Crimson Desert hands out gear, but not all at once. You begin with almost no money on a very big map, so getting decent weapons and armor takes some patience and a little know-how. Here are the reliable places and tricks to get you equipped early.

Look for loot in the world

Equipment frequently appears as world loot. Check sheds, military outposts, bandit camps, and other logical places where someone might leave a sword against a wall or a helmet on a rack.

  • High ground helps. Climb a cliff, tower, or mountain and use the Blinding Flash ability to reveal nearby points of interest. Bright beacons often mark camps and loot spots.
  • Loot blends into scenery. Many pickable items look like props. If something seems like decoration but you are curious, hold Ctrl on PC or L1/LB on controller to see if it can be added to your inventory.

Loot from enemies

Humanoid enemies such as bandits commonly drop gear when defeated. Always search bodies before moving on. The drops are not guaranteed, but checking corpses is an easy way to increase your equipment pool early on.

Buy from city vendors

Cities and larger towns contain equipment vendors. These blacksmiths and tailors sell modest starting gear that is useful while you level up and earn money. Currency in the game is Copper and Silver, and you earn both by completing quests and selling items you do not need.

Hernand Duchy specifics

  • The castle town in Hernand has a tailor and a blacksmith near the town square who offer early clothing, caps, plate armor, and weapons.
  • Hernand Castle also contains a Contributions Shop with slightly better armor than the typical blacksmith stock. That shop does not use coins.

Contributions Shop and Contribution Points

The Contributions Shop sells higher tier gear in exchange for Contribution Points rather than Copper or Silver. You earn Contribution Points by completing faction quests and liberating areas from hostile forces. Each region has a Contributions Shop in its main town.

In Hernand Territory the Contributions Shop is located in a tower to the right of the main path that leads up to the castle. To access the castle grounds and the shop you must wear Hernandian Attire or any other item that grants entry. Guards will deny access otherwise.

Quick practical tips

  • Expect to scavenge and buy slowly early on. The map is large and your starting funds are small.
  • Sell surplus gear and complete quests to gather Copper and Silver for purchases.
  • Use tall vantage points and Blinding Flash to find camps and POIs efficiently.
  • Always check dead enemies for drops and nearby furniture or racks for hidden items.

Follow those steps and you will stop looking like a walking thrift-store ad sooner rather than later.