Training scarecrows in Black Desert Online let a character gain combat EXP and skill EXP while you are away from the keyboard. The system runs on a paid item called the Book of Training, which you buy from a single NPC and then activate near the training dummies. There are no silver or item drops from this method, and each hour of training costs silver, so it trades money for slow, passive progress rather than replacing regular grinding.
Quick answer: Reach level 50 or higher, equip a main-hand weapon and an offhand, leave your party, buy a Book of Training from Jamey Drucker, right-click it in your inventory to start the buff, then press R next to a nearby scarecrow to begin gaining EXP every 3 minutes.
Requirements before you can train
Four conditions must all be true or the dummy will not respond when you press R.
- Your character is level 50 or above.
- You have a main-hand weapon and an offhand equipped.
- You are not in a party.
- You have an active Book of Training buff.
Where to find Jamey Drucker
Jamey Drucker sells the Book of Training and stands beside the training dummies in seven major towns. Click the magnifying glass (Nearby NPC) in the top-right corner, type “Jamey,” and search to place his location on your map.
| Territory | Town |
|---|---|
| Balenos | Velia |
| Serendia | Heidel |
| Calpheon | Calpheon City |
| Mediah | Altinova |
| Valencia | Valencia City |
| Kamasylvia | Grána |
| Drieghan | Duvencrune |
Book of Training prices and types
The shop stocks two separate books, one for Combat EXP and one for Skill points. Each comes in four durations, and you pay 1 million silver per hour regardless of which one you pick.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | 1,000,000 silver |
| 3 hours | 3,000,000 silver |
| 5 hours | 5,000,000 silver |
| 10 hours | 10,000,000 silver |
You can run a Combat book and a Skill book at the same time to level both while AFK, and popping extra books stacks onto the remaining timer. Note that the timer keeps counting down even while you are logged off or on another character, so do not start a book right before a maintenance window or you will lose the paid time.
Warning: The Book of Training – Combat you receive from the Black Spirit’s Safe is not the same item. It will let you stand on a dummy but grants no EXP. Only the versions bought from Jamey Drucker work.
How to start training on a scarecrow
I and right-click the book to activate the buff. A confirmation prompt appears explaining that you can only reach 99% of your current level through training. Press Enter to confirm, and the buff icon shows in the top-left corner with its remaining time.R. The on-screen prompt changes to “Press R to end Training,” and your character begins gaining EXP every 3 minutes for as long as the book is active.You can stop at any time and interact with the dummy again later to resume, as long as the book buff is still running. Restarting the dummy also resets the 3-minute EXP tick.
The 99% level cap explained
Scarecrow training cannot finish a level for you. As you approach the ceiling, a warning appears around XX.950% telling you that EXP gain stops at XX.990%. Once you hit XX.990%, the dummy stops awarding EXP entirely. To cross into the next level you must kill monsters for that final 1%, then return to the scarecrow and continue training on any time still left on your book.
EXP buffs that stack while AFK training
Passive EXP per hour is low at high levels, so every extra buff meaningfully shortens the wait. Apply as many of these as you can before you step away.
| Buff | Effect |
|---|---|
| Simple Cron Meal | Combat EXP +20%, Skill EXP +10% (120 min) |
| [Party] Splendid EXP Elixir | Combat EXP +15% (15 min) |
| Book of Combat (15 Days) | Combat EXP +100%, Skill EXP +50% for 24 hours (1-hour cooldown) |
| Secret Book of Old Moon (15 Days) | Combat EXP +100%, Skill EXP +50%, Life EXP +50% |
| Value Pack | Combat/Skill/Life/Mount EXP +30% |
| Villa Buff | Combat EXP +10%, Skill EXP +10% (180 min) |
| Energy Combustion | Combat EXP +20% or Skill EXP +8% per 100 energy (60 min) |
| EXP Armor Set (crystals) | Up to +28% Combat EXP from Gervish, Macalod, and Infinity crystals |
The Splendid EXP Elixir only lasts 15 minutes, so slotting it on a hotbar key such as F4 makes it easy to re-apply whenever you check the screen. The Villa buff needs a Villa Invitation and costs 1,500,000 silver from the Villa Scroll option inside a Campsite placed outside a safe zone. For the crystal set, a dedicated gear piece such as Rocaba Armor slotted with HAN Magic Crystal – Gervish, HAN Magic Crystal – Macalod, and Magic Crystal of Infinity – Experience delivers the +28% total.
Tip: Golden Bells appear more often on the Arsha server, which makes it a strong choice for AFK training sessions.
How to confirm it is working
You know training is active when the book buff icon shows a ticking timer in the top-left corner and the “Press R to end Training” prompt stays on screen. Your EXP bar should move at each 3-minute tick. If the dummy does not respond, the usual causes are being under level 50, missing a weapon or offhand, being in a party, or holding a Black Spirit’s Safe book instead of one purchased from Jamey Drucker.
