Introduction
Black Desert Online Guild Guide will help you quickly establish a strong foundation for your journey. Let’s dive in and get you on the right track!
Joining a guild in Black Desert Online is one of the most impactful decisions a player can make, fundamentally changing the way the game is experienced from the very beginning. While solo play offers freedom and flexibility, guild membership introduces an entirely new layer of depth, community, and opportunity that simply cannot be matched when playing alone. The moment you become part of a guild, the game shifts from a solitary adventure into a vibrant, cooperative world where progress is shared, achievements are celebrated together, and challenges are met as a team.
Guilds in Black Desert Online bring a powerful social dynamic to the forefront. They allow you to build relationships with fellow players, coordinate group activities, and enjoy a more interactive and collaborative version of the game. Whether it’s through guild chat, joint missions, or participating in large-scale wars, being in a guild creates a sense of belonging that helps make the vast world of Black Desert feel more alive and connected. For new players, a guild can provide guidance, support, and encouragement during the early stages of progression. For veterans, it offers the structure and community needed to tackle endgame content and contribute meaningfully to a larger cause.
Beyond the social benefits, guilds also provide a variety of practical and economic advantages. Daily pay through contracts, access to exclusive missions, guild skills that offer powerful buffs, and participation in high-reward activities like Guild Boss fights or Node Wars are just a few examples of the perks that come with guild membership. Many features in the game—such as guild-only crafting, large-scale PvP, and certain types of cooperative gameplay—are entirely unavailable outside of a guild, making it an essential part of the full Black Desert experience.
Whether your focus is on PvE, PvP, life skilling, naval content, or simply enjoying the game in a more connected and purposeful way, joining the right guild can dramatically enhance your journey. With different guilds catering to a wide range of playstyles and goals, finding one that matches your personal preferences is not just recommended—it’s key to unlocking everything the game has to offer.
Setting Up Guild Communication
One of the first steps after joining a guild is to configure your chat settings to ensure smooth communication. This is essential for staying connected with your fellow guild members. Begin by pressing the “Ctrl” key to activate your mouse cursor. Hover over the chat window and either select an existing tab or create a new one dedicated solely to guild communication. Click the gear icon located in the corner of the chat window tab to open the chat settings.
Within these settings, make sure to enable the “Guild” chat option. It is also useful to add “Party,” “Whisper,” and “Guild Alliance” if your guild is part of a larger coalition. Another useful adjustment is setting the display option to show the “Family Name” instead of the character name. This helps avoid confusion when members switch between different characters, often referred to as “alts.” For better visibility, you can increase the chat box’s transparency to 100%, making the chat more readable against different backgrounds.
Navigating the Guild Window and Understanding Contracts
The guild window is your control center for all guild-related features. Once you open it, you’ll notice several tabs, each serving different functions. A key component to understand early on is your guild contract. When you first join, the guild leader or an officer will offer you a contract that outlines your daily wage, the contract duration, and the penalty fee if you leave early.
Contract durations include 1, 7, 14, 30, 180, and 365 days, each with varying pay and termination fees. For instance, a short-term 1-day contract might offer 1,000 silver daily with a 500 silver penalty for early departure, whereas a 365-day contract could offer a much higher 365,000 silver daily with a proportionally larger fee. If you leave the guild voluntarily, the penalty fee is deducted automatically. However, if you’re removed by the guild, you will receive triple your daily wage as compensation.
Your current contract status is displayed in the guild window’s “Contract” column. A red icon indicates that you signed a contract within the last 24 hours. Yellow means your contract is active and can be renewed, while blue signifies that your contract is inactive—you won’t receive daily pay or mission rewards during this time. Contracts can be upgraded over time based on your contribution and performance. The maximum daily pay a member can earn through diligent activity and consistent contract renewals is 5 million silver.
Renewing contracts is also role-dependent. Only the Guild Master can renew contracts for officers and quartermasters. Officers can renew contracts for most lower-ranked members, such as mission specialists and cannoneers, but not their own. These systems encourage consistent participation and guild loyalty.
Participating in Guild Missions and Earning Rewards
Guild missions are a major way for members to earn silver and contribute to their guild’s growth. Found under the third tab of the guild window, these missions come in various types and difficulties and include subjugation (combat), life skill (gathering, processing), trade (bartering), and boss subjugation missions.
