Velen, a war-torn land teeming with monsters and morally gray choices, offers players a wealth of side quests and Witcher contracts in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. From the war-ravaged fields to the murky swamps, Geralt can find numerous activities to engage in, including Gwent leagues and even a spot of horse racing.
This guide details all the side quests and contracts available in the Velen region, some of which can be tackled early in Geralt's journey, while others require a higher level and more experience.
Crow Perch and Surrounding Areas
In the vicinity of Crow Perch, players can find several quests:
- Deadly Crossing: This quest involves confronting trolls at Troll Bridge. Players can choose to pay them, use Axii to pacify them, or fight them to lower the bridge.
- Defender of the Faith: Players must visit three shrines, encountering vandals at the final one.
- Face Me If You Dare: A simple fistfight with Ronvid.
- Forefather's Eve: A quest involving a pellar, his father's corpse, and a fight against ghouls, witch hunters, and wraiths on Fyke Isle.
- Highway Robbery: A trap disguised as a trader under attack near the Boatmaker's Hut.
- Last Rites: This quest begins at night with an old woman by the bridge in Blackbough and leads to a graveyard with ghouls and a gravestone puzzle.
- Looters (1): Located on the path east of Heartherton.
- Master Armorers: Requires a high-level journey to Undvik to retrieve crafting tools from a cave guarded by a rock troll.
- Components for an Armorer: Involves hunting an archgriffin north of Wolven Glade to gather ingredients for an armorer.
- Wild at Heart: Starting in Blackbough, this quest involves investigating a werewolf and its pack in the nearby woods.
Mudplough, Grayrocks, and Beyond
Moving through areas like Mudplough and Grayrocks, players will encounter:
- At the Mercy of Strangers: Players can choose to help a person in distress south of the riverback west of Mulbrydale.
- Bitter Harvest: Protect villagers from monsters and bandits south of Halver Isle.
- Caravan Attack: A fight against attackers near Marauder's Bridge, leading to the appearance of a new merchant.
- Death By Fire: Freeing a trapped elf from a burning cottage near Codger's Quarry.
- Fake Papers: Obtaining a travel permit, potentially with a discount or a side quest for a shady merchant.
- Funeral Pyres: Burning bodies in gravesites, often guarded by ghouls, and dealing with a survivor.
- Harassing a Troll: A straightforward combat encounter with nekkers north-west of the Inn at the Crossroads.
- Looters (2): Another group of enemies to defeat at Codger's Quarry.
- Man's Best Friend: Helping children in a cottage between the Border Post and Inn at the Crossroads by defending them and finding their hidden loot.
- Thou Shalt Not Pass: Acquiring a pass to cross bridges over the Pontar River.
- The Volunteer: An eccentric troll on an island west of Oxenfurt requires assistance painting a shield emblem.
The Descent, Crookback Bog, and Spitfire Bluffs
More perilous quests await in these regions:
- Blood Ties: Search for a missing soldier in the Nilfgaardian Army Camp and a nearby swamp.
- Deadly Crossing (3): A quest marker near Dragonslayer's Grotto, by a wooden bridge.
- Hazardous Goods: Dealing with ghouls attacking a merchant named Gert Borel and his wagon of corpses.
- Looters (3): Found near Toderas, involving combat against infantrymen.
- The Truth is in the Stars: A quest involving a sage, a cave, ghouls, and the collection of dragonsroot.
- A Dog's Life: Defend a dog from wolves, find a key, and deal with bandits to secure loot in a house.
- A Greedy God: Investigate a peasant's troubles with their 'god' near Wastrel Manor, revealing a hidden entrance and an encounter with the Allgod.
- Highwayman's Cache: Confront bandits near a bridge east of the Boatmaker's Hut and discover a hidden chest.
- Lynch Mob: Intervene in a situation where peasants have captured a guard at Hangman's Alley crossroads.
- Love's Cruel Snares: Track down a missing fiancé for a crying girl, involving combat with beasts.
Witcher Contracts and Miscellaneous Quests
Velen also hosts several Witcher Contracts and other notable quests:
- An Invitation from Keira Metz: A direct quest involving the sorceress Keira Metz.
- A Towerful of Mice: Navigate Fyke Isle, use the Magic Lamp to interact with spectral elements, and uncover a laboratory's secrets.
- For the Advancement of Learning: Another quest related to Keira Metz, also involving Fyke Isle.
- The Fall of the House of Reardon: Investigate a haunted manor and confront wraiths.
Velen's side quests offer a variety of challenges, from monster hunting to moral dilemmas, enriching the player's experience in The Witcher 3.