BDO Hunting Guide: Balenos Islands Leveling Locations (Black Desert Online)

Here is a screenshot of my sister brandishing her Bobble Bobble Matchlock… Lucky girl! We enjoyed the Hunting content that was added in the 18th April 2018 patch, which focused on adding hunting content tied to the Balenos Islands. Who doesn’t love sailing the salty seas to conquer untamed lands and saving mankind from ferocious wild beasts!?

This Hunting guide will attempt to help you level the Hunting Profession. I have included a hunting location map and quest lists to aid you along the way.

BDO Hunting Leveling

Leveling the Hunting Profession has gotten easier with the new hunting content added in Balenos Islands. Having wild animals grouped together on islands is nice for BDO Hunting enthusiasts.

HUH? What about Leveling my Character’s Level?
This Hunting guide is all about the Hunting Life Skill (Hunting Profession), which is a Life Skill found under the Profile tab. Are you looking for a guide on leveling your character through Combat EXP? Then never fear, our precious BDO Leveling Guide is here! 🙂

Life XP & Hunting XP Buffs?
Hunting Skill is listed under Life Skills in the character profile window. However, because of the Hunting exp mechanics, there is debate upon exactly how much Life and Hunting XP buffs help in leveling Hunting skill. It’s agreed that there are two ways to level Hunting skill: butchering a <wild> mob corpse and obtaining a Hunting xp item drop and through hunting quests. I haven’t personally tested how buffs effect Hunting skill, however, I can confirm that the Hedgehog does help, as it sometimes procs two Hunting XP drops like shown in the image.

• Hunter’s Clothes – Challenge reward, Skilled 10 Hunter’s Clothes: 10% Hunting XP, (optional conversion into a Costume, using tailoring coupon, costs 1,500 Pearls) Hunter’s Clothes are also sold at Luxury Vendor
• Time Elixirs – 8 or 10% Life EXP (5 to 15 minutes)
• Perfume of Swiftness – 20% Life XP (stacks with Elixir of Flowing Time or Verdure Draught)
• Verdure Draught – 20% Life XP for 15 minutes
• Whale Meat Salad – 10% Life EXP for 75 minutes (crit: 15% for 90 minutes)
• Seafood Cron Meal – 10% Life EXP for 2 hours
• Loyalty Life Exp Scroll +50% Life Exp (300 Loyalties)
• Life Mastery/Hunting Mastery Gear – Read the details in our Hunting Mastery Guide
• Guild Buff (Experienced Cry) – 10% Life XP
• GM’s Blessing or other event buff – 10% to 15% Life XP
• Villa Life EXP Buff – 10% (via Tent or traveling to Valencia)
• Pearl Shop Items
• Value pack +10% Life Exp
• PETS: Choppy, Hedgehog, Penguin, Marmot, Shadow Wolf, Little Lamb, Ferret, and most cat pets +1% Life Exp per Tier (up to +20% for 5 pets) and has a chance to learn a Hunting EXP buff (up to +25% for 5 pets)
• Secret Book of Old Moon +50% Life Exp (1,250 Pearls)
• Extra Life EXP Scroll +50% Life Exp for 1 hour (50 Pearls)

Conservative, Easily-Obtainable Total: +78% (Verdure Draught, Sute Tea, Scroll)

