NOTE: I started playing this game (on and off again) since 2018ish and recently playing solid for over a year now doing the main storyline/quest and grind up my life skills with some success so keep this in mind since I haven't been in the loop for a long time)

I read several guides and watched videos on how to upgrade gear, but I know you can only do a full upgrade, such as upgrading gear to Blackstar. I know this works for a season's characters alone. And I know that if one doesn't want to create a season character, they can purchase the gear at the marketplace, which can be expensive and hit-or-miss with some of the gear. And from what I understand, this helps newcomers since season characters are there to test if someone likes playing a certain class. I'm not sure if helping the newcomers is true or not. I do know that one guide that was last updated in 2023 (Black Desert Foundry) doesn't mention if the character needs to be a season or not.

I understand that some people don't mind using a seasonal character and grinding their way to better gear for their main or other character.  But I do think it would be nice to have an option to do the same for a non-season character. And yes I know that PA wants people to play the seasons which I would like to do but making one just for gear makes feel like a chore.

What  I'm getting at is I do want to have the ability to upgrade my gear (doesn't have to be Blackstar or Fallen God's armor level) enough where I can go and complete some main questlines (like Star's Fall or O'Dylita).  As of now I'm working to improve my life skills and going for quest that improves my character overall. I would like to have a similar quests like that of the season characters' to upgrade my gear when I reach the apportate level to do so.

just spend 2 days leveling your season character and then when they graduate from season you can use all attached quests for gear upgrades. and you;ll get nice gear from season rewards - this season PEN blackstar weapon, 2 crates of full TET boss gear + base capotia, nice rod and much more

I don't think PA would give that much rewards for normal accounts.

As for upgrading your gear I'd suggest to weight it carefully. if you take knockoff gear (non marketable from rewards) and invest money into it (via upgrade quest) you will get same non marketable gear so you basically throw your silver and mats away. 

I'd suggest to do season, grab all rewards and wear it will you obtain your marketable gear (if your account is old you probably have few billions)

get some grinding done and slowly purchase gear you need off market. that way you can always sell it back if you need. don't get stuck with nockoffs. Don't do Jetina its waste of money considering current price of materials on market and price of gear. you can get PEN boss gear dirt cheap now. If you're into life skilling just sell what you've got to market, don't sit on piles of raw materials, produce and sell. Or if your current gear allows do grinding and you'll have silver fast enough.

I don't see them updating naru or questline gear ever again, especially with season passes now in the pearl shop.  they're directing all their traffic to the pearl shop.

I am aware of the season character, and that if you level it up to 60, you receive better gear.. And using the season servers that increase EXP growth, I know there are loopholes in stacking items that help increase the chance of gaining more EXP. However, it feels more like a chore. I would rather spend my time with a season character in Land of the Morning Light or Mountain of the Eternal Winter. Yes I do know that I can do both, grinding for better gear and doing either LoML/MoEW with different classes but that's not really what I'm asking. 

What I want is to see if I can increase my current gear i.e. like if I have a PEN Zereth Armor or a PRI/PEN weapon that's fully upgraded (i.e. PEN V) I want to have the ability to utilize the transfusion to help with my current items. Yes I do know it would take just as much time to get a season character for better gear but it would be nice if I have a gear that I can improve on with a regular character I'm playing on the spot so I can quickly finish an area that requires a certain amount of AP.

Again, I know it would take a couple of days to do a season character in order to get better. However, it would be nice if they allowed us to make improvements on non-seasonal characters. I honestly don't want to use up a season coupon just to get better gear. I would rather do a season character that I can just chill and play. Like taking my time, exploring LoML/MoEW, doing both main questline and random quests that helps boost family honor/skill/contribution points. To me, that's more fun than rushing to get better gear. And I honestly do want to enjoy what PA has create for us and not just blindly rush things.

see, he gap between Zareth (or any other green/blue gear) and boss gear is too huge. 

Let's assume it will allow you to upgrade it to boss equivalent. it probbaly would be same TET boss gear for PEN green/blue gear at best. But it will ask you to pay the price in materials and that will be very expensive knowing PA. vs getting the same for free from season.

It still will be not worth the hassle. green gear now has no uses unless you want to have it for alts. btw I use Zereth chest +50 Wt and 3 pieces of another green set with +200 weight + treant acc set +100 Wt on my alt. that's only use I can think of. 

green weapon (especially subweapon) is way worse than boss weapon so its nobrainer, just go kzarka/kutum for pve its only 1.4 and 3.4 bil for PEN and no dumb "upgrade quests" that vaccum your silver and mem frags.

I am aware that there is a vast difference between standard gear that one can obtain from shops or drops and boss or season gear. What I would like to see/do is give the green/blue a slight boost. Like if I'm grinding for a boss gear, I have to wait for them to reappear to get more drops. While I wait, I can add a stat or boost so I can complete an area that requires a certain amount of AP (like 230, while I currently have around 200). The reason is I'm the type of person to do most of the main questline (like O'Dylita) while doing some minor quests/grind lifeskills/what have you. I do find it a bit jarring to stop mid-way through a main questline to go through a season character for better gear. 

Again, I do know getting Boss gear and season gear would be best to get overall. But suppose I have maxed out green/blue gear but am short on AP. In that case, I'd rather do a quick side mission to get a slight boost to the AP finish that one part of a main questline than I can do a season character, get to level 60 to get the best gear and give it that one character that had problems with the main questline and keep going. And I do keep some of the gear for my weaker characters. I can sell it, but the market for some of the gear isn't hot. 

