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 — Oils add big bonus damage against a specific monster class and last many hits. Check the bestiary for the enemy's weakness, apply the matching oil, then fight.
Potions, oils and meditation
Potions and bombs refill for free when you meditate, as long as you have alcohol (Alcohest or strong drink) in 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.
Don't sell your crafting materials
It's tempting to sell everything for crowns, but crafting components (leather, metal, monster parts, dyes) are cheap to sell and expensive to buy back, and you'll need them constantly for armor upgrades, runestones and potions. Sell finished weapons, armor and monster trophies instead. See the money guide for who pays the most.
Level at the right pace
Experience drops off sharply against enemies and quests below your level, so don't hoard quests to do later — tackle them while they're near your level. Follow the main story and side quests roughly in order, and save the map's question marks for loot rather than XP. Recommended quest levels in the journal are your guide: white or red means worthwhile, green means you've out-leveled the reward.
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 — Carrying too much makes you unable to sprint. Dismantle or sell junk regularly, and stash gear you're saving for later.
- Read the map — Velen, Novigrad and Skellige are huge. Use the area level recommendations to avoid wandering into a region that's far above you too early.
On PC? You have a console
The Witcher 3 has a built-in debug console you can enable on PC with a free community mod. 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.
Frequently asked questions
- What should a Witcher 3 beginner know first?
- Open fights with the Quen sign, dodge and roll out of attacks, use steel swords on humans and silver on monsters, and apply the right oil for the enemy. Meditate to refill potions for free, and don't sell crafting materials.
- Why is my damage so low against monsters?
- You're probably using a steel sword on a monster (use silver), haven't applied the matching oil, or are over-leveled by the enemy. Check the bestiary entry for weaknesses and apply the right oil before fighting.
- Should I sell everything I loot?
- Sell finished weapons, armor and monster trophies, but keep crafting materials — they're cheap to sell and expensive to buy back, and you'll need them for upgrades and potions throughout the game.
- Can I use cheats in Witcher 3 on PC?
- Yes. Enable the debug console with a free mod, then use commands like addmoney, additem, levelup and changeweather. Cheating does not disable achievements.