Grinding vs. Questing
Grinding without a doubt is the fastest way to level in Black Desert, the only downsides are that you miss out on some bag space, energy/spirit and contribution points. However, you can always go back and do some quests for these. We have a guide that lists all of the bag space quests. There are also many 50 quests and repeatable quests that will give you the contribution points you lack.
If it is your first character we recommend that you follow all of the quests to 50 and take your time to learn the game. It is very overwhelming at first and grinding is faster but will leave you with hardly any contribution and energy points.
Introduction
Before we get started, I recommend that you follow the tutorial quests up to Hidel if you want more bag space or the donkey mount. I don’t personally see the point in following the tutorial because you it slows you down a lot and you can always go back to do the quests at a later date, or buy a cheap starter horse for 10,000 silver. However, it is completely up to you. Also, if you are not in a rush, you may want to buy yourself a cheap wagon or do the wagon quest in Velia. Wagons are great for grinding because you can store all of your potions and loot on them, meaning you don’t have to go back to town anywhere near as often.
With the new server system up and running make its advised taht you that one of the so called Growth server ( DXP servers)
Level 1 – 9: Tutorial Quests
Follow the tutorial quests up until you reach the training dummies and learn your first skill. To complete the training dummies quest, go up to the training dummy and follow the instructions given to you. The keys you must press will be highlighted blue.
Once you complete this quest, your Black Spirit will give you another quest to kill grass beatles. At this point you should be level 5. Ignore the quest and instead, start running towards Western Guard camp, killing monsters along the road. You want to reach level 9 before you get there. Refer to the image below for the path to take if you do not know where Western Guards Camp is.
Level 9 – 13: Forest of Seclusion (south of Western Guard Camp)
Mobs: Immature Tree Spirit (Melee), Mature Tree Spirit (Ranged), Young Tree Spirit (Melee)
These mobs are really easy to kill and don’t really pose a threat. I found the most density of Tree Spirits where on the hills. If you are skipping the tutorial in favor of grinding then you will want to head back to Western Guard Camp at level 13 and get your class skill. You can also exchange the Tree Spirit’s Tokens at this point by talking to the vendor NPC. The Tree Spirit’s Token vendor is on the left entrance to the guard camp. Right-click the item in your inventory to show his location on the map.
Once you reach level 13, make sure you go back to Western Guard Camp and pick up a quest from Jarette Domongatt inside the tents and complete it before moving on. This is a very important quest which will awaken your Black Spirt and enable you to Enchant items.
if your on a Growth server your 15+ already at this point !! but like i said in the beginnning if its your first char do the flipping quests !!! LET THE BLACK SPIRIT GUIDE YOU
Level 13 – 15: Mine Hidelya
Mobs: Mine Imps (Melee), Small Mine Imps (Ranged)
These mobs are very easy to deal with. They are easy to aggro and easy to round up. Be careful of the Small Mine Imps because they have a ranged attack. There is also a Violent Imp (Elite) that has a ranged spell, inflicting a burning debuff on you. It spawns at the bottom of the hill. The mob density at the top and bottom of the mine is good enough that you can keep doing continous large pull from top to bottom. This spot is perfect for earning a large amount of silver early on so consider staying for an extra level if you want to build a bigger bank.
Level 15 – 18: Scarecrow Farm (South-east of Hidel)
Mobs: Scarecrow Ghost (Melee), Wheat Field Lookout (Melee)
Be careful whilst hunting here because these mobs deal quite a lot of damage and will 3 shot you if you haven’t bought any starter gear from a blacksmith. There is also a Violent Scarecow Ghost (Elite) that can drop Agerian Gloves so keep you eye out for him. Some fields are better than others for grinding so don’t be afraid to try them all before you settle down in one.
