Grinding

Learn the best places to grind experience in The Witcher, from Chapter 1's Barghests to Chapter 3's Cockatrices for optimal leveling.

Chapter 1 Grinding

In Chapter 1 of The Witcher, you can grind experience by killing Barghests and Drowners, which both appear at night. When Barghests start giving you only 50 experience (around level 6), it is time to stop grinding this method. The only potential trouble is accidentally triggering the quests “Racists” (up by the river) and “She’s No Early Bird” (outside the gates to the Country Inn) due to proximity. Avoiding these quests helps maintain your grinding circuit. However, completing them is not a major issue, as better experience opportunities exist in Chapters 2 and 3.

To grind, run circuits outside the Country Inn, heading towards town. You will primarily fight Barghests, but a Ghoul spawns near the houses between the Country Inn and the Royal Huntsman, and groups of Drowners spawn near the docks. Obtaining the Igni sign from the Crypt simplifies this process, as you won't need Flint to start campfires or pay the Innkeeper five Orens to rest.

Chapter 2 Grinding

Chapter 2 offers a prime grinding spot in the crypt within the sewers, where you can hunt Graviers. These undead enemies provide approximately 200 experience per kill until around level 15. To access the Crypt, speak with the “Con Artist” in the Temple District near the sewer entrance. He is available between 6:30 and 8:00. Agree to perform grave-robbing, and he will grant you a key to the crypt.

Level 15 is the suggested grinding target to ease progression, but higher levels are achievable. Due to the darkness, you can either waste time and money on Cat potions or adjust your gamma settings. Turning the gamma up to 2.00 in the Options > Video Options menu allows you to see enough to grind. Kill the Graviers, ignore the Ghouls to save time, and rest at a campfire for an hour to respawn (be brought back to life at a checkpoint after death) enemies. Repeat this process.

Chapter 3 Grinding

The grinding in Chapter 3 is significantly superior to Chapters 1 and 2 in both experience gained and convenience. In the Swamp Cave, you will find a pack of Cockatrices that yield almost three times more experience than Graviers. This gap widens as Geralt levels up; at level 30, a Gravier might yield only 150 experience, while a Cockatrice still provides 675. A single Cockatrice kill offers more experience than a full run through the Chapter 2 Crypt.

To grind, return to the Swamps, enter the Swamp Cave, and defeat the Cockatrices. Afterward, head outside and rest at the Fireplace near the cave entrance for 24 hours to respawn the enemies. Repeat until satisfied. The only dark tunnel is minor, negating the need for Cat potions or gamma adjustments. Annoyances include Wolves within the cave and Drowners, Drowned Dead, Bloedzuigers, and Kikimores outside. The latter provide decent experience but are meager compared to Cockatrices. If you time your rest to wake in the morning, you will only encounter a pair of Drowners/Drowned Dead and a Kikimore Warrior outside, who usually won't engage you, reducing frustration. With six to ten Cockatrices in the Swamp Cave, you can easily gain 4200-7000 experience per run, far exceeding the 800-1000 average from Chapter 2.