Gathering
Every crafting activity begins from collecting ingredients.
There are many ways to collect ingredients. Among them, collecting ingredients directly from nature itself is called Gathering.
Not only is the natural environment of Black Desert visually appealing, but it also contains plenty of untapped natural resources.
Once you lose yourself in the world of gathering, what you once neglected in your daily walks –the grass, the trees, even the rocks – will now seem like a treasure trove.
1. How to Gather
Whenever you draw near to an object that you can gather, you will see a prompt that allows you to interact with it.
Press the hotkey for Interaction (R) to gather its ingredients.
If you don’t see the interaction interface, it means that another Adventurer gathered just recently. No need to fret! You can start gathering again after a certain period of time elapses.
If you don’t have the necessary tools on you, the interface will let you know which tool is needed.
Depending on the gathering tool you use, the type of ingredients you obtain will differ even when gathering from the same object.
You can collect ingredients like logs or timber with a lumbering axe or collect sap with a fluid collector. You can also use the fluid collector to gather the blood of animals you hunt.
▲ In the case of butchering, you can gather via ”Interact“ (R) after looting all the items (if any) from the animal you’ve killed or hunted.
▲ You’ll obtain gathering products.
2. Gathering Targets and Products
Depending on the target you are gathering from, you will sometimes need a tool.
Depending on the products you gather, you can craft those into ingredients of higher value through processing.
What kind of gatherable resources are there in Black Desert, and what are the tools you can use? Also, what else can you obtain after gathering? Here’s a chart to answer those questions:
|
Target |
How to Gather |
Gathering Tool |
Gathered Resource |
Relevant Process |
|
Trees |
Lumbering |
Lumbering Axe |
Log, Timber |
Chopping |
|
Collect Fluid |
Fluid Collector |
Tree Sap |
Alchemy |
|
|
Animals |
Collect Fluid |
Fluid Collector |
Animal Blood |
Alchemy |
|
Tanning |
Tanning Knife |
Hide, Feathers |
Drying |
|
|
Butchering |
Butchering Knife |
Meat |
Drying, Cooking |
|
|
Crops |
Barehanded Gathering |
Not required |
Crop, Seed |
Cooking |
|
Bush, Dry Thickets, Fruit Trees, Shrubs |
Barehanded Gathering |
Barehanded Gathering |
Weeds, Seed |
Drying |
|
Wild Herbs |
Gathering |
Hoe / Barehanded Gathering |
Herb |
Alchemy |
|
Herbs |
Gathering |
Hoe / Barehanded Gathering |
Herb, Seed |
Alchemy |
|
Mushrooms |
Gathering |
Hoe |
Mushroom, Hypha |
Alchemy |
|
Minerals |
Mining |
Pickaxe |
Ore |
Heating, Grinding |
|
Water |
Water Scooping |
Empty Bottle |
Water Bottle |
Heating, Filtering |
|
Digging Desert Sand |
Digging |
Shovel |
Ore, Crystal, Bag of Muddy Water |
Heating, Grinding, Filtering |
* You can gather herbs and wild herbs with your bare hands. However, using a hoe will net you different products
* Unlike other resources, water and desert sand are not gathered from a specific object, which means that you can keep gathering them from the appropriate terrain.
Also, gathered resources are the ingredients for a variety of items you can craft as mentioned in the beginning of this guide. If you want to know the types of items you can craft with the gathered resources you have obtained, please refer to the “Crafting Notes.”
You can open the Crafting Notes via “Settings (ESC) > Information > Crafting Notes” or by pressing the “Crafting Notes” button on the bottom right of the Game Guide (F1) or Adventurer’s Board (F2). 
▲ Check out the various items you can craft from the Crafting Notes.
An Unexpected Gathering Resource Appeared!
When you gather, you sometimes may come across items that you didn’t expect to get. These include “Fairy Powder” that you can get from all gathering activities, “trade items” that originate near the location you gather them from, and items usually sought after by Adventurers who want to accumulate wealth such as Caphras Stones and Sharp/Hard Black Crystal Shards. What should you do if you do get these items?
