Thralls are the backbone of Conan Exiles — captured NPCs who fight for you, craft better gear, or work your stations. Learning to capture them is one of the biggest early power spikes. This guide covers how to capture thralls in Conan Exiles.
The capture loop
- Knock them out — a thrall’s white “concussion” bar (above their health) only drops to blunt/concussive damage, not normal weapons. Use a truncheon (and later a blunted weapon) to deplete it until they fall unconscious.
- Bind them — use fibre bindings (rope) on the downed NPC.
- Drag them home — they slow you down, so capture near your base or bring a way to defend yourself.
- Break them on the Wheel of Pain — place them in the wheel and add food; over time they convert into your thrall.
Types of thralls
- Fighters — combat thralls that guard your base and follow you into battle.
- Crafters — armorers, blacksmiths, smelters, cooks, etc., who unlock better recipes and craft faster at your stations.
- Entertainers (dancers) — remove corruption and heal.
- Archers — ranged defenders.
Where to find the best thralls
NPC camps across the map have different tiers — the named (Tier 4) thralls from high-level camps like Sepermeru, the Mounds of the Dead and the Black Galleon are the best crafters and fighters. See our best named thralls guide, and plan your captures with our free Conan Exiles thralls tool.
Speed it up
A higher-tier Wheel of Pain and better food (gruel, then specialist foods) convert thralls faster. On your own Conan Exiles server you can adjust the crafting/thrall conversion rates to your group’s pace.
Frequently asked questions
How do you capture thralls in Conan Exiles?
Knock the NPC unconscious with a truncheon (concussive damage), bind them with fibre bindings, drag them to a Wheel of Pain, and feed the wheel until they convert.
What’s the best thrall in Conan Exiles?
Named (Tier 4) thralls from high-level camps — the best fighters and crafters. See our best named thralls guide and thralls tool.
Why won’t my thrall go unconscious?
You’re using normal weapon damage. The concussion bar only responds to blunt/concussive damage — use a truncheon or blunted weapon.
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