One of my favorite ways to get a warm sound is to play higher up on the neck. For instance, instead of playing a D on the 5th fret of the A string, try playing the same note on the 10th fret of the E string. I find this makes a big difference, and can make almost any bass sound more warm and "vintage".
Plucking closer to the neck and using the meatier part of your fingers and / or thumb can also make a big difference.
> i do not really understand effects pedals
> (octavers,etc.) and how they change the tone.
I think you're looking at two different general types of units.
One is tone enhancers - units that subtly help your sound by adding more "character" with their circuitry. These include preamps, EQs, compressors and the likes. Typically, you'd use such a unit full-time and not switch it in & out between songs.
Then there's straight-ahead effects that do radical things to your signal and make it sound way different. This includes wah-wah pedals, chorus, echo (also known as delay), envellope followers and synths (that give each note it's own far-out "quack" kind of sound). These you usually kick in for brief periods to make a certain song or passage really stand out.
There's no law or rule stating what you can or can't do with any type of unit, but the "pedal" part of the effects pedal is there so you can switch it in and out on the fly, whereas most of the better preamps, EQs and compressors come in rack units or belt-clip modules, and can't be easily switched in & out (there are exceptions, of course).
> i would like to know how to create a warmer
> tube like sound without buying a new amp
Playing technique aside, it sounds like you're looking for a tone enhancer. A few relatively affordable units you might want to check out for a "warmer tube" sound are: the Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass DI ($200), the ART levelar tube compressor ($100) and the Sadowsky outboard bass preamp ($200).
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