You can just sell Fairy Powder at an NPC Shop without a second thought.
For trade items, if you are an Adventurer who gathers specifically in one place, try trading them by connecting the originating node to the node you want to sell them at. Obtaining marginal profit that comes from trade could be another fun aspect of the game to aim for.
You can achieve a great profit by selling Caphras Stones and Sharp/Hard Black Crystal Shards at the Central Market. However, there’s a reason they are expensive. These items are ingredients needed by Adventurers who own combat equipment of a certain level or higher to level up, so there might come a time when you have to use it yourself. Accordingly, you need to put in some thought as to whether you’ll sell it on the Central Market or keep them and build up a supply in preparation for later.
3. Gathering Level, Ability, and Mastery
Gathering Level
Production activities refer to 11 categories including gathering, processing, cooking, training, alchemy, fishing, hunting, trading, cultivating, sailing, and bartering. All the production activities have levels of their own, and the higher the level, the more bonuses you can get.
You can check the levels of your production activities by opening the My Information (Hotkey: P) window.
▲ Click on Look Closer in the My Information window for more details.
When you reach a higher level in gathering, you can equip higher-grade gathering tools. High-grade gathering tools have the effect of reducing gathering time.
Also, upon reaching a higher level, the chance for you to gather without consuming energy increases and your “Mastery” level goes up. This will be explained more in detail as Mastery level is very important in gathering activities.
In order to reach a higher level in gathering, you need to earn gathering EXP through actual gathering activities. You can level up quicker if you use an item that increases your gathering EXP.
Gathering Ability
Your gathering ability affects your gathering speed. You can reach up to Lv. 5 for gathering ability and can check your enhancement level from My Information (Hotkey: P).
One good way to level your gathering ability is eating the Seafood Cron Meal. This method is efficient because it increases your gathering ability level and other Stats for 2 hours at a low price.
Wearing Silver Embroidered Gatherer’s Clothes can also help. Your gathering ability level increases along with the amount of gathering EXP you can obtain, depending on your level of Enhancement. The effect is permanent and equipping the Silver Embroidered Gatherer’s Clothes after enhancing it to +2 will make it efficient.
If your enhancement level is low, you can increase it through elixirs like Verdure Draught or through guild skills provided from your guild.
If you really are thinking about diving into gathering, it’s good to reach Lv. 5 in your gathering ability through these methods before you begin.
Gathering Mastery
The higher your gathering Mastery is, it plays an important role in gathering efficiency and thereby increases your profits.
▲ You can check your gathering Mastery level as well as those for other life skills from My Information (Hotkey: P).
The results of gathering or gathering resources, can be divided into basic, special, and rare gathering resources. You can make a higher profit the more frequently special and rare gathering resources appear.
As your gathering Mastery level goes up, the general gathering resources obtained increases along with the chance of obtaining special and rare gathering resources.
▲ The higher your Mastery level, the higher the chance you have at obtaining a rare item.
There are various ways to increase your Mastery level. The most basic way is increasing your gathering level. Your gathering Mastery level goes up every time your gathering level goes up.
Another way is by using an item (gear) that increases your Mastery level. There are many items or gear that can be purchased from those you can purchase at a reasonable price to those that you have to pay a large amount of Silver for, depending on their effects. Regarding that, carefully making purchases after coming up with a plan with your financial status in mind would be recommended.
It is said that “the higher the Mastery level, the better,” but if you are an Adventurer just trying to get used to gathering, it’s more important to first experience it even if you have simple gear.
Check the following content to see more details on gathering equipment and items.
4. Setting Up Equipment for Gathering
In the sections above, you were able to see how you need proper gathering tools for gathering depending on the gathering resources. Also, you saw how you can increase efficiency for gathering by increasing your gathering level, enhancement, and mastery.
Now it’s time to prepare equipment for gathering and gather the resources that are spread all around the Black Desert world. There are many different types of gathering equipment for different purpose and performance.
A way to start gathering right away with minimal equipment is to go to a Material Vendor NPC of each city and purchase gathering tools that have the word “Improved” in their names.
