Overview
This is mostly for personal use! Information is mostly what i’ve just found on the internet, not 100% my own work. Just a compilation of information for easy access in game. May add on to later as I continue on in the game.
Combat
The Quen sign is one of the most important signs
-As your health doesn’t regenerate in combat, so each hit Geralt takes really counts. Take too many hits early in a fight and you’re in trouble
-Helps to only engage combat with quen activated
-The moment your hit and lose your Quen shield roll away and cast it again
Linked with using the Quen sign is rolling
-Roll a lot its one of the best techniques for escaping damage
-If you don’t want to dodge roll make sure to parry a hit as normal hits do a lot of damage. Parrying is more effective in larger groups though the best way to deal with groups is isolate them and pick them off one by one.
-DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE SURROUNDED its a sure way to die. Bombs are great crowd control and even using Yrden can help separate enemies.
-One of the most important aspects of combat is the use of potions, potion up before a fight! It gives you a huge advantage especailly against tougher opponents
-On top of potions don’t neglect oils, traps and bombs they too can add a very helpful advantage
-A helpful combat point is closing distances. Quick attacks can be launched from a distance and Geralt will automatically close the gap between you and the opponent and launch the strike. On the other hand heavy stikes will be performed from where Geralt is. You leave yourself open when missing a heavy strike, so close the gap with a quick strike and then launch the heavy. Mess up your strikes, the combat system is very versatile allowing you to perform any mix of quick and heavy that your combat situation calls for.
Character Build
Character Build
I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH DO NOT USE MUTAGENS UNTIL YOU HAVE BOTH GREATER AND 2 IN IMPREGNATION
Training tree 6 points (why because its mandatory… sigh)
0 Hardiness – Why because 10-50 vit is useless compared
1 Dagger Throwing – Why because a quest requires this… get 2 if you want to use quen or want to play hard/insane (throwing daggers chews most bosses down)
0 Vigor Regen – Why because its the least of the useless skills…
1 Parrying – Why because you want mutable skills, and this is a prereq… get 2 if you don’t plan to ever cast quen or you want to play hard/insane
1 Arrow Redirection – Why because its mutable
2 Fortitude – Why because its mutable and one extra vigor means a lot
Leaving you with a choice to get 2 in parrying or 2 in dagger throwing
after level 7 go to
Alchemy
1 Synthesis
1 Spec: Pot
1 Harvester
1 Spec: Oil
2 Impreg (35% boost to 10 mutagens is what it says, in effect it doubles all mutagens)
1 Taster
1 Metathesis mutable
1 Condensation mutable
1 Beserker mutable
1 Mutant mutable
1 Amplification mutable
after level 19 go into
Swordsmanship
1 Position – Pre-req
1 Violence – Pre-req
1 Whirl – Pre-req
1 Hardy – Pre-req
1 Finesse – Pre-req
1 Invincible – mutable
1 Combat acumen – mutable
1 Whirlwind – mutable
This unlocks 10 mutations by level 28
after level 27 you can choose, dependant on your mutations choice
If you choose Critical Mutagens get 10 x 6% = 60% base critical effect + bonus from skills
2 Finesse
2 Whirlwind
and have 100%+ base chance to inflict any critical with an attack… this is the MOST powerful sword based killing tree
And you are free to take whatever from 29 on… you basically instantly kill any human and cripple any monster
If you choose Power Mutagens get 10 x 3 min and 10 x 6 max damage for 30-60 bonus damage (basically like having the best weapon in the game doubled) + bonus from skills mauling any enemy you hit with ease
2 Violence
2 Whirl
2 Percision
2 combat acumen
And you are free to take whatever from 32 on… you basically deal some INSANE damage per hit
If you choose Strength mutagens get 10 x 4 armor + 10 x 1 vitality regen for 40 base armor and 10 base vitality regen + bonus from skills… makes you basically invincible to anything
2 Tough guy
2 Invincible
2 Combat acumen
And you are free to take whatever from 31 on… you basically a walking tank that can take any beating in the game…
Sudden Death – a good skill to take with the armor build as it will allow you to kill somewhat faster
