The early economy in Crimson Desert is tighter than it looks. Gear upgrades, consumables, and even Abyss-related purchases quickly drain your supply if income isn’t steady. The fastest way to build up Gold Bars and Silver is by stacking multiple income sources instead of relying on a single grind.
1. How Currency System Works
Before getting into farming routes, understanding how money actually works makes a big difference in how you approach early income.
- Copper is the lowest currency and drops frequently from enemies, quests, and small activities.
- Silver is the main working currency, used for most purchases and conversions.
- Gold Bars are high-value items worth 500 Silver each, primarily used for banking and large transactions.
The conversion rate is simple: 100 Copper = 1 Silver
This matters early because most activities reward Copper at first, which can feel slow. However, once you start stacking loot, selling gear, and running higher-value methods, everything quickly converts into Silver.
2. Loot Copper and Silver Pouches
Copper Pouch
One of the simplest and most underrated ways to build early currency is through regular looting. As you explore Pywel and engage in combat:
- Most enemies drop Copper Pouches and occasionally Silver Pouches.
- Open them from your inventory using the ‘Use All’ option to claim all contents at once, which adds coins directly to your wallet.
These pouches often contain 10–30 Copper each, and while that seems minor, they stack impressively over time — especially during longer grind loops like clearing camps or bounty routes. The pouch icon even appears on your minimap when one is nearby, letting you track and collect them on the go.
3. Complete Notice Board Bounties
Bounties
Bounty contracts are one of the best early, consistent ways to earn Silver.
- Visit the notice boards in towns like Hernand to accept bounties.
- These assign targets — typically groups or named enemies — scattered around the region.
- Defeating those targets and turning them in yields Silver rewards plus loot.
3.1. How to Complete Bounties Effectively
- Pick up multiple bounties in the same general area before departing town — this turns one trip into several payouts.
- Combine your bounty route with looting pouches and gear drops from the enemies you defeat.
- Return to town to turn them in and sell excess gear each time you finish a run.
4. Selling Items to Vendors
Selling Recipes
Selling is the backbone of a steady income, especially in the early game when combat and loot generate more gear than you need.
- Loot everything you find: Defeat enemies, open chests, and pick up all gear drops. Use the minimap pouch icons to spot nearby lootable bags to open them for copper/silver directly, or pick up valuables.
- Check item types before selling: Basic weapons/armor you aren’t going to use should be sold. Higher‑tier gear can be disassembled at a blacksmith for materials if you plan to upgrade gear, but otherwise, selling yields more Silver.
- Travel to merchants often: Go to vendors in major towns like Hernand regularly. Some vendors buy specific goods for better prices (e.g., leather goods sell better at certain shops), so check multiple vendors before selling everything.
- Avoid vendor rip‑offs: Prices can vary by vendor and region, so always check multiple shops before selling very valuable items.
- Dump miscellaneous trade goods: Items like herbs, crafted goods, and materials earned from gathering can also be sold. As you unlock trade posts later (Chapter 3 and beyond), selling becomes even more profitable
5. Steal Hidden Gold Bars
Lioncrest Mansion Location
Gold Bars are a huge boost because they convert to 500 Silver each — or more if invested — and you can find them early.
- There’s a hidden Gold Bar inside the fireplace of Lioncrest Manor in Hernand, which you can grab as soon as you reach town.
- Stolen Gold Bars sell for far less at vendors (~190 Silver), so take them to the bank first and convert properly.
Tip: Gold Bars can sometimes be found on certain NPCs — notably nobles — where shining your lantern reveals a yellow silhouette and allows you to pickpocket them.
5.1. How to Get Gold Bars
Goldbar from Fireplace
- Head inside Lioncrest Manor early (wear a mask), open the fireplace chest, and steal the Gold Bar.
- Immediately go to the bank in Hernand and convert the bar for the full 500 Silver (or invest it for passive growth later).
6. Break Into the Bank Storeroom
Robbing the bank storeroom in Hernand is one of the most effective ways to get a large amount of Silver early — often 60-100+ Silver per run — without grinding combat endlessly. For robbing the bank’s storeroom, you will need a Mask.
6.1. How to Get a Mask
Back Alley Merchant
- Buy one from the Back Alley Merchant (Grimrak) south‑east of Hernand’s Cathedral — typically costs a small amount of Copper.
- Loot it from defeated bandits — bandits sometimes drop masks once enemies start dropping them (more common after Chapter 1).
- Complete certain bounties/quests that reward a mask.
6.2. How to Rob Bank Storeroom
Stealing Bank Storeroom
- Equip a mask (dropped by bandits or bought cheaply) to enable crime mechanics.
- Use a key (buy from an Alley merchant) to open the locked room in the bank storeroom.
- Loot strongboxes and chests inside — they contain significant Silver and valuables.
6.3. Tips for Breaking into Bank
- Ensure nobody sees you to avoid jail or a bounty.
- Fill your inventory with as much as possible, especially strongboxes, then exit and open your inventory.
- If the return is unsatisfactory, reload and try again — the rewards are randomized.
