AP & DP Brackets Bonus Guide

This BDO AP Brackets Guide takes a look at the bonus AP buffs obtained for different levels of AP. DP Brackets are like AP Brackets, but give Damage Reduction bonuses instead.

AP and DP bonuses have been part of Black Desert Online for a long time, even before Renown was added and then later removed.

AP Bracket Highlights:

AP brackets are AP ranges that give varying bonus AP. (between 4 and 21 AP more than the previous AP bracket)
AP brackets only take your sheet AP into account.
Sheet AP is the AP that is visible below your character gear window.
Sheet AP does not include any hidden AP you have in your armor set as set bonuses, elixirs, food, alchemy stones, magic crystals, and buffs that give you AP or Monster AP.
AP starts scaling greatly at 257-272 sheet AP, then tappers down again.

View AP & DP Brackets:
Inventory → (I) then hover over (?) next to your AP or DP.

AP Brackets

AP Bonus

AP Bracket	Extra AP
100~139	5
140~169	10
170~183	15
184~208	20
209~234	30
235~244	40
245~248	48
249~252	57
253~256	69
257~260	83
261~264	101
265~268	122
269~272	137
273~276	142
277~280	148
281~284	154
285~288	160
289~292	167
293~296	174
297~300	181
301~304	188
305~308	196
309~315	200
316~320	203
321~327	205
328~331	208
332~336	211
337~341	214
342~346	217
347~351	220
352~357	223
358~363	225
364~368	227
369~374	230
375~380	233
381~385	236
386~391	239
392~396	242
397~499	245

DP Brackets

Damage Reduction Rate Bonus

DP Bracket	DR Rate
203 – 210	1%
211 – 217	2%
218 – 225	3%
226 – 232	4%
233 – 240	5%
241 – 247	6%
248 – 255	7%
256 – 262	8%
263 – 270	9%
271 – 277	10%
278 – 285	11%
286 – 292	12%
293 – 300	13%
301 – 307	14%
308 – 314	15%
315 – 321	16%
322 – 328	17%
329 – 334	18%
335 – 340	19%
341 – 346	20%
347 – 352	21%
353 – 358	22%
359 – 364	23%
365 – 370	24%
371 – 376	25%
377 – 382	26%
383 – 388	27%
389 – 394	28%
395 – 400	29%
401 –	30%

DP Brackets

Damage Reduction Bonus

DP Bracket	Extra DR
253~255	2
256~258	4
259~261	6
262~264	8
265~269	10
270~274	12
275~278	14
279~282	16
283~286	18
287~289	20
290~292	22
293~295	24
296~298	26
299~301	28
302~304	31
305~307	35
308~310	37
311~313	40
314~316	43
317~320	46
321~323	50
324~325	51
326~327	52
328~329	53
330~331	54
332~333	55
334~335	56
336~337	57
338~339	58
340~341	59
342~344	60
345~347	61
348~350	63
351~356	64
357~359	65
360~362	66
363~365	67
366~368	68
369~370	69
371~373	70
374~376	71
377~379	72
380~382	73
383~386	74
387~389	75
390~391	76
392~394	77
395~399	78
400~404	81
405~409	82
410~414	83
415~419	84
420~425	85
426~439	86
440~454	87
455~475	88
476~480	90
481~490	91
491~500	92
501~510	93
511~520	94
521~529	95
530~539	96
540~549	97
550~560	98
561~569	99
570~579	100
580~589	102
590~599	104
600~610	106
611~620	108
621~630	110
631~640	112
641~650	114
651~660	116
661~670	117
671~679	118
680~690	119
691~699	120

AP Brackets Vary Widely:
You reach your first AP Bracket at 100 AP, when you receive 5 extra AP. The next AP bracket is at 140, when you get another 5 AP. This pattern does not last long. You gain anywhere from 4 to 21 AP by reaching other AP Brackets. The biggest jump is at 265, when you get 21 bonus AP. After 269 AP, you start getting diminishing returns. The next bonus after 269 (273) only gives 5 AP.

Do AP Brackets Really Matter?
21 additional AP can give a huge advantage in both PVE and PVP. This can make a big difference with classes that typically struggle before reaching their AP brackets.

DP Brackets?
AP Brackets usually get all the attention, but DP Brackets are important as well. In the example gear image showing 265 AP, we see they also have 312 DP. That means they would get a Damage Reduction Rate of 15% and bonus DR of 40!