Detailed Hunting/Life Skill XP Item List

Hunting XP Item	Hunting XP Buff	Duration	Ingredients	Acquisition
Elixir of Time	Life Skill +10% Life Skill +15%	5 min. [10 min.] 8 min [15 min.]	1x Wise Man’s Blood 1x Clear Liquid Reagent 1x Weeds 1x Salt 1x Sunrise Herb 1x Purified Water Processing » Filtering Bottle of River or Turbid Water (gathered with an Empty Bottle)  1x Monk’s Branch  1x Trace of Nature  2x Blood 3: Weasel Blood Fox Blood Raccoon Blood Cobra Blood  2x Powder of Time  6x Fire Flake Flower  5x Maple Sap [Party] & Crit Recipes [Party] elixir recipe Processing » Simple Alchemy 2xElixir 1x Aal’s Tear (at Material Vendor for 22k) Crit elixir recipe Processing » Simple Alchemy 3xElixir 1x Blue Reagent (at Material Vendor for 50k)	● Marketplace (Current Price: 8.9k) Crit: 98k, [Party] 159k ● Alchemy Tool (Apprentice 1, Crit: Professional 1)
Verdure Draught	Life Skill +20% Movement Speed +3 +200 LT	15 min.	Simple Alchemy: Worker’s Elixir x3, Elixir of Time x3, Elixir of Swiftness x3, Tears of the Falling Moon x1 2 other Simple Alchemy recipes on bdocodex.com	● Marketplace (Current Price: 243k) ● Simple Alchemy
Sute Tea	Life XP +8%	90 min. 110 min.	Cooking: Tea With Fine Scent x2 + Milk x3 + Salt x1 + Butter x2 view recipe on bdocodex.com	● Marketplace (Current Price: 9.1k, Crit: 71k) ● Cooking Utensil: Skilled Lv.1 (Crit: Professional Lv.7)
Value Pack	Life XP +10%	1-90 Days	Purchase Pearls with real $$$ or obtain via Loyalties (you earn 100 Loyalties per day for logging in). Rarely through events, rewards, etc.	● Marketplace (Current Price: 88 mil. lucky pre-order required) ● Loyalties: 1,400 (14 Days) ● Pearls: 1,500 (30 Days, $15)
Pets	Life XP 0-4% Hunting XP 0-25%	permanent	● Hunting XP 0-25% (random chance) ● Hedgehog: 1 extra Hunter XP gather (rng) ● Cats: Life XP 1-4% each ● Purchase Pearls with real $$$. Pets are rarely obtained through events, rewards, etc.	● Marketplace (Marketplace Price: 53 mil. lucky pre-order required) ● Challenge Reward: 5000 hours play time ● Pearls: 1,100 ($11)
[Costume] Hunter’s Clothes	Hunting EXP +10% Vision Range +10m Fall Damage -50%	Armor, Gloves, Shoes, Helmet Costume (Appearance) with Pearls	Requires: Hunting Skilled 10 Description: When equipped, both Exploration Point Discovery Range and Vision Range increases. In addition, damage from falling off high places reduced.	Challenge reward for obtaining Professional Hunting skill, or purchase Hunter’s Clothes at the Luxury Vendor. To convert into a costume for appearance slots, purchase Pearls with real $$$ and buy an Equipment Tailoring Coupon: 1500 Pearls ($15) – pre-order at Market (Current Price: 72.5 mil.)
[Villa] Turning Gates	Life EXP +10%	90 min. 180 min.	3x Gold Bar 1G (300k) 9x Gold Bar 1G (900k)	Villa Rental (7 Days): 1x Villa Invitation 1x Gold Bar 100G (10 mil.) Villa Buff Locations: Karashu, Shakatu, Kiyak, Muna, Marzana, Talia
Perfume of Swiftness	Life Skill +20% Movement Speed +5 +200 LT	20 min.	1x Blue Whale Oil 2x Clear Liquid Reagent 1x Weeds 1x Salt 1x Sunrise Herb 1x Purified Water Processing » Filtering Bottle of River or Turbid Water (gathered with an Empty Bottle)  4x Powder of Time  6x Everlasting Herb 4x Purified Water Processing » Filtering Bottle of River or Turbid Water (gathered with an Empty Bottle)	● Market (Current Price: 7.4 mil.) ● Alchemy Tool (Skilled 1) ● Blue Whale Oil: (Market: 4.4 mil.) or butcher Blue Whale with a butcher knife (requires group matchlock hunting) Dulfy’s Blue Whale Guide
Extra Life EXP Scroll	Life XP +50%	60 min.	Earn 100 Loyalties per day for logging in. Life scrolls are rarely obtained through events, Challenge rewards, etc.	● Loyalties: cost 300 ● Pearls: cost 50

BDO Prerequisite Hunting Story Quests

Before you can get to the daily hunting quests, that give good hunting xp, you will need to complete a long series of hunting story quests. But don’t worry, they are fun and help make the hunting skill more interesting. This is where you get the chance to tremble before an innocent-looking killer owl hiding in the trees!

