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Home / Black Desert How to Know if You Have Knowledge

Black Desert How to Know if You Have Knowledge

Knowledge is an important pillar of Black Desert Online because it makes up all your energy points. When you travel and interact during the game, you gain Knowledge, which in turn results in an increase in your existing energy level. (You can bring up your knowledge screen by pressing the 'H' key).

While this is one of its key benefits, it's not the only one: it gives you a little extra passive profit, and you can also get Bonus Item Drop Rate with it. So in what follows, I'm going to talk about this, from the basics all the way to how to increase your knowledge so you can make the most of it.

Table of Contents

  • 1 1. Knowledge Benefits
    • 1.1 1.1. Energy
    • 1.2 1.2. Special Fame
    • 1.3 1.3. Bonus Item Drop Rate
  • 2 2. Knowledge Buffs
  • 3 3. Amity games
  • 4 4. Knowledge Categories
  • 5 5. Bookshelves
  • 6 6. Tips on how to start increasing your knowledge points
    • 6.1 Character Topic
    • 6.2 Topography Section
    • 6.3 Sea Topic
    • 6.4 Ecology Section
    • 6.5 Adventure Journal
    • 6.6 Academics Topic

1. Knowledge Benefits

1.1. Energy

The most important benefit you can use to increase your knowledge is Energy. The energy level recharges 1 point every 3 minutes when you are online, and 1 point every hour when you are offline. You can also speed this up: by lying in bed at your Residence (2 energy every 3 minutes in craftable beds and 3 energy every 3 minutes in pearl shop beds) or completing quests that recharge your energy, and of course, the P2W "Kamasylvia Buff", that gives you 3 energy every 3 minutes when online.

Your max energy & unlocked knowledge are bound to your family, so raising the cap will benefit all your characters! Each one has his own energy pool, so you can use them for different tasks! Currently, the max energy in BDO is 623 (without buffs), but this number keeps increasing as new content gets into the game.

What can I use my energy for?

  • Convenient Node Purchase
  • Level 10 Node Investment: If your Node Level is 10, you will get a 10% chance of getting 50% increased item drop rate.
  • Gathering
  • NPC Interactions
  • Object Interactions
  • Hiring Workers: you can hire workers from Work Supervisors. it costs 5 energy /roll.
  • World Chat: consumes 1 energy per message
  • Reset Boss Monster Knowledge: it costs 10 energy from Annolisa Rosie in Calpheon City library
  • Black Spirit Combat/Life Skill Exp Buff: it costs 50 energy for 20% Combat Exp or 8% Life Skill Exp (30 min.)
  • Trade Bargain
  • Locate Another Player: for 5 energy and 10k Silver, the Black-Robed Man in Velia tell you where the character you want to hunt is
  • Altar of Blood: Spend 100 Energy to start and 20 for each new level inside Altar of Blood
  • Night Vendor (Patrigio): In exchange for some energy, it offers you items that you can buy. It costs 50 energy/roll, the NPC only appears at night.
  • Making Energy Potions: you can exchange your energy with Alchemist NPC Alustin in Velia Town, or in Alejandro Farm, Glish, Port Epheria, Keplan, and Calpheon. Exchange rates: for 50 energy – Energy Potion S (10 Energy), for 100 energy – Energy Potion M (20 Energy), for 150 energy – Energy Potion L (30 Energy), and for 200 energy – Energy Potion XL (50 Energy).

How can I recharge my energy?

1.2. Special Fame

Your Knowledge Points increase your passive income every day. Special Fame points are calculated from the accumulated Knowledge and Contribution Points of all of your characters. You can view your Knowledge points by pressing the H button.

  • 50-250 points: 100,000 Silver per day
  • 251-500 points: 175,000 Silver per day
  • 501-750 points: 250,000 Silver per day
  • 751-1000 points: 325,000 Silver per day
  • 1001-1250 points: 400,000 Silver per day
  • 1251-1500 points: 475,000 Silver per day
  • 1501+ points: 600,000 Silver per day

1.3. Bonus Item Drop Rate

The Ecology topic gives you bonus drop rates chances. The more Ecology Points you obtain by gaining more and higher monster Knowledge ranks (S grade), the better your rare drop chances after defeating all creatures. You can view your Knowledge points by pressing the H button.

