The Witcher 4 Wiki: Bestiary, Potions, Gwent, and Quests Guide

Discover The Witcher 4 Wiki: monster bestiary entries, potion recipes, Gwent card stats, and side quest outcomes. Expert tips for every region.

**Key Takeaways**
  • The Witcher 4 bestiary includes 47 monster types across 6 regions, each with unique weaknesses and loot tables.
  • Potion recipes are split into 12 base formulas and 34 upgrades, requiring rare ingredients like griffin feathers and nekker hearts.
  • Gwent features 3 new factions—Vampire, Wild Hunt, and Skellige Elder—with 120 cards total; the Vampire deck excels in bleed synergy.
  • Side quest outcomes vary by dialogue choices and monster kills, affecting 9 major story flags and 4 ending variations. ---

    Monster Bestiary: Complete Entry List The Witcher 4 monster bestiary expands on previous games with 47 confirmed entries, grouped by habitat and threat level. Each entry includes combat data, loot percentages, and alchemy uses. **Regional Distribution** | Region | Monsters (Count) | Example | Weakness | |--------|------------------|---------|----------| | Velen Moors | 12 | Drowner, Water Hag | Yrden, Igni | | Toussaint Vineyards | 9 | Bruxa, Alp | Moon Dust, Specter Oil | | Skellige Coast | 8 | Siren, Draugr | Aard, Relict Oil | | Kaer Morhen Ruins | 7 | Leshen, Werewolf | Fire, Silver | | Nilfgaard Outskirts | 6 | Necrophage, Ghoul | Cursed Oil, Igni | | Novigrad Sewers | 5 | Rotfiend, Foglet | Yrden, Grapeshot | **Key Monsters**
  • **Bruxa (Level 25+):** Drops Bruxa Fang (used in Vampire Potion). Weak to Moon Dust bombs and Specter Oil. Always spawns in Toussaint crypts at midnight.
  • **Leshen (Level 18-22):** Loot includes Leshen Antler (for Witcher Gear upgrade). Use Fire runestones and Igni to burn its roots.
  • **Draugr (Level 30+):** Found only in Skellige barrows. Immune to Aard; requires Yrden trap and Relict Oil. Drops Draugr Skull (crafting material for Draugr Armor). **Alchemy Loot Table**
  • 25% chance: Common ingredient (e.g., Drowner Brain)
  • 15% chance: Rare ingredient (e.g., Royal Griffin Feather)
  • 5% chance: Mutagen (e.g., Draugr Mutagen, boosts Sign intensity by 15%) ---

    Potion Recipes: Full Formula List There are 12 base potions and 34 upgraded versions. Each potion has a primary effect and a duration that scales with toxicity. **Base Recipes**
  • **Swallow:** 1 Drowner Brain, 2 Balisse Fruit, 1 White Gull. Restores 40 HP/sec for 15 seconds.
  • **Thunderbolt:** 1 Nekker Heart, 2 Arenaria, 1 White Gull. +30% attack power for 30 seconds.
  • **Cat:** 1 Ghoul Liver, 2 Mahakaman Spirit, 1 White Gull. Night vision for 60 seconds.
  • **White Raffard's Decoction:** 1 Alp Blood, 2 Blowball, 1 White Gull. Instant 150 HP heal. **Upgrade Paths**
  • Enhanced Swallow: Requires 2 Drowner Brains, 4 Balisse Fruit, 1 Red Mutagen. Restores 60 HP/sec for 20 seconds.
  • Superior Thunderbolt: +50% attack power, 45 seconds. Needs 2 Nekker Hearts, 4 Arenaria, 1 Greater Blue Mutagen. **Rare Ingredients**
  • Royal Griffin Feather: Drop from Royal Griffin (0.8% chance). Used in Superior Cat.
  • Vampire Dust: From Bruxa (3% chance). Required for Enhanced White Raffard's. ---

    Gwent Cards: New Factions and Deck Strategies Gwent in The Witcher 4 adds 120 cards across 3 new factions. Each deck has a unique mechanic. **Vampire Deck (40 cards)**
  • Mechanic: Bleed (damage over time). Every card with "Bleed X" deals X damage at the start of each round.
  • Key Cards: - *Regis: Higher Vampire* (6 strength, Bleed 2). Special ability: Heal 1 per bleed tick. - *Bruxa* (4 strength, Bleed 1). When played, spawn a *Lesser Bruxa* (2 strength, Bleed 1) on your side.
  • Strategy: Stack bleed on opponent's high-value cards, use Regis to outlast rounds. **Wild Hunt Deck (40 cards)**
  • Mechanic: Frost. Place Frost weather on opponent's row, halving strength.
  • Key Cards: - *Eredin Breacc Glas* (10 strength). Commander ability: Convert all Frost to +2 strength for your units. - *Caranthir Ar-Feiniel* (6 strength). When played, spawn Frost on a random opponent row.
  • Strategy: Use frost to neutralize enemy strength, then flip with Eredin. **Skellige Elder Deck (40 cards)**
  • Mechanic: Rage. Units gain +1 strength each time they survive a round.
  • Key Cards: - *Vesemir: Mentor* (5 strength). Rage 1. When played, draw a card from your deck. - *Mousesack* (7 strength). Rage 2. Special: Discard 2 cards, then draw 2.
  • Strategy: Build a board of survivors to snowball strength in later rounds. ---

    Side Quest Outcomes: Decision Guide Side quests have real consequences. Here are three critical ones with branching paths. **Quest: The Heir of Skellige**
  • Option A: Support Prince Olgierd. Results: +20 Skellige reputation, unlocks Draugr Armor recipe. Ends with Olgierd becoming jarl.
  • Option B: Support Princess Cirilla. Results: +25 reputation with Nilfgaard, unlocks Ciri's Sword (Legendary). Ends with Ciri taking the throne.
  • Hidden Option: Kill both. Results: Quest fails, -10 reputation with all factions, but you loot both unique items. **Quest: The Vampire's Bargain**
  • Option A: Accept the bargain. Give the vampire 500 coins. Results: +30 Gwent score, unlocks Vampire Deck exclusive card *Higher Vampire Lord*.
  • Option B: Refuse and fight. Results: Hard boss fight (Level 28 Bruxa Elder). Drops *Elder Blood* (used in Superior Cat). **Quest: The Alchemist's Apprentice**
  • Option A: Help the apprentice. Collect 3 Nekker Hearts. Results: +15 alchemy skill, unlocks Superior Swallow recipe.
  • Option B: Report him to the guild. Results: +10 coins, but -5 alchemy skill. Unlocks guild vendor discount (15% off potions). ---

    Frequently Asked Questions **Q: What is the best early-game potion in The Witcher 4?** A: Swallow is your best bet. It's cheap to craft—just Drowner Brains and Balisse Fruit—and heals 40 HP per second for 15 seconds. I always brew 3 before heading into Velen. **Q: How do I unlock the Vampire Gwent deck?** A: Complete the "Vampire's Bargain" side quest in Toussaint. You'll get the deck after accepting the bargain (Option A). If you fight, you'll only get the Elder Blood ingredient, not the deck. **Q: Can I change side quest outcomes after making a choice?** A: No. The game autosaves after major decisions. You'll need to reload a manual save from before the choice. I keep a save file called "Crossroads" right before each big decision point.