How to Get Unlimited Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert

TL;DR

• Abyss Artifacts are your skill points in Crimson Desert — you need a lot of them
• The best unlimited method is pickpocketing scholars at the Scholastone Institute (Chapter 4+)
• The Abyss XP bar also gives infinite Artifacts — just keep killing enemies
• Blockaded areas and enemy faction camps are the best places to grind kills
• Sealed Abyss Artifacts (141 total) and Abyss Island puzzles give one-time Artifacts
• Quests, bosses, Greymane Rumor missions, and Witch shops are all solid extra sources

If you want to be strong in Crimson Desert, you need Abyss Artifacts — and lots of them. They work as your skill points. You spend them to unlock abilities, boost your health and stamina, and upgrade your gear at higher refinement levels. The problem is they can feel scarce, especially early on. This guide covers every method to get them, including the best unlimited farming loop in the game.

What Are Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert?

Abyss Artifacts are the main progression currency in Crimson Desert. Instead of a traditional XP system, the game ties everything to how many of these you collect and spend. You use them to unlock skills in the skill tree, increase your base stats like health and stamina, and refine your equipment past the +5 threshold. They’re also character-specific for skills. Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane each have their own skill trees, so the demand never really stops.

Method 1: Scholastone Institute Pickpocket Loop (Best Unlimited Method)

This is hands-down the fastest repeatable farm in the game. You can get 3 to 4 Abyss Artifacts per run, and there is no cooldown or daily limit.

This method unlocks in Chapter 4 after you gain access to the Scholastone Research Institute in southwest Hernand.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1 — Equip your Lantern. Open your Weapon Wheel by holding Left on the D-Pad. Equip the Lantern. Use it by pressing L1/LB. When you walk near an NPC and activate the Lantern, you can see what they are carrying. A small golden cube means they have an Abyss Artifact on them.

Step 2 — Put on a Mask. You need a Mask equipped before you pickpocket. Without it, you will be immediately identified. Check our pickpocket guide for more details on how this works.

Step 3 — Head to the cafeteria inside the north building. The eating area is the best spot. Scholars sit at tables having meals, and many of them carry Abyss Artifacts. Scan everyone as you walk through.

Step 4 — Pickpocket. When you see the cube, bump into the NPC to knock them off balance, then hold X (PlayStation) or A (Xbox) to steal. If an NPC is seated, kick them first to make them stand up, then steal.

Step 5 — Get out of the red circle fast. Pickpocketing is flagged as a crime. Guards will spot you if you linger. Run out of the detection area quickly. If you get caught, you lose your Mask and some Silver, but you keep the Abyss Artifact.

Step 6 — Fast travel to the nearby Abyss Nexus to reset. All NPCs respawn with fresh, randomized inventories. Start the loop again immediately.

A single run through the cafeteria takes about 10 to 15 minutes. You can repeat this indefinitely with no cap.

Pro tip: If you can get the Pickpocket Abyss Gear slotted into your equipment, it gives you extra steal attempts per NPC. This can double or triple your Artifact yield per run. More on how to get Abyss Gears here.

Method 2: The Abyss XP Bar (Truly Unlimited, No Cap)

This one is always working in the background whether you realize it or not. Look at the lower-left corner of your screen, next to the minimap. There are two vertical bars. The one on the left is a hidden XP bar. Every enemy you kill fills it a little. When it fills up completely, you get one Abyss Artifact.

There is no cap on this. You can fill and empty it as many times as you want. It never stops rewarding you.

To make this fast, target Blockaded areas — these are locations marked with red enemy icons on the world map. They are packed with enemies that respawn between zones. Fight through one section, move to the next, loop back, and repeat.

Enemy Faction camps that haven’t been liberated are also excellent. Some of these, like the area around Fort Perwynn, spawn enemies endlessly until you destroy specific structures inside. Don’t destroy those structures if you want to keep farming. See our guide on how to beat the Crimson Nightmare for context on one of these camps.

Method 3: Chapter 3 Totem Farm (One-Time but Powerful)

During the Seed of Unease quest in Chapter 3, there’s a mountain area before the Reed Devil boss fight where Totems spawn unlimited enemies. This is one of the best early-game grind spots in Crimson Desert. The enemies keep coming, so your Abyss XP bar fills up fast. Note that this only works before you defeat the Reed Devil. Once he’s gone, the Totems are destroyed and enemies stop respawning. If you’re still in Chapter 3, use this window.

Method 4: Sealed Abyss Artifacts (141 Total, One-Time Each)

Scattered across every region of Pywel are 141 Sealed Abyss Artifacts. These look like polygonal objects sitting near roadsides, ruins, and key locations. Each one has a challenge tied to it — things like defeating enemies with a specific weapon, performing a specific move, or completing a task within a time limit. Complete the challenge, then open the sealed item in your inventory to receive your reward.