Short & Sweet Hunting Quest List:
This is a short and sweet list of the story quests required to obtain the hunting dailies. However, if you would like a more detailed guide of these beginner hunting quests, with screenshots, who to talk to, etc, please visit our other hunting guide, which goes into detail about how the Hunting skill works, which matchlocks you should use and enhance, etc. You will also find a land based rotation you can do to level hunting.

Before you Begin the Hunting Story Line…
Note: when you look up some of these hunting quests on the database sites, it will only list a level requirement. This isn’t correct. For example, I tried to go straight to Chuck Laurie with a level 49 character to start the hunting story chain and was unable to. I also tried visiting Daphne Laurie for her Shoot and Help quest to start there and was unable to.

Hunting Quest Problems Anyone?
Another issue I encountered while doing the hunting story quest line, was that the quest didn’t appear unless I had a rented Practice Matchlock from the correct NPC. Some of these quests, you can’t even kill the mob without using a Practice Matchlock. So, if you’re encountering errors/problems, try returning the Matchlock you currently own, or renting one.

Patch Notes – January 30th 2019: Your character can now use either a Practice Matchlock (which can be rented with Contribution Points) or a Hunting Matchlock to kill seagulls.

It can be a bit confusing to know exactly where you should go. So follow the quest order listed here step by step. It won’t be exact for every character you have. If you do encounter an NPC that doesn’t have the quest listed, try talking to the NPC with and without a rented Matchlock. If they still dont have the quest, then skip to the next in the list to see if you can bypass it.

Congrats! You have now obtained the title “Balenos’ Best Hunter”! Your hunting prowess will now allow you to obtain hunting xp and Hunter’s Tokens by completing repeatable quests for wild animals. There are a total of 13 daily quests around Balenos Islands, as well as two possible boss quests if you have saved up 90 Hunter’s Tokens. (45 tokens each) The 13 quests will provide 65 Hunter’s Tokens each day. (5 for each quest)

Daily/Repeatable Hunting Quests (Balenos Islands)

Here is a map of the location of wild mobs in the Balenos Islands. It shows the route I take to complete all the daily hunting quests. The quest giver’s names are numbered to show the matching quest in the list below the map. It also shows the locations of 3 different repair NPCs in the area. You will definitely need these unless you plan on packing allot of Matchlocks. Make sure you have butcher knives and enough silver in your inventory for repairs before you take off from Velia! (Repair price: 3,125 for a Skilled Matchlock)

1. [Daily] Relaxing Fishing (Purio, Luivano Island)
2. [Daily] Protect the Herbs! (Andes, Duch Island)
3. [Daily] Impatiently Waiting (Ronde Greyfang, Eveto Island)
4. [Daily] Problematic Raccoon (Anaki, Angie Island)
5. [Daily] Retired Life and Hunting Life (Jango, Marka Island)
6. [Daily] For the Future (Bilao, Louruve Island)
7. [Daily] Narvo Island’s Unwanted Guests (Fabian, Narvo Island)
8. [Daily] Narvo Island’s Important Guest (Fabian, Narvo Island)
9. [Daily] Prominent Hunter (Tarima, Invernen Island)
10. [Daily] Island Safety Manager (Tarima, Invernen Island)
11. [Daily] Where Seagulls Fly (Arens, Orffs Island)
12. [Daily] Lack of Will (Arens, Orffs Island)
13. [Daily] Carefully Considered Decision (Sidimin, Baremi Island)

Main-Land Repeatables:

Boss Scrolls: White Wolf & King Brown Bear

[Daily] White Wolf Boss Subjugation (Agris Steppe, W of Velia)

[Daily] King Brown Bear Boss Subjugation (Fleme Hills, SW of Velia)

Chuck Laurie (S of Olvia):

[Daily] Easy Game

[Daily] The Reckless One

[Daily] Hunter’s Honor

Balenos Island Daily Hunting XP Quests:
The daily Balenos Islands hunting quests can be completed once you have done the Hunting story quest line. All take place around Balenos Islands, so you will need a boat. Start from Velia and sail to the first island NW, called Luivano Island. To save travel time, do the hunting quests in the order they are numbered.

