The world map in Black Desert is a key tool for any traveler. Nodes are areas of important information and tools to use. You can display a Mini-Map in your HUD for a quick view of your surrounding area.

The most notable features of the map is houses that can be bought in many locations and workers who can work for you at activated nodes. Charting travel routes for quests, browsing the auction house and spending contribution to unlock more nodes are all integral to your success as an adventurer.

Calpheon, Valencia, Mediah, Serendia and Balenos are the main nations of the game.

In the Valencia region your map will be unusable while in the Black Desert so it is strongly advised to stock up on supplies before going through it.



The weather is ever changing. With the seasons comes rain, wind, snow. Some areas will have specific weather in the game like hurricanes out at sea and sandstorms in the desert. Weather affects the player visually and can act as debuf (decreasing avatar values or skills temporarily).


Red bandit icons depict on the map where traders traveling risk assault and which areas thus should generally be avoided - because you cannot fight while you carry a trade pack.

Regions and Cities

Cities are complex nodes with a large number of NPC for different function. City nodes are permanently activated when you visit them the first time and having them active does not cost any contribution points. You can also purchase a large variety of houses and rooms for all kinds of benefit or function.


Workers can be seen on the map while traveling (but once they arrive at a work location there will only be a timer over the location to indicate how much time is left for until they are done). Nearby trading wagons and fishing boats will show up from time to time as well.


Unconnected nodes you've visited once in person will show on the map but are connected to neigbouring nodes with faded grey arcs. Connected nodes will are linked by golden arcs. Any node, area or NPC you have visited and gained Knowledge about, will have icons on the map to give you information about. It is highly recommended to gain as much knowledge as possible to help the Black Spirit and open more opportunities with NPCs.

Node Ownership

Each node can have an owner like a guild, which can gains taxes from the profits of said node. The node then also displays the guild emblem.


Fish icons mark where you can go fishing. They do not tell you the resource level of the area though.


Auto Path

Use right click anywhere on the map to set your destination. Once you go back to the world screen you can hit "T" (default) to automatically move there. Right clicking again on the map or minimap erases the auto path again. If you hover over where you are on the map and the path you've created turns green, you can click yourself to close the path and create a closed loop.

Purchase Property

Using contribution you can also purchases houses in cities, towns and farms. Houses can be re-purposed to a variety of things including workshops, residences and lodging for workers. They allows you to increase your storage, gather resource, produce goods and gain interest while being offline.

Life Skills

Life skills are skills linked to gathering, crafting, taming, breeding or trading for example. Any process involving these skills can be leveled by successfully performing a process involving them. Resources are gathered in the world by your avatar using tools and consuming energy. Fishing is an exception as you can auto-fish while afk (NOT while offline) without consuming energy until your inventory is full. Your workers can gather resources for you too while you are offline - but only if they can reach the resource location from their lodging by node connections and only if they have been assigned to a resource node you have activated previously. Simple crafting can be performed by the players avatar anywhere in the world through the processing menu. More complex items such as food, armor or weapons can only be crafted by workers assigned to previously purchased workshops (works if the player is offline as long as resources exist and the worker has action points left) or by the player while online in his residence equipped with a housing good such as a stove top for cooking.
