The Witcher 3 packs so many sidequests into Velen that it can be difficult to decide what to do and what to leave for later.

The Witcher 3 contains multiple maps, the scariest of which is Velen, or No Man's Land. This sodding enormous area is continuous with the Novigrad and Oxenfurt region, and contains multiple smaller area divisions, which are not immediately obvious to the player.

Not every secondary quest you discover while wandering Velen on your first visit is appropriate for that stage of the game; try to tackle some of the level 25+ missions, and you'll suffer for it. Based on an average player level of ten at the end of the main questline in Velen, which is easily achieved with minimal exploration, here are the quests we think you should get out of the way before heading to Novigrad - if you leave them for later, your quest log will be a horror and many of them will be boringly easy.

By the end of this lot, you'll be well on your way to level 13 and kitted out with excellent gear; Novigrad will be easily managed. Note that this list does not include Velen (No Man's Land) Witcher Contracts.

• Keira Metz's questline:

• Letho's questline:

• Baron's questline:

• Thou Shalt Not Pass

  This quest only triggers if you attempt to cross the Pontac before obtaining a pass. You can earn a pass through story missions, or by completing either of the following quests:

• Blood Ties (coming soon)

• Ciri’s Room

• Death by Fire (coming soon)

• Defender of the Faith

• A Dog's Life (coming soon)

• Forefathers’ Eve

• Funeral Pyres

• A Greedy God

• Hazardous Goods (coming soon)

• Last Rites (coming soon)

• Love's Cruel Snares (coming soon)

• Lynch Mob (coming soon)

• The Truth in the Stars

• The Volunteer (coming soon)

• Wild At Heart

• Witcher Wannabe (coming soon)

Treasure Hunts: Velen (No Man's Land)

• Out of the Frying Pan, into the Fire (coming soon)

• The Dead Have No Defense (coming soon)

• Sunken Chest (coming soon)

• Don't Play with Gods (coming soon)

• Sunken Treasure (coming soon)

• Blood Gold (coming soon)

• Dowry (coming soon)

• Tough Luck (coming soon)

• The Things Men Do for Coin... (coming soon)

• An Unfortunate Turn of Events (coming soon)

• Lost Goods (coming soon)

• Hidden from the World (coming soon)

• Costly Mistake (coming soon)

• A Plea Ignored (coming soon)

• Scavenger Hunt: Griffin School Gear (coming soon)

• Scavenger Hunt: Cat School Gear (coming soon)

Miscellaneous activities: Velen (No Man's Land)

• Gwent: Velen Players (coming soon)

• Gwent: Playing Innkeepers (coming soon)

• Master Armourers (coming soon)

• Fists of Fury: Velen

• Races: Crows Perch (coming soon)

Back to The Witcher 3: Act One - Velen (No Man's Land), or back to The Witcher 3 guide and walkthrough.