Witcher 3 Beginner's Guide

Remastered settings worth checking

The Accessibility menu includes the Bard’s Ballad preset and options for item weight, durability and regeneration. Adjust these to suit how you want to play. Nearby loot can be grouped in Gameplay settings, and you can collect loot while mounted.

Reforge lets master craftsmen Yoana and Hattori change equipment appearance without changing its stats. Equipment and crafting diagrams unlock appearances, so check this before replacing gear solely for its looks.

Combat basics that change everything

• Open with Quen — The Quen sign gives you a shield that absorbs the next hit. Casting it before and during fights is the single biggest survivability boost early on.
• Dodge and roll — Light dodge (sidestep) for quick repositioning, roll for getting out of big attacks. Rolling through area attacks beats blocking them.
• Use the right sword — Steel for humans and non-monsters, silver for monsters. The game won't stop you using the wrong one — it just does far less damage.
• Apply oils — Check the bestiary for the enemy's class and apply the matching oil. Review the automatic oil-application setting if you prefer less inventory management.

Potions, oils and meditation

Meditation refills used potion and bomb charges by consuming a suitable strong alcohol, such as Alcohest, from your inventory — so there's no reason to hoard them. Drink Swallow to regenerate health in a fight, Thunderbolt for damage, and Cat to see in dark caves. Toxicity is the limit: drinking too many potions at once damages you, so build tolerance through Alchemy skills.

Keep materials you will use

Before selling, check the recipes and upgrades you intend to craft. Keep their components, your useful trophies and any quest items. Sell spare finished gear after checking its appearance for your Reforge collection. Compare a vendor's offer with the cost of replacing a material later.

Level at the right pace

Use recommended quest levels to choose a comfortable route and finish important side quests before story cutoffs. Ordinary level-scaled quest XP is reduced when you are at least 10 levels above the reward level. Green journal text alone does not mean a quest is no longer worthwhile.

Get around faster

• Fast travel from signposts — Discover a signpost once and you can fast-travel to it from any other signpost. Roach (your horse) gallops faster on roads and can auto-follow them.
• Manage weight — Unless Ignore Item Weight is enabled in Accessibility settings, carrying too much prevents sprinting. Sell or stash spare equipment regularly.
• Read the map — Use quest recommendations and enemy levels to judge danger. Review map filters and select an untracked quest marker to track it. A nearby objective can still be far above your current level.

Experimenting with commands on PC

On PC, compatible console tooling gives access to debug commands. Check that the tool supports your installed Remastered build. Once it's on you can add money, items and levels, change the weather, or teleport — handy for experimenting or undoing a mistake. See the guide on enabling the console, then browse the full command list.