Enhancement & Transfusion | Game mechanics Black Desert Online Guide

Enhancement

Improving your equipment

When it comes to obtaining items, Black Desert offers something unusual. You will encounter several types of armor that slightly differ in terms of their stats (at first). The most important aspect in choosing your equipment are the potential benefits. Bonuses can be very different, and can define the gameplay to some extent. For instance, a Berserker should acquire the Agerian set during the first couple hours of gameplay. Completing quests from the main storyline will let you gather parts of Basteer set, which is more superior to Agerian. However, Basteer items provide no additional bonuses. You can always upgrade your current equipment.

In order to upgrade your equipment, you will have to complete dozen main quests concerning the Spirit (once you finish Awakening, you unlock Enhancement). This will allow you to use Black Stones that you find during your adventures. There are two types of Black Stones: Black Stones - Armor, and Black Stones - Weapon. The process of Enhancement is all about chances. 100% chance to enhance your gear is +5 for armor, and +7 for weapons. Anything above this level may result in failure. If an item is being enhanced beyond one of these levels (but below +15), its maximal durability can be damaged. To restore it, head to a blacksmith and repair it. However, to repair such an item, you will need another identical one (it can't be enhanced). If you enhance items above +15 and you fail to complete the ritual, the enhancement will be automatically degraded to +15, and it doesn't matter whether it was level +15 or +20. You can increase your chance to succeed with a Black Stone by using more of them during Force Enhance. The number of stones depend on the level of the equipment that you want to enhance - the higher the level, the more Black Stones you need to use.

Enhance your equipment, regardless of its level. During your first several dozen hours of gameplay (levels 1-35), you will encounter first essential sets of armor and weapon. Don't worry that you will lose your Black Stones for good once you find a better set. At about level 30-35 you will complete a main quest concerning getting to Calpheon, and you will receive an option to extract Black Stones that have been used during enhancement so far. However, such items will be destroyed after the extraction is over. Black Stones are a product of high demand, and thus their prices are high. On the other hand, the game is stingy with them. You will acquire most stones from fallen enemies and as rewards for completing quests. In general all the stones from the auction houses are sold out or are never available in the first place. So if you have a small fortune to spend, and you were not lucky enough to find any, consider buying some.

Jewelry Enhancement

Enhancing jewelry is slightly different. In order to use enhancement, you need to use two identical items. Every attempt might end in a failure, regardless of the level. If it does, both items will be destroyed.

Transfusion

Crystals are an additional method of upgrading your gear

Another means of upgrading your equipment is Transfusion. You can find many crystals that will provide additional bonuses to your weapons and armor. Crystals will differ from one another and those that can be placed in a weapon can't be used to upgrade armor and those ideal for armor won't match your gloves. Bonuses can be added to any item, but you cannot place more than three in a single item. Some parts of your equipment will allow one crystal and others will have room for three. A crystal can be replaced with a different one at any time. One should keep in mind that after you die, crystals that have been used on an item, can be destroyed (this can also happen when you try to replace them/take them out).

Important information concerning upgrades:

1. Enhancement requires Black Stones.
2. Beyond level +5 (armor), and +7 (weapons), there is a chance that you will fail.
3. Beyond level +15, a failure will result in a +15 enhancement, regardless of its former level.
4. Beyond level +5/+7 you can use more Black Stones to increase your chance of success.
5. Black Stones can be removed from an item but this action will destroy this piece of armor/weapon.
6. If you die, any of the used crystals can be destroyed.