PvP stands for "Player versus Player" and applies to a variety of content where Adventurers in the world of Black Desert can challenge other Adventurers.
Among the PvP features available, there are Node/Conquest Wars, Guild Wars, Red Battlefield, and different types of arena content.

PvP in Black Desert requires precision with command inputs and fast reaction speed to best your opponents.
It gets more fun once you dive deeper into understanding how the skills of each class works. So, be sure to practice your skills to get competitive!

Please note that PvP content is only unlocked once your character has reached Lv. 50.

Contents

1. 1. PvP Fundamentals
2. 2. Stats and Abilities
3. 3. Understanding Skills
   1. 3.1 Skill Descriptions
   2. 3.2 Skill Filters
4. 4. Offensive Effects
   1. 4.1 Attack Decisions
   2. 4.2 Special Damage
5. 5. Defensive Effects
   1. 5.1 Resistances
6. 6. PvP Content
   1. 6.1 Penalty-free PvP
   2. 6.2 Penalized PvP

PvP Fundamentals

If you are unfamiliar with PvP in Black Desert, you can check out the following video covering PvP fundamentals.

 

 

Stats and Abilities

You can see your character's stats by opening the My Information (hotkey: P) window.  
Here, you will be able to check your Fitness EXP, Ability levels, and overall combat stats. These are not an absolute requirement to enjoy PvP, however, they can make your character move faster, increase your chance to critical hit, and more.

 

Movement, Attack/Casting Speed can be increased up to a maximum of 150% with buffs, ability levels, skill add-ons, and other effects. However, they can only be reduced by 50% from debuffs.

 

 

You can hover over each stat with your cursor to see additional details about them.

 

– How to get Fitness EXP:
You can gain Fitness EXP through various activities like walking, running, eating food, and walking with a trade pack on your back. You can also use juice items that increase Fitness EXP.

– How to get Ability Levels:
Transfuse magic crystals into your Crystal Preset, equip gear, or use consumables such as dishes and elixirs. 

Understanding Skills

 

◈ Skill Descriptions

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You can view all your learnable skills from the Skill (hotkey: K) window. 
From that window, you can hover your cursor over each skill to view detailed information about their damage, offensive effects, and defensive effects.

 

 

 

As seen above, you can view the damage, offensive effects, and defensive effects of skills from their descriptions, as well as details regarding how to use them, their cost, cooldown, and more.

 

Please note that some effects or CCs may only apply in PvE. These will be indicated by the (PvE only) addition in their description.

 

If you activate the "Skill Demo" at the bottom of the Skill window you can see the skill's animation, offensive effects, and defensive effects. This allows you to visually see what the skill looks like when it is used.

 

 

◈ Skill Filters

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At the top of the Skill window you can see the skill filter icon (). 
Click on the icon to see which skills have offensive or defensive effects.
(There are additional details about offensive and defensive effects below.)

 

 

Using the skill filters will give you a better understanding of your skill effects.

 

➤ You can read more about skills in the [Skills] page.

 

Offensive Effects

 

◈ Attack Decisions

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Characters can be hit by CC either by skills or consumable items (like traps and flashbangs).
When you hit an opponent with skills that have the following effects, the opponent will get CC´ed (given one of the following effects that hinders their character in some way, and potentially dealt additional damage).

 

Types	Descriptions
Stun	The target gets stunned for a fixed period of time. The character cannot move nor use skills during this time.
Stiffness	The target gets stiffened for a fixed period of time. The target cannot move nor use skills during this time.  (The CC duration is shorter than a stun.)
Freezing	The target gets frozen for a fixed period of time and receives reduced damage during this time.  The character will be knocked down once the freezing effect duration ends.
Knockdown	The target falls down on its back.  The target receives additional damage from Air Attacks while it is in the air.  The target receives additional damage from Down Attacks while it is on the ground.
Bound	The character falls on the spot.  The target receives additional damage from Down Attacks while it is on the ground.  (The CC duration is shorter than a Knockdown.)
Grab	The target gets grabbed for the full skill motion of the character using the grab skill.   Afterward, a second CC will be applied that is included in the skill description. It only counts as 1 CC
Knockback	The target stutters backward and cannot move for a fixed period of time. (The CC duration is similar to a Stiffness effect.)
Floating	The target floats in the air and then falls to the ground.  The target receives additional damage from Air Attacks while it is in the air.  The target receives additional damage from Down Attacks while it is on the ground.  (The CC duration is shorter than a Knockdown.)
Air Smash	A powerful attack that sends a target in the air flying.
Down Smash	A powerful attack that sends a target on the ground flying.

