Gothic 3 - Introduction - game guide, walkthrough, secrets, game tips & strategies

Welcome to my guide dedicated to the one of the most expected games – Gothic III. At the beginning I have to point that it’s not a guide in the classical meaning. The hugeness of Gothic world and a very large number of quests do not let me to prepare a solution guiding players step by step. That’s why I decided only to list all possible quests without going into details. I only give you information who offers the quest and where it must be solved. Naturally, if it’s possible, I try to give some tips making your game easier.

At the beginning you should learn some clues that help you to understand my tips and game’s rules.

1. All quests listed in the guide are divided in a few groups (one group for one town). The main quests (a few of them are solved for almost a whole game) can be found at the end of the guide.
2. It’s impossible to do all quests during one game. Some of them are not accessible when you choose a fraction you want to cooperate with (then the opposite fractions are not going to work with you). It’s very likely that you will not find some characters, because the world is so big that it’s so easy to miss some people. And unfortunately there are a lot of bugs that will not let you to talk to some characters (when you should) or you will be ignored even if you have the item needed by NPC.
3. It’s normal in Gothic III that you can solve a quest even before you get it. For example, when wandering through the wasteland you kill the group of wolves, and then you receive a message that you solved a quest „Wolf hunting with XXX”. After that, when meeting a proper NPC you get experience points for nothing! It’s quite good system but sometimes it may cause problems: a NPC may not talk to you despite he should give you another quest. There are a lot of problems caused by inadequate order of dialogue and you can’t mend it.
4. There are a few strange quests in the guide. I call them strange cause they can be solved but you never find a person that gives that mission. I believe these are quests that were to be included in the game but they were forgotten during the process of Gothic 3 creation.
5. Generally it’s your choice which way to go, which towns to visit and which quests to solve first, but you have to be aware that there are a few quests having a time limit – they must be done in a few days or even hours. In the further part of this solution I give the best way (the quickest one) of finishing the game. Actually there are three possible ways, one for each main fraction: Rebels, Orcs and Hashishin.
6. Save your game very often, even before every fight (at least at the beginning of the game. In Gothic III each fight can be the last one. Even the weakest monster can kill you with a set of blows, and such situation happens very often. I don’t know if it’s a kind of combo or maybe a bug of the game, but it’s certain that you will die more than once in such way: after being hit with first blow, you are constantly beaten until death. And you have no chance to defeat yourself. Do not underestimate any enemy, even looking not nasty. You don’t have to face a Troll or an Ogre to be defeated, even ordinary boar or a wolf can kill you in a few seconds.
7. When fighting do not hesitate to run away to the safe place. Almost during the whole game you are fighting with large groups of enemies, so there is no shame in retreating to the place where you can heal yourself and prepare for the next opponent. Frankly speaking it’s the only effective way when you have to liberate a city (then you have to face more than one hundred warriors).
8. Bows and crossbows are very effective weapons (the first ones are quicker and the second ones do more damage). After mastering using bows (and special bonuses), you will be able to kill your enemies before they reach you.
9. You’re not the only one using distance weapon – beware of enemies armed with bows and crossbows. When enemies surround you and there are also bowmen, you will be lost. Bowmen should be your first targets if you want to survive the battle. Magicians and shamans are even more dangerous enemies. Orc or Goblin shamans can cast fireballs extremely quickly, they can also freeze you for a moment. If they are supported by warriors then, you have no chance. Try to use a bow or a crossbow to kill magicians before you attack warriors.
10. Be careful when fighting in a tight and crowded chamber. It’s one of Gothic’s bugs that terrain objects are stopping you. It seems quite normal but you quickly change your mind when you will be held somehow for a few seconds by a… wall or you will not be able to run through a small stone or a branch. It’s really frustrating. Every time when your opponent attacks you in a tight chamber try to escape to more spacious terrain.
11. You may carry non-limited number of items so take with you everything you find. Everything can be sold, and you will never have too much money (you will be speeding even tens of thousands of gold pieces).
12. Take with you all flowers, roots, minerals, skins, tooth etc. There is a large number of quests obliging you to bring a few dozens of particular item. Because of that you have to learn a lot of useful skill, so that you could skin animals, mine ore and gold etc.
13. Before you start completing quests in a particular town try to clear the surrounding terrain from bandits and beasts. There are a lot of quests connected with escorting an NPC to some place. It’s not so easy as it seems because your companions behave very silly – they usually run just through the group of wild beasts. It’s your job to bring them alive to the right place and it’s very difficult (very often impossible) to rescue an NPC surrounded by hungry wolves or mighty rhinos. You will avoid a lot of troubles if you spare some time for killing beasts before completing quests.
14. During your missions you will meet a few characters that can join you. Some of them can assist you until being dismissed; some of them only want your help for completing particular quest. Unfortunately, additional warrior in a party is not help at all, usually it’s a trouble only. Except problem described above, you will have other worries. Very often, your companions ask you for killing a group of enemies, and in such cases you must do anything to stay alive. And it means that you have no time to take care for your companion, so he probably dies. This is the best way to accomplish such quests: agree when you’re asked for help, then bring your friend close to the enemy’s camp and told him to wait for a signal. Then kill all your enemies yourself and go back to your companion who’s waiting for you – talk to him and get experience points.
15. Remember about teaching your character different skills. In Gothic III you shouldn’t concentrate only on creating ideal warrior or magician. You will not achieve a success if you can’t open locks, mine an ore, lie, skin animals etc. Always think twice before using skill points. I don’t mean you should create the jack of all trades – this way you will not be master in any skill – but it’s not a good idea to spare skill points on fighting or magic skills only. The best way is to choose a class (magician, warrior, ranger) and completing it with other useful skills (forging weapons, stealing and lying, preparing potions etc.).
16. Remember to use helpful items and places you can find all over the world. This way you can create items (use camp - fires, cauldrons, alchemist’s workshops, anvils, whetstones etc.), or gain new attribute’s points (magician’s books, stone tables, round stones). Learning this way you can save a lot of skill points; making items you save money, not mentioning other benefits (for example: weapon forged by yourself makes greater damage).
17. Talking to other characters always try to check all possibilities. Very often you can get a quest only if you exactly question an NPC. Be inquisitive, and be brave when being offended (there is a few quest connected with beating a character offending you).
18. Be aware that if you attack a member of particular group, the rest of his companions will help him. You may be also attacked when closing to the group with a sword in your hand, (if you disdain a warning). The situation may change when you reach a high level of reputation in a particular town. Then you may beat (and sometime even kill) an NPC without a threat of being punished.
19. There are a few fractions in Gothic 3, you may work for. In the further part of the game you will have to decide which side you are definitely supporting, but until this moment you may work for everyone. Regularly check your reputation level: when it exceeds 50 points troubles appear. For example, having more than 50 points of reputation with Rebels, you may still talk to Orcs, but their leaders order to kill you without hesitation.
20. It’s a good idea to print a map of Gothic world and signing there all useful locations (caves, mines, hideouts of NPC etc.). Very often you have to come back to places you visited earlier and it may not be easy to find them again.