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This is a guide to the quest titled King's Gambit from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Read on to learn locations, rewards, best choices, best outcomes, as well as useful tips, strategy for completing this quest, choices and best choice to choose.
| Previous Quest | Current Quest | Next Quest |
|---|---|---|
| - | King's Gambit | - |
List of Contents
This quest will be available after the side quests The Lord of Undvik and Possession are completed.
This quest will fail when the player has started the main quest Battle Preparations.
| Quest Number | - |
|---|---|
| Region | Skellige |
| Quest Location | Kaer Trolde |
| Previous Quest | - |
| Next Quest | - |
| Gold Reward | None |
|---|---|
| Exp Reward | 400 or 500 |
| Item Reward | Fate x 1 |
| Item Reward 2 | Death From Above x 1 |
| Objectives | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Go to Kaer Trolde. The gate will be closed but will open as the player gets close. |
| 2 | Follow Arnvald into the feast hall. |
| 3 | Leave the feast hall through the south door and go down the hall. Recieve 500 XP and the sword Fate. |
| 4 | Kill the 3 Bears. They are actually Beserkers so you will need to use your silver sword. Receive 300 XP for slaying the bears. |
| 5 | At this point you will have to decide between siding with Cerys or siding with Hjlamar. Check the King's Gambit Choices and Best Choice section to help you decide which one to help. You may even choose to not help. This will end the quest at this point. |
| Objectives | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Investigate the feast hall using your Witcher Senses. Examine one of the dead bears. Examine any of its body parts or all of its parts. |
| 2 | Examine the knocked over pots. Follow the scent to a cup and examine it. |
| 3 | Leave the feast hall through the east doorway and go down the stairs to get to Hjort. Talk to him. |
| 4 | Follow Cerys. Use your Witcher Senses to find the open barrels. Examine the nearest to the stairs. |
| 5 | To escape the fire head to the north side of the room, there will be stacked barrels. Use Aard on the barrels. |
| 6 | Follow Cerys through the tunnel. |
| 7 | Go back to the outside of the cellar. Use your Witcher Senses to find footprints. Follow the trail. |
| 8 | When the trail stops, inspect the cloth hanging from one of the sconces on the wall. Earn 300 XP for investigating. |
| 9 | Head back outside to the gate to confront Arnvald. |
| 10 | Chase Arnvald on horseback. You can shoot him with a bolt from your crossbow or hit him with your sword to knock him off his horse. If you fail to knock him off you will have to save him from 5 Seamen. Knocking him over or failing to will give 200 XP after and then another 400 XP for completing the quest. If you fail to save him, you will have to search his body for a key. After that you will need search his bedroom. Examine the shoe under the table left of the door and pick up a key from it. Then examine the envelope on the ground left of his bed. Follow the scent trail to a loose brick in the wall and examine it. |
| Objectives | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Head into the Fornhala, Vidkaarl's village marked on your map. |
| 2 | Go to the area Hjalmar pointed out marked as an objective. Examine the shrine. |
| 3 | Follow the scent trail. It will lead to set of footprints. Follow the trail. |
| 4 | Examine the bear skin rug in the hut. Go down the trapdoor. Gain 200 XP as you explore the cave. |
| 5 | Fight Hallgrim. When his health is low enough he will transform into a bear. Because he is a beserker, you will need to use your silver sword against his bear form. |
| 6 | Continue into the cave through the south passage. |
| 7 | Run to the praying druid. Kill him and the Beserkers he summons. Gain 200 XP after killing the druid and then another 500 XP for completing the quest |
Siding with Hjalmar you will have to fight more berserkers and you will never find out who was the mastermind behind the plot. He will also be chosen to be King of Skellige.
If you side with Cerys you will investigate and discover who was behind the massacre. You will also gain access to a Place of Power not accessible any other way. Cerys will also be crowned the Queen of Skellige.
The best choice is to side with Cerys. You will gain access to a place of power that will be inaccessible if you help Hjalmar and avoid more fights against berserkers. You will also find out more about who caused the massacre and why. Cerys also becomes the queen, which can be considered the more “canon” outcome.
You can challenge the Vildkaarl to a fistfight in the feast hall. Beating the Vidkaarl will reward you with 100 XP and Hjamlar's Steel Sword. If you lose the fight you can still get the sword by paying 350 Crowns.
The bears you will fight in this quest are not your average bears. They are berserkers who turn into bears. They are considered as Cursed Ones so you will need to use a silver sword when they transform into a bear. Cursed Oil will also be effective against the bear form.
