User blog:TheBlueRogue/The Witcher Bestiary

Witcher_Bestiary

The Witcher universe is filled with fearsome monsters and deadly creatures. Witcherss exist to slay dangerous threats that are otherwise too tough for many people to face directly. Many creatures have their own strengths, weaknesses, and tactics so Geralt of Rivia must be prepared for anything after he sets out from a major settlement. As Geralt embarks on his journey across Skellige, No Man's Land, and other lands, he'll have to deal with the destruction caused by many fiends. Some creatures may require a bit of tracking down before you can get an opportunity to slay them for a nice profit.

Learn more about the cast of monsters and creatures you'll likely come across in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Bestiary


Drowner Drowners are creatures that are born from the death of a human in or around water. Drowned alive or thrown into deep water after death, they return as vengeful creatures that stalk the inhabitants of coastal settlements. These creatures will drag unsuspecting victims into deep water.They are quite often found at the banks of the Pontar, since the large river with regular shipping and riverside villages provide them with ample prey. Drowners often attack in large groups and tend to take advantage of their large numbers. As they are already dead, drowners do not fear poisons, and even a large loss of blood makes no impression on them. However, the rest of the witchers' arsenal is extremely effective against them.



Rotfiend

Rotfiends are dangerous necrophages that are often found near battlefields, plauge-striken areas, and mines. They are known to attack in groups and swarm their enemies. Rotfiends feed on human corpses, but are also known to attack living humans as well. The appearance of rotfiends multiplied after the last Northern War. Since rotfiends are necrophages, Necrophage Oil is lethal to them. Common poisons and bleeding effects, however, hinder them very little. Be sure to watch out when a rotfiend's health gets low, they are known to violently explode.



Wyvern

While ordinary folk tend to mistake Wyverns for Dragons, witchers can immediately recognize the difference. These flying lizards tread upon the ground on two heavily-muscled legs. The creature slightly resembles a snake, with a flat head and long neck. Wyverns sport a venomous stinger at the end of its tail, and give a vicious bite through their powerful jaws. Wyverns live in the wilderness or near human settlements, and are a natural element of the world's ecosystem. They are prized by druids, who often find ways to tame them. Wyverns are commonly resistant to stun and poison, but are susceptible to silver and Ornithosaur Oil. Their bodies produce a wide variety of alchemitic materials from their toxins, wings, and venom glands.



Troll

Trolls are giant, humanoid creatures. They possess a certain level of intelligence, and are able to use simple sentences to communicate with humans and amongst themselves. Trolls usually reside in the wild, but often are found living under bridges (which they often build themselves) and demand toll from travelers. While witchers used to kill trolls in the past, nowadays often people have adjusted to having a troll around, especially when paying a toll is cheaper than repairing a the bridge. If a troll spots an enemy from a distance, they will try to crush them by throwing huge rocks. Trolls are surprisingly accurate when throwing missiles, and their thick skin provides them ample protection from arrows. Trolls are difficult to knock off balance in combat, and they sport regenerative ability that block extended bleeding effects. However, venoms and poisons are effective against them.



Ice Giant

Ice Giants are new enemies introduced in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. They have been known to inhabit areas of Skellige and are feared by the locals of the islands. The monsters frequently loot dead soldiers and civilians for their items, and can have the tendency to adorn themselves with their found belongings. Ice Giants are known to take ropes and wood from ships for armor and tools. The monster is often blue and white in color, and they commonly sports long thick beards. Giants are enormous creatures, even towering over trolls. Planks of wood are fixed to its legs and arms to create a simple form of armor. Ice Giants utilize a variety of found weapons to fight threats; some have even been seen attacking with large metal anchors from ships.



Fiend

Fiends are large, three-eyed ungulate monster with a set antlers. These creatures resemble elk and werewolves, and are new enemies that will appear in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The beast has a variety of powerful attacks that can easily dispatch their prey. Fiends are capable of depriving witchers of nearly all of their senses. Their third eye has been known to cast magic spells in combat. Some effects of their spells include turning the screen black, removing sound, and clouding the vision of it's prey so only it's red eyes can be seen. Fiends are known to hide in their lairs and only leave them when to hunt for food.



Griffin

The Griffin is a creature with the body, legs, and tail of a lion and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. These creatures often inhabit primeval highlands and build their nests on unreachable mountain summits. The griffin preys on large mammals and, being a highly territorial creature, fiercely defends its hunting grounds. Griffins are tough opponents and their strength should not be underestimated. Obstinate and aggressive, they make deadly use of their ability to fly during combat, swooping down on their enemies, knocking them to the ground and ripping them to shreds with their claws and beak.



Wraith

Wraiths are a specter class of enemy, known for haunting cemeteries and crypts. They hover just above the ground and can appear and disappear at will. The wraiths are always connected to the sites of their demise. They may protect their former homes, or they may seek vengeance. Wraiths do not bleed, and common poisons cannot harm them. They are, however, susceptible to fire and to silver. The best means of fighting a wraith is the so called Specter Oil, which should be used to coat a silver blade. They drop helpful materials used in Alchemy, including essence of death, amethyst dust and diamond dust.



Siren

Sirens are sea creatures which typically take the form of a half-human (male or female) with a fish's tail, very like mermaids or mermen. They appear to rule the undersea world and wield mysterious power. Their language is a sing-song variant of the Elder Speech. It is possible, but not confirmed that they can summon the dreaded kraken if the need arises.In early footage of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Geralt is shown interacting with a female siren while onboard a boat. Is still remains a mystery whether Geralt will be able to fight these creatures directly or not.

Tips for Monster Hunting

 * Monsters are distinguished from other creatures using two primary criteria: dissimilarity to humans and lack of sentience or obvious intelligence.
 * Monsters don’t scale with your level. If you’re way underleveled compared to a monster, you’ll do almost no damage.
 * The level of an enemy is displayed, but is its level is indicated by a skull you better stay away, because it’s way too strong for you, and it might even oneshot you.
 * The in-game bestiary populates itself as you learn information and eventually it tells you where a monster lives, at what times of day it appears, what it’s vulnerable to.