The Play's the Thing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Quest
Suggested level: 11
Group: Main Quests
Location: Novigrad
You will receive this quest automatically when you complete two other main quests: "Count Reuven's Treasure" and "Get Junior".
As you surely recall, Geralt knew Ciri had been in Novigrad, that she had contacted Dudu and me and that afterwards all three of us had plummeted straight into a writhing snake pit of trouble. The last person to have seen Ciri was yours truly, but I, too, had disappeared without a trace. Geralt accurately surmised that Dudu would be the easiest of our ill-fated trio to find. He went to the one person who could help him do this - Priscilla.
Prior quests
To begin The Play's the Thing you must first complete Get Junior and Count Reuven's Treasure.
Quest stages of The Play's the Thing
1. Tell Priscilla what you've learned about Dudu. / Write the play's script with Priscilla.
Go back to Priscilla and talk to her about how to convince Dudu to come out of hiding. Priscilla will tell you about the group of actors that Dudu is friends with and his love of the theatre. You will decide to write a new play that will certainly attract Dudu to the theatre and include in it a secret message for him.
When you write a play, you'll have to help Priscilla with a few things:
- No matter what you say, Priscilla will decide to write a play that tells the story of the Urcheon of Erlenwald.
- Then you must choose the title of the play: "The Doppler's Salvation" or "A Changeling Rescued, or the Witcher's Triumph".
- In the end you have to decide whether it will be a comedy or a drama.
Priscilla will get to work and after a few hours the play will be ready. The content of the play will be the same no matter what title you choose.
The Doppler's Salvation / A Changeling Rescued
WITCHER: "To slay beasts most foul - 'twas for this I was made, I kill as my calling, not just to get paid." - threatening
WITCHER: "Perhaps 'midst the guests he hides, in fear?" - suspicious
WITCHER: "Seems men's hearts can love for changelings foster!" - astonished
WITCHER: "But a heart that is base, such as in this knave aches!" - disgusted
WITCHER: "No monster is he whose shape can shift." - ceremonial
Priscilla will instruct you to take the copy of the play to Irina.
It should be noted that Priscilla counted an incomparable ingenuity amongst her many virtues. Barely had Geralt explained the problem when she hit upon a solution. Dudu had taken on some unknown form and gone into hiding. Their only hope of luring him out - a clear sign from his old friends in Madame Irina's mummers' troupe.
Priscilla thus decided to put on a play - one Dudu would be sure to attend and that would clearly convey it was safe for him to reveal himself. Geralt agreed to the plan and the two got down to work.
2. Take the script to Irina Renarde.
Go to the place where the theater stage is located. The entrance will be guarded by a ticket seller. The easiest way is to buy a ticket from him. It will cost you 50 crowns and you will receive a small amount of XP.
Alternatively, you can enter the theater from the back, from the river side, jumping over the rooftops. Such a solution was certainly not designed by the game developers.
Irina will be very eager to help you and will instruct you what else you need to do to be able to show the play. You will have to arrange some security. You could also find a way to publicize the show.
3. Head to the docks and hire ushers for the play. / (Optional) Defeat the strongmen from Metinna.
Go to the docks in Novigrad where you'll meet some fist-fighting men. Talk to Sofus the Bull and offer him a job.
You'll have to convince him to accept your offer:
- You can pay him 70 crowns. You will get a small amount of XP.
- You can also take his challenge and try to beat him and his friend Hal in a fistfight. Before the fight you will have to hand him 140 crowns. If you win, they will return the money to you. If you lose, they will keep the money. Either way, they will agree to protect the show and you will receive double XP.
4. (Optional) Recruit jugglers from the performing troupe called the Puffins.
Go to the house where the jugglers are staying. They'll agree to help you publicize the play as long as you get rid of the thugs who harass them.
4.1. Get rid of the thugs lurking outside the Puffins' house.
Go outside, approach and talk to the three thugs standing nearby.
You will have the following options:
- Go away. Now. - You'll have to fight them. Once you beat one, the other two will run away.
- I'll pay you to go away (50) - They'll take the money but they won't want to leave anyway. 5 XP.
- Leave them alone. (Delusion 2) - One of them will realize that something is wrong and you will have to fight them. 40 XP.
When you get rid of them, the jugglers will thank you and head out to the city to publicize the play.
5. Talk to Irina Renarde and start the play.
Go back to Irina and help her choose who should play princess and prince.
The princess can be played by Priscilla or Irina. - Choose Priscilla to maximize the profit from the show.
The prince can be played by Abelard Rizza or Maxim Boliere. - Choose Abelard to maximize the profit from the show.
During the show, in order to maximize the income from the tickets you should not make a mistake and choose the following lines:
- To slay beasts most foul...
- Perhaps 'midst the guests...
- Seems men's hearts...
- But a base heart...
- No monster is he...
Note: Each time you will have a limited amount of time to choose between two options.
At the end of the show, Geralt will recognize Dudu among the crowd watching the show - he took the form of a city guard.
6. (Optional) Help Zoltan calm the angry mob.
If while writing a play you decided that it should be a drama, then you will have to calm down a few thugs after the show is over. You just have to defeat them in a fight.
7. Talk to Dudu in Irina Renarde's room.
At the end you will all go to Irina's room, where you and Zoltan will inform Dudu about your plan to free Dandelion and explain what his task will be. Then Irina will share with you the income from the sold tickets and the quest will end.
The play was a success. Although not the finest spectacle to ever grace the Butchers' Yard, it more than sufficed for Priscilla's purposes - Dudu attended the play and revealed himself at its end. Geralt quickly pulled him behind the curtain and began questioning him about me and Ciri. This is how the witcher learned I was a prisoner of the Church of the Eternal Fire.
After completing The Play's the Thing you will get or will be able to get A Poet Under Pressure.