13 Daily Hunting Quest Totals:
65 Hunter’s Tokens
26 Gold Bars 1G (2.6 million silver)
1,950 Contribution Points
130,000 Hunting Skill XP

---

1 Boss Scroll (wolf or bear costs 45 tokens)

20k Hunting Skill XP
Gold Bar 10G x 3 (3 million)
300 CP

---

Boss Rare Drops (Butchering):
Stuffed White Wolf Head
(All AP +9 for 1 hr. upon use)
King Brown Bear Head
(All Accuracy +20 for 1 hr. upon use)

<Wild> Monster Hunting Locations (Balenos Islands)

Are you having trouble viewing the map above that shows all the locations for wild mobs? Then please view the ordered list below for wild mobs that you can hunt with a Matchlock. The locations are in order of convenience, which is the order you would probably travel if you were going sailing for the repeatable hunting quests.

1. Luivano Island: Weasel
2. Duch Island: Weasel, Raccoon
3. Eveto Island: Giant Fox, Raccoon
4. Angie Island: Racoon, Mischievous Raccoon
5. Marka Island: Giant Fox, Giant Wolf
6. Louruve Island: Giant Fox, Giant Wolf
7. Narvo Island: Giant Brown Bear, Giant Wolf
8. Invernen Island: Racoon, Giant Fox, Giant Wolf, Boss White Wolf, Seagull
9. Orffs Island: Seagull, Small Humpback Whale
10. Baremi Island: Weasel, Giant Brown Bear

Hunting Advancement Quests

Hunting advancement quests can only be done once on each character, however they often give a nice chunk of xp: sometimes 90% of your hunting level.

Hunting Advancement Quest	Hunting Rank	Level	Hunting Exp	% of Level	NPC Location
[Hunting Advancement Lv. 10] Shooting Practice	Beginner 10	10	9,500	90%	Daphne DelLucci Balenos Forest
[Hunting Advancement Lv. 15] Starting Point	Apprentice 5	15	12,700	50%	Daphne DelLucci Balenos Forest
[Hunting Advancement Lv. 20] Humpback Whale Hunt	Apprentice 10	20	41,500	90%	Hans Velia
[Hunting Advancement Lv. 25] In Search of Freshwater Crocodiles…	Skilled 5	25	40,100	50%	Hans Velia
[Hunting Advancement Lv. 30] Blue Whale I	Skilled 10	30	118,100	90%	Hans Velia
[Hunting Advancement Lv. 34] Blue Whale II	Professional 4	34	73,500	30%	Hans Velia
[Hunting Level 37] Fugitive Khalk I	Professional 7	37	135,800	30%	Illen Hasrah Cliff
[Hunting Level 40] Fugitive Khalk II	Professional 10	40	524,200	60%	Illen Hasrah Cliff
[Hunting Level 44] The Precious Molar	Artisan 4	44	597,300	30%	Illen Hasrah Cliff
[Hunting Level 47] The Best Booty	Artisan 7	47	1,098,900	30%	Illen Hasrah Cliff
[Hunting Level 50] An Absolute Hunter	Artisan 10	50	3,255,600	50%	Adam Berney Kusha

Hunting XP Per Level

The Xp table below will help you determine how many quests or wild animals you need, to obtain your next Hunting level/grade.

Life Skill XP Changes on April 30th 2019

Patch Notes – April 30th 2019 Source

• In order to alleviate the difference among Life Skill levels, the required EXP and obtained EXP have been readjusted for Hunting, Training, Farming, and Sailing.
  (However, Life Skill EXP obtained from quests will not change.)

