Trading in BDO is one of the life skills that has great influence over the economy in the game. The scope of trading is so vast, from players that just connect nearby nodes, some who sail the seas to import goods and make a fortune with increased distance bonus, and those that gather up the processed trade goods and sell them to make a handful of silver.

As it turns out, there is a way you can maximize the benefit from trading. That method involves utilizing the desert trade buff that is only available in Valencia. The requirements are quite high - the character must be over level 55 and at trading level 2. However, this buff is a must-have, as it provides a 50 to 100% markup on original prices.

Of course, the conditions are not easy to meet. Thankfully, we now have a number of ways to increase the level of life skills through meals, elixirs, or mileage products. Even though it takes a bit of work to actually obtain the buff, it is worth a try if you intend to become a magnate with a big fortune.

So what is the desert trade buff? The concept and application

The desert trade buff is a buff received from conversation with NPCs at Ibellab Oasis and Pilgrim’s Sanctum: Sharing. You can have a 50 to 100% markup of imported goods if you sell them at places like Valencia City with this buff and therefore this is often used to make a big fortune.

There is a slight difference in the conditions and effects of the buff depending on where you receive it. You can receive the buff from the conversation with Marzana at Ibellab Oasis with 50 energy. This buff allows you to receive a 50% markup of the original price when you purchase general trade goods from a trader NPC and sell them in Valencia City. However, it does not apply to some trade goods such as processed crates or fish that you actually caught.

The conversation with Samaya at Pilgrim’s Sanctum: Sharing costs 100 energy and also provides the buff. Even though the energy cost is greater, the buff provides a better result by giving a 100% markup for general trade goods and 50% for processed crates and fish.

For example, the Heidel Cocktail Dress from the Heidel trader is a general trade good that costs 16,552 silver. You receive a bonus of 8,276 silver when you sell this in Valencia City with the Ibellab Oasis buff. The amount jumps to 16,552 with the Pilgrim’s Sanctum: Sharing buff. With a Special Sunflower Crate, the original price is 15,240 silver and you get an extra 7,620 silver with the Pilgrim’s Sanctum: Sharing buff, but no bonus with the Ibellab Oasis buff.

Marzana (left): Ibellab Oasis, requires 50 energies, 50% price bonus of general trade goods
Samaya (right): Pilgrim's Sanctum: Sharing, requires 50 energies, 100% and 50% of general and miscellaneous trade goods respectively

The conditions of the quest and preceding quests

Although the desert trade buff provides a handsome trade bonus, the process is not so easy. There are a couple of conditions that need to be met first: the character must be over level 55, and the trading level should be over level 2.

The reason is because of the preceding quests. In order to receive the buff, you need to complete the ‘Oberin’s Tragedy’ questline starting from ‘Peaceful Oasis’. After completing the questline, you will then be able to do the ‘To the Wild Desert!’ questline from Atui Balacs at Sand Grain Bazaar.

The minimum required level to receive the ‘Oberin’s Tragedy’ questline is 55, hence making it impossible to begin with the preceding quests if your character is under level 55. In addition, the quest called ‘Have You Ever Done This Before?’ from the questline ‘To the Wild Desert!’ requires you to sell Ibellab Gunpowder, and the minimum requirement needed in order to handle Ibellab Gunpowder is trading level 2. Therefore, you cannot receive the buff unless you satisfy these two conditions first.

Although they seem quite repetitive and tedious, you will need a just couple of days to reach trading level 2 if you use as many buff items as possible, so it wouldn’t be a waste to give it a shot.

The procedure of increasing trading level

Prepare in advance for the maximum efficiency

What you need (financially sufficient)

Equipment: +2 or higher Silver Embroidered Trader’s Clothes (15% trading EXP based on +2)
Food: Whale Meat Salad (10% life skill EXP)
Elixir: Elixir of Flowing Time (15% life skill EXP), Perfume of Swiftness (20% life skill EXP)
Cash & Mileage: Value Pack (30% life skill EXP), life skill EXP Increase Scroll (10% life skill EXP)
Miscellaneous: GM’s Blessing (10% life skill EXP)

What you need (financially insufficient)

Equipment: +1 Embroidered Trader’s Clothes (10% trading EXP)
Food: Sute Tea (8% life skill EXP)
Elixir: Elixir of Time (10% life skill EXP)
Cash & Mileage: Value Pack (30% life skill EXP), life skill EXP Increase Scroll (10% life skill EXP)

Others

Wagon: Noble Wagon is the best (biggest inventory, reasonably fast)
Pet: any that possesses the ability of increasing life skill EXP

The procedure goes as follows:

The recommended route is from Velia to Heidel.

