TL;DR

Equipment drops from enemy bodies, hides in camps and sheds, and can be bought from vendors in cities
Use Blinding Flash from high ground to spot shining beacons — these mark nearby loot and points of interest
Hold Ctrl / L1 / LB near any object to check if it can be picked up — most weapons leaning on walls or racks are lootable
Buy gear from Rhett’s Equipment Shop and Blacksmith Turnali in Hernand City — both are near the town square
The Hernand Contributions Shop sells better armor than the blacksmith — but costs Contribution Points, not silver
Refine (upgrade) your gear at Blacksmith Turnali — no silver needed, just crafting materials like Iron Ore and Copper Ore
Refinement goes up to 10 levels — past level 4 you need Abyss Artifacts in addition to materials
Slot Abyss Gear through Witch vendors for passive stat bonuses on top of base refinement
Upgrade what you have — don’t chase new gear. Refining current gear to level 4 gives a bigger power spike than swapping to unrefined new equipment

Gear matters a lot in Crimson Desert. Unlike traditional RPGs where grinding levels solves most problems, your base stats here are almost entirely tied to the equipment Kliff is wearing. If you’re dying in two hits, the problem isn’t your skill level — it’s your armor. This guide covers every method for getting better equipment, from looting the open world to refining gear at the blacksmith.

Table of Contents

Method 1: Loot the Open World

The fastest and cheapest way to find better gear in Crimson Desert is to simply explore and look for it. A surprising amount of equipment is scattered across the map — lying in camps, propped against walls, sitting on weapon racks — and most players walk right past it without realizing it can be picked up.

Use Blinding Flash to Spot Loot Locations

The single best way to find nearby loot is to get to a high point — a cliff, a hilltop, a watchtower — and use Blinding Flash. Shining beacons will light up in the distance, pointing you toward camps, ruins, and other points of interest where equipment can be found.

Scan slowly in all directions. Each beacon is worth checking. You’ll regularly find weapons and armor waiting to be picked up with no combat required at all.

For a full breakdown of how Blinding Flash works for exploration and puzzles, check the Blinding Flash guide.

Check Everything — Most Weapons Are Pickable

Crimson Desert’s loot blends into the environment deliberately. A sword leaning against a wall, a shield resting on a rack, a helmet sitting on a crate — these all look like decorations but are almost always lootable items.

If you’re ever unsure whether something can be grabbed, walk up to it and hold Ctrl on PC / L1 on PlayStation / LB on Xbox. This checks for interactable objects nearby and shows you what you can pick up. Make this a habit every time you enter a new building or camp.

Loot Enemy Bodies

Bandits, soldiers, and other humanoid enemies have a solid chance of dropping equipment when killed. Always search bodies before moving on. Some of the best early weapons and armor pieces come from enemies rather than vendors.

Boss encounters are especially worth noting — some bosses drop unique equipment with special effects and passive abilities that standard gear cannot match. Keep an eye on boss loot carefully.

Method 2: Buy From Vendors in Hernand City

Once you have some silver, Hernand City is your first proper shopping destination.

Rhett’s Equipment Shop

Rhett’s shop is located in the middle of Hernand City, directly in front of the blacksmith. This is where you’ll find the full Canta Plate Armor set — the best early armor in the game for Attack and Defense stats combined. It’s a straightforward purchase and a major upgrade from whatever you start with.

Rhett also sells the “One-Handed Weapons of the World, Vol. 1” manual for around 2.50 silver. Buying and reading it unlocks blueprints for the Timberham Axe, the Pailunese Riteblade, and the Grace Rapier. If you’re low on silver early, check the guide on how to make money fast in Crimson Desert before shopping.

Rhett also sells gear as you build trust with him — and building that trust through daily greetings and quests is worth doing early. For the full breakdown on merchant relationships, see the guide on how to gain trust with merchants and trade agreements.

Blacksmith Turnali

Blacksmith Turnali is in the center north district of Hernand City, close to the town square. He sells a basic selection of weapons and armor for silver and is also where you go to refine (upgrade) your existing gear — more on that below.

Method 3: Contributions Shop — Better Gear for Contribution Points

Every major region in Crimson Desert has a Contributions Shop that sells gear unavailable from regular vendors. These shops accept Contribution Points instead of silver, earned by completing Faction Quests and liberating hostile areas.

Hernand Territory Contributions Shop

In Hernand Territory, the Contributions Shop is located in a tower to the right of the main path leading to Hernand Castle. The armor sold here is a step above what Blacksmith Turnali carries — worth saving up your Contribution Points for.

