How to steal items in Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert how to steal - Back Alley Shop — (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Wondering why you can't steal items in Crimson Desert? When I first dropped into the open world, I was more than ready to partake in that age-old RPG pastime of stealing everything that isn't nailed down. But to my surprise, when I approached my first shiny morsel, I noticed that the "Steal" option was greyed out and with no explanation given at all.

RPG players love to steal, it's in our blood (or at least mine anyway), and if you want the rewards for the Hernand Castle Strongbox and the Bluemont Manor Strongboxes after you solve them, you'll actually have to steal these, so it definitely feels necessary in certain situations.

How to steal items in Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert how to steal - Back Alley Shop location — You can get a mask from the Back Alley Shop in Hernand (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Long story short, you need a mask equipped to steal items in Crimson Desert. There are a few different ways you can get one of these pieces of gear, namely:

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Buy one from the Back Alley Shop in Hernand for 10 coppers.
Complete the Bounty quest for Jeffrey by heading to the jail in Hernand and then capturing the criminal. This appears on your map at the start of Chapter 2 in the north of Hernand city.
Loot them randomly from bandits that you kill.

The first option is definitely the easiest since you can do this in Chapter 1 when you arrive in Hernand. As far as I can tell, masks won't drop randomly from bandits until Chapter 2 and Jeffrey's bounty isn't available until then, either.

Crimson Desert how to steal - Mask — You can buy a mask, but you can also complete Jeffrey's bounty in Chapter 2, or loot them from enemies (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

You can find the Back Alley Shop if you head east out of Hernand, past the big model castle on the left, then turn left down the road and follow the track to the vendor. This is also where you can sell stolen livestock.

After you buy it, you need to equip the mask, which will enable your crimes. Be warned, though, when you steal anything, you'll have to stay hidden until the timer runs out—think of it a little like avoiding the cops in GTA. You'll also lose Contribution points, so I suggest you steal sparingly and be somewhat picky with what you purloin.

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.

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