So, you’ve finally gathered the team at Kaer Morhen, fought off the Wild Hunt, and watched the credits roll. Except, wait. The credits didn't roll. Instead, you're dumped back into a world that feels a little bit emptier and a whole lot more urgent. You've reached the questline known as Final Preparations Witcher 3, and honestly? It’s kind of a lot to juggle. This isn't just one quest. It’s a massive umbrella that covers the political maneuvering of the Lodge of Sorceresses, Ciri’s personal growth, and the literal end of the world. It’s the deep breath before the plunge, and if you mess up the dialogue choices here, you might end up with an ending that leaves you staring at the screen in total silence for twenty minutes.
I've played through this segment more times than I care to admit. Every time, I'm struck by how the pacing shifts. One minute you're breaking into a prison, and the next you're having a heartfelt talk about snowballs. It's weird. It’s brilliant. But mostly, it's the part where your previous choices start to actually matter.
The Lodge is Back (And It’s As Chaotic As Ever)
At the heart of Final Preparations Witcher 3 is the attempt to reform the Lodge of Sorceresses. Triss and Yennefer are basically trying to herd cats. Very dangerous, very magical cats. You have to deal with "Blindingly Obvious," which involves hunting down Philippa Eilhart. Remember her? The woman who can turn into an owl and has a penchant for blinding people? Yeah, she’s back.
This quest is a prime example of CD Projekt Red's ability to mix high-stakes drama with Geralt’s signature "I’m too old for this" energy. You're literally chasing a blinded sorceress through a bathhouse while she flings fireballs at you. It’s chaotic. If you’ve already completed the Dijkstra/Roach political subplot (Reasons of State), this section feels even heavier. The fate of the North is being decided in these damp hallways. Pro tip: if you want a specific outcome for the war, pay attention to how you treat Dijkstra here. Pushing him aside forcefully has... consequences. Massive ones.
Helping Ciri Find Her Footing
While the sorceresses are plotting, Ciri is struggling. This is the most critical part of the Final Preparations Witcher 3 arc. People often think the "good" ending is about being a protective dad. It isn't. It’s about being a supportive one.
In "Payback," you spend time with Ciri as she settles scores and says her goodbyes in Novigrad. You meet Valdo, the guy who helped her, and you can even help her steal some horses. Do it. Seriously. It’s one of the few moments where Ciri gets to just be a person instead of a "Child of the Elder Blood" or a "Weapon." These small interactions are the invisible counters that determine whether she lives or dies later on.
The Meeting With the Lodge
Then there's the big one. The moment Ciri is summoned to speak with Philippa and Margarita. She’s nervous. She asks Geralt to go in with her. Don't. This is where players get tripped up. It feels natural to want to protect her from these manipulative women, but Ciri needs to face them alone to build her confidence. Letting her go in solo counts as a "positive" point toward the better endings. If you go in with her, you're essentially telling her she can't handle her own business. It’s a subtle bit of narrative design that punishes over-protectiveness.
Breaking Out Margarita in The Great Escape
You also have to head to Oxenfurt for "The Great Escape." This quest is a callback to the gritty, investigative side of the game. You're breaking Margarita Laux-Antille out of Deireadh prison. If you haven't been to Oxenfurt in a while, the atmosphere has shifted. The Witch Hunters are everywhere. It’s oppressive.
The quest involves a lot of sneaking—or a lot of killing, depending on your playstyle—and a run-in with an old "friend" from the previous games if you played them. The sewer navigation is classic Witcher, which is to say, it’s a bit of a maze and smells like drowners. But getting Margarita out is essential for the Lodge, and it’s one of the more straightforward "Witcher" tasks in this late-game stage.
Why This Questline Often Feels Fragmented
A common complaint about the Final Preparations Witcher 3 sequence is that it feels disjointed. You’re jumping between Avallac'h’s laboratory, prison breaks, and political summits. But that’s the point. The world is falling apart. Nilfgaard is pressing in, the Wild Hunt is closing the gap, and Geralt is just trying to keep his family together while everyone else tries to use them as pawns.
Avallac'h is another point of contention. His quest, "Through Time and Space," is visually stunning—you literally hop between different dimensions—but he remains an enigma. Is he helping? Is he grooming Ciri? The game never fully gives you a straight answer, and your dialogue with him during this phase reflects Geralt's own growing suspicion.
The Avallac'h Laboratory Incident
Later in this arc, you'll visit his lab. You'll find things that suggest he's a bit obsessed with Ciri's lineage. Ciri gets angry. She wants to trash the place. You have a choice: tell her to calm down or tell her to go for it. Let her go for it. It’s cathartic, it’s funny, and more importantly, it’s another "positive" point for her survival. Totaling up these points is the secret math behind the game’s climax.
Moving Toward the Finish Line
Once you finish the individual tasks for Triss, Yennefer, Ciri, and Avallac'h, the game shifts gears for the final time. You'll head to Skellige for "Battle Preparations." This is the point of no return for many side quests. If you haven't finished your business in Novigrad or Velen, do it now.
Specifically, make sure you've handled:
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- Any remaining contracts you actually care about.
- The "Reasons of State" quest (if you triggered it).
- Finding all the master-crafted gear diagrams. You’re going to need the armor.
The enemies in the final act don't mess around. The Wild Hunt warriors have high resistances, and the bosses can two-shot you if you're playing on Blood and Broken Bones or Death March. Final Preparations isn't just a story beat; it's your last chance to brew those Superior potions and oils.
Specific Steps to Master This Stage
To ensure you get through this act with the best possible setup for the finale, focus on these tactical moves:
- Prioritize the "Positive" Ciri choices: In the "Final Preparations" window, this means letting her talk to the Lodge alone and letting her wreck Avallac'h's lab.
- Clear Novigrad Side Quests: Once you leave for Skellige at the end of this arc, the world state changes significantly. Quests involving Dijkstra or Roche will fail if not completed.
- Upgrade to Superior Oils: Specifically Elementa, Specter, and Hanged Man’s Spirit. The upcoming fights involve a lot of magic-adjacent constructs and, well, humans.
- Visit the Runewright: If you have the Hearts of Stone DLC, spend your gold now. Adding "Severance" to your blades makes the final mob fights significantly easier.
- Stock up on White Honey: You'll be chugging potions like crazy; you need a way to clear that toxicity fast during multi-stage boss fights.
The beauty of the Witcher 3 is that even at the very end, it’s still a game about people. The politics and the monsters are just background noise to the relationship between a mutated monster hunter and his daughter. Treat the Final Preparations phase as a series of character moments rather than a checklist, and the ending will hit much harder. You've come this far; don't rush the landing.