There is nothing quite as overwhelming as looking at the map in Witcher 3 and trying to figure out how to tackle finding every question mark on top of completing all the side quests. This guide will help you locate these items and know what to look for in terms of hidden treasure.
Hidden treasures can be found through exploration, side quests, and the notice board. A lot of the time, powerful enemies will be guarding these items so tread carefully. These items will be in random chests or containers that can carry anything from weapons and armor to crafting diagrams.
White Orchard
Temerian Valuables
When you reach west of the mill signpost, look in the river next to the bridge, and you will find Blood-soaked Military Orders. This starts a new side quest if you can open the locked chest. Lucky for us, the key is on a body on the nearby shore. Once you open the chest, you will start the quest as you loot the orders and loot 10 Florens, a silver amber necklace, and a Temerian Special Forces Insignia.
As you follow the side quest, it will take you to a nearby mill. Next to the mill is a hut with an underground passage. Follow it to find a locked chest that you can open, and this will contain a scribbled document, another Temerian Special Forces Insignia, 31 crowns, a candle, and a silver teapot.
Dirty Funds
As you travel east of the mill, you will find a camp full of wolves and the next treasure. It contains a quest item (scrawled notes), Verden Archer’s Gambeson (chest armor), x2 hardened timber, x2 wine, a diagram for Temerian Poniard, and the manuscript page: albedo.
Following the note quest will take you to a nearby bandit camp. You will find a chest there containing a magic item, the Maribor- Sword.
Spy’s Notes
This side quest can be located northwest of the Cackler Bridge. It will start the Deserter Gold quest. This will lead you to a shack northeast of the windmill. Go down the stairs in the shack and through the hidden door covered by floorboards. Once you enter the chamber use Aard to knock down the door and find the second chest on the left to complete the quest.
Guarded Treasures
- 1 along the riverbank south of the Ransacked Village. Drowners are guarding the recipe for Tawny Owl
- 1 between White Orchard and the Nilfgaardian Garrison along the swampy road. This treasure is guarded by wolves and wargs, and it will be in a broken carriage
- There is a treasure located south of White Orchard along the riverbank with a group of drowner’s guarding it. The treasure will by near a wrecked patrol boat. It will contain some items, the manuscript for Dancing Star, and the diagram for Broadhead Bolt.
- Beneath the crypt in the White Orchard graveyard which is guarded by a wraith. After it is defeated in the crypt it will flee and you will have to knock down a door with Aard. Inside will be witcher gear that starts a quest known as Scavenger Hunt: Viper School Gear.
- East of the Nilfgaardian Garrison there will be treasure in the middle of the river. Look for a floating broken boat and dive in to find some drowners. They will be guarding some normal loot.
- West of the Garrison will be a swamp. At the edge will be a water hag guarding some generic loot.
Velen
Lost Goods
Across the water from the island south of Oxenfurt, you will come across the body of a Nilfgaardian soldier in the grass. Looting his corpse will start the quest and lead you east to the shore. You will come up to a small jetty guarded by drowners. There is a chest behind the boat containing 20 florens, pure silver, and silver ore.
Hidden From The World
Southeast from the Ferry Station signpost a camp of deserters are above the road. Search the corpse to find a letter to start the quest and loot a Novigrad Longsword. This will lead you south to find a chest hidden in some bushes with a tree. It will contain string, wolf’s liver, the diagram for Disglair, Trapper’s Boots, linen, ducal water, and 2 crowns.
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
There is a wooden entrance to an underground cellar just north of Reardon Manor by some burned huts. A ghoul is guarding the cellar door holding a corpse. Looting the corpse will start the quest if you loot the crumpled notes. In addition to the notes you will get a smoking pipe and a key to a treasure chest. If you go to the other side of the burned huts by the wooden entrance you will find some hay covering a chest. It will contain a Mag Deira Cuirass, x2 dwarven spirit, a Rivian Kriek, and x3 Lesser Chernobog Runestone.
An Unfortunate Turn of Events
There will be a dock just north of the village of Lurch across the river. A corpse will be lying nearby in the water holding an Unsent Letter that will begin a quest. Just east of the area will contain a bunch of drowners guarding a chest. It will contain a Novigrad Longsword, pure silver, Harvall, x2 dwarven spirit, and Viziman champion.
Tough Luck
Southeast of the Devil’s Pit there will be a broken car on the road with 3 corpses. One will be holding a flower and a letter, and another one will be holding a small key and 2 Florens. Use the key to unlock the one hanging out of the cart. It will contain the diagram for Precision Bolt, 25 crowns, x4 linen, a Greater Morana Runestone, a Viziman champion, x5 fried fruit, a Lesser Glyph of Quen, and Axemen’s Gauntlets.