265 AP Example (21 extra AP from last bracket.)

AP & DP Brackets Patch Notes

Patch Notes – June 19, 2024

https://www.naeu.playblackdesert.com/en-US/News/Detail?groupContentNo=7147&countryType=en-US

Major Rework of DP, Evasion, and Accuracy:

Adjusted the number of hits for all class skills.
Added “Bonus All Damage Reduction” that is added each time your DP passes a certain threshold, just like “Bonus AP” and “Damage Reduction Rate” granted from equipped gear..
Revamped the Accuracy/Evasion system.
Changed the Skill Accuracy Rate of classes, the Accuracy Rate of summoned minions, along with their Accuracy Rate Increase/Reduction effects.
Reduced the amount of damage taken during Super Armor.
Adjusted the damage reduction effect on guard gauge for the following classes while using certain Forward Guard skills.

AP & DP Bracket Patch Notes – August 19, 2020

Expanded and increased AP and DP Brackets. View Source patch notes here.

[All Classes]

We’ve carried out improvements in all our classes. It’s a special occasion for us as the update is based on the opinions of adventurers who participated in our focus group testing and we’d like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to them. Many of the ideas were deliberated in-depth and extensively among our staff to ensure that the following changes would contribute to the overall balance of the game.

Today’s updates focus on improving each class, especially their performance of certain skills. In order to compensate for the decreasing DP efficiency since the release of Succession, we’ve revised the Damage Reduction Rate effect per DP range. However, the difficulty of some monster zones may drop too sharply due to this so this change may be subject to adjustments. The Extra AP effect per AP range has also been raised slightly to go with the new rise in defense efficiency. Furthermore, the base AP of summoned creatures has been set to 100 since the summoner’s Extra AP did not apply to their damage, making them relatively weaker compared to the summoner as they progress in the game. Lastly, to players who are interested in news regarding Awakening related damages, we plan to closely observe the new increases in defense efficiency and further adjust the Awakening skills’ damage based on the collected data after the update. There are still so many suggestions from the players that we haven’t entirely worked out yet but we plan to present them through the Global Lab as soon as we develop them.

Increased the base AP of summoned objects/creatures (including the ones that appear during skills) up to 100.

Class	Skill/Summons	Before	Now
Sorceress	Blade of Darkness I, Flow: Cry of Darkness*	5	90
	Blade of Darkness II, Flow: Cry of Darkness*	10	95
	Blade of Darkness III, Flow: Cry of Darkness*	15	100
	Black Spirit: Cartian’s Protection	1	100
Berserker	Black Spirit: Flame Buster	1	100
Tamer	Summon Heilang I	15	45
	Summon Heilang II	20	50
	Summon Heilang III	25	55
	Summon Heilang IV	30	60
	Summon Heilang V	35	65
	Summon Heilang VI	40	70
	Summon Heilang VII	45	75
	Summon Heilang VIII	50	80
	Summon Heilang IX	55	85
	Summon Heilang X	60	90
	Summon Heilang XI	65	95
	Prime: Summon Heilang	70	100
Musa	Projection	15	100
Musa	Black Spirit: Projection	1	100
Kunoichi	Delighted Blast	15	100
	Ninjutsu: Sinew Cut	15	100
	Assassin’s Trail	1	100
Witch	Prime: Blizzard: Domain	65	100
	Toxic Flood	15	100
	Gorr	65	100
	Tett	65	100
Wizard	Prime: Blizzard: Domain	65	100
	Lava Field	15	100
	Arne	65	100
	Marg	65	100
Striker	Echo Spirit	35	100
Mystic	Sea Dragon	35	100
Archer	Black Spirit: Radiant Explosion	15	100

*Flow: Cry of Darkness damage depends on the Blade of Darkness skill level learned.

Raised the Damage Reduction per DP range by up to 10%.

Before		Now
DP Range	Damage Reduction Rate	DP Range	Damage Reduction Rate
301–308	14%	301–307	14%
309–315	15%	308–314	15%
316–323	16%	315–321	16%
324–330	17%	322–328	17%
331–338	18%	329–334	18%
339–345	19%	335–340	19%
346–	20%	341–346	20%
		347–352	21%
		353–358	22%
		359–364	23%
		365–370	24%
		371–376	25%
		377–382	26%
		383–388	27%
		389–394	28%
		395–400	29%
		401–	30%

Raised the Extra AP per AP range.

AP Range	Extra AP
309–315	200
316–322	203
323–329	205
330–339	207
340–	210

AP/DP Patch Notes – 27th February 2019

The AP of the basic attacks for the following classes that are considered relatively low have been increased to the following:

Basic AP of Berserker from Lv. 1 to Lv. 60 has increased by +1 on average.
Basic AP of Tamer and Wizard from Lv.1 to Lv.50 has increased as follows:
- Lv.10: +9 on average
- Lv.20: +8 on average
- Lv.30: +6 on average
- Lv.40: +3 o average
- Lv.50: +1 on average
AP and DP for all classes will increase when each class reaches Lv.56 and Lv.60.
- Upon reaching Lv.56: DP +1
- Upon reaching Lv.60: AP +1