Best Salt and Sacrifice crimes and starting items

Salt and Sacrifice best crimes items starting — (Image credit: Ska Studios)

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The best Salt and Sacrifice crimes and starting items is a slightly odd thing to begin with - you've started character creation, and beyond all the normal stuff like class and moustache style, it also wants you to pick a crime? Not only that, but it's not clear what the difference is, nor if it'll mean consequences down the line. Fortunately we can explain Salt and Sacrifice crimes and starting items below, as well as the best to choose and what this means for you long-term.

Best Salt and Sacrifice crimes

The best crimes in Salt and Sacrifice to start with could be any one of the following three, depending on your personal priorities.

Brigandry (for combat ability)
Ursury (for wealth)
Blasphemy (for multiplayer)

Because each crime results in very different outcomes for your character, it's hard to really weigh them up against each other. Instead, we suggest considering what kind of character you want to emphasise and what shortfalls you most want to make up for. Roleplay and RPG elements also come into it, as some aspects of the narrative will change depending on your crime - which we'll discuss now, or click the navigation bar to see all the Salt and Sacrifice crime items.

Salt and Sacrifice crimes explained

Salt and Sacrifice crimes are an element of character creation that are probably most comparable to the Elden Ring Keepsakes, as they offer particular items that can be used to enhance your character or offer little bonuses. The idea is that every character in Salt and Sacrifice has been guilty of some crime or another, and this informs whatever item you carry with you. They also can inform certain story elements, and some characters may treat you differently depending on your crime. It's a broad selection of possibilities, and players are still experimenting to see all the different outcomes for the different items. Speaking of which…

All Salt and Sacrifice crimes and items

There's a total of 12 crimes in Salt and Sacrifice, each with its own item that you can immediately bring with you into the game. We've outlined them all below, as well as everything we currently know about the item and crime's consequences in-game at time of writing.

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Salt and Sacrifice crimes and items
Crime	Item	Item Effect
Alchemy	Phlogiston Decoction (x3)	Powerful ranged explosive that leaves fire where it lands.
Arson	Fire Bomb (x5)	Powerful ranged attack that cause explosions on impact.
Blasphemy	Censer of Harmony	Multiplayer item that causes creatures to attack hostile players.
Brigandry	Cutthroat's Dagger	Wearable ring that increases max stamina.
Drunkenness	Cracked Wineskin (x5)	Restores some health when drunk.
Forgery	Forged Deed	Can be sold to Shopkeeper Arnald at Pardoner's Vale after rescuing him from Ashbourne Village.
Heresy	Krine Tablet	Used to obtain 5 Dawnlight Tokens, which can be used to buy heavy armor and weapons from Sunlight Knight Beatrice.
Lasciviousness	Lock of Hair	Effect currently unknown - may be related to crafting considering Locks of Hair were used to upgrade in the previous game.
Smuggling	Signal Lantern	Effect currently unknown.
Sumptuousness	Signet Ring	Effect currently unknown.
Usury	Bag of Silver	Use to obtain 1000 Silver.
Vagrancy	Wooden Doll	Give to Herbalist Shanna for a Grey Starstone, which can be used to unlock skills on your skill tree.

The Lock of Hair, Signal Lantern and Signet Ring having unknown effects is likely due to them having a late-game effect or trigger, or being especially well-hidden. Alternatively, considering how much inspiration the Salt series takes from Dark Souls, they may just be trolling players with non-functional items. Time will tell on this one.

When it comes to the best items mentioned above, their value should be obvious. A boost to stamina in a stamina-based combat system is a great perk, and probably our favourite option. Alternatively, if you want the edge in multiplayer combat, having the Blasphemy Censor of Harmony is a great advantage, and the simplicity of a big bag of money means you'll be a little more flush in those early hours of the game.

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.