We live in a society, and society needs laws to function! Even digital societies, like the various realms and regions in Crimson Desert have to have the simulation of crime and punishment to keep players on a leash and provide some semblance of realism. While the legal system in Crimson Desert echoes Grand Theft Auto and has a pretty light touch, we’ll still cover the mechanic so you know how to stay on the good side of the law… or better yet, how to suffer as little as possible for your crimes!
Page Breakdown¶
Crimes and Penalties¶
As mentioned earlier, Crimson Desert doesn’t go terribly in-depth to sell its legal system - you don’t have to worry about bumping into guards or being rude to the wrong noble or anything. The things you’re most likely to get arrested for are theft, assault and murder. You don’t generally need to worry about theft much, surprisingly, as you cannot steal unless you’re wearing a Mask. A bit of a change from many CRPGs, where overzealously clicking and getting handsy with merchandise could lead to the guards being called, in Crimson Desert you’re more likely to accidentally buy something. Assault and murder are pretty much the same thing, just to different degrees, and while it’s possible to accidentally swing your sword or use Force Palm at an inopportune time, it’s hard to account for player error.
Detection and Bounties¶
When you initially commit a crime the only penalty you’ll immediately face is the loss of Contribution, which is unavoidable when you commit any crime. A red zone will also appear around you, and if you’re spotted by an NPC in this zone your crime will be reported, earning you a bounty - the more severe the crime, the higher the bounty. Theft is usually a fairly trivial crime, while assault and murder carry much heftier bounties.
It’s worth noting that NPCs generally won’t go out of their way to search for you in these red crime zones, so if you’re in an out-of-the-way place - say you’re stealing something from an unoccupied room or stealing livestock out in a field - you likely won’t be detected unless an NPC incidentally wanders nearby. Guards won’t come running, random peasants won’t go around shouting or otherwise raising a fuss - isolation is the key to getting away with crimes (aside from the unavoidable Contribution loss). If you escape the red zone or simply wait out its duration, you’ll get away with your crime without incurring a bounty.
You can check your map to see what regions you have bounties in.
If you do get a bounty, you can pay it off by buying a Writ of Absolution from a Confessional.
Bounties and Punishment¶
If you get a bounty, odds are you’re still okay - the guards won’t bother you over small bounties, and if you want to take care of things without getting into direct conflict with the law, you can visit a Confessional in a church (the Church of Hernand will suffice in the early game - but more Confessionals can be found by exploring) and pick the option “Buy Writ of Absolution” to pay your bounty and square yourself with the law.
If your bounty becomes high enough, however, the guards will turn hostile when they spot you, attempting to tackle and restrain you - succeed at a minigame or you’ll be apprehended, put in a cell or cage, and after time skips forward a bit you’ll automatically pay your bounty upon your release.
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