Overview
This guide is a full White Orchard walkthrough for The Witcher 3, with every contract, sidequest, and important secret. When you leave the zone, you will:
- Have cleared all major **question marks (?)**
- Completed the key **contracts**
- Learned the basics of combat, signs, and alchemy
- Left with solid gear and enough crowns to be comfortable in Velen
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Phase 1 – First Steps in the Inn and Village
1. After the opening cutscenes, you arrive at White Orchard Inn.
2. Talk to the innkeeper to:
- Ask about **Yennefer**
- Collect all available **notice board** quests.
3. Play Gwent at least once with the scholar to learn mechanics.
Secrets & Tips
- Behind the inn, loot the small yard for **herbs and basic junk**; you can dismantle or sell later.
- Grab every note from the **notice board** – this populates your map with:
- Question marks (hidden treasures, monster nests)
- Contracts (Devil by the Well, the Griffin)
- Side quests (Missing in Action, etc.)
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Phase 2 – Side Quests Before Contracts
Missing in Action
1. Track the quest and follow the blood trail with Witcher Senses.
2. Decide whether to spare or kill the deserters.
3. Returning the brother safely gives good XP and gear early.
On the Battlefield (Optional)
- Explore the burned-out battlefield north of the village.
- Loot:
- **Temerian armor scraps**
- Broken weapons for dismantling
- Occasional **blue-tier swords**
Secret: Bodies lying slightly away from the main lines often have letters or keys that open chests you'll find later.
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Phase 3 – Contract: Devil by the Well (FULL)
This is your first serious Witcher contract.
Investigation
1. Read the contract, then travel to the abandoned settlement.
2. Use Witcher Senses to:
- Examine the **corpse by the well**
- Discover the **torn bracelet**
- Reconstruct what happened from footprints and scorch marks.
3. Dive into the well to find:
- The **bracelet**
- Extra **alchemy ingredients** and loot
Secret: In the underground section, there's a small side tunnel with a locked chest – use Aard to clear rubble and grab extra valuables.
Noonwraith Fight
1. Meditate until midday to spawn the Noonwraith.
2. Prep:
- Drink **Specter Oil** on your silver sword (if you have it).
- Equip **Yrden** as your main sign.
3. Tactics:
- Cast Yrden, pull her into the circle to make her corporeal.
- Use 2–3 strong attacks, then roll out.
- When **mirror images** appear, destroy them quickly inside Yrden.
Completing the contract nets good early crowns and introduces the "investigate first, fight later" Witcher rhythm.
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Phase 4 – Contract: The Griffin in the Highlands
Preparations
1. Speak with the Nilfgaardian captain in the garrison.
2. Investigate:
- The **destroyed watchtower** (claw marks, footprints)
- The **hunter's hut** for tracks and Griffin behavior lore.
3. Craft or buy:
- **Thunderbolt** potion
- **Swallow** for healing
- **Grapeshot** bombs (optional but fun)
Field Battle
1. Lure the Griffin in the open field.
2. Open with crossbow shot when it dives to stub its momentum.
3. Stay under it; roll through swipes and counterattack its flanks.
Secret: Shooting it when it tries to flee to the church area can briefly stun it, letting you shave off a chunk of HP before the second phase.
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Phase 5 – Clearing Question Marks (?) Efficiently
Focus on:
- **Guarded Treasures** – often near drowning dead; use **Aard** to knock them down.
- **Monster Nests** – throw bombs to destroy, earning alchemy ingredients.
- **Places of Power** – there are several in White Orchard; each:
- Grants an **Ability Point**
- Temporarily boosts a sign
Tip: Grab all Places of Power before leaving; the extra ability points are worth more than most early gear.
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Phase 6 – Leaving White Orchard Perfectly Prepared
Before sailing to Velen, you should have:
- Completed **Devil by the Well** and the **Griffin** contracts
- Resolved **Missing in Action** and other key side quests
- Visited **all Places of Power**
- Crafted:
- Swallow
- Thunderbolt
- At least one bomb (Grapeshot, Dancing Star)
You'll now understand the full Witcher loop and carry a strong start into the much harsher swamps of Velen.