- Purchase goods from Bahar at Velia and sell them to Siuta at Heidel
- Purchase from Siuta subsequently, return to Velia and sell to Bahar
- Repeat the above steps, and move to the other channel if goods are running low.
- Use the Noble Wagon to deliver goods
- The list of items you can handle becomes larger as your trading level increases
- Purchase goods with low market price (i.e. the price you purchase at) and high cost price in order to maximize the profit
- Bahar’s recommended items: Velian Crystal Glass, Velian Balck Opal, Velian Plank
- Siuta’s recommended items: Dragon Statue of Oyun, Heidel Cocktail Dress, 275 Year-Old Porodonio Wine and Cutting-Edge Dwarf Tool Pack, Pure Iron Ore

Key points when leveling up

Be prudent with the use of consumables

- The price difference between Whale Meat Salad and Sute Tea is formidable but there is only a 2% difference in terms of effects. It is a financially wise choice to use Sute Tea unless you would like to increase your trading level drastically.
- The duration of Elixir of Time is short. Use the elixir right before making a bargain and then sell goods, purchase new trade goods, move to the other area, and you should still have 30 to 40 seconds left and be able to receive the EXP bonus twice with only one elixir.
- Elixir of Swiftness is extremely expensive so it is not recommended unless you can afford to spare the coin for it. If you decide to use anyhow, drive the wagon across the forest in order to make the distance as short as possible.

Use the node war channel

- Sometimes the cooldown is not over even after you finish the round-trip between Velia and Heidel. This happens often when the trade was done quicker, and you can proceed to the next trade by moving to the other channels using the node war channel, as it has no restriction.

Don’t miss out Imperial Delivery

- Check the mark of crown that indicates Imperial Delivery when you are purchasing trade goods.
- Unlike that the price of general trade goods, which fluctuates between 70% and 130%, Imperial Delivery goods is fixed at 250% no matter what, so you can make a big fortune with this mark even if you sell the same trade goods.
- However, if you are focusing on increasing trading level, it would be better to do the general trade in Velia even if Calpheon is receiving an Imperial Delivery of Heidel goods.
- The number of Imperial Delivery goods is limited and is done according to a first-come-first-served method. Therefore Imperial Delivery NPCs sometimes don’t accept the goods with the mark of crown. You can then sell them to the general trade NPC instead.

The summary of preceding quests for the desert trade buff

What you need to prepare

- The character should be at level 55, and trading level 2
- 400k to 500k silver for the purchase of trade goods
- Purified Water (to prevent desert heat stroke)
- Star Anise Tea (to prevent desert hypothermia)
- Over 100 energy
- 6 Spare contribution points (to connect Sand Grain Bazaar and Ibellab Oasis)
- A horse (to travel between Epheria and Sand Grain Bazaar)
- A camel  (to travel between Sand Grain Bazaar and Ibellab Oasis)

Step 1 - The Oberin’s Tragedy questline

1. Travel to Ibellab Oasis and receive the quest ‘Peaceful Oasis’ from Ashim.
2. Talk to Oberin located on the opposite side of the Oasis and receive the quest ‘Over the Sand Dunes’
3. Approach the unconscious man over the dune, and receive the quest ‘What a Desert Sufferer Needs’
3-1. Below is the list of alternatives to wake the unconscious man up

- Slap his face (need 30 energy)
- Offer him Purified Water (need Purified Water; this is the answer)
- Offer him a Date Palm (need a Date Palm)
- Shout in his ears (need 30 energy)

4. Receive the quest ‘Conspiracy of the Lavania League’ from the unconscious man
5. Receive the quest ‘Marzana the Red Viper’ after talking to Oberin
6. Talk to Marzana, who is located in a big barracks opposite of the oasis, and receive the quest ‘Knowledge Required for Conversation’
6-1. Acquire the knowledge by interacting with the nearby objects