Applied Effect per Total Points:

  • Over 500 – Item Drop Rate +2%
  • Over 1000 – Item Drop Rate +3%
  • Over 1500 – Item Drop Rate +5%
  • Over 2000 – Item Drop Rate +7%
  • Over 3000 – Item Drop Rate +10%
  • Over 4000 – Item Drop Rate +12%
  • Over 5000 – Item Drop Rate +14%
  • Over 6000 – Item Drop Rate +16%
  • Over 7000 – Item Drop Rate +18%
  • Over 8000 – Item Drop Rate +20%

2. Knowledge Buffs

There are 2 types of buffs that can help you to increase your knowledge, this is the Chance to Gain Higher-grade Knowledge and the Chance to Gain Knowledge. One gives you a bonus for gaining knowledge on a topic, and the other for gaining the highest level of knowledge from a monster.

If you are looking to maximize your P2W pets benefits, make sure to check our BDO pets guide.

3. Amity games

If you want to acquire knowledge you will often come across the need to play Amity games. This is a mini-game that allows you to earn amity points at a particular NPC after the conversation. This is useful not only because you can make interactions with the NPC that you would not otherwise be able to do, but because if the NPC has a shop, you can also purchase various special items from it. Engaging in Conversation with an NPC will increase the amity between you and that NPC. You will also need knowledge so that you have topics to talk about with the NPC.

However, if you find a particular conversation too difficult, you still have the option to choose 'Greeting' instead of amity games. Greeting (press F5) an NPC will use 3 energy and earn you 3 Amity. Needless to say, this is a surefire solution to more difficult cases.

How does it work?

You can begin a conversation with NPCs if you choose the Conversation option from their menu and if you have enough Energy points to begin this action. It usually costs 2 energy each time but as you gain more amity with the NPC the amount of energy you need will go higher. Then the Amity game window that you can see in the picture below will pop up.

What you should note first is the requirement in the lower-left corner. There are five ways of requirement:

1. Sparking Interest: Completing this goal requires you to get enough positive reactions from the topics during the conversation. Choose topics with a higher sparkling interest percentage, to get a better chance of success.

2. Failing to Spark Interest: Completing this goal requires you to get a number of negative reactions required. Choose topics with a lower sparkling interest percentage, to get a better chance of failure.

3. Minimum Favor Level: Completing this goal requires you to get a certain amount of Favor Level. Try to choose topics with a higher percentage of Sparking Interest, to gain the indicated Favor. The sparking interest is the percentage of how successful you will be if you choose the item, and the favor is how much favor you will get from it. Of course, do not choose topics with 100% Interest and 0 Favor.

4. Accumulated Favor Level: Completing this goal requires you to get a certain amount of Accumulated Favor Level. You should pick topics with high Sparking Interest and high Interest to complete this. Place the higher Sparking Interest topics towards the beginning of the conversation to get the highest possible Accumulated Favor Level.

5. Talk Freely: Completing this goal requires you to talk freely whatever you want, and you will pass to the next round. You will get the highest amount of Amity points if you strive for the highest Accumulated Favor.

Keep talking or exit?

If you have successfully passed the turn, the game offers to continue or end the game. If you choose the exit, you will accept the Amity points you have earned so far and it will be credited to your amity game points. If you choose the keep talking option, you can keep talking without having to use energy again, but if you do not meet the next goal then you lose all of the amity you collected (you can keep talking 2 times, making a total of 3 conversations each time). So let's choose wisely.

There are NPCs in the game with which you can easily get high amity levels, but there are also harder nuts with which you can get a lot of trouble while scoring. For these cases, I recommend you to search for that particular NPC on Google because in many cases, players have already uploaded "bomb-proof" amity-game plans to earn the points that you need.

Amity Buffs:

4. Knowledge Categories

H (Knowledge) window, Black Desert Online

Each major category is further divided into smaller categories. In order to receive the energy points for each part, it is not always necessary to obtain all the smallest parts. However, the color of the category only turns blue when you have acquired all the knowledge from it.

Character

Subcategories: 19
Total Energy: 180

The character category is the most basic knowledge at Black Desert. This gives you the most energy points, and all you have to do for it is talk to NPCs around the world. Some NPCs will have specific requirements, such as talking to another NPC first. If you need help to know how you can reach knowledge from this topic, jump to the Reach Character Topic chapter.

