If you’re just starting your journey through Crimson Moon, there are a few things worth knowing before you jump into your first hunt. The game can feel a little confusing at first, especially because it doesn’t follow the usual class-based RPG system.
Instead of locking your character into a class, Crimson Moon lets you build your Nephalem around the gear, weapons, boons, and angel you choose. This gives you a lot of freedom to experiment, and your first few hunts are really about learning what works for you.
In this beginner’s guide, I’ll go over some of the most important things I think every new player should know, from exploring wards and protecting your loot to upgrading equipment, taking bounties, playing co-op, and knowing when it’s worth increasing the difficulty.
Crimson Moon Beginner Guide – Ward, Purification, NPCs
One of the first things you might notice in Crimson Moon is that there are no traditional character classes.
Every Nephalem starts on equal footing, and your playstyle is determined by the equipment you use.
Your build can be shaped by:
- The gear you equip.
- The weapons you use.
- The Weapon Arts you unlock and wield.
- The boons you discover.
- The angel you choose.
This means you aren’t stuck playing one particular role for the entire game.
You can experiment with different combinations and create completely different builds from one hunt to another. So, don’t worry too much about finding the “perfect” build immediately.
Explore Every Ward
One of the biggest mistakes a new player can make is rushing straight toward the boss.
Each ward has plenty of things worth finding, including:
- Hidden chests.
- Powerful equipment.
- Lore scrolls.
- Other useful rewards.
Taking a little extra time to explore can make a huge difference to your build.
You might find a piece of equipment that completely changes how your character plays, so I recommend checking around the ward instead of simply following the quickest route to the boss.
Understand How Purification Works
Purification is one of the most important systems to understand when you’re starting out.
During your hunts, you’ll constantly find new weapons, armor, and trinkets. You don’t necessarily need to equip every new item immediately.
Instead, you can put equipment you’re unsure about into your bag and decide what to do with it later.
The important thing to remember is that unpurified gear isn’t permanently yours yet.
If you die during a hunt, you’ll lose the gear you’ve collected during that run.
However, if you defeat the ward’s boss and safely make it back to Sanctus Clavius, you can purify everything you’ve recovered.
Once equipment has been purified, it’s permanently added to your collection.
That means you can use it when starting future hunts.
So the basic rule is simple: survive the hunt and make it back safely if you want to keep your new gear.
Visit the NPCs in Sanctus Clavius
When you’re back in Sanctus Clavius, take some time to talk to the people around town.
Several NPCs have important functions that can help you prepare for your next hunt.
Gadulf
Visit Gadulf when you want to upgrade your equipment.
Keeping your gear upgraded will help you deal with stronger enemies as you progress.
Merida
Merida is the NPC you want to visit for unlocking new boons.
Since boons are an important part of creating your build, it’s worth checking what new options are available.
Lotte
Go to Lotte for consumables.
These can be useful when preparing for another hunt, especially as the difficulty starts increasing.
Gallants
Make sure you visit Gallants before every hunt.
He’ll have bounties available that reward you for defeating enemies you’re likely to fight anyway.
This makes bounties an easy way to earn additional rewards while simply playing through your normal hunts.
Don’t Be Afraid to Die
The first few hunts can be pretty challenging, so don’t get discouraged if you die.
Yes, you’ll lose any equipment you collected that hasn’t been purified, but you keep the experience and gold you’ve earned.
That means a failed run isn’t completely wasted.
Every hunt gives you more experience with the game, and your Nephilim will gradually become stronger.
Eventually, enemies that seemed impossible during your first few runs will become much easier to handle.
So if you die, learn from the run, adjust your build, and try again.
Play With Friends
Crimson Moon also supports full cross-platform co-op, so you can play with friends even if you’re on different platforms.
If you’re playing together, try to coordinate your builds rather than simply running around independently.
Combining different:
- Builds.
- Boons.
- Weapon Arts.
- Angels.
can create powerful synergies that you might not be able to achieve while playing alone.
If you’re having trouble with a particular hunt, playing with a friend and building around each other’s strengths can make a big difference.
Increase the Difficulty When You’re Ready
Once you’ve become comfortable with the game, you can start increasing the difficulty.
Harder hunts naturally come with tougher enemies, but they also provide better rewards.
You can expect harder hunts to offer:
- Better loot.
- More XP.
- Rarer equipment.
So if you’re trying to build the strongest possible Nephilim, eventually you’ll need to take on the more difficult hunts.
I wouldn’t rush into them immediately, though. Get comfortable with your weapons and build first, then increase the difficulty when you’re ready.
Experiment With Your Builds
The best advice I can give a new Crimson Moon player is to experiment.
Try weapons you haven’t used before and see how their Weapon Arts work with different builds.
You can also build around different boons and swap between angels to see how they change your playstyle.
Because Crimson Moon doesn’t force you into a traditional class, you have plenty of freedom to change things around.
Don’t feel like you have to copy one build and stick with it forever.
Every hunt is another opportunity to discover a combination that works better for you.
Final Beginner Tips
If you’re just getting started in Crimson Moon, keep these things in mind:
- You don’t need to choose a traditional class.
- Your gear, Weapon Arts, boons, and angel determine your playstyle.
- Explore wards instead of rushing straight to the boss.
- Look for hidden chests, equipment, lore scrolls, and other rewards.
- Remember that unpurified gear is lost if you die.
- Defeat the ward boss and return safely to Sanctus Clavius to purify your loot.
- Visit Gadulf for equipment upgrades.
- Visit Merida to unlock new boons.
- Visit Lotte for consumables.
- Check Gallants for bounties before every hunt.
- Don’t worry too much about dying during your early runs.
- You keep your XP and gold even when you lose unpurified gear.
- Use cross-platform co-op to combine builds with your friends.
- Increase the difficulty once you’re comfortable.
- Experiment with different weapons, Weapon Arts, boons, and angels.
Most importantly, don’t worry about getting everything right on your first hunt. Crimson Moon gives you plenty of room to experiment, and each run should teach you something new about how you want to build your Nephalim.