The Witcher I Storyline Checklist

This guide presents the major storyline decisions and their consequences. Spoilers ahead!

Introduction

This guide presents all the important decisions that the player makes in Witcher I and their impact.

This is useful for people who want to check beforehand the consequences of a choice, just so they know where their story will go from there.

I made this guide as soon as I finished the game. It was made with as little spoilers as possible and as direct as it can be! Enjoy!

Prologue (Kaer Morhen)

Defending Kaer Morhen

You decide if you fight the Frightener with the witchers or save the laboratory with Triss.

• helping Vesemir results in a red meteorite loot from him and a negative cutscene at the end of Chapter I, where you will also fight a mutant hound besides the Salamandra. This choice is generally regarded as bad
  
• saving the lab with Triss results in looting a sapphire from Savolla's corpse and a positive cutscene at the end of Chapter I, with no mutant hound. This choice is generally regarded as positive .

Chapter I (Outskirts of Vizima)

She's No Early Bird

You decide if you escort Verna or not

• if you are a gentleman and escort her you will get as a reward a night at the mill together later, which results in a romance card
  
• if you choose not to help her the bandits will kill her

Racists

You decide if you help Zoltan

• if you are a friend and help Zoltan then you get XP and his thanks
  
• if you do not help nothing happens

Strangers in the Night

You decide whether you give arms to Scoia'tael or not (during Haren Brogg's quest)

• if you do they will use those weapons to kill a character named Coleman in Chapter II. This will happen as soon as you go to The Hairy Bear Inn in Chapter II after speaking with the detective. If you want to complete The Rat Quest given by Coleman despite having done that, simply delay visiting the Detective until you have completed the quest and received your reward. Coleman is a grey character, but remember before he dies to buy a fisstech from him and to keep it for later. Also, the dwarven blacksmith in Chapter II will trade with Geralt immediately.
  
• if you do not in Chapter II the dwarf Golan Vivaldi will be arrested and you will have to bail him out for 200 orens
  
• if you just kill them the option to ask Brogg about Zoltan's missing friend Hoog becomes available. This however provides nothing of interest. In addition, the dwarven blacksmith in Chapter II will not talk to Geralt before he completes one of the quests that triggers a change in the blacksmith's attitude. There is no worthy loot on the Scoia'tael corpses

Dead Hand of the Past

You decide via dialogue to fight Leo or not

• There is only one dialogue path to avoid fighting Leo and that is by saying "there is no destiny", "no", and "prove there is no destiny". If you do not fight Leo, then Alvin will appear in the chapel as you leave, telling Geralt that the Reverend wanted to beat up on the boy, upon which Geralt sends Alvin back to Abigail.
  
• Two out of the three conversation paths lead to Leo's ghost appearing. By fighting Leo you get a red meteorite from his body.

Of Monsters and Men

You decide which lesser evil you prefer

• if you choose to save Abigail she will fight against the Beast with you. Later if she lives, you will meet her in Chapter IV and help you in the Epilogue. This decision proves that the witcher tries to help others by getting involved.
  
• if you side with Reverend, Odo and Haren, Abigail dies and Geralt faces the Beast together with the villagers. Later in the epilogue you will fight Abigail. This decision proves that the witcher is someone who stays out of other people's business

Chapter II (Temple Quarter of Vizima)

The Beast of the Sewers

You decide if you want to be a one man team or not

• if you join forces with Siegfried then you can enter the dike without a problem and the Order armourer will be willing to trade with you. At St. Lebioda's Hospital you will enter only if you have the City Guard signet ring or with a bribe of 30 orens.
  
• if you fight alone in the sewers then you can enter St. Lebioda's Hospital without a problem. The Order armourer will not trade with you, but the Dwarven blacksmith will if you helped the Scoia'tael earlier with the weapons. At the Dike you will enter only if you have the City Guard signet ring or with a bribe of 60 orens.

The Rat - Coleman

You decide if you visit the detective right away or start the inquiry on your own. This is only relevant if you let the Scoia'tael take the weapons in the Strangers in the Night quest.

• if you speak with the detective before going to Coleman Coleman dies immediately after Geralt visits Raymond, which would prevent the player from starting The Rat quest (which is a minor side quest with zero plot impact).
  
• if you complete The Rat before talking to the detective you receive 600 orens and 2500 XP. Please remember to buy fisstech from Coleman for later.
  