To find them more easily, use your Blinding Flash ability — press the lantern button and light attack button at the same time. Glints of light in the distance can be Sealed Artifacts, Abyss Nexus points, or Abyss Cressets.

Some challenge examples:

• Defeat three enemies within 30 seconds using a sword
• Flip enemies with your shield
• Assassinate three enemies within one minute
• Heal three allies with Force Palm Healing
• Sell goats to Bram at the ranch

Often the weapon you need for the challenge is placed right next to the Artifact. Look around before fast-traveling to find one.

Method 5: Abyss Island Puzzles

The Abyss is a separate realm of floating islands you can access through the game. Each island is a puzzle area. Solve the puzzle and the spire activates, rewarding you with an Abyss Artifact. There are dozens of these puzzles across all the islands. Some are straightforward, others are much more involved.

Check out some specific puzzle walkthroughs:

• Ascetic’s Rest Abyss Puzzle
• Vault of Vengeance Abyss Puzzle
• Secret Garden Abyss Puzzle
• Loop of Life Abyss Puzzle

Method 6: Abyss Cressets (Mysterious Energy Circles)

Abyss Cressets are pillar-like structures across the world that double as fast travel points. Unlike Abyss Nexus plates which you just step on, Cressets sometimes require solving a puzzle or riddle before they activate. When you do solve them, they reward you with an Abyss Artifact and unlock as a travel point. Double value every time.

Find them through the Mysterious Energy circles shown on your world map. Visit these whenever you pass through an area — they’re worth the detour. Check out some specific zones:

• Mysterious Energy in Hernand Town
• Mysterious Energy in Howling Hill
• Mysterious Energy in Demeniss City

Method 7: Main Story Quests and Side Quests

Several main story chapters give you Abyss Artifacts as rewards. Examples include Chapter 2: Flames of Greed and Chapter 4: Gate to the Otherworld. Keep progressing the story and they’ll show up regularly.

Side quests are also worth doing. The Greymane Rumor quests under the Faction Quests tab in your Journal are particularly good — each one has you find a Greymane survivor, escort them back to camp, and collect an Abyss Artifact. New ones unlock as the story moves forward. Check the tab regularly because they can stack up.

Method 8: Boss Fights

Almost every major boss drops an Abyss Artifact on defeat. This is less of a farm and more of a guaranteed payout for story progress. If you’re going after optional or world bosses, they also tend to drop them. Some highlights:

• Clockwork White Horn and Clockwork Heart Boss
• Stonewalker Antiquum
• Kutum
• Titan

Method 9: Buy From Vendors

Once you reach Chapter 3, Witch vendors start selling Abyss Artifacts at their shops across Pywel. Each one costs 28.5 Silver. This isn’t the cheapest spend, but it’s useful when you’re short. Stock is limited per vendor though — they don’t have infinite supply.

The wandering merchant Patrigio also sells them. He shows up on the road in various locations — one known spot is near Springtide Mill around Chapter 3. His stock is small too, but the price is the same. Check out the Patrigio Secret Shop location guide for where to find him.

Method 10: Beggar Camps (Early Game Alternative)

If you can’t access Scholastone yet, head to the two beggar camps outside Hernand City. Scrapfold is south of Hernand, and Beggar’s End is west of it. Scan beggars with your Lantern and pickpocket anyone carrying an Artifact. The density is lower than Scholastone, but it works in the early game before better spots open up.

Tips for Managing Your Abyss Artifacts

Don’t blow everything on skills right away. You also need Abyss Artifacts to refine equipment past +5. Balance your spending between unlocking combat abilities and improving your gear. Check the best early build guide for what to prioritize.

Prioritize health and stamina first. The best early investment is stat boosts. More health means more room to learn the combat system without dying. More on how to get max health and max stamina.

Remember Faded Abyss Artifacts exist. If you spend points wrong, Faded Artifacts let you respec. After completing Chapter 4, you can unlock a recipe through Scholastone Research to have a Witch craft them for 1 Abyss Cell and 2 Mercury. Useful when switching to Oongka or Damiane since their skill trees are separate from Kliff’s. Learn how to get Abyss Cells here.

Keep the Pickpocket Abyss Gear. If you find this through Special Synthesis at a Witch, equip it before running your Scholastone loop. It adds extra steal attempts per NPC and can significantly increase how many Artifacts you walk away with each run.

Summary: Best Methods Ranked

Abyss Artifacts are the engine of your whole character build in Crimson Desert. The Scholastone pickpocket loop and the Abyss XP kill grind are your two infinite sources — use both together and you’ll have more than enough to fully build Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane. For everything else in the game, visit our full Crimson Desert guide hub.

Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. Learn more at the official Crimson Desert website.