Important: You need to wear Hernandian Attire or another item granting castle grounds access before the guards will let you in. Without it, you’ll be turned away at the entrance.

For a full walkthrough on how Contribution Points work and the best ways to spend them, see the how to use Contribution Points in Crimson Desert guide.

Method 4: Refine Your Gear at the Blacksmith — The Most Important Upgrade System

Buying new gear is only half the picture. The Refinement system is how you actually make that gear powerful — and it’s the most important upgrade mechanic in the game.

Refinement is the game’s term for upgrading equipment. It increases the Attack stat on weapons and the Defense stat on armor. Every weapon, armor piece, and accessory in the game can be refined.

How to Refine Equipment

Head to Blacksmith Turnali in Hernand City. Speak to him and select the Refinement option from his menu. You’ll see all your equipped gear and inventory items eligible for refinement listed on the left side.

Select the piece you want to upgrade, check what materials are required, and confirm. The upgrade happens instantly.

Refinement costs no silver — only crafting materials.

What Materials Do You Need?

The materials required depend on the type of gear you’re upgrading:

Metal weapons and plate armor require Iron Ore and Copper Ore — mined from ore deposits on mountainsides with a Pickaxe or Force Palm
Fabric and leather armor requires Thin Hide — obtained by hunting animals
Higher refinement levels require rarer materials and eventually Abyss Artifacts

Ore deposits stay marked on the map after you mine them and respawn over time. For a full guide on farming the most common material, check how to get iron ore in Crimson Desert.

You can also check what any item needs before heading out by opening your inventory, pressing Inspect on the item, and selecting Refinement Information. This shows the exact materials required for every level ahead of time.

Refinement Levels — How Far to Upgrade

There are 10 Refinement levels for every piece of gear. Here’s how the system scales:

Levels 1–4: Require only basic crafting materials. This is the sweet spot for early game — getting all your gear to level 4 gives a dramatic power spike.
Levels 5–10: Require rarer materials plus Abyss Artifacts on top.

The critical advice here is this: upgrade what you have, don’t chase new gear. A fully refined set of early-game armor outperforms an unrefined piece of later-game armor. Refine your current set to level 4 before worrying about replacing it.

For a deeper walkthrough on the full upgrade process, see the how to upgrade weapons and armor in Crimson Desert guide.

Use Grindstones and Anvils Before Boss Fights

Scattered across the world near camp entrances and boss arenas are Grindstones and Anvils. These are free temporary buffs — Grindstones sharpen your weapon for a short-term Attack boost, and Anvils buff your armor’s Defense.

Always use them when you spot one near a boss arena. They cost nothing and the difference can be significant in a tough fight.

Method 5: Abyss Gear — Passive Stat Bonuses From Witch Vendors

On top of base Refinement, you can slot Abyss Gear onto your weapons and armor for additional passive effects. These are separate from your base stats and add bonuses like increased Attack Speed, bonus damage, or unique named effects.

Abyss Gear is obtained by looting enemies, completing quests, buying from certain vendors, or finding it during exploration. To equip it, you need to find a Witch vendor — unlike Blacksmiths who are in town centers, Witch vendors set up shop on the outskirts of major cities.

For full details on unlocking Witch vendors and slotting Abyss Gear, the Crimson Desert Witch’s Abyss Gears guide has everything you need.

Quick Priority Order for Getting Better Gear

If you’re trying to power up as efficiently as possible, here’s the recommended order:

Loot camps and enemy bodies while doing main story quests — free gear costs nothing
Buy Canta Plate Armor from Rhett’s shop in Hernand — immediate Defense and Attack boost
Refine all gear to level 4 at Blacksmith Turnali using Iron Ore and Copper Ore — biggest early power spike
Save Contribution Points for the Hernand Contributions Shop armor — better than the blacksmith’s stock
Slot Abyss Gear from Witch vendors for passive bonuses on top of everything else
Refine beyond level 4 once you have Abyss Artifacts to spare

For the full recommended early-game gear setup including which specific weapons and armor work best together, the best early build guide maps it all out.

Related Guides

Available on: PlayStation 5 | Xbox | Steam | Epic Games

Crimson Desert How to Get Better Equipment: Loot, Buy, Upgrade, and Refine Your Gear

Method 1: Loot the Open World

Use Blinding Flash to Spot Loot Locations