 

CC Count Rules 
Most CC have a number associated with them. When a character reaches the CC count of 2 or more, they become immune to the CC effects for 5 seconds. (excluding Air Smash and Down Smash)
• Stiffness, Knockback: 0.7 count 
• Stun, Knockdown, Floating, Bound, Grab, Freezing: 1 count 
* Air Smash and Down Smash do not count towards the CC count total.
* Emergency Escape (hotkey: V) cannot be used when the character is knocked down.

 

 

The CC Count is visible while attacking Training Dummies in the Battle Arena. It is recommended to test your skills there to get used to their feel and rhythm.

 

Getting up quickly from knockdown
If you get knocked down, you can recover a little bit faster by entering the commands below. Even if you get knocked down, do not give up and fight until the end.
• Repeatedly hit one command among W, A, S, D
• Press and hold one command among W, A, S, D
• Shift + W or A or S or D 
• Left-click or right-click multiple times
• Simultaneous left/right mouse click

 

 

◈ Special Damage

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There are also special damage types. These can deal additional damage to targets depending on the situation.

The skill description will indicate if the skill deals special damage:

Using these defensive effects at opportune times can block enemy attacks and create an opening for you to hit them back.

Additionally, certain classes have a Forward Guard applied when they walk backward (called an S-block).

There is also the class-specific guard skill (Default Key: Q) that sometimes has a powerful defensive effect.

◈ Resistances

You can gain resistance against enemy debuffs to increase your chance of avoiding them (starts from a 20% base).
When you resist an effect, the damage of the skill is applied but the debuff is not. This can then create an opportunity for you to strike back or escape.

The maximum applicable resistance in PvP is 80%. So, even if your target has 100% resistance on their character, your attack with base Ignore Resistance will be calculated from 80%.

Still, you must keep in mind that a target hit by 2 counts or more of CC will be completely immune to CC for 5 seconds.

◈ Penalty-free PvP

If you wanted to try PvP but were afraid of possible penalties that can come from it, there are a number of modes we recommend trying.
 
– Battle Arena and other Arenas 
To enter the Battle Arena, go to the main menu (hotkey: Esc) → War → Battle Arena to enter the arena at any time.
Alternatively, there are arenas near Velia and other major cities where you can fight against other Adventurers without receiving any penalties for dying or killing.

➤ You can read more about them in the [Battle Arena] and [Town Arena] pages.

– Duels
You can interact with an Adventurer and challenge them to a duel.
The duel will begin immediately when the opponent accepts your duel request. You can duel Adventurers anywhere in the Black Desert world, excluding safe zones.
If you die in a duel, you can resurrect on the spot without receiving any penalties. Buffs that would normally be lost on death, such as elixirs, will still be lost.

– Red Battlefield 
Go to the main menu (hotkey: Esc) → War → Red Battlefield to enter the Red Battlefield whenever you'd like.
Here, you can duke it out with other Adventurers for 20 minutes on a battlefield of your choice.
There are no penalties for dying on the Red Battlefield. You will simply get resurrected at your team's starting point and be able to run back into the fight.

➤ You can read more about this mode in the [Red Battlefield] page.

– Node/Conquest Wars 
This content requires you to be in a guild to participate.
In these wars your guild builds a fort or Field HQ in certain areas across the world of Black Desert to fight against other guilds that are participating in the same area. Your guild wins if it is the last guild with its fort or Field HQ.