  • We have decided to make adjustments for the 4 Life Skills above in order to alleviate the difference among Life Skills Levels. Therefore, we reduced required EXP for Sailing and increased obtainable EXP for Hunting, Training and Farming. We’ll bring our best to preserve the value of every Adventurer’s efforts.

    • Required EXP decreased – Sailing

    • Obtainable EXP increased – Hunting, Training, Farming, Sailing, Fishing, Trade

  • With the change of the obtainable and required EXP amount, Life Skill Level for Hunting, Training, Farming and Sailing will also increase proportional to the adjustment made.

Patch Notes – May 8th 2019: Source

• Life Skill Level has been expanded.

  • While there are adventurers who have reached the Guru level in certain Life Skills, there are also certain Life Skills where adventurers are remaining at a relatively lower level.

  • Last week, we adjusted the amount of EXP required for each Life Skill in order to adjust for the amount of effort put into each Life Skill.

  • Also, in order to provide a target goal for adventurers who have already reached the top level, we have expanded all Life Skill levels up to “Guru 50”.

  • Due to the increase in Life Skill levels, you can now receive more benefits from the higher levels, and we will also continue to provide various updates to enhance the Life Skill content.

Hunter’s Tokens & Daily Boss Scrolls

There are two possible boss scrolls that you can do each day, which require the hunting skill to complete. The scrolls are obtained by turning in Hunter’s Tokens to Igor Bartali, the chief of Velia. You get 5 Hunter’s Tokens for any Hunting quest you complete. (Please don’t confuse these with Hunter’s Seals.) Here is a list of the items you can obtain for Hunting Tokens.

Hunter’s Token Reward Details
Hunting Matchlock	Hunter’s Tokens	Extra Damage	+10 Enhancement Damage	Hunting Skill	Crafted	Crafted Matchlock Ingredients
Beginner Matchlock	4	750	2250	Beginner 1	Level 1 Tool Workshop	Fir Timber X 1, Steel X 4 Bronze Ingot X 1, Blackstone Powder X1
Apprentice Matchlock	5	900	2700	Beginner 10	Level 2 Tool Workshop	Fir Timber X 1, Steel X 4 Brass Ingot X 1, Blackstone Powder X3
Skilled Matchlock	8	1050	3150	Apprentice 10	Level 2 Tool Workshop	Fir Timber X 1, Steel X 5 Silver Ingot X1, Blackstone Powder X5
Professional Matchlock	15	1200	3600	Skilled 10	Level 3 Tool Workshop	Fir Timber X 1, Steel X 5 Gold Ingot X1, Blackstone Powder X5
Boss Scrolls Wolf & Bear	45	20k Hunting Skill XP Gold Bar 10G x 3 (3 mil.) 300 CP Boss Rare Drops (Butchering): Stuffed White Wolf Head (All AP +9 for 1 hr. upon use) King Brown Bear Head (All Accuracy +20 for 1 hr. upon use)

Creating a Hunting Boss Scroll

As you can see, besides being rewarded with Matchlocks, you have the option to purchase two different Boss Scrolls:

• [Hunting] King Brown Bear Boss Subjugation Scroll
• [Hunting] White Wolf Boss Subjugation Scroll

• Give Igor Bartali 45 Hunter’s Seals for each scroll
• Level 50+
• Right-click the scroll to receive the Boss kill quest.
• Craft a Trap through Processing (L) and select Manufacture
• Purchase Animal Trap for 20k silver from Material Vendors
• Olvia Material Vendor: Sady
• Velia Material Vendor: Zaaira
• Boss White Wolf Lure Trap:
  Bird Meat x10 + Weasel/Raccoon Meat x10 + Animal Trap
• Boss King Brown Bear Lure Trap:
  Bird Meat x10 + Deer/Fox Meat x10 + Animal Trap
• Obtain meats through butchering corpses with a butcher knife: Seagulls for Bird Meat, Foxes for Fox Meat, etc.
• right click to create an auto-path to where to place the trap
• complete once per day and quest resets at midnight