• Putting off talking to the detective for too long messes up quite a few more important quests as A Gravedigger's Gratitude, Anatomy of a Crime, Suspect: Kalkstein, Suspect: Leuvaarden, Suspect: Ramsmeat, Suspect: Thaler, Suspect: Vincent Meis, Suspect: Vivaldi, Vizima Confidential, What Lies Beneath

Force Recon - The Major Initial Path

You decide if you side with the Scoia'tael or the Order, or remain neutral ( by refusing both) in the battle at the Golem Burial Ground. This is one of the most important decisions and it starts the flow of the plot.

• If you remain neutral you will leave the quest unfinished and receive no XP. Your relationship with both the Order armourer and the Scoia'tael blacksmith will effectively be reset and you will be able to interact with both of them until you progress farther into the story. This maintains the neutral path. If this quest is avoided, the Order will win the battle by default.
  
• If you choose to join the Scoia'tael they win the battle and the Order armourer will not trade with you. Siegfried seems unaffected. You win 200 orens and 3500 XP.
  
• If you choose to join the Order they win the battle and the Dwarf blacksmith will not trade with you. It is important to finish the Worth its Weight in Gold quest first before joining this side, otherwise it will fail. Siegfried remains unaffected. You win 200 orens and 3500 XP.

Chapter III (Trade Quarter of Vizima)

Gold Rush - Important and permanent path decision

You decide if you want to side with the Scoia'tael or the Order during the bank robbery. This seals you path for good.

• If you choose to work alone you can try all you want, but you will have to choose a side. There is no other way. Opposing a faction during Gold Rush will ban access to their associated path in Chapter IV. The neutral path stays available no matter what you choose.
  
• If you choose to help Siegfried, the Order will fight with you during the battle with Azar Javed and the Professor. You will kill the elves, but Yaevinn will manage to get away and come back to say some nasty things to you later.
  
• If you choose to help Yaevinn, the Scoia'tael will fight with you during the battle. Siegfried will be mad.

All the King's Men

You choose whether Thaler lives or not

• if you save Thaler he will be in the Royal Castle in Chapter V. If Geralt talks to him at the castle, then in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings you will get a package and a message from Thaler when you are in Flotsam.
  
• if you let him die nothing of note happens in the game. Apparently, even if you let him die,
  you still get the message in Witcher 2 and he appears alive in Witcher 3

The Guardian for Alvin

You decide who will be the temporary stepmother for Alvin

• if you choose Triss you will receive her second romance card and she will fight with you in the epilogue. In Chapter IV, Alvin will go to the ruins and you can meet the Gambling Ghost. Shani will be angry with you in Chapter V and you will not get her second romance card, but she will still talk with you.
  
• If you choose Shani you will receive her second romance card and she will fight with you in the epilogue. In Chapter IV, Alvin goes to the riverbank and gets a dog. Triss will be angry with you in Chapter V and you will not get her second romance card, but she will still help you.

Beauty and the Beast

You decide if you want to kill, save or cure the werewolf.

• if you kill the werewolf you get 1500 XP and Werewolf Fur, allowing you to create the Werewolf's Wrath potion and unlock the Predator ability; however, there is no possibility of completing the Beauty and the Beast quest. In addition, when you enter the inn, you are arrested for Vincent's murder and have to fight a bunch of City Guards and a single Salamandra informer. Carmen will not be pleased with the turn of events.
  
• if you save the werewolf but you do not cure him when you enter The New Narakort to meet with Triss and Leuvaarden, Vincent will fight with you as a werewolf along with some guards.
  
• if you save the werewolf and you cure him when you enter The New Narakort to meet with Triss and Leuvaarden, Vincent will enter with a group of guards to fight the Salamandra with you. If you spare the werewolf and then proceed to complete the Beauty and the Beast quest, you get an additional 6000 XP (in total). In the Epilogue, the novice nun will praise you for the help and announce that Carmen and Vincent wed.

Chapter IV (Lakeside)

Ripples

You decide how to deal with the local conflict

• If you side with the village, you get a large diamond from Julian as a reward.
  
• If you side with the Vodyanoi, the Friendly vodyan priest will reward you with a Ceremonial sword of Deithwen (a pretty lousy weapon)
  
• If you achieve a compromise, you receive the sword, Aerondight ( a really good weapon that can be imported in the future Witcher games) from the Lady of the Lake.