Bear Berserker Weaknesses, and Loot
You will come across a Place of Power not accessible any other way if you side with Cerys. It will be in the cave after escaping the fire.
More places of power listed here:
List of Place of Power Locations
This quest is worth it. The player will receive a Relic Silver Sword Fate and can earn the Relic Steel Sword Hjalmar's Steel Sword. If you decide to help Cerys or Hjalmar you will also receive the crossbow Death from Above.
The short quest coronation will also be unlocked. You will be able to see the results of your choices and some easy XP.
You can also decide who will become the King of Skellige during this quest. Successfuly completing this quest will let you recruit Hjalmar, and Folan and Vigi if you save both of them, for the fight in the main quest The Battle for Kaer Morhen. You do not need to choose Hjalmar for him to be able to recruit him.
| No. | Quest Title | Location | Sugg. Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Flesh for Sale | Trottheim | 12 |
| - | Master Armorers | Crow's Perch, Clan Tordarroch Forge | 24 |
| - | Fists of Fury: Champion of Champions | 11 | |
| - | Man's Best Friend | Northwest of Mulbrydale | N/A |
| - | Farting Trolls | - | |
| - | Brave Fools Die Young | - | |
| - | Races: Crow's Perch | Crossroads west of Crow's Perch | N/A |
| - | An Unpaid Debt | 15 | |
| - | Witch Hunter Raids | N/A | |
| - | Warehouse of Woe | 13 | |
| - | The Witcher's Forge | 30 | |
| - | Return to Crookback Bog | Crookback Bog | 9 |
| - | The Bastion | 23 | |
| - | Berengar's Blade | 27 | |
| - | King's Gambit | Kaer Trolde | 18 |
| - | Take What You Want | North of Keira Metz's hut | 25 |
| - | The Last Wish | Hindersfjall | 15 |
| - | The Fall of the House of Reardon | Reardon Manor | 6 |
| - | Possession | Svorlag | 17 |
| - | The Truth is in the Stars | Benek | N/A |
| - | Gwent Quest: Skellige Style | Kaer Trolde Gedyneith Gremist's workshop Kaer Muire | N/A |
| - | Thou Shalt Not Pass | Border Post Western Gate | 7 |
| - | Where the Cat and Wolf Play... | Honorton Oreton | 25 |
| - | Wild at Heart | Blackbough Isolated Shack | 7 |
| - | Witcher Wannabe | Lindenvale | 10 |
| - | A Barnful of Trouble | Carsten | 11 |
| - | A Dangerous Game | Rosemary and Thyme | 12 |
| - | A Deadly Plot | Near Border Post North of Hanged Mans Tree | 14 |
| - | A Feast for Crows | The Bits | 20 |
| - | A Final Kindness | Hierarch Square | 26 |
| - | A Matter of Life and Death | The Bits Triss' hideout Elihal's workshop Vegelbud Residence | 12 |
| - | A Tome Entombed | Novigrad sewers | 13 |
| - | A Walk on the Waterfront | Harborside | 12 |
| - | A Warm Welcome | Road southwest of Wheat Fields | N/A |
| - | An Eye for an Eye | Hanged Man's Tree Temerian Partisan hideout | 12 |
| - | Cabaret | Rosemary and Thyme | 14 |
| - | Carnal Sins | Vilmerius Hospital Crippled Kate's Vegelbud Residence Novigrad Docks | 16 |
| - | Drunken Rabble | In front of The Golden Sturgeon | N/A |
| - | Empty Coop | Hut between Honeyfill Meadworks and Dancing Windmill | N/A |
| - | Fencing Lessons | Var Attre Villa Seven Cats Inn | 12 |
| - | Fists of Fury: Novigrad | The Golden Sturgeon North of Portside Gate East of Southern Gate Farcorners | 23 |
| - | Gwent Quest: Big City Players | Sigismund's Bathhouse Passiflora Forest outside Novigrad | N/A |
| - | Gwent Quest: Playing Innkeeps | Inn at the Crossroads The Alchemy The Kingfisher Inn | N/A |
| - | Gwent Quest: Playing Thaler | Seven Cats Inn | N/A |
| - | Haunted House | Novigrad | 7 |
| - | A Bard's Beloved | Cave east-northeast of Palisade | 15 |
| - | Hey, You Wanna Look at my Stuff? | Northwest of the Silverton merchant | 6 |