Mutagen List
Vitality is +10
Critical is 3% to all (directly stacks on each other)
Power is 1-3 to sword damage
Strength is 2 armor and +1 vitality regeneration
Concentration does not come in a greater
Range is does not come in a greater
Enhancement is 5% bonus adrenaline on hit
AFTER level 2 impregnation you get… ALWAYS get impregnation BEFORE using ANY mutagens… ALWAYS
Vitality is +20
Critical is 6% to all
Power is 3-6 to sword damage
Strength is 4 armor and +1 vitality regeneration
Concentration does not come in a greater
Range is does not come in a greater
Enhancement is 10% bonus adrenaline on hit
They come in 3 levels
Lesser
Normal
Greater
Always use greater… ALWAYS
Sword Enhancements
Various runes, the best of which is the +7% damage +8% bleeding one
Armor Enchancements
Unless you are a mage any +2 armor one is good… the other effects don’t matter enough
If you are a mage one unique armor one gives +5 to sign damage, and the Wraps at the end of the game give +3 (both have +2 armor as well)
Best Swords seem to be the one forged from the gargoyle quest (act 3) and the silver sword found in the chest from the gargoyle quest (act 3)
Best Armor seems to be the one you can buy in Act 3
If you did the boat quests you can loot a slightly better one from a chest in the sewers and then craft it up (vayn armor or something)
Best leggings / gloves seem to be forged ones, but they don’t really matter much, best leggings I found gave 3 armor, best glove 2 armor (and sometimes the Act 3 humans drop nice things!)
Best Trophy
Troll +9 damage
Arachnid thing +8 armor
One of the boss monsters +5 armor +55 vitality and + something else
Abilities
Axii Sign Hex dialogue – Goes from level 1 – 3
Intimidate dialogue – Goes from level 1 – 3
Persuasion dialogue – Goes from level 1 – 3
Cover: damage reduction +10% – Unlocked by being under Triss’s ‘arrow to butterfly’ spell and not leaving it – RIght at the start of act 1 (not the prologue) – Stays at level 1
Strong Back : +50 to capacity – You need to spare the guard captain in the prologue and then in the jail you carry him to the exit of the Dungeons of La Valettes – Stays at level 1
Conjuror : +3 sign damage – fail a axii cast, or use a lot of magic – Mine stayed at level 1, but I didn’t cast spells, I assume it goes to level 3
Assassin : +25% damage when attacking from behind – Find the white cloaked body in a haystack in the town fight very early on – Stays at level 1
Haggling : -20% to cost of shops – Successfully haggle down the merchant for the problem at the docks – Stays at level 1
Strong Stomach : 10% resistance to being poisoned – make and consuming a potion in a certain act 1 boss fight) – Stays at level 1
Thrower Act 1 increases thrown weapon damage by +5 – requires dagger throwing – and then beat the guys in the ‘party’ quest at throwing things… I think it stays at level 1
Birdman +10% damage to harpies – Kill the harpy queen – Stays at level 1
Anatomy Lesson +10% damage to humans – Checking the bodies in act 2 with the surgical equipment and recover the metal shard – Stays at level 1
Child of the night +2 vitality regen at night – sneak through the camp undetected near the end of act 2 – Stays at level 1
Arcane Knowledge +0.5 to all sign intensity – Either part of the gargoyle quest of act 3 or from reading every book in the game – stays at level 1
not confirmed
Giant (+10% to giants, from doing the human act 2 and killing the golem)
Immolation (+10% fire resist, keep stumbling into camp fires in act 2)
Lore (helpful background info)
The four main Kingdoms:
-Temeria is one of three important kingdoms in The Witcher 2. At the start of the game, Geralt is accompanying King Foltest of Temeria, who played a larger role in the first Witcher game.
-Aedirn is another northern kingdom, bordered by both Temeria and Kaedwin, the other to major kingdoms in the game. The first major hub in the game, the city of Flotsam, is located in the Pontar Valley on the border between Temeria and Aedirn.
-Kaedwin is the last of the three important kingdoms in the game’s story. While Geralt never visits Keadwin, he does come into contact with its king, King Henselt, and his army in the game’s second act.
–Nilfgaard which is a bordering kingdom and a common enemy to pretty much everyone in the game.