This equipment is suitable for beginners since you can equip them under any condition. Also, there’s an option for reducing gathering time.
▲ Purchase an improved gathering tool from a Material Vendor NPC.
If you are an Adventurer who wants to be more well-prepared for gathering, it is important to select the most suitable gathering equipment from the various equipment options, depending on your current situation and financial status.
For example, if you are a beginner to gathering, you should mostly select equipment that increases Life EXP in order to quickly increase your gathering level.
If you are already at a high level in gathering, you should increase your chance at obtaining rare gathering resources and quantity by focusing on increasing your gathering mastery level.
I hope you prepare yourself to go on a gathering adventure by checking your gathering equipment and other life skills to form an appropriate plan.
List of Equipment that Increase Gathering Efficiency
| Item | Type | Description |
| Seafood Cron Meal | Food | Increases gathering ability level, mastery, EXP obtained, maximum weight, etc. for 2 hours |
| Sute Tea/ Healthy Sute Tea | Food | Increases Life EXP obtained |
| Verdure Draught | Elixir | Increases gathering ability Level, EXP obtained, and maximum weight for 15 minutes |
| Alchemy Stone of Life / Spirit Stone | Alchemy Stone | Can be used after equipping to the alchemy stone area and increases gathering ability level and chance at obtaining for all types of gathering resources. |
| Turning Gates | Villa Buff | Increases Energy Recovery, Life EXP obtained |
| Spellbound Gathering Tools | Gathering Tool |
Decreases gathering time by 11 sec, increases chance at obtaining any type of gathering resource upon gathering However, the effect of the chance of obtaining items increasing applied from gathering Mastery will not be applied |
| * Demihar Gathering Tool | Gathering Tool |
Decreases gathering time by 11 sec, increases chance at obtaining any gathering resource by 80% |
| * Leight’s Gathering Tools | Gathering Tool | Increases chance at obtaining gathering resources, gathering Mastery, and gathering EXP |
| Loggia Equipment | Armor / Accessory | Equipment that can be purchased at a low price and increases gathering Mastery and EXP obtained |
| Geranoa Equipment | Armor / Accessory | Equipment that you can purchase at a medium price and increases gathering Mastery and EXP obtained |
| Manos Equipment | Gathering Tool / Armor / Accessory | Equipment that you can purchase at a high price and increases gathering Mastery and EXP obtained |
| Silver Embroidered Gatherer’s Clothes | Armor | Armor that focuses on the increase of gathering EXP obtained |
| Carta Gatherer’s Clothes | Armor | Armor that focuses on the increases of gathering Mastery level |
| Pet (Hedgehog, Ferret, Stoneback Crab and more) | Pet | Increases life and gathering EXP obtained, resource detection, etc. |
* Demihar Gathering Tool: You can receive one of the gathering tools upon accomplishing Gathering Apprentice through the Challenges (Y) window. A 14-day expiration date will be applied right after accepting it.
* Leight’s Gathering Tools: You can rent them with 50 Contribution Points from <Northern Wheat Plantation Owner> Norma Leight.
* Be sure to check the requirement for equipping equipment-related items.
* Leight’s Gathering Tools: You can rent them with 50 Contribution Points from <Northern Wheat Plantation Owner> Norma Leight.
* Be sure to check the requirement for equipping equipment-related items.
5. Gathering Quests
You can accept gathering-related quests from a variety of NPCs in the Black Desert world.
First, we recommend that you proceed with the gathering quest after accepting it at Velia.
It requires some time and effort to complete the gathering quests, but for rewards, you can obtain Contribution Points, gathering EXP, as well as rare items like Sharp Black Crystal Shards.
Also, we recommend that you proceed with an advancement quest if you want to reach a higher gathering level.
You can accept the advancement quest once you reach Beginner Lv. 10. Also, by using the Black Spirit’s guide menu, you can be guided to the NPC you can receive the quest from more easily.
- * The content of the game guide may differ from the actual game content, depending on the update and content changes.