Sweet Revenge

You decide the life of Berengar

• If you kill him, you get Berengar's medallion ( Azar mentions that it weakens him), the Dagon Sap (Scroll), The Book of the Full Moon (formula for Shrike and Vampire oil) and 866 orens.
  
• If you avoid fighting him by trying to be sympathetic you get the Dagon Sap (Scroll) and The Book of the Full Moon (that contains the formula for Shrike and Vampire oil). He also aids you in the fight with Azar Javed (although he is a very weak fighter and you have to try hard to keep him alive with apparently no reward or dialogue for doing so).

Under a Fiery Sky - Major Path choice

You continue helping the faction chosen in Chapter III or go neutral.

• if you choose the neutral path both the Order and the Scoia'tael will be the enemies in Chapter V and you will be asked to escort some nurses to the hospital. In order to make Raven's Armor (with modest bonuses), you will need to see Kalkstein and get Agnes of Glanville's Magic Formula. Triss will fight with you through Vizima in the epilogue. You will face both Siegfried and Yaevinn and depending on your answers you will fight them or part in relative peace; However in the Ice Plains, you have to fight their ghosts. The sex card available is for two nurses.
  
• if you choose the Order path the Scoia'tael will be enemies in Chapter V and you will be asked to kill more Scoia'tael than White Rayla. In order to make Raven's Armor (with vitality bonus), you will need to see the Order Armorer and get Saint Gregory's litany. Siegfried will fight with you through Vizima in the epilogue. You will have to fight the ghost of Yaevinn in the epilogue. The sex card available is White Rayla's.
  
• if you choose the Scoia'tael path the Order will be the enemies in Chapter V and you will be asked to escort some refugees to the hospital. In order to make Raven's Armor (with endurance bonus), you will need to see the Dwarven Armorer and get the Bifunctional fiber and alloy recirculator. Yaevinn will fight with you through Vizima in the epilogue. You will have to fight the ghost of Siegfried in the epilogue. The sex card available is Toruviel's.

Chapter V (Old Vizima)

Her Highness the Striga

You decide the fate of Princess Adda

• if you kill her you will be able to make a Striga's Urge potion using her heart (gives 1 Bronze & 1 Silver Talent) and Vincent Meis will fight with you in the epilogue as a Werewolf instead of Princess Adda, unless you killed him, then Count de Wett will fight with you.
  
• if you cure her curse you will get the steel sword, D'yaebl (a good weapon) and she will fight with you in the epilogue as the Striga. Later she marries Radovid V and becomes The Queen of Redania

Epilogue

Frozen Reflections

You decide the fate of your antagonist's soul

• if you refuse the King of the Wild Hunt by answering "This is between him and me", then you will fight him and he summons wraiths for backup. You can collect the unique ingredient for wild hunt vapors from its remains, but only providing you kill him far enough from Jacques.
  
• if you accept the offer of the King of the Wild Hunt then he does not fight you (meaning less experience) and he tells you that you knew Jacques under another name, but never specifies what name that was.

Afterthoughts

If you've liked this guide and found it useful,
you can treat me to a brew[ko-fi.com].
Every drink is appreciated.

Cheers and enjoy playing the game! ( ˆᴗˆ )

[Lorisidir Giichi]

What would Geralt 100% do without our input?

[Marconian The Barbarian]

Thanks! Great work! No messing around. Just, bang! Here's what to do. No essays on if/why/who/where/buts... most streamlined guide I've found so far!

[emshuu #]

great !

[chithwe]

Now, it is time for to replay the game... Thanks for the guides

[pharoha]

WoW! Thank you, I get it now.

[PinkLasagna03]

Thank you so much for this. I finished the witcher 1 yesterday, but was really curious to know what the other impacts are of the choises. I sided with the Scoia'tael, but still not sure which of the 2 are the best to side with

[Agamenon]

I imagine you've put a lot of work in this. Thanks.

[Enigmatic AJ]

Thanks for the guide
It really helped me alot to check where am I in the game
At chapter 3 , I legit thought that the game was broken and then I found out that, I didnt solve the Beauty and the beast quest yet

[Myklows]

It will be useful for me! Thank you!

[Everyday Einherjar]

I don't know what I did to get both the sword from the Lady from the Lake as well as the large diamond from Julian.