Shortly after the start of Crimson Desert, our protagonist Kliff is dropped into a vast open world without a Copper to his name. Sure, Kliff should go to reunite the Greymanes as soon as possible, but he might need something more than just pocket change to make the journey more feasible. Earning coin may feel like a slow process, but worry not, as this guide breaks down a few early game money-making tips to start your journey off right
How to Make Money Fast and Early in Crimson Desert
Want to learn more about a particular money making method? Click the links below to jump to:
Currency Denominations Explained
Before we start earning our wealth proper, it’s important to understand a bit more about the three different kinds of currency in Crimson Desert. As you start doing Quests and Side Activities, you will mostly be paid in Copper, the lowest form of currency that is signified with a distinctive brown icon. It takes 100 of these Copper pieces to equate to just one Silver, which will end up being the most common denomination you will interact with.
Lastly, you can buy Gold Bars at the bank, which are worth a whopping 500 Silver. Beyond being used for investing, Gold Bars don’t have much else of a purpose.
Rob the Bank Storeroom
As soon as you are given access to the open world, you will find yourself in Hernand, a bustling town with a lot to do. On the northside of town, you will find the Bank. If you are willing to indulge in a little bit of crime, you can actually break into the bank’s storeroom quite easily. A successful run will often net you somewhere between 30-55 Silver in just a few minutes.
Note from Editor Angie: Robbing the Hernand Bank when first starting out is by far the best immediate money marker we have found in Crimson Desert.
To break into the bank, you will need to bring in two items. First, you will need a mask, which will let you engage with all the crime mechanics in the game. You can obtain a mask in a variety of different ways. Some Bleed Bandits in the Hernandian Territory may drop a Mask after you defeat them. You can also complete the Bounty Notice for Jeffrey that is located right outside the jail in Hernand, which rewards a mask for completing the Quest.
Lastly, you can buy one from the Back Alley Merchant named Grimrak for 10 Copper, just southeast of the Cathedral in Hernand.
At this shop, you can also buy a generic Key for 30 Copper, which is the second item you will need to break into the bank. Like masks, keys will often drop from defeated enemies, so we would recommend checking your inventory to see if you already have a key, and if you don’t, you can buy one here—having spare keys is never a bad thing, though.
Once you have your mask equipped, and your key at the ready, make a safety save, go inside the bank and enter the locked door onto your left. Once you enter, make sure the door behind you closes.
On the far wall there are a plethora of Strongboxes that you can steal, and scattered across the room will be plenty of chests to plunder. As you start stealing, you will notice a theft meter appear on the top right hand side of the screen.
Try not to be alarmed at the meter, as long as no one sees you stealing anything, you will not receive a fine, or worse yet, a bounty. You might notice though that your contribution meter will deplete as you steal items. In our testing, the drop is almost negligible, as a simple Side Quest will make up any points you’ve lost and then some. Fill up your inventory with as much as you can, with the Strongboxes being the most important. Just make sure the theft meter is off your screen before leaving the storeroom.
If all goes well, you should be able to go into your inventory, and unwrap your spoils. The amount you receive from Strongboxes, and Silver pouches seems to be random, so if you feel like you didn’t receive as much money as you should, load up your save and try again.
The Strongboxes here do not seem to respawn, but the chests will refill up after two to three complete in-game days. Once the chests fill back up, consider hitting the spot again for a few extra free Silver.
Test Your Skills at the Archery Minigame
If stealing isn’t your thing, there are a few ways to grind out some early money without too much hassle. North of Hernand you will find an Archery Minigame that you can repeat as many times as you’d like.
The entry price for the minigame is simply 80 copper, and full rounds run very quickly. At first, a winning run may only net you back your entry money, but as you keep replaying the game, you will either earn 70 copper, or 1.2 Silver in profit.
When playing the minigame, we recommend moving your reticle back to the middle of the playfield after hitting each target, as that gives you the best chance to quickly reach the next target wherever it spawns.
Raid the Diamond Mine Early
After you complete the mining tutorial Side Quest named “Rhett’s Request,” you will find yourself with a pickaxe. You’ll want to take that pickaxe to the Hernand Highlands Cavern, which is west of Unicorn Cliff. Here you will find a Diamond mine that will net you 11 Diamonds, which sell for 2.28 Silver each. You can either keep the Diamonds just to have them down the line, or sell it early to clear your inventory.
You can also mine the Stalactites that are scattered about. During our run, we ended up obtaining 24 Stalactites, which sell for 57 Copper each. Clearing this mine can net you nearly 39 Silver all together in just a few minutes.
Master Duo
Above the Inn in which you Arm Wrestle the man early on in Hernand, you will find a room in which you can play Duo, a poker-like game that plays much quicker. Entry to the game costs 15 Silver, so I recommend making a save file right before you start.
You are dealt two sticks, each with a value and color, and together they make a specific hand. You can view the ranking of the hands to see how likely you are to win. Your moves are on a timer, so if you need time to think of your next action, you can pause the timer by using the view hands guide.
Before betting, you and your opponents reveal the value of one of those sticks, which will help you determine how likely they are to have a hand better than yours. There is only 1 betting round, and you reveal your hand once everyone checks, or calls the highest bet.
Like poker, you can fold if you find your hand isn’t strong enough, but I find that it doesn’t hurt to go aggressive in this game. Remember, you have that safety save available if you don’t mind exploiting the system while you are learning.
Your opponents can and will cheat. If you accuse them of cheating, and they did indeed cheat, their game will end early, and you will win a share of their chipstack. If you catch your opponents cheating 3 times over the course of your playthrough, you will learn how to cheat yourself.
Editor’s Note: As a complete novice to this particular Korean card game, but a self-described poker lover, I can tell you I was able to consistently triple or quadruple my buy-in after about 10-15 minutes, as long as no one cheated.
If everyone leaves the table, either because you busted them out, or their cheating got their own hand busted, you will have to leave and return to the table at a later time.