| - | Abandoned Sawmill | Abandoned Sawmill | 24 |
| - | Armed Assault | Southeast of Rannvaig | 15 |
| - | Call of the Wild | Just east-southeast of Arinbjorn signpost | N/A |
| - | Hidden Messages of the Nilfgaardian Kind | West of the Crooked house Crippled Kate's Gildorf sewers | 8 |
| - | Crime and Punishment | Peninsula east of Ancient Crypt Rogne | 18 |
| - | Finders Keepers | Small island north of Giants' Toes Svorlag | 24 |
| - | Brothers In Arms: Velen | Velen | 22 |
| - | Fists of Fury: Skellige | The New Port Arinbjorn Harviken Northeast of Urialla Harbor | 30 |
| - | Brothers In Arms: Novigrad | Novigrad | 22 |
| - | High Stakes | Passiflora | 26 |
| - | Brothers In Arms: Skellige | Skellige | 22 |
| - | Honor Among Thieves | Whoreson Junior's Casino Putrid Grove | 9 |
| - | Brothers In Arms: Nilfgaard | Royal Palace | 22 |
| - | For Fame and Glory | West of Larvik | 15 |
| - | It Takes Three to Tango | Kingfisher Inn | 28 |
| - | From a Land Far, Far Away | Island east of Redgill Ursten Widows' Grotto | 13 |
| - | Hard Times | Road between Miners' Camp and Blandare Kaer Trolde | 21 |
| - | Iron Maiden | Hill east of Harviken | 19 |
| - | Master of the Arena | Hov | 14 |
| - | Peace Disturbed | Cave southeast of Kaer Trolde Harbor and southwest of Rogne | 25 |
| - | Shock Therapy | Gedyneith | 24 |
| - | Karmic Justice | Between Tretogor Gate and Southern Gate | N/A |
| - | Stranger in a Strange Land | West of Sund | 14 |
| - | The Cave of Dreams | Inn at Arinbjorn Kaer Muire | 14 |
| - | The Four Faces of Hemdall | Eastern coast of Ard Skellig Islet southwest of Hindarsfjall Freya's Temple | N/A |
| - | The Heroes' Pursuits: For the Goddess' Glory | Larvik Freya's Garden | N/A |
| - | The Heroes' Pursuits: Kaer Trolde | Rannvaig Kaer Trolde | N/A |
| - | The Lord of Undvik | Kaer Trolde Undvik | 17 |
| - | The Path of Warriors | Trail to Yngvar's Fang Yngvar's Fang | 16 |
| - | Little Red | Yantra | 15 |
| - | Message from an Old Friend | Books and Scrolls | N/A |
| - | Novigrad Hospitality | Roadside between Yantra and Sarrasin Grange | 8 |
| - | The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers | Blandare Grotto | 26 |
| - | Woe is Me | Palisade | N/A |
| - | Worthy of Trust | Kaer Trolde Harbor North of Crossroads Fyresdal | N/A |
| - | Greenhouse Effect | - | 27 |
| - | Novigrad, Closed City (II) | Northwest of Hierarch Square | N/A |
| - | Monster Slayer | Lakeside Hut | 26 |
| - | Trail of Echoes | - | N/A |
| - | Novigrad, Closed City | Northwest of Hierarch Square | 11 |
| - | Now or Never | Novigrad | 14 |
| - | Of Dairy and Darkness | Novigrad | 9 |
| - | Of Swords and Dumplings | Aeramas' Abandoned Manor | 24 |
| - | Out On Your Arse! | Hattori's home The Golden Sturgeon | 14 |
| - | Race: The Great Erasmus Vegelbud Memorial Derby | Crippled Kate's | N/A |
| - | Racists of Novigrad | Vegelbud Residence | N/A |
| - | Reason of State | Road north of Portside Gate Dye pits northeast of Tretogor Gate | 30 |
| - | Redania's Most Wanted | Novigrad Docks St. Gregory's Bridge The Butcher's Yard theater | 12 |
| - | Rough Neighborhood | Est Tayiar | 10 |
| - | Spooked Mare | Just north of Shani's Clinic Southeast of Western Gate | 12 |
| - | Strangers in the Night | Hut north-northwest of Crossroads signpost | N/A |
| - | The Nithing | Rannvaig | 14 |
| - | Strumpet in Distress | Between Eternal Fire Chapel and Vegelbud Residence | N/A |
| - | Suspicious Shakedown | Behind a house north of the Rosemary and Thyme | N/A |
| - | The Dwarven Document Dilemma | Farcorners | 2 |
| - | The Flame of Hatred | Street east of Hierarch Square | N/A |