Blood Gold
Northwest of Oxenfurt will have a small area of islands. One of the small islands in the middle there will be a corpse holding a bloodstained document that starts a quest, as well as dried fish and a bloodstained key. Head to the northwest across the water. You will see an outlook post with a chest underneath. This holds nails, a ruby, a diagram for Assassin’s boots, Headhunter, Ard Skellig Aketon, coal, lunar shards, and Axeman’s Gauntlets.
Battlefield Loot (Use previous map)
There is an island farthest to the north of Oxenfurt with a wooden pallisade. A corpse of a man and dog will be near it. Looting the man will start the quest when you pick up the crumpled notes and key. Look for a wooden watchtower afterwards, and destroy the barrels there to find a treasure chest. It will hold a wolf hide, dark steel plate, iron ore, cured dracanoid leather, skellige gambeson, and saddlebags.
The Things Men Do For Coin
As you sail west from the Border Post and come to the eastern shore of a nearby island a corpse will be underneath a lookout post. He will be holding a treasure key, letter, and a smoking pipe. Look for a pile of corpses next to some wooden boards to find a chest. It will hold a crossbow, Temerian poniard, a diagram for Scoia’tael Sword, Tracker’s Trousers, and Swordsman’s Boots.
Guarded Treasure:
- In the marshes south of the Kimbolt Way Signpost, a fiend is guarding some corpses. Loot them to get a bandit’s key and bandit’s notes. Use the key to open the door to open two chests. They will have high level loot including Princes Xenthia’s Sword.
- On Bird Island, get off where you see a broken boat with packages. Use your senses to follow some red tracks that end at a corpse holding a scratched key. The chest will be on the southeastern tip of the island.
- Southeast of Marauder’s Bridge will have a dead body being guarded by some bandits. Loot the corpse to gain a note, and then use your Witcher senses to find a treasure on a nearby hill.
- At hangman’s Alley, walk to the shoreline to find a rotting corpse. It will be holding a letter. Swim out to the water using Witcher sense to find some sunken treasure.
- West of Hangman’s Alley find a boat wreck at the short. Search the body and then head out into the water again using Witcher senses to find treasure.
- At Condyle southwest of Velen, head south to a strip of land. Find the burned down farm with a high level grave hag guarding a body. Loot the body for a clue to find the treasure nearby using Witcher Senses.
- At Duen Hen, go south to the shoreline to find a bandit cap. Find a note on a nearby corpse that will leave you to a nearby crevice. Grab the treasure there.
- Head to Fyke Island and move south to the small island near it. Find a corpse holding a note and then swim underneath a fallen structure nearby to find the treasure.
- Southwest of Hangman’s Alley near the Coast of Wrecks, you will see some pirates on the short guarding a nearby note. Dive into the water to see a boat with some treasure.
Novigrad
This section is fairly easy, because there are only two real locations consisting of Battlefield loot and Coast of Wrecks.
For Coast of Wrecks head to Lucian’s Windmill and see three circular nearby islands. Swim there and check a chest on the shore to find a note to search the area. There will be four chests scattered about in the area.
In the battlefield, on the south east side of Novigrad and across some swampy waters, there will be a body with a note. Use your Witcher senses to follow some blood to a chest hidden behind barrels. Break them with Aard and loot the chest.
Skellige
- Head to Boxholm to find a corpse by a slain bear and you will find a note. Use Witcher senses to find hidden treasure nearby.
- At Gvalch’ca, head to the left side of the bridge. Jump down into the water and swim to the marker on your map to find a note in a shipwreck. Use your Witcher Senses and head north to find the chest.
- At the Ruined Inn near Fyresdale, there will be a chest inside with a letter. Swim out to a shipwreck and dive to find some treasure.
- On the island southeast of Svorlag Bay, there will be some drowners guarding a corpse with a note. Swim out to the water and use your Witcher senses to find a chest.
- Near the Eldberg Lighthouse there is a stretch of islands leading south. Look for some bandits on the east coast guarding a note. Dive into the sea using Witcher senses to find a chest.
- At Urialla Harbor head southeast towards a Siren flying over a corpse. Loot the corpse for a note, and then use your Witcher senses to find the treasure.
- From Harviken head north towards an island and keep heading north on the island. Then find a boat east and check a dead body on it. Read the note and swim using your Witcher senses to find the treasure.
- Head to the Bay of Winds a sail toward an island southwest of your location. There will be another Arch Griffin there, but way more powerful. There will be a note in its nest that will have instructions on how to get to the loot.
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