---
key: mechanic/rpg-grind--hard-pity
type: mechanic
id: rpg-grind--hard-pity
lang: en
title: Hard pity threshold
summary: >-
  After a defined number of qualifying failures, the next reward is guaranteed
  under explicit counter rules.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--hard-pity/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--hard-pity.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--hard-pity.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - RPG grinding
  - Investment and outcome protection
sourceIds:
  - source-13242f8f8f62f9c9
  - source-27bec284a15a1801
sources:
  - id: source-13242f8f8f62f9c9
    title: 'Black Desert: Ancient Anvil, 9 January 2025 update'
    url: >-
      https://www.naeu.playblackdesert.com/en-US/News/Detail?countryType=en-US&groupContentNo=8046
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-27bec284a15a1801
    title: Black Desert
    url: 'https://www.sa.playblackdesert.com/Pt-BR/Wiki?wikiNo=395'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: rpg-grind
    id: hard-pity
    title: RPG grinding
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/rpg-grind/#hard-pity'
    categoryIds:
      - reward-protection
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Hard pity threshold
    description: >-
      After a defined number of qualifying failures, the next reward is
      guaranteed under explicit counter rules.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/rpg-bdo-guarantee.webp
      width: 492
      height: 685
      game: Black Desert
      sourceUrl: 'https://www.sa.playblackdesert.com/Pt-BR/Wiki?wikiNo=395'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://s1.pearlcdn.com/NAEU/Upload/WIKI/fe02285d43120240507151057736.gif
      sourceFrameSeconds: 0
      credit: Pearl Abyss
      rights: © Pearl Abyss. All rights reserved.
      caption: Ancient Anvil provides a guaranteed enhancement
      alt: Ancient Anvil provides a guaranteed enhancement
      markers:
        - x: 50
          'y': 34
          label: Filling Agris Essence raises the success chance to 100%
    tips:
      - Show the guarantee threshold and the counter reset rules.
    examples:
      - title: Black Desert
        url: 'https://www.sa.playblackdesert.com/Pt-BR/Wiki?wikiNo=395'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on
  2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules
  and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are
  preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the
  specifically described released-game observations; design variants and
  scenarios are hypothetical.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/rpg-grind
---
# Hard pity threshold

id: rpg-grind--hard-pity
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/rpg-grind--hard-pity
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--hard-pity/

After a defined number of qualifying failures, the next reward is guaranteed under explicit counter rules.

## At a glance

![Ancient Anvil provides a guaranteed enhancement](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/rpg-bdo-guarantee.webp)

[Black Desert](https://www.sa.playblackdesert.com/Pt-BR/Wiki?wikiNo=395) · © Pearl Abyss. All rights reserved.

[Source recording](https://s1.pearlcdn.com/NAEU/Upload/WIKI/fe02285d43120240507151057736.gif), 0 s

1. Filling Agris Essence raises the success chance to 100%

- Show the guarantee threshold and the counter reset rules.

- [Black Desert](https://www.sa.playblackdesert.com/Pt-BR/Wiki?wikiNo=395)

## How it works

After a defined number of qualifying failures, the next reward is guaranteed under explicit counter rules.

## Variants

### Variants

<a id="hard-pity-options"></a>

- Guarantee a reward on a defined attempt. <a id="hard-pity-option-1"></a>
- Keep a separate counter for each target type. <a id="hard-pity-option-2"></a>
- Preserve the counter across sessions or qualifying sources. <a id="hard-pity-option-3"></a>

## Design example

If a blueprint is not found in nine expeditions, the tenth guarantees it.

## Context and limits

A systematic RPG grind reference: 110 mechanics and 330 variants in 18 sections. Four layers answer different questions: what the player repeats, what develops, how rewards arrive and what constrains the loop. It covers single-player RPGs, ARPGs, MMORPGs and adjacent management and accumulation systems. Every mechanic has an explanation, variants and a hypothetical example; coverage, combinations and verified game observations follow the catalog.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the specifically described released-game observations; design variants and scenarios are hypothetical.

- [Black Desert: Ancient Anvil, 9 January 2025 update](https://www.naeu.playblackdesert.com/en-US/News/Detail?countryType=en-US&groupContentNo=8046) (id: source-13242f8f8f62f9c9)
- [Black Desert](https://www.sa.playblackdesert.com/Pt-BR/Wiki?wikiNo=395) (id: source-27bec284a15a1801)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors