Just like in the previous two games, you are a witcher and the customary job of a witcher is to track and slay monsters in return for pay. While your search for Ciri takes precedence over everything else, you may find time to undertake some paid side missions, known as contracts, that benefit the local populace and fatten your purse as well.
Contracts are optional quests Geralt can choose to complete and can be found by reading the appropriate notice board posting, or stumbling upon the contract giver or the monster that is to be slain. There are 26 witcher contracts in total in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The monsters encountered during the contracts will be tougher versions of those Geralt may meet along his travels elsewhere. They will be susceptible to the same oils, potions, bombs and signs as their lesser forms but be sure to check the level associated with the contract quest to ensure you are ready to meet the challenge. A quick study of a creature's weaknesses in the bestiary will be helpful in preparing to take down your foe.
Haggling - most contracts give the option to haggle the reward with the client. When haggling you will be using a slider to decide how much you want and there will also be a bar showing how annoyed the client is. When you ask for too much the bar will fill itself a bit or significantly if you ask for far too much, if the bar fills completely the client will get angry and refuse to pay you more than originally intended. Note that even the lowest price you can ask while haggling will be higher than what you would normally be paid. The feature is randomised in multiple ways, which was likely done so to prevent the player from always haggling the best price through save scumming. The annoyance bar will fill by around 10-20% when asking for too much or by around 40-60% when asking for far too much. The more you pull the slider to the right the more likely it is the client will refuse, however, it is also random, sometimes they may get very angry when the slider is a bit above 50%, while sometimes they will only get mildly angry even when it's around 90% to the right. Also while the minimum price does not change, the maximum does. Effectively you are more likely to get a good deal when the maximum price is higher and when pulling the slider between 50-60% to the right, which is generally a safe bet. Most contracts will allow you to haggle up to 300 , with later contracts, which require level 18 or more, you may haggle a bit more but rarely up to 350 or more. Also note that some contracts will not give you the option to haggle, while some will allow you to earn much more, which usually is due to some unique circumstances. Like with "Contract: Swamp Thing" where you can earn double that what you haggled if you wait a week, an exception is "Contract: Strange Beast" which pays around double that of what other contracts do and easily let's you haggle over 600 for no apparent reason.
For more information on the various quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, see the following:
White Orchard[]
Quest Name | Unmarked | Cutoff Point | Level | Location(s) | Enemies |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contract: Devil by the Well | No | On Thin Ice | 2 | Abandoned Village | Devil by the Well |
Velen[]
Novigrad[]
Quest Name | Unmarked | Cutoff Point | Level | Location(s) | Enemies |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contract: An Elusive Thief | No | n/a | 13 | The Bits Farcorners |
Imp (optional) |
Contract: Deadly Delights | No | n/a | 15 | Harborside Crippled Kate's |
Salma (optional) |
Contract: Doors Slamming Shut | No | n/a | 24 | Moldavie Residence | Therazane |
Contract: Lord of the Wood | No | n/a | 25 | Loggers' Hut Hotsch Woods |
Kernun Nekkers (proximity) Nekker warrior (proximity) Wolves (dependent) |
Contract: The Apiarian Phantom | No | n/a | 14 | Honeyfill Meadworks Dancing Windmill |
The Apiarian Phantom Drowners (optional) Drowned dead (optional) |
Contract: The Creature from Oxenfurt Forest | No | n/a | 35 | Camp east-southeast of the Herbalist's Hut Hill north of Aeramas' Abandoned Manor |
Opinicus Wolves (optional) |
Contract: The Oxenfurt Drunk | No | n/a | 26 | Oxenfurt | Gael |
Contract: The White Lady | No | n/a | 16 | Farcorners Drahim Castle |
The White Lady Ghoul |
Skellige[]
Quest Name | Unmarked | Cutoff Point | Level | Location(s) | Enemies |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contract: Dragon | No | n/a | 28 | Fyresdal | The Dragon of Fyresdal |
Contract: Here Comes the Groom | No | n/a | 19 | Cave south of Old Watchtower | Drowners Melusine |
Contract: Missing Miners | No | n/a | 27* | Blandare | Wham-a-Wham |
Contract: Missing Son | No | n/a | 29 | Rannvaig Kaer Nyssen |
Morvudd |
Contract: Muire D'yaeblen | No | n/a | 18 | Kaer Trolde | Drowners Drowned dead Abaya |
Contract: Skellige's Most Wanted | No | n/a | 29* | Fyresdal | White Wolves (proximity) Endrega warriors Endrega workers Venomous arachas Nekkers Werewolf Doppler (optional) Ice troll (optional) |
Contract: Strange Beast | No | n/a | 16 | Larvik | Nekkers Hagubman |
Contract: The Phantom of Eldberg | No | n/a | 17 | Eldberg Lighthouse | Wraiths Penitent Kori (dependent) Kraki (dependent) |
In the Heart of the Woods | No | n/a | 22 | Fayrlund | Wolves Warriors (optional) Sven (optional) Woodland Spirit (optional) |