If you want to quickly access the most powerful abilities in Black Desert Online, you need to reach Level 56. Then you unlock the Awakening abilities. We will show you how to reach Level 56 the fastest.
Update 2020: We have created an updated version of the guide. In it, you will find a guide from 1 to 61, along with tips on buffs.
Why Level 56? At this level, all classes unlock their powerful “Awakening abilities”. These are particularly strong skills that change the gameplay of the classes. Additionally, with a higher level, your accuracy increases, allowing you to hit your opponents more often. This is especially important in PvP.
Level up together for quick success
What is Powerleveling: The fastest way to Level 56 is only possible with another player. In the community, this method is also called “Power Leveling”. A well-equipped, stronger player groups up with a weaker player in an area meant for very strong players.
The weaker player activates all possible XP buffs and gains experience points from the other player. With this method, a weak character can reach Level 56 in about two to three hours.
Important notes: If you level up through Powerleveling, your character will have 360 instead of 400 skill points. This is because characters collect separate experience points for level and skill points. Also, you will not receive items from defeated enemies if they are more than 6 levels above or below you.
If you level in a group, the experience points you receive are reduced. With two players, each player receives 60% of the experience points. With three or more, only 50%.
Level 56 without Powerleveling
If you do not feel like Powerleveling or simply lack the right companion, you can also complete the leveling process alone.
Forest of Seclusion: Level 9 – 13
In the Forest of Seclusion, you can gain some levels. Leveling is easy and goes quickly. Make sure to complete the quest for Jarette Domongatt to awaken your Black Spirit and unlock the ability to enhance your gear. You can easily reach the Forest of Seclusion by walking southeast from the western watchtower.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Heidel Quarry: Level 13 – 15
To reach the area, you travel to the town of Heidel and leave this place heading north. You can open the map with “M” and type “Heidel” in the search field. This will lead you directly to the quarry.
In the quarry, you defeat goblins until you reach Level 15.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Moretti Plantation: Level 15 – 18
This level zone should not pose a significant problem if you have the proper equipment. You can find the area south of the town of Heidel.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Castle Ruins: Level 18 – 24
Leveling in the castle ruins can be very challenging. However, the area rewards players with large groups of mobs that grant many experience points. This area is also located south of the town of Heidel.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Weapon).
Bloody Monastery: Level 24 – 30
You can find the Bloody Monastery south of Glisch, a small village. In the Bloody Monastery, you will encounter quite dense groups of enemies. Grinding goes quickly here. You will find particularly many enemies within the temple complex at the top of the hill.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Khurutoh Cave: Level 30 – 35
Let’s venture into a cave again. In the Khurutoh Cave, many enemies await you that you can quickly take out one after another. A way to the caves leads from the southern exit of the town of Florin.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Abandoned Land: Level 35 – 40
If leveling in the cave has become boring, you can look forward to a bit of variety. Between Level 35 and 40, you level up in the abandoned land. It is located northwest of the town of Calpheon.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Marni Cave Path: Level 40 – 45
In the Marni Cave Path, you will face some not-so-strong enemies. The quickest way to get there is to head southeast of the town of Calpheon.
Valuable items: Black Stone (Armor).
Catfish Camp: Level 45 – 50
Now, head to the area where you will level up to Level 50. You can reach the Catfish Camp by walking southwest from Calpheon until you reach a larger body of water. Keep in mind that from Level 50, open PvP is activated, and you can be attacked by any other player.
Black Desert will not automatically level you up to Level 50. You will need to confirm this first. When you feel ready to confront all the dangers of Black Desert, you can continue your journey to Helms Post.
Valuable items: Loures’ lost shoes, Ancient Relic Crystal Fragments, Treant Spirits’ Whispering Earrings.
Helms Post: Level 50 – 53
At Helms Post, you will often meet other players. This leveling area is very popular because Asula Accessories can drop here. The level area is located west of Kusha.
Valuable items: Asula’s Blood-Red Earring, Asula’s Blood-Red Ring, Helm of the Trade Association of Mediah.
Alternative: Automatically level up from Level 50
In Black Desert, you have the option to level up automatically starting from Level 50. This is called Black Spirit Training. To level up automatically, you simply need to have enough silver. Most players start this no earlier than Level 56, but it is up to you how you spend your money.
This is how you level up automatically: To level up automatically, go to the NPC Jamey Drucker, who is located in the cities of Velia, Heidel, Calpheon, Altinova, and Valencia. There, you can buy training manuals for skill and combat experience points. One hour of training costs 1,000,000 silver.
Once you have used one of the books, you can interact with one of the scarecrows and start the training. You must keep Black Desert running in the background during the training.
Sausan Garrison: Level 53 – 56
The Sausan Garrison area can be used to level up to Level 56 as quickly as possible and unlock your powerful Awakening abilities. Sausan is often used by other players for grinding, and the enemies there can deal you significant damage. Therefore, it’s best if you level up in a group.
The Sausan Garrison is located north of Kusha and borders directly to the sea.
Valuable items: Parts of the Grunil Armor.
What’s next after Level 56?
Black Desert has no real level cap, as experience points continue to accumulate. However, the experience points required for a level up increase so significantly after a certain point that it may take you several weeks, if not months, to reach the next level.
Among players, this threshold is known as the “Soft Cap”. In Black Desert, the “Soft Cap” is about Level 61. After that point, it takes a long time to gain a level. Many players therefore focus on obtaining better equipment to become stronger. For example, the first player reached Level 63 in 2017.
This is what Black Desert has to offer in 2019. Who is Black Desert worth it for in 2019?
