TL;DR
- Spirit starts at Level 0 and can be raised to Level 8 using Abyss Artifacts in the Skill Tree
- To push beyond Level 8 to the max of Level 12, you must complete the Wild Ginseng Energy Research at the Pororin Institute
- Wild Ginseng is found in the Deepwoods north of Steel Mountains, and near Pailune and Silver Wolf Mountains
- The research costs 130 Silver and takes 22 in-game hours — it will stall midway and ask for x1 Wild Ginseng
- Spirit upgrades apply to Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka all at once
Spirit is one of three core stats in Crimson Desert, alongside Health and Stamina. It powers your special combat skills, Force Palm techniques, and elemental abilities. The more Spirit you have, the more often you can use those moves in a fight.
Getting max Spirit is not as simple as spending Abyss Artifacts. At Level 8, the game puts up a hard wall. To break past it, you need to unlock a specific research project — and that requires finding Wild Ginseng first.
This guide covers everything: how Spirit works, how to raise it with Abyss Artifacts, how to unlock the Pororin Institute, and exactly where to find Wild Ginseng.
What Is Spirit in Crimson Desert?
Spirit is the green gauge shown in the bottom-left of your HUD, just above the Health bar. It is used to perform nature skills and special actions. When you run out of Spirit mid-combat, many of your stronger abilities become unavailable until you restore it.
You can restore Spirit in two ways. Press both thumbsticks at the same time to enter a focused state that slows time and refills the gauge. Or eat Spirit-restoring food from your inventory during combat. For more on how the HUD works, check our Crimson Desert HUD explained guide.
Spirit upgrades are shared across all three playable characters. Upgrading it once for Kliff applies the same boost to Oongka and Damiane automatically. You do not need to upgrade them separately.
How to Increase Spirit: Level 0 to Level 8
Spirit starts at Level 0. To raise it, open your Skill Tree and find the large green dial on the left edge of the tree — it has a tree icon. Hold the Enhance button to invest Abyss Artifacts into it.
Each upgrade costs Abyss Artifacts. The cost increases with every level, so early upgrades are cheap and later ones are much more expensive. Spirit can be upgraded this way up to 12 times total, but the game hard-caps you at Level 8 without a research unlock.
For tips on farming Abyss Artifacts, check our guide on how to get Abyss Cells in Crimson Desert.
How to Get Max Spirit (Level 8 to Level 12)
Once Spirit hits Level 8, Abyss Artifacts alone will not push it any further. The cap only breaks after you complete the Mysterious Energy of Wild Ginseng Research at the Pororin Institute.
Here is how to do it step by step.
Step 1: Unlock the Pororin Village
Pororin is a hidden Shai village that is not accessible from the start. You need to complete the Unreachable Village quest to open it.
To trigger this quest, approach the village and get knocked out by the Shai sleep darts three times. After the third time, a character named Arkin appears and gives you the quest. You then need to retrieve the Relic of Pororin from a giant walking tree to the east, return it to Arkin, and the village opens permanently.
Check our full Unreachable Village quest guide for the complete walkthrough.
Step 2: Unlock the Pororin Research Institute
Once inside Pororin, head south to the Patalton Workshop to find Lumiel, who leads the Pororin Research Institute. To open her project tree, you need to hand her 5x Lavender.
Once you give her the Lavender, the research menu opens up. You will need to complete the first faction quest — the Medicinal Herbs Research — before the Wild Ginseng project becomes available.
Step 3: Start the Wild Ginseng Energy Research
Return to Lumiel and purchase the Mysterious Energy of Wild Ginseng Research for 130 Silver. The research takes 22 in-game hours to complete.
Advance time at campfires or sleep through the day-night cycle to speed things up.
Step 4: Handle the Research Stall
After 11 in-game hours, the research will pause. You will get the Wild Ginseng Research Halted quest. Head to Pororin and speak with the Pororin Research Assistant. They will ask you for x1 Wild Ginseng. Hand it over and the research resumes.
After a total of 22 in-game hours, return to Lumiel to collect your reward. The Spirit cap is now raised past Level 8 and you can invest Abyss Artifacts to push it all the way to Level 12.
How to Get Wild Ginseng in Crimson Desert
Wild Ginseng is a rare medicinal herb found in mountain forests. It does not appear at regular vendors. You need to gather it yourself from specific locations across Pywel.
To pick it up, walk up to the glowing root nodes and interact with bare hands. No tool is needed.
Here are the best farming spots:
Deepwoods — North of Steel Mountains (Best Spot)
This is the most reliable location. Head to the Steel Mountains area in Hernand and travel north toward the Deepwoods. The game will actually point you here when the research stalls. You should find enough Wild Ginseng in this area to cover both the research requirement and the later Spirit upgrade requirement.
Pailune — Near the Abyss Nexus
Fast travel to the Abyss Nexus in Pailune and jump down toward the eastern side. Turn back and look at the wall. You will find a cave entrance with a small cluster of Wild Ginseng inside. This is a quick secondary spot when the Deepwoods respawn is on cooldown.
Silver Wolf Mountains
Jump down from the Abyss Nexus and run northwest. Watch out for bears in the area. At the base of the mountain range, you will find some Wild Ginseng growing near a tree.
Howling Hill Camp Garden (Late Game)
Once you upgrade Howling Hill Camp, you can unlock a garden there. This lets you grow your own Wild Ginseng rather than hunting for it in the wild. It is the most efficient long-term solution. Check our guide on how to upgrade Howling Hill Base Camp to get started.
Other Uses for Wild Ginseng
Do not eat Wild Ginseng casually. It does give buffs when consumed, but its best use is saving it for the Spirit research and high-level crafting. Wild Ginseng is also an ingredient in the Refined Palmar Pill recipe. Check our Refined Palmar Pill recipe location guide if you need those as well.
You can also check your inventory and choose to extract seeds from the plant instead of eating it. Plant those seeds at the Howling Hill farm to grow your own supply over time.
Spirit Upgrade Tips
Do not neglect Spirit early. Take at least one or two early points in Spirit, especially if you use Force Palm skills or elemental abilities. The first upgrades are cheap and the payoff is immediate.
Stamina comes first for most players. Advanced melee skills and gliding burn through Stamina fast. If you are unsure where to spend Abyss Artifacts early, Stamina gives the broadest return. Spirit can be prioritized once your build relies on special moves. Check our guide on how to get max stamina in Crimson Desert for more.
Batch your Wild Ginseng farming. The research only needs 1 Ginseng to resume, but you need 10 total to level Spirit past Level 8. Collect as much as possible in one trip to avoid multiple farming runs.
Use the Pororin research tree efficiently. The Wild Ginseng project is not the only valuable unlock at Pororin. The Plant Combination Research unlocks alchemy formulas for powerful elixirs, and the Efficient Gathering Research adds a chance to collect bonus plants every time you gather. These are worth investing in once your Spirit cap is broken. See our full Crimson Desert research guide for all institutes.
More Crimson Desert Guides
- How to Get Max Health in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Max Stamina in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Abyss Cells in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Unlimited Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert
- Best Skills to Level Up First in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Platinum Bars in Crimson Desert
- Refined Palmar Pill Recipe Location
- How to Upgrade Howling Hill Base Camp
- Crimson Desert Guide Hub
Crimson Desert is available now on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for more.