Level 18 – 24: Castle Ruins
Mobs: Al Rhudi Rebels, Wizard, Patrol (Ranged), Charger, Mobility Unit, Personal Escort, Personal Guard
This spot is great. It i really one of the most versatile spots in the game. You can choose to grind outside, inside the castle walls or actually inside the castle. Outside the castle and inside the castle you will find many camps filled with a mix of ranged and melee monsters. These mobs will drop Rusty Helmets and Demihuman weapons, along with basic secondary weapons and Agerian Helmets. I personally recommend grinding inside the castle itself as the mob density is amazing and all the mobs are melee. All mobs in this spot also drop Heavy Armor Fragments, crystals and decent starter weapons. This will amount to a good sum of silver by the time you are finished here.
Level 21 – 24: Swap Lands
Mobs: Swamp Naga Apprentice Axemen, Apprentice Spearmen, Axemen
This spot is completely optional. I recommend only moving here if the castle is too busy. The mobs drop really good items and you can even get Blackstones. All the monsters here are melee and the density is enough that you can keep pulling large packs around in a circle. There is a Violent (Elite) monster in the center of the island that drops blackstones so he is worth killing if you think you can take him in a fight.
Level 24 – 29/30: Blood Monastery
Mobs: Cultist Shaman (Ranged), Cultist Giant Warriors, Cultist Warrior
The Blood Monastery has a massive amount of mobs in the center courtyard. Whilst these mobs are easy to deal with, you might find yourself quite overwhelmed if you are not careful. There is a Violent (Elite) monster in the courtyard but he is easily dealt with if you AOE him in your normal pulls. I recommend staying here until at least level 29 so you can go right to the Bandit Camp. You can move at level 28 if you wish to. If the courtyard is busy when you get there move just outside the castle. The pulls are slightly smaller but you won’t be fighting over mobs.
Level 29 – 34: Bandit Camp
Mobs: Bandit Warrior, Giant Bandit, Bandit Archer
When I hunted here, I continuously pulled the camps up to the Bandit Treasure camp. Inside the castle is really good for experience. Mobs here are all melee except the Archer so make sure you pull the mobs over towards them and then on top of them to deal with Archers easier. Also be careful you don’t run over too many of the traps in this area. They don’t deal a lot of damage but it soon mounts up and can be quite annoying.
Level 28 – 34: Orc Camp
Mobs: Red Orc Fighter, Red Orc Beserker, Red Orc Warrior, Long Red Orc, Red Orc, Young Red Orc, Red Orc Wizard (Ranged), Red Orc Elite Soldier
This was my least favorite spot in the game and I would avoid it if possible. The mob density is too low and there are way too many Mage’s around. They do have a good chance at dropping Blackstones (Weapon) but by the time I obtained 3 levels here, in EU/NA CBT1, my weapon was already +7. If you do decide to hunt here make sure to AOE camp to camp.
Level 30 – 35: Delpe Knights Castle
Mobs: Harpy, Abductor Harpy
This spot is simply amazing for Sorceresses and Wizards/Witches. You can pull massive amounts of Harpies out of the air using your Chain Lightning abilities. However, classes with a lack of ranged skills will not be able to take full advantage of this place because they can only easily pull half of the amount. This spot is still great for everyone but be careful because the Harpies move very fast and the Mages hit quite hard. They are fairly easy to kill, just make sure you watch your health! The best pulls are at the top of the castle where you can go wall to wall without worrying about the respawn timers. Also, if you fill your inventory or run out of potions there is a general merchant at the bottom of the castle.
Level 30 – 35: Khuruto Caves
Mobs: Khuruto Shaman, Khuruto Fighter, Khuruto Soldier, Khuruto Elite, Young Khuruto
This cave is great for grinding, although in EU/NA CBT1 it was a very busy and well-known spot. If you manage to get this spot to yourself you’ll level up very fast and earn a lot of silver whilst doing it. The best pulls are in the center of the cave where you can pull pack to pack without worrying about the respawn timer. Try to pull the mobs and AOE on top of the Shamans because they are ranged and will hurt quite a lot. There is also a Voilent (Elite) mob at the top of the stairs. He hits very hard so be extra careful around him.