To begin a mission, a guild member with the proper rank must initiate it on a specific server channel. You must be on that same channel to participate. Once involved, you can click the “Collect Wage” button to claim your portion of the reward. You don’t have to wait until the mission ends to receive your pay—this system rewards activity in real-time and supports ongoing participation.
Missions also provide guild experience, which is required for unlocking and leveling up guild skills. Additionally, successful missions can yield Guild Boss Scrolls, which are used to summon powerful bosses for group combat and additional loot. Missions are categorized by size—ranging from small (1–5 players) to extra-large (16–20 players)—and the scale affects both the number of participants and the rewards. High-level, well-geared guilds can sometimes complete larger missions with fewer people.
Filtering tools in the mission window help your guild target missions based on its size and focus. For example, combat-focused guilds may prioritize subjugation missions, while life skill-oriented guilds might go after trade or gathering missions.
Utilizing Guild Skills and Buffs
Guild skills offer buffs that provide advantages in almost every aspect of gameplay. These skills are located in the fourth tab of the guild window and are unlocked by spending guild experience points earned through missions. Some skills are passive and apply automatically when activated, while others are active and require an item called the “Pledge of Blood.”
Only guild officers and the guild master can use Pledges of Blood, which are purchased from the guild shop for a small silver cost. Once activated, these skills benefit all contracted guild members. Buffs include increased max HP, combat and life skill experience, debuff resistance, luck, gathering and fishing efficiency, item drop rates, and many more. Some skills are specifically geared toward war scenarios and require significant investment and prerequisites.
In addition to combat buffs, some guild skills offer utility perks. Skills like “Command to Gather” allow the guild leader to summon all members to their location instantly, which is especially useful during Node Wars. There are also skills that expand guild storage space or increase the number of guild mounts. Respec options are available for some ranks, allowing flexibility in guild skill strategy.
Understanding Guild Ranks and Permissions
Black Desert Online features a detailed guild hierarchy, which defines responsibilities and privileges across ten different ranks. New members join as Apprentices and usually become General Members after seven days. Each rank has specific capabilities.
The Guild Master has the highest authority, capable of managing every aspect of the guild, from contracts and recruitment to disbanding the guild and initiating Node Wars. The Advisor acts as a second-in-command and shares many of the master’s abilities. Secretaries oversee guild point allocations and can approve or reject submissions. Guild Staff have similar powers to officers but also assist in strategic planning, war declarations, and more.
Officers manage day-to-day operations and have authority over most guild content, including missions and contracts. Mission Specialists are tasked with accepting and completing guild missions, while Quartermasters and Cannoneers handle war preparations. General Members and Apprentices primarily participate in content but hold limited operational power.
Each guild rank’s permissions can be customized by the Guild Master, allowing flexibility to match the guild’s internal structure and culture.
Leadership Transfer and Guild Master Delegation
The Guild Master role can be transferred voluntarily or through inactivity. In the case of voluntary transfer, the current Guild Master must empty their inventory of guild items, ensure the guild owns no nodes, and then appoint an Officer, Staff, or Advisor as the new master. Half of the guild funds will be paid out in this process.
If a Guild Master is offline for more than 15 days, eligible ranks (Officer and above) can initiate a takeover. The first to click the “Appoint Master” button becomes the new Guild Master and receives a payout of 20,000,000 silver from guild funds. Only the Guild Master can disband the guild.
Engaging in Node and Siege Wars
Guilds can participate in large-scale PvP events such as Node Wars and Siege Wars. These battles allow guilds to contest territory, earning silver and prestige. Coordination is key, requiring use of war-specific guild skills, annex construction, and combat strategy.
Guilds can also declare war on others for open-world PvP. However, there are limitations based on whether the guild owns territory. Some guilds form Alliances to strengthen their presence during wars. These alliances can contain up to ten guilds with a combined limit of 100 members. Taxes and rewards are split based on pre-set percentages.
Guild Houses and Crafting Opportunities
Guilds can obtain a Guild House, which is an instanced residence won through a competitive bidding process. These structures allow for crafting exclusive guild items, including war equipment, ships, and mounts such as elephants and galleys.
Only members with permission can access the Guild House’s processing features. All crafting is done using materials placed in the guild storage. If a guild loses ownership of its house, progress is saved, but access is restricted until a new house is acquired.
