If you’ve paid any attention to the pre-release media around Crimson Desert you’ll probably know at least one thing: the game world is HUGE. There’s a lot of loot to be found in the sprawling world of Crimson Desert, but sadly, some of it is already owned by NPCs, and they’re not keen on sharing. You may also have learned that some of the game’s core mechanics are somewhat obtuse, and this includes stealing. This page will cover how stealing and crime works in Crimson Desert, providing information on Masks and bounties!
Page Breakdown¶
(1 of 3) To steal, you’ll need a mask - you can get them as drops from bandits or by buying them from black market vendors.
How to Steal¶
At a glance, stealing seems pretty simple in Crimson Desert: If you come across a possession somebody owns, you’ll either be prompted to steal it or pay for it. If you want to get more granular with your stealing, hold the 
button to examine objects with your lantern and you’ll be able to target items for theft more easily. You can also spot characters who may have particularly worthwhile loot to steal while holding your lantern, as their purses will be glowing gold! The only problem? Well, the “steal” command will be greyed out.
In order to steal, you need to be wearing a Mask. This supposedly protects your anonymity (although you may find this reasoning dubious when you learn how Crime and Bounties work!) enough to make a bit of skullduggery a feasible endeavor. We’ll cover how to get ahold of a Mask below.
Where to Find Masks¶
Masks are actually fairly common, albeit like most things in Crimson Desert, something you get no direction for. The easiest place to acquire a Mask is from Back Alley Shops, and one just so happens to be southeast of the Church of Hernand, which itself is found along the eastern edge of Hernand. Just talk to the goblin near the mill and buy it for around 10 copper coins. You will have to equip it to steal.
In addition, you can also get Masks as random drops from bandits or for completing some quests (you’ll get one for completing Bounty Notice - Jeffrey), so Masks aren’t in short supply, and you only need one.
When you steal, you’ll lose Contribution and a red crime zone area will appear - avoid detection or escape the zone to avoid a bounty.
If you do get a bounty, you can pay it off by buying a Writ of Absolution from a Confessional.
Theft, Bounties and Contribution¶
Stealing is a good way to get your hands on some loot - keep an eye out on your minimap for loot bag icons (these usually indicate Keys you can steal) and book icons (often these will yield crafting books) which may be worth grabbing. The aforementioned glowing coin pouches on NPCs may also be a tempting target. Keep in mind, however, that stealing carries some risk, namely if you’re caught you’ll accrue a bounty and even if you’re not caught your Contribution rank will decrease.
Crime and Bounties and Contribution will be covered in more detail on their own pages, but as it pertains to stealing, note that Contribution loss is unavoidable, with most theft resulting in you losing -5 Contribution in the region where you steal. So much for the anonymity provided by a mask, eh? This is usually a trivial amount - offset it by tossing a few copper coins to various beggars and you’ll be fine, and the value of the item will almost certainly be worth more than your apologetic donations.
Immediately after committing a theft, you’ll lose Contribution and there will be a red search area centered around you. If you’re spotted while in this search area you’ll get a Bounty commensurate with the crime you’ve committed - theft is usually a trivial 5 copper bounty. You can avoid a bounty by avoiding being seen while in the search area for a period (a bar will deplete letting you know how long you have to wait) or by escaping the red search area. Generally NPCs won’t be looking for you in this area, so if you’re doing something relatively safe like, say, looting an empty building, you won’t suffer any consequences minus the Contribution hit. If you are spotted and get a bounty, however, you can pay it off at a Confessional - just talk to the priest and pick the option “Buy Writ of Absolution”. If your bounty gets too high, the guards will actively pursue, tackle and subdue you, and you’ll be put in jail, a short scene after which time advances and you’ll automatically pay your bounty upon release.
So to summarize, wear a Mask, press 
to sneak and hold to observe objects and steal what you want - if you’re caught you’ll get a bounty and you’ll take a Contribution hit either way.
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