Chest loot respawns every few in‑game days, making this a semi‑repeatable silver source.
7. Archery Minigame
Archery
If combat paths aren’t your favorite, there’s a skill‑based alternative to farm money early in the game.
- North of Hernand, you’ll find an Archery Minigame you can enter repeatedly.
- It costs a small fee but quickly returns profit if played well — often 70 Copper to 1.2 Silver per successful round.
- With practice, players can eke out consistent repeatable gains here while improving aim.
Tip: Take advantage of aiming mechanics: after hitting each target, reset your reticle to the center to maximize speed and accuracy.
8. Mining Diamond Mine & Valuable Nodes
Mining diamonds
While questing for Rhett’s Request in Hernand, you unlock a pickaxe.
- Head west of Unicorn Cliff to the Hernand Highlands Cavern diamond mine.
- Mine the diamond nodes — average runs produce ~11 diamonds (~2.28 Silver each) plus stalactites worth decent Copper.
- Collecting these and selling them adds a quick ~40 Silver in a short visit.
Diamond mine location
9. Pickpocket Nobles & High‑Value NPC Loot
Pickpocketing Nobles
Pickpocketing lets you steal valuable items (like Gold Bars, rings, and high‑value gear) from other characters—particularly nobles and wealthy NPCs—without engaging in open combat.
- Shine your lantern on NPCs — if a yellow silhouette appears at their hip, they carry an item you can steal.
- Move behind or to the side of the target, hold R2/RT + Circle/B to steal. Avoid standing directly in front, where detection is more likely.
- Pickpocket Nobles in towns such as Hernand often spawn with Gold Bars, rings, or high‑value loot.
Tip: If you don’t mind reputational consequences, this can be repeated in busy public areas where wealthy NPCs gather.
10. Bank Investments
Bank investment
Banking in Hernand is one of the safest ways to turn early earnings into steady growth. While it doesn’t give instant Silver like pickpocketing or mining, it provides a passive, low-risk method to increase your wealth over in‑game days.
- Open a bank account once you have at least 100 Silver and ideally a Gold Bar.
- Deposit Silver and Gold Bars for periodic returns based on three risk categories: Low, Medium, and High.
- Use high risk early in the game and try to max your reward over time; this can exponentially increase your hold.
11. Complete Side Activities & Quests
Requests
Many side quests and requests reward Silver or valuable items upon completion. Completing side content has additional perks:
- Expands inventory slots or opens merchants
- Leads into areas with camps and lootable clusters
- Often ties into other income methods like mines, bounties, etc.
12. Five‑Card Minigame
Five Card Mini game rules
Gambling isn’t just entertainment — it’s one of the fastest ways to generate large sums of Silver if you know how to exploit the mechanics. The Five‑Card table is found in towns such as Beighen and offers larger buy‑ins and payouts than Duo.
- Prepare a manual save: Before entering the gambling den, make a manual save. If you lose a big bet, load it again.
- Join the Five‑Card table: Approach and start the game with the buy‑in. Higher buy‑in tables offer higher possible payouts.
- Assess your starting hand: Good starting hands include Prime Pair (red 3 + red 8) or a high Pair.
- Go All‑In Early: If your opening hand is strong, press the all‑in prompt immediately. The AI often matches early bets even with weak hands, which can fatten your winnings quickly.
- Reload on Loss: If the hand doesn’t develop or you lose, reload your manual save and try again — that’s where the farming loop comes from.
Optional Cheat Mechanic: Continuing to play allows you to unlock the Cheat ability, which lets you influence the cards you draw. If you hold the hide hand command when dealing, you can auto‑add a specific card, increasing your chance of a high‑value combination.
13. Spire of Insight Room Unlimited Silver Exploit
This is one of the most effective early money tricks in the first region Hernand, and it functions more like an exploit than just a normal farm.
13.1. Spire of Insight Room Location
Spire of Insight Location
Head to the Spire of Insight, located south of Hernand in the Steel Mountains. You’ll need to open the Spire first before the farm works.
- Stand in front of the sealed Spire door.
- Shoot the vines with a flame arrow.
- Pick up a nearby pebble from the ground.
- Place the pebble into the basin mechanism on the door and enter the Spire once it opens.
13.2. How to Farm Spire of Insight Room
Looting Drawers
- Once inside, go to the right and pick up the Gravestone and place it inside the bowl in the middle of the room.
- Press the lift button and stand on the platform to reach second floor.
- Start on one side of the room and loot every bookshelf, drawer, and container
- Move to the opposite side and loot everything there
- After looting one side, the previous containers start resetting
- Items will either respawn inside containers or drop on the floor nearby. Go back to the first side and loot again
- Keep rotating between both sides of the room until your inventory is full
After done looting, fast-travel back to Hernand and sell everything to vendors for Silver. You can return to Spire of Insight Room and loot again.
NOTE: After you have a good amount of silver and gold bars, you can be visited by a Tax Collector (NPC), who will give you a tax letter. This is a side quest where you can pay your Special Tax to the guards at the bank entrance.