Topography

Subcategories: 8
Total Energy: 51

The topography is your knowledge of the map's locations. It's also pretty basic knowledge, in addition, the game gives you a pretty good number of energy points for it. You've come across a lot of places on your travels anyway, but if you still have gaps, simply head to the unknown places (these are usually marked with fog), and when you get to an unknown area, you usually get the knowledge. In some cases it is not enough to just enter the areas, you have to speak with an NPC to give you this knowledge. Obtaining these is quite easy, however, and you will gain a lot of benefits later on from knowing all the areas, such as building your worker network, from which you can expect very good passive income. If you need help to know how you can reach knowledge from this topic, jump to the Reach Topography Section chapter.

Sea

Subcategories: 13
Total Energy: 21

The Sea topic is made up of how well you know the islands of the sea. You can also make a nice small number of energy points from this part in exchange for a little boat trip. Go with your ship to all the islands, talk to the NPCs on it, then enjoy free energy points. If you are a beginner in piracy, you may want to bring an Ancient Explorer's Compass (it's from x3 Part for Explorer's Compass) or a [Oasis] Compass (you can buy one from an Oasis Vendor for 1 Silver if Oasis Event is in progress) with you. If you need help to know how you can reach knowledge from this topic, jump to the Reach Sea Topic chapter.

Ecology

Subcategories: 10
Total Energy: 154

Ecology is the knowledge of the monsters in Black Desert. When you first encounter a monster, you will not see it's HP bar, instead, you will only see a yellow bar that will turn red as the mob's vitality dwindles. In order to see the HP bar, you have to recognize the weaknesses of the monster (from killing them). Although there are a lot of energy points for this category, it will be a time-consuming process to obtain them. To acquire the knowledge here, it is sufficient to acquire only the smallest (C) class of knowledge. If you need help to know how you can reach knowledge from this topic, jump to the Reach Ecology Section chapter.

Monster knowledge ranks benefits:

  • S: +% rare drop chance
  • A+: ++damage
  • A: +damage
  • B: -damage received
  • C: view monster HP %

If you want to reset your knowledge in an attempt to gain a higher rank, you can do it if you go to Calpheon library and find NPC Annalisa. In the Knowledge Management option, you can choose the knowledge that you would like to reset and simply click Delete Knowledge.

Adventure Journal

Subcategories: 13
Total Energy: 149

The Adventure Journal section is also a bit more complicated, as in this chapter you can gain the necessary knowledge from 3 sources: simply talk with NPCs, do Amity games for the knowledge, or do long questlines to reach the necessary knowledge. But in return for these, the game rewards a very nice number of energy points for you. If you need help to know how you can reach knowledge from this topic, jump to the Reach Adventure Journal chapter.

Academics

Subcategories: 20
Total Energy: 38

Academics knowledge is mostly gainable by interacting with objects or talk with NPCs. This also includes knowledge of books that can be found throughout the Black Desert, most of them in the libraries of large cities. Compared to how easy it is to get them, we get a fair number of energy points for these pieces of knowledge. But in order not to make everything so simple, you also have to play amity-games to get energy points. If you need help to know how you can reach knowledge from this topic, jump to the Reach Academics Topic chapter.

Life Skill

Subcategories: 12
Total Energy: 0

Life Skills knowledge is made up of your professions. This category does not give energy points, but it is essential for further crafting and processing actions. Here you will mainly find preparation instructions for different items.

Learning the Ropes of Black Desert

Subcategories: 8
Total Energy: 0

Learning the ropes of Black Desert knowledge is discovered by following tutorial quests throughout the game. Since it does not give energy points, it is only important for gaining experience.

Trade

Subcategories: 2
Total Energy: 0

Trade knowledge is discovered by collecting various trade materials.

5. Bookshelves

Class: Dark Knight; Costume: Kibelius Armor at Black Desert Online

Bookshelves provide a good opportunity if you want to gain knowledge in „AFK" mode as well. It gives you random knowledge acquired within a subcategory. Read a book on your alt at your Residence, while you are active on your other character. It takes one hour per knowledge chance and does not automatically keep reading afterwards, you should do it manually. This process not guaranteed a knowledge/rank you don't have already, and you can't switch servers while reading.