One reason I don't mind doing/grinding for the boss gear is that I do take minor breaks from the main questline as a breather and pace myself. However, I have to wait until the bosses respawn so I can collect the drops. Again, my preference is to finish a main questline in two to three days. I do know I can do a season character in the same amount of time, but I'd rather wrap up a main questline in those three days before creating a new character. To me, finishing up a main questline is a good stopping point to either create a season character or grind life skills, side/daily/weekly missions, or whatever I want to do before going on for the next main questline. That's my preference, I know most people playing this game don't do this and say I'm being stubborn or obtuse about it (which I do agree in that regard but I know they have their own preferences that I don't care for or think its foolish).

Again, I know the blue/green gear aren't the best. It takes time to get them to be of any use, and at times mixing which ones to use is a headache. At times I just wish I can give what I have a small boast while I wait for the bosses to respwan so I can do a mission that requires a certain AP. I'm not fond of just stopping at mid main questline since I fear i would forget the lore and what I've done.

Sure I can buy boss  gear from the Marketplace but some of them are expensive and I would rather save the money for the moment. Though I might have to do it since it would be the quickest way to upgrade gear but it won't be cheap at all. 

No main questline actions "require" any amount of AP. If you need a temporary "boost" there are many buffing items available. You can also increase AP by using better accessories, lightstones/artifacts, and crystals. 

Many of my alts just use TRI green gear  (with ultimate reform stones), and the weapons that the main quests hand out (obsidian abyssal main, sandstorm sub at TRI, ultimate katan awakening at TRI). There's also the Narchillan gear set, which, with buffs etc., is good enough for all of the main quests. Meanwhile there are green weapons that you can use reform stones on, and blue weapons.  And to "boost" these: enhance. Which takes more work than enhancing Tuvala, but that's your choice.

You can get additional AP (and DP) by completing adventure logs.

As for boss gear, those aren't guaranteed drops anyway.  You could go weeks, maybe longer, without seeing any. A few nights fishing AFK, if you can, would give you enough silver to purchase them. But they are somewhat more painful to enhance than blue or green anyway.

The Naru gear should carry you through to Mediah, and then you start getting the quest gear.  You should already have plenty of that from previously doing the main quests, so you could just start with it and be all set.  Same goes for Narchillan.

Accessories you can borrow from any non-season alt if you want.  Or you can play with the drops you get along the way, for a "classic" game feel.

The game has so many options already.   

Umm....I know one part of O'Dyillita requires an AP of 230 and part of Star's End requires an AP of 240. I know this since I get stuck on it because I have to fight minions. 

But thank you. I think you're the only one to suggest reform stones. My problem is, how do I get a reform stone? Is there a quest I can complete, or what? I think I should have phrased my question on how to get those instead since most people assumed I'm being lazy/obtuse for not wanting to a season character (honestly I want to do it after I finish a main questline since to me that's a good stopping point). It takes a while for Wolrd Bosses to respawn. 

I honestly appreciate the help. I want to finish at least either the Star's End or O'Dyillita main questline before fully jumping in and enjoying a season character. I do make plans to play a Dosa as a season character but play the LoML instead of the vanilla/basic main questline.

You might want try Garmoth.com's gear planner, see what you can come up with there that fits what you have and how you want to play. 

If you have done season just once, you should have a set of (post-season) PEN Tuvala accessories. With Narchillan (and adventure logs), that's 245/247/301.  You may have some better accessories around to lend to your questing alt.   Or you can just enhance the quest accessories that you get along the way to TRI (from kama, valencia, drieghan, ody), but they net about 20 AP less.

Reform stones: "Crafting at a Refinery or exchange Hunter's Seal".

Ody/SE:  are you saying that the game doesn't let you accept the quests with out specific AP? The battles themselves, with decent buffs/crystals/artifacts, aren't that bad.  They've been made a lot easier recently, with less kills required, and in at least one case (ody turos) you're given a big temporary ap/dp buff. 

I just wanted to know how to obtain or produce Reform stones. 

Again, this is a personal preference of mine, so I know people might say I'm being obstinate, stubborn, or lazy. I would rather finish the main questline I'm currently working on and wrap it up before creating a season character. I can't do that since I'm currently at O'dyllita Arienne's Ouk Pill Greed, and the monster area is at AP 230, while my AP is around 200. I can still accept the quest, but trying to fight monsters/enemy minions is a struggle. It is possible to kill them, but I have to kill about 20 (I think), but I keep getting killed or struggling not to get killed while fighting. 

So that's why I'm asking if I can have the ability to increase my AP via upgrading my gear (i.e., doing reform stones) so I can finish the main quest. Again, this is my preference, but I do want to finish the main questline because it feels like a good stopping point for a character. Like finishing up the Serandia/Calepheon main questline but not doing the Madiah's or the witch quest because I focus on the season character (get to level 60 for the better gear) than come back and do the Madiah's main questline. But I want to finish up O'dyllita or at least the Star's End main questline before jumping into doing a season character. I know that makes me obtuse but that's my preference. Which is why I'm trying to get boss gear since I can still play the character but I have to wait for the world bosses to respawn so I can farm them for drop items.