The Ultimate Guide on What to Do Before The Witcher 3‘s New Game Plus

Embarking on that second epic playthrough in New Game Plus (NG+) allows you to fully enjoy The Witcher 3‘s stellar content using your maxed out, god-like Geralt. However, failing to prepare properly can leave you losing valuable progress or missing key items that don‘t carry over. After 100+ hours of playing time and thorough research, I‘ve compiled the ultimate guide on optimizing your experience before plunging into NG+.

Dismantle Monster Mutagens – It‘s Now or Never

While ability points, recipes, swords, armors, and your lovely stash carry into the next game, monster mutagens unfortunately do not. Transform any unused Ekimmaras, Ekhidnas, or other monster mutagens into their basic forms at an alchemy lab before starting NG+ so as not lose them permanently.

Having a healthy stock of these mutagens will allow you to continue upgrading abilities on your NG+ run. Monster mutagens provide higher percentage bonuses but ultimately aren‘t worth losing since the basic types stack up quickly.

Pawn Off Quest Items Before It‘s Too Late

Many obscure quest items sit idly around in inventories until a fateful moment when the "Failed Quest" message appears. Don‘t let precious crowns slip away by accidentally keeping quest items that will disappear when starting NG+.

I combed through every quest-related item and compiled a reference table indicating whether or not they carry over:

As you can see, something as mundane as cherry cordial from a random encounter isn‘t safe either. So thoroughly go through things like books, letters, notes, etc and sell what you don‘t need. That dowry box with no apparent function? 500 easy crowns. It pays to be diligent.

Craft Your Grandmaster Gear Before It‘s Too Late

Introduced in the Blood and Wine expansion, grandmaster marks the pinnacle of witcher gear. Requiring higher level and rare components, the stat bonuses, rune slots, and set effects put them head and shoulders above the rest:

As the table shows, the grandmaster gear stands far above the rest in terms of damage and protection. The diagrams for crafting them do not carry over into NG+ so you must craft them before starting the next playthrough. I‘d recommend completing the quest "Turn and Face the Strange" at level 70+ to unlock the grandmaster quests.

Tick Off Secondary Quests Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

While the sprawling main story quest will remain intact when venturing into NG+, hundreds of side quests both major and minor reset as if you‘d never began them. Before losing progress, ensure you‘ve completed any secondary storylines of importance:

• Knight for Hire – Unlocks ability to dye witcher gear
• From a Land Far Far Away – Reward is above average silver sword diagram
• Big Game Hunter – Provides unique crossbow upgrade

These were just a few of my favorites that provide unique rewards not found anywhere else. Don‘t forget about treasure hunt quests as well! Looting grandmaster gear diagrams, high-end swords, and powerful glyphs are a priority before starting over.

Gwent Away – Ensuring You Have Every Card

One of the most depressingly-addicting mini-games ever created, Gwent should be mastered by every Witcher player. Your deck however is one of the few things that doesn‘t carry from the main game into NG+. Thus you must purchase every attainable card from vendors before picking the deck back up.

Here‘s a breakdown of the number of collectible Gwent cards across all factions:

That‘s right, 157 total cards to buy, win, or otherwise find through our journeys in the Continent. I myself used a detailed Gwent collection and victory checklist to ensure buying every card across Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, and Toussaint before my NG+ run. Leave no merchant unturned in searching for even the most common of cards before plunging into another playthrough.

Hoard Crafting Materials, Master Crafter

Witcher gear constantly needs improving, glyphs need crafting, potions always a refilling – you get the picture. All crafting diagrams and alchemy recipes carry over from your first game, so why waste surplus crowns when they could be invested in rare materials?

Here are the crafting components I‘d recommend buying up or keeping to haul into New Game Plus:

Having at least 50-100 of goods like these will give you reserves to immediately begin enhancing new witcher sets or making grandmaster equipment without grinding for rare components. Even basic leathers, ingots, or gemstones are wise investments before kicking off another lengthy adventure.

Stash Away Your Potions, Oils, & Equipment

The inevitable question – "What gear and items can I bring with me before starting NG+?". Thankfully, your stash remains completely intact when beginning another playthrough. Here are the most essential things I‘d recommend keeping:

• Decoctions – Powerful combat elixirs don‘t need to be re-crafted
• oils – Unless you fancy refinding rare monster ingredients
• Bombs – Reloading rarely-used Northern Wind or Dancing Star is helpful
• Mutagens -转换分型后成你研发原料
• Rare weaponry – Bring over special crossbows or gear for breaking down
• Trophy equipment – Key quest reward items worth keeping

Storage becomes scarce quickly on NG+, so I utilized my stash arrangements carefully. Gear higher than your current level can still be sold to vendors or broken down for precious components. Any meteorite silver/dark steel weaponry or armor suits you won‘t be donning for a while are still worth keeping over common replacements found in early areas like White Orchard on your next journey.

The tips provided herein should help optimize your New Game Plus preparation through learned expertise and diligent research. Take advantage of the unique carryover mechanics before embarking on your next adventure! Let me know any other tips in the comments.