Level 35 – 40: Caphras Cave
Mobs: Possessed Archer, Possessed Giant, Possessed Skeleton Warrior, Possessed Demibeast, Possessed Wizard
You can find the cave entrance just west of Florin Town or over the hill in Breewood Forest. I found that the mob density increased the deeper I went into the caves. The wizards and archers do more damage and can be annoying to deal with but as long as you pull the mobs over to them and AOE on top of them they shouldn’t be a problem. Overall this spot was quite average but isn’t as well known as the other spots around this level.
Level 35 – 40: Abandoned Land
Mobs: Infected Humans
This spot has great mob density. You can just go from camp to camp and AOE. Be careful of the Violent (Elite) mob in the centre, he moves quite slow but hits very hard. There are also metal poles around the camps that have ranged attacks and can be quite annoying. If this place is busy you can go further north and up the hill just outside the camps, there are also quite a lot of mobs in this area. The mobs trash drops can be exchanged for quite a lot so make sure you are picking up.
Level 38 – 40: Abandoned Farm Marnie
Mobs: Ruins Monster
This spot is another optional spot. It’s not as good as the other places for this level but is a decent alternative if other places are busy. The amount of mobs here is quite large if you look in the right places and you can get a good routine going for your pulls. The mobs move pretty slow but they are quite tanky and you may find them hard to kill.
Level 38 – 42: Breewood Ruins
Mobs: Arch Ruins Tree, Circle Ruins Tree, Face Ruins Tree, Small Cylinder Ruins Tree, Large Cylinder Ruins Tree, Triangle Ruins Tree
really didn’t enjoy this spot. The amount of mobs in the area was really small and they don’t spawn in packs. The drops from these mobs are really bad as well and With them being stone mobs they are quite tanky. I Would really only recommend grinding here if the other spots are busy.
Level 40 – 45: Oze Pass
Mobs: Petrified Dwarf, Petrified Frenzied Miner, Petrified Miner, Petrified Bomber, Petrified Worker
Head up into the center of the pit. This is where you’ll find the larger packs. The mines are empty so don’t bother wasting your time having a look around. Also, watch out for the saws in this spot. They can deal quite a lot of damage if you have starter gear and can often block you and be an annoyance.
Level 40 – 45: Marni Cave Path
Mobs: Chimera, Horned Chimera
This spot is great for experience and if you know where the biggest packs are you’ll level up fast. However, this spot is very busy and well-known so you’ll be lucky get it all to yourself. The best rotation of camps is to kill the large pack in the ravine, head up the hill and kill the mobs along the way, then back down down into the ravine again.
Level 42 – 45: Veran Camps
Mobs: Rhino Lizard, Saunil Elite, Saunil Warrior, Saunil Fighter, Saunil Archer, Saunil Elder
This spot is great and I would go as far as to say that this is where your end game farming starts. The mobs here drop “Determining a piece of Ancient Ruins” which can be sold on the Auction House for about 500,000 silver. Unless you desperately need silver, I would recommend saving them and turning them into scrolls (put 5 into a + shape in your inventory). Inside the camp the mobs are really easy to round up and AOE. Be careful of the Mages because they are ranged and hurt more. There is also a Violent (Elite) mob in the back of the camp, be careful because he hits quite hard.
Level 44 – 45: Giant Camps
Mobs: Giant Fighter, Giant Combatant, Giant Warrior, Giant Brawler, Spotted Hyena
This spot has great mob density. Take your time to find a good place to farm before settling in one place. I found that the deeper you go into the zone the better pulls you will find. The mobs here drop “Determining a piece of Ancient Ruins” which can be sold on the Auction House for about 500,000 silver. Unless you desperately need silver, I would recommend saving them and turning them into scrolls (put 5 into a + shape in your inventory).