| - | The Gangs of Novigrad | Cleaver's Headquarters Whoreson Junior's casino Whoreson Junior's arena | 9 |
| - | The Most Truest of Basilisks | Road northeast of Novigrad Gate | N/A |
| - | The Nobleman Statuette | Novigrad | 14 |
| - | The Price of Passage | Oxenfurt | N/A |
| - | The Soldier Statuette | Caesar Bilzen's house Triss' hideout | 14 |
| - | The Volunteer | Oxenfurt White Eagle Fort | 13 |
| - | Black Pearl | The Golden Sturgeon North of Arinbjorn | 13 |
| - | Gwent Quest: Collect ‘em All! | Various places | N/A |
| - | Following the Thread | Novigrad Water mill near Arette Seven Cats Inn Faroe | 11 |
| - | Gwent Quest: Old Pals | Seven Cats Inn Temerian Partisan hideout Rosemary and Thyme The Nowhere Inn Kaer Morhen | N/A |
| - | Coronation | Kaer Trolde | 18 |
| - | Never Trust Children | The Bits Road between Arinbjorn and Sund | N/A |
| - | A Frying Pan, Spick and Span | Riverside northwest of White Orchard | N/A |
| - | Faithful Friend | Woesong Bridge | 30 |
| - | Missing in Action | Battlefield | N/A |
| - | On Death's Bed | - | 2 |
| - | Precious Cargo | - | N/A |
| - | Twisted Firestarter | Willis' forge White Orchard village | N/A |
| - | A Dog's Life | Drudge | 5 |
| - | A Favor for a Friend | Keira Metz's hut | 6 |
| - | A Greedy God | South of Wastrel Manor | 7 |
| - | A Towerful of Mice | Fyke Isle Oreton | 6 |
| - | An Invitation from Keira Metz | Keira Metz's hut | 6 |
| - | Bitter Harvest | Battlefield south-southeast of the Border Post | 9 |
| - | Blood Ties | Nilfgaardian Army Group 'Center' Camp | 12 |
| - | Caravan Attack | Northwest of Marauders' Bridge | N/A |
| - | Ciri's Room | Crow's Perch | 5 |
| - | Deadly Crossing | Troll Bridge Boatmakers' Hut North of Lindenvale West of Dragonslayer's Grotto | N/A |
| - | Death By Fire | West of Codgers' Quarry | 10 |
| - | Defender of the Faith | East of Blackbough Duén Hen Along the road between Byways and Frischlow | 10 |
| - | Face Me if You Dare! | South of Crow's Perch Southeast of Tretogor Gate Northwest of The Golden Sturgeon | N/A |
| - | Fake Papers | South of the Border Post | N/A |
| - | Fists of Fury: Velen | Inn at the Crossroads Blackbough Crow's Perch Lindenvale | 11 |
| - | At the Mercy of Strangers | West of Mulbrydale | N/A |
| - | A Mysterious Passenger | Larvik | - |
| - | Fools' Gold | Lurtch | 6 |
| - | For the Advancement of Learning | Fyke Isle | 8 |
| - | Free Spirit | Snidhall Isle | 13 |
| - | Forefathers' Eve | Fyke Isle | 7 |
| - | Funeral Pyres | West of Mulbrydale | 3 |
| - | Ghosts of the Past | Reardon Manor Lindenvale | 6 |
| - | Gwent Quest: Velen Players | Benek Midcopse Oreton Crow's Perch | N/A |
| - | Harassing a Troll | Far north and west of Inn at the Crossroads | N/A |
| - | Hazardous Goods | Northwest of Lurtch Between Reardon Manor and Benek | 4 |
| - | Highway Robbery | Between Crow's Perch and Boatmakers' Hut | N/A |
| - | Highwayman's Cache | East of Boatmakers' Hut | N/A |
| - | Last Rites | Blackbough | 9 |
| - | Yustianna Disturbed | - | |
| - | The Tower Outta Nowheres | 30 | |
| - | The Price of Honor | 14 | |
| - | The Heroes' Pursuits: Fyresdal | - | |
| - | Looters | Heatherton Wolven Glade Toderas Codgers' Quarry | N/A |
| - | The Heroes' Pursuits: Fayrlund | - | |
| - | Love's Cruel Snares | Abandoned site north of Condyle | 10 |
| - | The Family Blade | 15 | |
| - | Lynch Mob | Hangman's Alley | 7 |
| - | Taken as a Lass | 25 | |
| - | Magic Lamp | The Mire | 6 |
| - | Siren's Call | - | |
| - | Practicum in Advanced Alchemy | 24 | |
| - | In Wolf's Clothing | 15 |
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