- Read the book ‘Introduction to the Modern Economy of Valencia’ (See ‘Marzana’s Book’ in the barrack)
- Read the book ‘Value of Labor and the Role of a Capitalist’ (See ‘Marzana’s Book’ in the barrack)
- Read the book ‘God’s Hand’ (See ‘Marzana’s Book’ in the barrack)
- Acquire the knowledge about ‘Pioneering the New Trade Route’ (Talk to a guard right at the entrance of the barrack)
- Understand the conflict between the Lavania League and Oberin League (Talk to a merchant standing next to a camel in front of the barrack)

7. Talk to Marzana and receive the quest ‘Proof of Faith #1’
8. Hunt the Giant Desert Scorpions that inhabit the area south of the oasis, talk to Marzana, and receive the quest ‘Proof of Faith #2’
9. Hunt the Desert Sand Spirits that inhabit the area north of the oasis, talk to Marzana, and receive the quest ‘Secret Letter to the Royal Court’
10. Talk to Marzana’s secret agent hiding next to a tree nearby Oberin, and receive the quest ‘Conflict Between the Two Merchant Leagues’
11. Talk to Oberin, and receive the quest ‘Identity of the Assassin’
11-1. Talk to Oberin to gather information

- She’s just like how you described (need 20 energy)
- There was no special info (need 20 energy)
- Do you want to monopolize the trade route? (need 20 energy)
- Are you married? (The answer)

12. Talk to Oberin, and receive the quest ‘Fall of the Oberin League’
13. Talk to Atui Balacs who appears next to Oberin, and receive the quest ‘Truth Never Sinks’
14. Talk to Marzana, and end the questline.

Step 2. The To the Wild Desert! questline

1. Talk to Atui Balacs at the Sand Grain Bazaar and receive the quest ‘Rest Area on the Barren Sand’
2. Ride on a camel and travel to Ibellab Oasis, talk to Marzana, and receive the quest ‘Token of Lavania League’
3. Talk to Marzana with the keyword of ‘Token of Lavania League’; costs 50 energy

- During the conversation, receive the trade bonus buff, which lasts for 1 hour

4. Talk to Trade Manager NPC Shuriar at Ibellab Oasis and receive the quest ‘Have You Ever Done This Before?’
4-1. There are two objectives in this quest

- Purchase Ibellab Gunpowder and make a profit of 150k silver by trading
- Talk to Olivino Grolin at Port Epheria

4-2. Ibellab Gunpowder can only be purchased after reaching trading level 2; connecting nodes is necessary
4-3. You need to purchase at least 3 Ibellab Gunpowder in order to make a profit of 150k silver

- A horse can only carry 2 gunpowder at maximum as it is too heavy, thus you must bring a camel here.

4-4. The quest log tells you to sell to Olivino Grolin, but it is okay to sell at the Sand Grain Bazaar.
4-5. After making a profit of 150k silver, change to the horse and travel to Epheria.
5. Talk to Olivino Grolin, and receive the quest ‘To the Wild Desert!’
6. Talk to Marzana at Ibellab Oasis, and end the questline.

Use the desert buff when you can maximize profit

After you complete all preceding questlines, it is time to receive the desert trade buff at either the Ibellab Oasis or Pilgrim’s Sanctum: Sharing. However, using the buff is quite cumbersome. Although you can make a fortune by trading goods, the time consumption of travelling across the desert just to receive the buff, and the amount of energy you need to spend for conversations almost offsets the benefit of the buff. This is the reason why it is not as efficient to use the desert buff when you are trading a small amount of goods.

In order to use the buff efficiently, you need to make the most benefit out of the time when you trade goods with the buff. Processed trade goods would be the perfect choice in this circumstance. Unlike other general goods, processed goods can be stacked, and this type of item can be stored in the inventory no matter how many they are.

Players utilize this feature with the farm and workers and make crates of crops such as sunflowers, olives, garlic, wood, or ores, then sell them at once. The profit can be billions of silver when you sell thousands of crates with the desert buff.

In addition, it would also be efficient to utilize the desert trade buff by importing trade goods from the places across the sea like Port Ratt, or expensive fish from ocean fishing as the amount of silver used in the transactions is quite massive.