Witcher 3: Wild Hunt includes many optional quests you can play out throughout the game. Most of those side quests give you some experience points for completing them. However, a few secondary quests offer somewhat bigger rewards. These are some of the best Witcher 3 secondary quests in terms of rewards.
Read also: 10 Witcher Beginner Tips for New Players
“High Stakes”
“High Stakes” is a Witcher 3 secondary quest that will considerably interest all accomplished Gwent players. This is a quest in which Geralt enters a high-stake Gwent tournament. To activate it, you’ll have a look at the notice board near St. Gregory’s Bridge in Novigrad. Then head to the Novigrad’s Passiflora brothel to enter the tournament.
There’s an element of risk/reward for “High Stakes.” The tournament has a 1,000 crowns entry fee you’ll need to stump up for. If you fail the quest, you’ll lose lots of crowns. However, you’ll receive a whopping 4,500 crowns and 45 XP for completing “High Stakes” right. Furthermore, you can win up to four new Gwent cards for defeating opponents. To reduce the risk, save your game before entering the tournament.
“Master Armorers”
Witcher 3 has five armor tiers: Basic, Enhanced, Superior, Mastercrafted, and Grandmaster. Mastercrafted is the highest armor tier in the standard Witcher 3 game (Grandmaster is only available in the Blood and Wine expansion). You can only unlock and obtain top-tier Mastercrafted armor (also a Grandmaster tier prerequisite) in Wild Hunt by completing the Master Armorers quest.
To activate the level 24 “Master Armorers” quest, have a word with the blacksmith Fergus Graem in Crow’s Perch, Velen. Then you’ll be sent on a quest to retrieve the tools required to crate Mastercrafted armor from Skellige. The quest is relatively straightforward, and players also receive Witch Hunters armor for completing it. The biggest reward, however, is the top-tier Mastercrafted armor sets you can get your mitts on after completing “Master Armorers.”
Fergus the blacksmith
“There can Only be One” (Blood and Wine)
“There can Only be One” is a level 43 secondary quest in the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine expansion. Completing this quest rewards players with one of the finest swords in the game. To activate the quest, look at the notice board within Beauclair’s Gran’place square. Read a Trials of the Virtues notice on that board, which will direct you to the Lac Célavy lake.
At Lac Célavy, you’ll meet Hermit who will challenge you to a fight for the Aerondight Sword if you demonstrate the five chivalric virtues in other secondary quests. Those five virtues are inscribed on a set of stones along the lake. You can complete various questions to demonstrate the five virtues by selecting the right dialogue lines.
The Aerondight Sword
After demonstrating all five virtues, you can return to the Hermit to give him a good hiding and claim your Aerondight Sword! That unique silver sword inflicts 10% more damage for every consecutive blow until fully charged. When it’s fully charged, it turns gold and always inflicts critical hits until an enemy is eliminated. Aside from that, you’ll also receive a big 300 XP boost to boot.
“Turn and Face the Strange” (Blood and Wine)
“Turn and Face the Strange” is one of the best Witcher 3 secondary quests because it rewards players with a new Mutations gameplay feature for upgrading Geralt’s abilities. The quest is activated just after the Blood Run quest when a boy delivers a letter from Yennefer or Triss in Beauclair. During the quest, you’ll be directed to a laboratory where Geralt can activate a machine that unlocks mutation abilities. After completing this quest, you can access a new Mutations Panel from which you can research mutations that enhance Geralt’s skillset.
The mutations panel from which you strengthen Geralt.
“Of Swords and Dumplings”
Completing the “Of Swords and Dumplings” secondary quest will enable you to access and utilize Mastercrafted weapons, which is the second-highest weaponry tier in Witcher 3. To start this quest, speak to some blacksmiths and armorers about making master swords when you get the chance. They’ll all tell you about Hattori in Novigrad. Go to Hattori’s place shown on the map below to meet up with him and activate the quest.
Hattori’s location in Novigrad
Hattori offers to craft Geralt a new weapon if he helps him negotiate with Tinboy from the King of Beggars. Hattori will give you a Blade from the Bits Sword when you’ve finished the quest. That’s not among the very best swords in Witcher 3, but it might be an improvement on what you’ve got. If you’ve already got a better blade, you can sell Hattori’s sword for crowns.
The biggest reward from this quest is the unlocking of Mastercrafted weaponry. You can return to Hattori anytime and ask him to craft top-tier swords for you. He’s one of the best blacksmiths in the business when for crafting weapons.
Hattori the blacksmith
“Knights for Hire” (Blood and Wine)
The “Knights for Hire” secondary quest gives Geralt 15 locations to clear of bandits and monsters across Blood and Wine’s Toussaint map. You’ll receive 100 coins for clearing each location. Clearing all locations will reward you with a big 300 XP boost and a 1,500 coins payoff, which is enough to purchase a good sword or armor piece. You’ll also receive the Trophy (Knight for Hire) relic that can be equipped on Roach.
Camerlengo’s office location
There are also pot loads of loot to pick up at this quest’s various locations. The quest includes three Hanse Bases locations where you can wipe out masses of bandits to amass tons of equipment. All the excess armory and weaponry you collect from them amounts to more coins when sold.
To activate the “Knights for Hire” quest, look at the noticeboard at the Cockatrice Inn signpost near Bianco Vineyard. There you’ll find a notice directing you to Ducal Camerlengo in Beauclair. Head to the Ducal Camerlengo’s office shown on the map directly below. Then have a chat with Mr. Camerlengo to receive contracts for the 15 locations to clear.
Mr. Camerlengo in conversation with Geralt.
“Master Master Master Master” (Blood and Wine)
To craft top-notch Grandmaster armor sets, you’ll need need to complete the “Master Master Master Master” quest in Blood and Wine. You can start that secondary quest by speaking with Lazare at his workshop in the Hauteville region of Beauclair (shown below). He’ll give you five treasure hunt quests to locate the diagrams for these Grandmaster armor sets:
- Feline Gear
- Griffen Gear
- Wolven Gear
- Ursine Gear
- Manticore Gear
These diagrams and the armor you can get crafted with them are the big rewards this quest offers. Note, however, that you only need to finish one of the treasure hunts to complete the “Master Master Master Master” quest. Upon completion, you’ll get a decent 500 coin payoff plus a 150 XP boost. Then you can ask Lazare to craft armor from the above Grandmaster gear sets for which you’ve obtained the required diagrams and ingredients.
Lazare’s blacksmith location
The best Witcher 3 secondary quests above will reward you with lots of coins and XP points, armor, swords, trophies, and access to some of the game’s higher armor and weaponry tiers. Those quests are a lot of fun too. So, check them out when playing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