There are various bookshelves in the game: pearl items or crafted ones. Whichever you choose, you must put it in your Residence. Bookshelves have different durability, once they run out of durability, you can't repair them.

Do it step-by-step:

1, Obtain a Bookshelf and place it in your Residence. If you don't already have a residence, buy one in one of the cities using contribution points. Press M, select a city, and click on its Node. At the top right of your screen, select "Residence" from the middle menu from the list. Select the house you wish to purchase and click the Purchase button. Go inside your Residence and at the Place Mode, and put it down your bookshelf.

2, Go in front of your bookshelf, and press 'R' to start reading the books.

3, If your character started reading, press ESC, and then press the Change button, and select your character what you wish to play.

4, If everything was successful, the ESC menu shows how much time is left from reading.

6. Tips on how to start increasing your knowledge points

I suggest you definitely start with the Character and Topography sections. These are the two simplest and most basic knowledge in the game. After that, I recommend the Sea section, of course, if you have a boat at your disposal. It's a little more time consuming, but quite fun. After that, I continued my adventures with the Adventure Journal, which is the knowledge that can be gained from quests, so it is also a bit more demanding to acquire them. It consists of reading Academics books, so I think it's also easy to accomplish, It may be harder to find certain pieces of knowledge in the game because some are so well hidden, but it's also a completely enjoyable part of the game. I would start Ecology after all this and use a lot of buffs mentioned above. If you get stuck in any part, visit YouTube where you can choose from plenty of helpful tutorial videos created by content producers.

And at the very end, I left behind the 3 topics that no longer give Energy: Life Skill, Learning the ropes of the Black Desert, and the Trade topics. Since they don't give you energy, so I'd say it's not important to start separately, but of course, if you're trying to maximize your Knowledge, you'll go for it. If you've been a more experienced player and have been playing the game for a long time, you've already gotten most of them anyway.

Character Topic

… and take a pic with NPC Maopan!

If you want to expand your Character topic, select the Character topic in the Knowledge window in the game and see what is still missing from each topic. The game indicates missing NPCs with "??????" The easiest way to find them is to look at the full list at this site (in the same order as the game writes your own knowledge), to find out which NPC you are missing, then visit our NPC collection where you will find the locations of all NPCs. Go there and talk to the NPC so you can get to know each other. Some NPCs have a condition that you already need to know someone in order for them to talk to you as well. In that case, just do it.

Topography Section

If you still find gaps in the Topography section, check out our interactive map where you can easily see which Nodes are still missing from your knowledge base. Getting all the Nodes is essential because you can make a significant profit if you employ Workers, and it is essential to know the Nodes in the game. When a new territory enters the game, new Nodes come along, with new raw materials and new benefits. If you prefer to search for Nodes by name, check out our Node Collection.

Sea Topic

Grab a ship and go to sea, pirate! If you are a beginner in piracy, you may want to bring an Ancient Explorer's Compass (it's from x3 Part for Explorer's Compass) or a [Oasis] Compass (you can buy one from an Oasis Vendor for 1 Silver if Oasis Event is in progress) with you. In this chapter you have to explore the islands of the sea, so let's get our interactive map again. Simply sail to the island, get out, and walk until a message pops up that you have explored the area. If you're already here, be sure to talk to all the NPCs on the islands.

Ecology Section

All you have to do in this chapter is learn about the monsters in the world. In this section our monster collection can help you. You can gain knowledge from monsters by killing them or if you harvest the corpse with a tool. There are monsters that make it terribly difficult to get the knowledge you need, use buffs (I have already listed these in the Knowledge Buffs section) in such cases.

Adventure Journal

Use this site to find out what the name of the knowledge you still lack is. I have no better idea than searching Google on how to get what you are looking for. There are a number of knowledge in this section that you can only gain by completing questlines. And sometimes these questlines also have a prerequisite (another quest)… So get ready to search🧐!

Academics Topic

Use this site to find out what the name of the knowledge you still lack is. As I mentioned above, Academics knowledge is mostly gainable by interacting with objects or talk with NPCs. Sometimes you need to play Amity games (or use Greeting) to obtain the knowledge. I have already described this above in the Amity games chapter.

Black Desert How to Know if You Have Knowledge

Source: https://altarofgaming.com/black-desert-online-knowledge-guide-max-energy/