You’re probably tired of getting hit. We've all been there, rolling around the mud in Velen while a Drownedr takes half our health bar because Geralt is moving like he’s wearing a lead suit. That’s usually when players start hunting for a Witcher 3 cat school diagram. It's the Feline gear. It's built for people who want to turn Geralt into a glass cannon that hits fast, crits hard, and actually looks like a professional monster slayer instead of a medieval garbage collector.
The Feline armor is light. That’s the whole point. You get massive stamina regeneration which means more Quen, more Igni, and more Whirl. But finding these diagrams is a total pain if you don't know where the game is hiding the entrance to the caves. CD Projekt Red loved hiding these things behind breakable walls or underwater tunnels that you’ll walk past ten times without noticing.
Honestly, the Cat School gear is arguably the best set in the game for a combat-heavy build. But the scavenger hunt? It’s a trek. You're going from the sewers of Novigrad to the misty cliffs of Skellige.
The First Hurdle: Getting the Basic Feline Gear
Start in Novigrad. Specifically, you want to head to Temple Isle. There’s a path that leads down to the cliffs on the western side. Look for a hidden cave entrance. It’s tucked away, and if you’re just sprinting, you’ll miss it. Use your Witcher Senses. You’ll see a faint mark on the wall.
Once you’re inside, you need the Eye of Nehaleni. If you haven't finished the "Wandering in the Dark" quest with Keira Metz yet, go do that first. You literally cannot get this Witcher 3 cat school diagram without it because there’s an illusory wall blocking the path. Inside, you’ve got a small puzzle involving statues. Just rotate them until they all face the center. It’s not "Portal 2" level complexity, but it’s enough to make you pause.
Down in the water, you’ll find the key to the laboratory. Watch out for the golems. They hit like a truck, and since you’re likely still in low-level gear, one mistake sends you back to your last save. After you clear the lab, you get the main armor diagrams.
But wait. You aren't done. The swords and crossbow are scattered.
- The steel sword is in the ruins of Est Tayiar. Break the floor.
- The silver sword is at Castle Drahim. Go to the basement.
- The crossbow is on a shipwreck southwest of Novigrad. Bring a crossbow of your own for the drowners.
Moving Up to Enhanced and Superior Tiers
Nobody stays at the basic level. You need the Enhanced versions if you want to survive the mid-game. This is where the hunt gets messy because the diagrams are spread across Velen and Novigrad in places you’d never visit otherwise.
The Enhanced boots are in a cave near Toderas. The trousers are in the sewers under the Oxford Gate in Novigrad. It’s smelly, dark, and full of drowners. Classic Witcher stuff. For the steel sword, head to a cave near Reardon Manor. It's tucked into a chest at the back. The silver sword is even more annoying—it’s hidden in a cave near Oxenfurt that requires you to climb a ladder inside a house that looks completely decorative.
By the time you reach the Superior Witcher 3 cat school diagram set, you’re heading to Skellige.
The armor diagrams are all in one spot here: an Iron Mine on Ard Skellig. You’ll have to fight an Earth Elemental. Use Elementa oil. Don’t get greedy with your hits. The swords are also on the islands. The steel one is at Caer Gelen (watch out for harpies), and the silver one is in a cave near Harviken.
Mastercrafted and Grandmaster: The Endgame
This is where the stats get ridiculous. To get the Mastercrafted set, you’re heading back to the mainland, specifically the southern part of Velen. The diagrams are in a cave near Blackbough. You’ll need a master armorer to actually craft these, which means completing Yoana’s quest in Crow’s Perch. Don't go to the guy in Novigrad; he's just a journeyman until you help him out, and even then, Yoana is the real deal for armor.
Then there’s the Grandmaster set. This is Blood and Wine territory. You have to be in Toussaint.
Basically, you talk to Lazare Lafargue in Beauclair. He’ll give you the quest "Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Feline Gear." This set adds a hood to the armor. Some people hate the hood. If you do, put on the Professor’s Glasses or the Mandrake Mask—it forces the hood down.
The Grandmaster diagrams are all located around the Hanse base at Arthach Estates. It’s a fortress full of bandits. You can try to sneak in, but let’s be real: you’re going to kill everyone there. The diagrams are inside the main building, usually behind a fake wall or in a chest near the leader's desk.
Why People Get Frustrated With Feline Gear
The biggest issue isn't the combat; it's the navigation. The map markers for a Witcher 3 cat school diagram can be misleading because they don't show verticality. You might be standing right on top of a marker, but the chest is actually 50 feet below you in a sea cave.
Also, the weight. While the armor is light, the sheer amount of junk you pick up while exploring these ruins will overencumber you fast. Keep some Fiend Decoction handy.
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Another thing: the Feline set makes you fragile. If you’re used to the Ursine (Bear) gear, you’re going to die immediately if you try to tank hits. You have to dodge. If you aren't using the Fleet Footed skill (which reduces damage while dodging), you're doing it wrong.
Breaking Down the Build
If you’re going to commit to the Cat School, you need to lean into the Red skill tree.
- Whirl: Essential. It turns Geralt into a blender.
- Precise Blows: Higher crit chance.
- Cat School Techniques: This is a brown skill (General). It gives you a 25% boost to critical hit damage and a 5% boost to fast attack damage for each piece of light armor you wear.
That’s a 100% crit damage bonus just for wearing the clothes.
Pair this with the Ekimmara Decoction. Since you're dealing massive damage, the life-leech from the decoction will keep your health topped off even if you take a stray hit. It’s a high-risk, high-reward playstyle that makes the game feel much faster than the slog of heavy armor builds.
Actionable Steps for Your Hunt
Check your inventory for maps. You can buy them from various blacksmiths to trigger the official quests.
- Adalbert Kermith's First Map: Buy from the blacksmith in Blackbough.
- Second Map: Same guy.
- Third Map: Blacksmith in Crow's Perch.
- Fourth Map: Blacksmith in Lindenvale.
If you’ve already cleared those vendors and don't see the maps, you might have already read them. Check your "Treasure Hunts" section in the journal. If the quest isn't there, you'll have to find the first Witcher 3 cat school diagram manually to kickstart the quest chain. Start with Temple Isle in Novigrad; it's the most reliable trigger.
Make sure you have enough Dimetitium plates and Cured Draconid leather before you head to the armorer. There is nothing worse than trekking all the way to a master smith only to realize you’re short on glowing ore.
Go to the ruins of Est Tayiar first if you want the easiest start. It's northeast of Oxenfurt. You can literally just walk in, blow up a wall, and grab the steel sword diagram. It’s a quick win that gets you moving toward the full set. Once you have the swords, the armor feels like the natural next step. Stay light, keep your Quen up, and stop trying to parry monsters that are ten times your size. It won't end well.