Abyss Cores are unique items in Crimson Desert that can be socketed into your weapons or armor in order to gain a variety of new effects. Their usage revolves around the various witches in each region, who can embed, extract, or craft them, as well as create more Abyss Core sockets in your gear.
This guide for Crimson Desert is all about how to unlock both the use of Abyss Cores, as well as the sockets for them in your gear.
How To Unlock Abyss Cores
While you may stumble upon them well before being able to actually use them, Abyss Cores are finally unlocked for socketing after Chapter 5: Exposed Plot, over the course of the ‘Witch of Wisdom’ questline.
Speak with Elowen the Witch at Witch’s House in The Witchwoods of Hernand.
How To Use Abyss Cores
In order to start socketing Abyss Cores into your equipment, interact with a witch and select Embed Abyss Core. Your gear is listed at the bottom along with sockets, if any. Not all types of gear have the same number of maximum slots, and even that maximum may not be available by default when you acquire a given item.
You can also elect to Extract Abyss Cores if you want to move on to better Abyss Cores, or better gear for the same Cores.
Note that all Abyss Cores are not compatible with every type of item.
How To Add More Sockets
If you want to add more Abyss Cores to a particular item, but lack empty sockets, you can use the Create Socket function to do so, for a progressive cost in Silver. A total of 105 Silver is required in order to add the maximum of five sockets to equipment:
- 1st socket: 5 Silver
- 2nd socket: 10 Silver
- 3rd socket: 20 Silver
- 4th socket: 30 Silver
- 5th socket: 40 Silver
Note that different types of equipment have a maximum number of sockets possible:
- Head: 1
- Torso: 3
- Gloves: 2
- Boots: 2
- Ranged Weapons: 5
- Two-Handed Weapons: 5
- One-Handed Weapons: 3
- Off-Hand Equipment: 2
A number of item types simply cannot have sockets whatsoever, including Cloaks, Rings, Earrings, and Necklaces.
That is everything there is to know about using Abyss Cores and socketing gear in Crimson Desert.
