You're standing in a pass near Novigrad, looking for a shoemaker. It sounds like a mundane fetch quest, but honestly, it’s the start of the most politically volatile thread in the entire game. A Deadly Plot Witcher 3 isn't just a side mission; it’s the literal fulcrum upon which the fate of the North turns. If you skip this, or mess up the follow-up, the world state at the end of your playthrough will look drastically different. Radovid V, the "Stern," remains on the throne, and the witch hunts basically turn the Continent into a graveyard.
Most people stumble into this quest after helping Triss escape Novigrad. Dijkstra and Roche—two guys who'd usually rather kill each other—approach you with a proposition. They want to assassinate a king. It's heavy stuff. Geralt usually tries to stay neutral, but the game does a great job of making you feel like neutrality is just a fancy word for cowardice in this specific instance.
Why This Quest Is the Real Point of No Return
The quest starts at the Passiflora. You talk to Marquise Serenity, go up the secret stairs, and find the conspirators. They’re missing a contact. This contact turns out to be Thaler. Yeah, that Thaler. The foul-mouthed spy from the first game. Finding him involves talking to some trolls who have a weirdly wholesome obsession with shoes.
But here’s the thing: completing A Deadly Plot is a prerequisite for the later quest, Reason of State. If you don't do this now, you lose the chance to participate in the assassination later. Radovid wins the war. Nilfgaard loses. Emhyr gets murdered by his own nobles. It’s a bleak ending for almost everyone involved except for the religious zealots burning people in the streets.
It’s worth noting that this quest is one of the few that fails if you progress too far into the main story. Specifically, once you start the Isle of Mists, this opportunity vanishes. The game doesn't give you a giant warning sign. It just quietly closes the door.
The Thaler Connection and Why It Matters
Thaler is essential. Not just for the plot, but for Gwent. Let’s be real, half of us are doing this for the Geralt of Rivia card. You can only win it from him.
The interaction with the trolls—Rogge, Ogg, and Pogg—is a classic Witcher moment. You can kill them, but why would you? They’re just trying to make shoes. They don't understand that they've kidnapped one of the most dangerous intelligence officers in the world. This lightheartedness is a sharp contrast to the grim reality of what Dijkstra is planning. It’s that tonal shift that CD Projekt Red nailed so well. One minute you’re talking about "troll-size" cobbling, and the next, you’re plotting the death of the King of Redania.
Navigating the Political Minefield
Radovid isn't just a villain. He’s a tactical genius who has gone completely insane. That’s what makes the stakes in A Deadly Plot feel so high. If you’ve spent any time in Novigrad, you’ve seen the pyres. You’ve seen the mages and non-humans being tortured.
There is a lot of nuance here that players often miss. Some think that by killing Radovid, they are automatically helping Nilfgaard. That’s mostly true, but the type of Nilfgaardian rule depends on other choices involving Ciri.
- If you kill Radovid and side with Dijkstra at the very end (in Reason of State), Dijkstra becomes the ruler of the North. He’s a dictator, sure, but a modernizing one. He brings industry and order. It’s a "greater good" scenario that leaves a bad taste in your mouth because you have to let your friends die to achieve it.
- If you kill Radovid and side with Roche/Thaler, Temeria becomes a vassal state. It’s "free," but under the sun of Nilfgaard.
You have to decide if Geralt's personal loyalty to Roche outweighs his pragmatic view of the world.
The Hidden Mechanics of Success
To ensure you get the "best" outcome—or at least the one you actually want—you need to play your cards right during the Blindingly Obvious quest much later. There’s a moment where you can either shove Dijkstra forcefully or talk to him. If you shove him and break his other leg, he won’t offer you the final part of the assassination plot.
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That’s it. One moment of impatience and the whole "Deadly Plot" thread dies right there.
It’s a brutal bit of game design. It punishes the player for being impulsive, which is exactly how political maneuvering works in Sapkowski’s world. You can’t just be a good swordsman; you have to be able to stomach a conversation with a man you despise.
Tactical Breakdown: Dealing with the Trolls
When you actually get to the cave to rescue Thaler, you'll find the trolls aren't hostile unless you make them that way. Honestly, the "best" path here is the peaceful one.
- Tell the trolls you need Thaler for a bit.
- Avoid the aggressive dialogue options.
- Thaler will eventually just walk out with you.
If you fight them, you’re just killing unique NPCs for no reason. Plus, Thaler’s dialogue afterward is much better if you handle it quietly. He’s annoyed, sure, but he’s alive.
The quest ends after you escort him back to his wagon. It feels short. It feels like maybe it was supposed to be longer. But the brevity is deceptive. The game has now flagged you as a co-conspirator. You are officially an enemy of the Redanian crown, whether the guards know it yet or not.
Common Misconceptions About the Quest
A lot of players think they can save both Roche and Dijkstra. You can't. The game forces a binary choice in the finale of this arc. People also often think that A Deadly Plot is mandatory. It isn't. You can finish the game without ever meeting Thaler in the cave. But if you do, the North falls to a madman.
Another weird detail: Thaler’s monicker in the quest files is "Shoemaker." It’s a callback to his cover story in the first game. It’s these tiny threads of continuity that make the world feel lived-in.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you’re currently looking at this quest in your log, here is exactly how to handle it for the maximum impact on your endgame:
- Do not go to the Isle of Mists yet. Completing that main quest will instantly fail this mission and lock you out of the assassination arc.
- Pack your best Gwent deck. As soon as you finish the dialogue with Thaler at his wagon, talk to him again immediately. Challenge him to Gwent. You need that Geralt card for the Collect 'Em All achievement.
- Be patient with Dijkstra later. During the quest Blindingly Obvious, choose the dialogue options that involve sharing information about Ciri. Do NOT choose the "shove Dijkstra" option unless you want Radovid to stay king.
- Consider the ending you want for Ciri. If you want Ciri to become Empress, you must complete this quest and its follow-up to ensure Nilfgaard wins the war. If Radovid wins, Ciri can never take the throne in Nilfgaard because Emhyr will be overthrown and killed.
- Check the notice boards. If the quest hasn't popped for you, make sure you've finished Now or Never (Triss’s side quest). That is the trigger.
The fate of the North is a mess, but it's your mess. Whether you want a unified North under a brilliant but cold Dijkstra, or a Nilfgaardian-controlled Temeria, it all starts with finding a spy in a cave full of trolls.