Besides Node/Conquest Wars, there is Siege War. In Siege War, your guild can utilize siege weapons to attack enemy forts.
There are no penalties applied for dying during the Node/Conquest War. You will simply get resurrected at your guild's fort or Field HQ where you can immediately jump back into the fight.

To learn more about how Node Wars work check out our official guide video here: 

➤ You can read more about this content in the [Node War] page.

– Guild Wars 
Your guild can declare war upon another guild, enabling your guild members to fight the members of the opposing guild without activating the forced PvP mode.
When you get killed during a guild war, no further penalty will be applied and you will be given the option to resurrect by using an Elion's tear, resurrect at the closest safe zone, or resurrect at the closest town.

– Team Battle 
An arena where you can fight as a team for multiple rounds.
Typically, the rounds are 1v1 duels. However, if the match ends in a tie, then the last deciding round will be team vs team.
There are no penalties for dying in a team battle, however, it does count towards the result of the round.
There is also a version of this where guilds can face off against other guilds.
 
– Arena of Arsha 
An arena that can be operated by an Adventurer through the guild and host PvP matches. 
Unlike the Red Battlefield, you can invite the exact Adventurers you would like to participate in the matches, and have spectators.
There are two modes in this arena, Team Match, and Team Survival Match. You, as the operator, can choose the mode and rules of the match.
There are no penalties for dying in Team Battle, however, it does count towards the result of the round.

➤ You can read more about this feature in the [Arena of Arsha] page.

– Arena of Solare 
A seasonal matchmaking PvP content where Adventurers can participate in teams of 3 in a best of 5 rounds match.
In the Arena of Solare, everyone uses equalized gear to participate in the matches. Points are given or taken depending on the results of the matches. There are rewards being prepared for participants that fight in the Arena of Solare depending on their results (points) over a period of time.
The Ranked Mode can only be entered solo, while the practice rounds allow a premade team of up to 3.

➤ You can read more about this feature in the [Arena of Solare] page.

– Guild League

This is a PvP ranked content where guilds compete in 10 vs 10 battles. It is exclusive for guild and Adventurers use their own gear to participate.

➤ You can read more about this content in the [Guild League] page.

◈ Penalized PvP

All Adventurers in the world of Black Desert have the option to force PvP after a certain level. 
However since it is forced, penalties may apply.

– Forced PvP
Any character that is Lv. 50 or higher can press the command Alt + C to force PvP on other Adventurers.
When activated, you will be able to attack any Adventurer that is not in your party, platoon, or guild.
Attacking other Adventurers in this manner may result in you losing karma for your entire family (all character in the same account share the same Karma).
(However, if you are defending yourself against another Adventurer that attacks you first with forced PvP, or attacking an Adventurer with negative karma, you will not lose karma.)

- Deal the first blow: Karma -3,000 
- Kill an Adventurer: Karma -50,000 to -120,000 
* On season servers forced PvP is not possible.
* On Arsha (PvP servers) attacking or killing Adventurers does not cause loss of karma.

If your characters have negative karma, then the guards in towns will come to attack you.
There are various penalties applied to characters that die with negative karma, such as the chance to drop enhancement levels on their gear.

➤ Please check the [Karma] and [Death Penalties] pages for more details on this mechanic.

– Fugitives
The desert is a lawless region. Additionally to the loss of karma, you also will become a "fugitive" for 30 minutes if you force-PvP, attack and kill another Adventurer.
When you become a fugitive, you can be attacked even if your karma is above 0 and when you do not have forced PvP activated. Also, fugitives killed by other Adventurers will be sent to jail. 

To leave jail you must either work to repay for your crime, or try to escape by dodging between the guards.

You will no longer be marked as a fugitive once the 30 minutes elapse or when you go to jail. However, you will continue to be seen as a fugitive if you die outside of the desert.

* The content of the game guide may differ from the actual game content, depending on the update and content changes.