Level 44 – 50: Manysha Forest
Mobs: Spearman, Warrior, Red Bear, Trap
This spot is officially one of you end game farming spots. These mobs are always clumped together in packs of 6 or more and are easy to AOE. The is a huge amount of mobs in the Northern part of the zone. Be careful of the Giant Ogres, I would stay away from these until you are at least level 50. The mobs here drop and Goblin Shaman boss scrolls and “Determining a piece of Ancient Ruins” which can be sold on the Auction House for about 500,000 silver. Unless you desperately need silver, I would recommend saving them and turning them into scrolls (put 5 into a + shape in your inventory).
Level 44 – 50: Crows Castle
Mobs: Scout, Senior Soldier, Barracks, Recruit
Head inside the keep. Outside has too many ranged mobs which are very annoying to deal with and harder to round up for AOE. I found that this is a quite well-known and busy place so swap channels if someone is hunting in the same area.
Level 50 – 52: Catfishman Camp
Mobs: Catfishman, Catfishman Elite Fish Hunter, Catfishman Light Warrior, Catfishman Fish Hunter, Obese Catfishman
Kaia Lake/Catfishman Camp is one of the best hunting spots in Black Desert. These mobs drop Blackstone (Weapon) and Blackstone (Armor), as well as various other items. The spawn rate of the Catfish is also very high and they spawn in large groups which helps to make farming more efficient. The experience is good here between 50 – 52 but after that you will need to move unless you want to grind for silver. The only downside to this spot is that it’s one of the most well-known and popular spots, making it quite crowded at peak times.
Level 50 – 55: Helm Station
Mobs: Helm Tribe Chief, Helm Tribe Hunter, Helm Tribe Dual Wielder
These monsters are quite hard and you do not want to go to these zone without decent gear. There is also a Violent (Elite) mob which you do not want to pull because he will do a lot of ranged damage. There is an area where 10 – 15 mobs spawn but otherwise the packs are fairly small/average (4 – 6). You can also go into the underground mines but if you’ve just arrived at this spot most of the monsters inside will be red/purple and take you too long to kill.
Level 51 – 55: Elric Temple
Mobs: Elric Senior Priest, Elric Priest, Elric Followers, Putrid Swamp, Elric Fanatic
These monsters spawn in packs of 4 to 6. They also have high drop chances and can drop Blackstones, Grunil parts and Krea weapons so you can earn quite a lot of silver while you are leveling here. Most of the monsters are melee but the Priests are ranged and can be quite annoying. You can either hunt inside the temple or in the mountains just south of it. I personally recommend going into the mountains where there are packs of 10+ mobs.
Level 52 – 58: Sausan Post
Mobs: Sausan Guard, Sausan Sniper, Sausan Assassin
The monsters that spawn here do have high damage and knockdown abilites so be careful whilst trying to fight them. They do however have high drop chances and can drop parts of the Hebe set, Creatinine weapons, Grunil gloves and Blackstones. There is also a town very closeby where you can buy potions when you run out and exchange your trash items. You get 3 different types of exchanges items here which can all be traded at Sarma outpost nearby. Xiaoshan packages will give you 135,000 silver for every 100 you exchange, Torn Pieces will give you 100,000 silver for every 100 you exchange, and Broken Armor Debris will give you 100,000 silver for every 100 you exchange. You can also rent a home nearby and use a “container” box (rent from warehouse NPC) to store items in your Trent town warehouse (storage).
Level 55 – 58: Pirate Island
Mobs: Drunk Treasure Hunter, Elite Soldier, Deck Combatant, Red Elite, Cox Elite Gladiator
Pirates spawn on two islands. You will need both a boat and good gear to farm here. The mobs do hit quite hard and spawn in large packs so be careful whilst farming here. It can also be quite annoying to farm here because the closest place to buy potions is quite far away. I would recommend buying a house on the closest island and using a “container” box (rent from warehouse NPC) to store your items.