The Role of Guild Manors
A Guild Manor is different from a guild house. It is a personal mansion owned by a guild member and designated as a home base for all members. Once set by the Guild Master or Advisor, members can teleport to the manor and return to their previous location. In the future, these manors are expected to support guild-exclusive activities such as group cooking and alchemy.
The True Value of Joining a Guild
Being part of a guild in Black Desert Online offers countless benefits. From enhanced communication, valuable buffs, and access to missions and crafting, to the opportunity to participate in PvP warfare, guilds enrich every facet of the game. Whether your focus is PvE, PvP, life skilling, or a balanced mix, there’s a guild out there that matches your playstyle.
A good guild also offers support, guidance, and a strong sense of community, which can turn the often solitary grind into a far more enjoyable and social journey. Keep in mind that leaving a guild incurs a 24-hour cooldown before you can join
another, so it’s worth finding a group that aligns with your goals.
Conclusion
Joining a guild in Black Desert Online is not just a feature to explore—it’s a vital step toward unlocking the full potential of your in-game experience. From the moment you enter your new community, you gain access to a wide range of exclusive benefits and opportunities that go far beyond what solo gameplay can offer. Whether you’re a brand-new adventurer looking for guidance, or a seasoned veteran seeking new challenges and camaraderie, guilds provide a framework that supports every style of play.
At its core, a guild is more than just a group of players. It is a living, evolving organization where teamwork, cooperation, and mutual support are key. The guild system encourages players to take part in collaborative missions, earn steady income through contracts and wages, and actively shape the group’s progress by contributing to shared goals like unlocking guild skills and completing high-reward missions. By participating in these activities, you not only earn valuable resources for yourself but also help strengthen the guild as a whole, fostering a sense of belonging and shared achievement.
Guilds also serve as the gateway to some of Black Desert Online’s most thrilling content. Large-scale PvP events like Node Wars and Conquest Wars require tight coordination, strategy, and trust among members. Without a guild, these features remain completely out of reach. Similarly, content such as guild boss scrolls, war-exclusive skills, and special guild crafting systems are only accessible through active participation in a well-structured guild. These elements bring a sense of purpose and direction to your gameplay, allowing you to work toward larger goals that matter not only to you but to everyone in your guild.
In addition to the functional benefits, being in a guild adds a rich social layer to the game. Guild chat becomes a space to share advice, crack jokes, coordinate activities, and build friendships. Many players find that the relationships they form within a guild are what keep them coming back to the game, even after hundreds of hours. Guilds also create opportunities for mentoring, with experienced players guiding newer members through everything from gear progression and boss mechanics to grinding spots and market strategies. This dynamic makes the game feel less overwhelming and more enjoyable, especially for those who are just starting out.
The system of ranks, contracts, and permissions within a guild allows for structured growth and recognition. As you become more involved and build trust with your fellow members, you may be promoted to roles that give you greater responsibility and influence within the guild. Whether you’re helping to plan events, manage supplies, or lead missions, these roles add depth to your character and give you a real sense of contribution.
Even outside of combat and progression, guilds offer personalization through features like guild houses and guild manors. These shared spaces add another layer of identity and pride to the group, allowing you to participate in crafting, processing, and housing systems that represent the guild’s strength and unity. These homes become symbols of your collective achievements and serve as important functional hubs for future development.
Finding the right guild can take time, but it’s a decision worth investing in. A guild that aligns with your goals—whether focused on PvE, PvP, life skilling, trading, or just casual social play—can dramatically enhance your enjoyment of the game. Look for a community that communicates well, has clear expectations, supports its members, and promotes an inclusive and respectful environment. Once you find that perfect fit, your experience in Black Desert Online will grow from a solo grind into an adventure shared with others who care about your progress as much as their own.
Ultimately, joining a guild is about more than the rewards. It’s about becoming part of something larger than yourself—a community that offers growth, challenge, friendship, and a sense of purpose. In a game as expansive and intricate as Black Desert Online, that sense of connection is not only beneficial—it’s essential. Whether you aim to conquer territories, dominate life skills, or simply enjoy the game with others, a guild is your foundation for reaching new heights. So take the step, commit to your guild, and discover just how rich and fulfilling your journey through the world of Black Desert can truly be.
