Black Desert Beginner's Guide: Season Characters, Main Quests and Succession vs Awakening
For new Black Desert players: the Season server and Season Characters, the Black Spirit, main quest order, Succession or Awakening at Lv. 56, energy and knowledge, default PC keys and common mistakes.
Black Desert is an open-world MMORPG developed and published by South Korea's Pearl Abyss. It is known for fast, action-heavy combat and a huge range of life skills outside of fighting, from fishing and cooking to trading and worker management. According to its Steam page the game has a Turkish interface, and Pearl Abyss's Turkey/MENA site and Adventurer's Guide are in Turkish too.
This guide is for players who have just installed the game and are stuck on the character screen wondering which server, which class and what to do. Black Desert's early hours are packed with menus and systems; here we cover only what you truly need in your first weeks.
The steps below are largely based on the Beginner's Basic Guide in Pearl Abyss's official Adventurer's Guide, and the key list comes from the official Game Controls page.
Goal of the game
Black Desert has no story that truly ends; it is about growing your character and choosing your own path in the world. At first you level up and collect gear by following the main quests. After that, real progress comes from enhancing your gear: as the official guide stresses, stronger enemies require better equipment. Each grind spot shows a recommended attack power (AP), and players pick spots based on their AP and defense power (DP).
Your companion is the Black Spirit: according to the official guide it suggests quests, guides you, and some features such as enhancement run through its menu. Outside combat there is an economy built on energy, knowledge, nodes and workers; talking to NPCs and exploring earns knowledge and raises your energy, which you spend on things like gathering and running workers.
Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|
| W A S D | Move |
| Shift | Sprint (different function in combat stance) |
| Space | Jump |
| T | Auto-run |
| Tab | Draw / sheathe (enter combat stance) |
| Left click / Right click | Main attack / secondary attack |
| E / F | Class skills (no function in neutral stance) |
| R | Interact with NPCs and objects |
| Ctrl | Show / hide mouse cursor |
| V | Emergency escape (5 s invulnerability, 5 min cooldown) |
| , (comma) | Black Spirit |
| I / K / O | Inventory / skills / quests |
| M / H | World map / knowledge |
| F1 | Adventurer's Guide |
| Esc | Main menu (keys can be rebound in settings) |
First steps
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Join the Season server
The official guide recommends the Season-1 server for new players. Pick the Season server at the top of the list; while a season is running, progression there is much faster and easier.
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Always create a Season Character
Use the Create Season Character button in the character slot. The guide flags this as important: a normal character doesn't get the Season server's benefits.
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Choose a class after watching the videos
Every class has its own playstyle and Awakening path. The official guide suggests watching the showcase videos on the character screen and the Class Introduction page on the official site before choosing.
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Confirm your appearance carefully
According to the official guide, changing your look after confirming requires paid items. Check face and body settings one last time before you confirm.
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Start from the Ancient Stone Chamber
After the tutorial you can start the main story from the Ancient Stone Chamber, Mountain of Eternal Winter or Land of the Morning Light. The official guide recommends the Ancient Stone Chamber to newcomers for story order and progression speed.
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Finish the Mediah main quests
Your first goal is the Mediah questline [Reliving the Darkness - Apocalyptic Prophecy]. According to the guide, it provides the gear and enhancement materials you need and takes you to the early-to-mid Lv. 50s without much struggle. Open the quest window with O and check the Main tab to see which quests are main quests.
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Enhance your Naru gear
Enhance the Naru gear from the main quests step by step. For detailed rules, see the Equipment Enhancement guide in the Adventurer's Guide.
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Pick Succession or Awakening at Lv. 56
According to the guide, at Lv. 56 you take the Awakening quest from the Black Spirit and then the Succession quest. Succession strengthens your existing combat style, Awakening brings a new style and skills; after trying both you choose one and continue.
Tips and tactics
- Pick grind spots by APAccording to the official guide, the world map (M) shows each grind spot's recommended AP. Your AP should be equal to or slightly below it, and DP around 1.2-1.4 times the recommended AP is considered enough.
- Good spots for Lv. 56The guide suggests grind spots such as the Desert Naga Temple and Titium Valley to reach Lv. 56 after the Mediah quests.
- Clear out junkYour inventory fills quickly between quests. Use the Sell All Junk Items option at shop NPCs, and leave the rest in town storage.
- Don't skip Black Spirit questsAccording to the official Black Spirit page, if your experience bar is full but you don't level up, you may need to complete a Black Spirit quest. If its icon glows at the bottom right, open it with the comma key.
- Talk to NPCs, collect knowledgeAccording to the official energy guide, meeting NPCs, exploring and completing knowledge categories raises your energy. Open the knowledge window (H) to see which categories are missing.
- Don't rush Season graduationThe official Season Graduation page advises developing your Season Character as far as you can before graduating, even after finishing the season pass. Graduation uses up a Season Character slot.
- Know your emergency escapeAccording to the official key list, V gives 5 seconds of invulnerability with a 5-minute cooldown. Remember it before a bad situation turns fatal.
- Toggle the cursor with CtrlThe camera follows your mouse; press Ctrl to show the cursor when you need to click menus or drag items. It's one of the small hurdles new players hit most often.
- Use the F1 Adventurer's GuideAccording to the official controls page, F1 opens the in-game Adventurer's Guide and hotkey help. When a system confuses you, check there first.
- Postpone life skills, but don't forget themFishing, cooking and worker management matter in the long run, but focusing on main quests and Season progress first lets you return to them with a stronger character.
Common mistakes
- Starting with a normal character: without a Season Character you miss the progression benefits aimed at new players.
- Confirming your appearance in a hurry: later changes require paid items.
- Wandering off the main questline: getting sidetracked slows gear and level progress.
- Grinding far above your AP: enemies are too strong and you lose time dying instead of progressing.
- Graduating from the Season too early: it uses up the Season Character slot and ends the season benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Black Desert available in Turkish?
Yes. Turkish is in the interface language list on its Steam page, and Pearl Abyss's Turkey/MENA site and Adventurer's Guide are in Turkish.
Can I play solo?
Yes, most main quests and progression can be done alone. Some high-level grind spots and events recommend a group.
What is a Season Character?
According to the official guide, it's a special character type on the Season server with faster progression. It becomes a normal character when you graduate or the season ends.
Succession or Awakening?
You can try both through quests after Lv. 56. Succession develops your existing style, Awakening brings a new style and skills; pick what you enjoy.
How do I know which quest is the main quest?
Open the quest window with O and check the Main tab. According to the official guide, quest type filters can be changed from Lv. 20.
This guide was written for version: This guide reflects the official Adventurer's Guide as of September 2026. Season server content, quest names and rewards change from season to season; press F1 in game for current details.
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