Velour.

Unlock Prerequisites

The Locals's Favorite Fishing Spot only becomes safely accessible after you have cleared the faction quest chains that liberate the surrounding villages. You must first complete the different house faction quests inside Hernand, which unlocks the Velour mission chain. Finish the Velour quest chain and liberate the village. Friendly NPCs then start spawning back in around the broader area, which is what allows the fisherman who carries The Claw to appear at the pier.

Finding the Spot

On the world map, Velour sits on the coast with a small gap in the water just southwest of the main settlement. Pull up the map, look for that gap, and place a marker on the visible beach area. From the Velour fast travel point it is a short run to the pier. On the left side of the pier you will see a single fisherman standing at the end of the walkway. The NPC on the left is the one carrying The Claw on his back, clearly distinct from a standard fishing rod model.

How to Make Him Drop the Claw

As with other stealable items in the game, you must be wearing a Mask before interacting with the fisherman, or your reputation will take a hit. Once masked up, use any method that scares NPCs into dropping their held item. The video confirms the following all work at this location:

• Kill the fisherman outright and loot The Claw from his corpse. This is the fastest option if you are comfortable with the bounty cleanup afterwards.

• Pull out your Shield and aim it at him. The raised shield causes him to flinch, which drops the rod on the ground for you to pick up.

• Skydive in from a Sky Island. The sonic boom effect produced by the dive has enough audio impact to startle the fisherman into dropping the rod the moment you land next to him.

• Any of the general NPC-intimidation options, such as weapon swings near his head or close-range aggression, also work here.

Notes on the Auto-Reel Description

The item description on the version looted from the Velour pier still claims that The Claw automatically reels in fish. In practice, tests from the video suggest the feature does not trigger a true hands-off reel, but the fishing mini-game still feels noticeably easier when using this rod compared to the standard line. Treat this as a convenience boost rather than a full auto-reel until Pearl Abyss patches the described behavior.

Which Method Should You Use?

If you have already progressed far enough into Hernand and Velour to have those faction chains completed, the Velour pier steal is the fastest of all the acquisition routes listed in this article, since it only takes a mask and a single trip. If you are earlier in the game and have not yet touched the Velour missions, the wandering vendor Patreo route or the Bounty's Net pier method remain valid alternatives. All three paths reward the same item, so pick whichever matches your current progression.

Tips

• Start stockpiling copper coin pouches early. You will naturally accumulate them while clearing bandit camps and completing bounty missions. Save around 20 pouches before seeking out the traveling vendor to max out his Trust in a single visit.

• Begin looking for the vendor as soon as you reach Chapter 3. The sooner you start, the sooner you can claim The Claw.

• Buying items from the vendor's shop also contributes to Trust gain, so purchase something each time you visit even if you do not need the items.

• The auto-reel makes The Claw ideal for completing fishing-related quests and requests, especially those requiring multiple catches in a row.

• Even if the auto-reel is bugged in your version, The Claw is still worth obtaining. Once patched, it will save significant time on fishing tasks.

• The Claw does not replace the need for a Pororin Fishing Rod if you plan to catch legendary fish. The Pororin rod is specifically designed for legendary catches, while The Claw's strength is convenience for everyday fishing.

• If you do not want to spend time tracking down Patreo, the steal method at Bounty's Net is significantly faster. Just make sure you have a Mask equipped before attempting it.

• Patreo tends to appear more frequently at night. If you are searching for him along the road between Greymane Camp and Hernand, try resting at a campfire until nightfall before setting out.

See Also

• Fishing - Complete fishing guide

• Complete Fish List - All catchable fish

• Greymane Camp - One of the locations where the vendor has been spotted

• NPC Trust System - How Trust works and the fastest ways to raise it

• Pywell - The open world where the traveling vendor roams

• Bounty's Net - Pier where The Claw can be stolen

• Stealing and Theft Guide - How stealing works in Crimson Desert

• How to Use Masks - Required for theft