You're trotting down a dusty path outside Sasau, the sun is setting, and your horse is getting tired. Then you see him. A slender man in a decent doublet standing perfectly still by the side of the road. He isn't a bandit. He isn't a beggar. He’s the Kingdom Come Deliverance riddler, officially known in-game as the "Riddler" or the "Faint-hearted Knight's" intellectual cousin. Most players just call him the Wayfarer.
He wants your money, but he’s polite enough to let you keep your sword in its scabbard. Honestly, he's one of the few NPCs in Bohemia who won't try to bash your skull in with a mace the moment you lock eyes. Instead, he challenges your brain. It's a weirdly refreshing break from the constant threat of Cuman ambisades and starvation.
Who is this guy anyway?
Warhorse Studios loves historical flavor. They didn't just throw him in for filler. The Riddler is one of several "Wayfaring Knights" or "Encounter NPCs" you find during fast travel or manual exploration. He represents the wandering scholar or the bored middle-class traveler of the 15th century. You’ll usually find him on the roads connecting Rattay, Ledetchko, and Sasau. He's a gambler. Not with dice, though. He gambles with logic.
When you approach him, he offers a wager. You bet a few Groschen, he asks a riddle, and if you get it right, you double your money. Simple? Kinda. Some of his brain teasers are actually tricky because they rely on medieval logic, which doesn't always track with how we think in 2026.
People often confuse him with the "Faint-hearted Knight" or the "Mercenary" who also pop up on roads. Don't. Those guys want a duel. The Riddler just wants to know if you're smarter than a sack of flour. If you lose, he takes your coin and walks off, probably laughing at Henry's illiterate peasant upbringing under his breath.
💡 You might also like: Bo Nix Madden Rating: Why the EA Adjusters Finally Gave In
The Riddles That Trip Everyone Up
Let's look at the actual puzzles. One of the most famous ones he drops involves a man and his family. He’ll ask you something like: "A father has seven sons. Each son has a sister. How many children does the father have?" Modern brains start doing multiplication. Stop. It’s eight. Seven sons, one sister they all share. It's a classic, but in the heat of a playthrough where you're worried about your "Hunger" meter hitting zero, it's easy to overthink it.
Then there's the one about the candle. "I'm tall when I'm young and short when I'm old. I tremble in the wind. What am I?" That one is easier, but the game's dialogue interface can sometimes make the answer options look more complicated than they really are. It’s a candle. He has a few others about teeth, or the classic "hole in the ground" bit.
What’s interesting is that the Kingdom Come Deliverance riddler isn't just a one-and-done encounter. You can meet him multiple times. However, his pool of riddles is finite. Once you've beaten him a handful of times, he basically runs out of material. It's a bit of a bummer, but it makes those early encounters feel more special.
Why he actually matters for your Henry
You might think, "Why bother for 20 Groschen?"
It's not about the money. Early game, 20 Groschen is a loaf of bread and some cheap wine. Late game, it's pocket change you'd find in a trough. The real value is the "Speech" skill. Engaging with the Riddler and winning can give you minor boosts to your stats. In KCD, Speech is arguably the hardest skill to level up because you can't just grind it by hitting a training dummy. You have to talk. You have to win.
Winning a riddle counts as a successful "persuasion" or "intellect" check in the game’s backend logic. If you're trying to build a "Diplomat Henry" who talks his way out of jail or into a noble's favor, these road encounters are essential.
How to find him (The "Spawn" Problem)
Frustratingly, the Riddler is a random encounter. You can't just go to a specific house and knock on his door. He's a ghost.
The best way to trigger him is to travel between Rattay and Ledetchko. Specifically, the long stretch of road that follows the river. If you're fast traveling, keep an eye out for the "Random Encounter" icon (the little gray person symbol). If you're riding manually, he usually stands near clearings or crossroads.
There's a common misconception that he only spawns during the day. Not true. I've run into him at dusk near the charcoal burner camps. However, if there are bandits nearby or if you've recently had a combat encounter in that "slot," he won't show up. The game has specific zones for these events. If a "Mercenary" spawns, the Riddler won't. They share the same real estate.
Glitches and Disappearances
Sometimes he just... stops appearing.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a masterpiece of "euro-jank." It’s beautiful and deep, but it’s buggy as a swamp. If you accidentally hit the Riddler with your horse or get into a fight nearby and he gets spooked, he might run away and "despawn" for a long time. Some players report that if they decline his wager too many times, he stops showing up altogether.
If you really want to find him and he's gone missing, try "resetting" the road. Sleep for 24 hours in a different town, then ride back. Also, check your reputation in the local area. While he isn't strictly tied to a specific village, having a "Criminal" bounty can sometimes mess with how non-hostile NPCs interact with you on the road.
The Strategy for Winning Every Time
If you’re worried about losing your hard-earned Groschen, there’s a trick.
📖 Related: Dandy’s World Stats Template: Why Your OC Design Probably Fails
- Save before you speak. Use Savior Schnapps if you have to, though it’s a bit of a waste for a riddle. Better yet, just use the "Sleep and Save" at a nearby tavern or camp before you hit the road.
- Read the text carefully. The voice acting is great, but the written text often contains the subtle hints you need.
- Don't rush. There's no timer on the dialogue wheel. You can sit there and Google the answer if you really want to, though that ruins the fun of being a medieval genius.
Most of his riddles focus on everyday objects from the 1400s. Think about what a blacksmith, a farmer, or a monk would see. They aren't going to be about computers or modern concepts. They are about nature, tools, and the human body.
Is he the same guy from the DLC?
Actually, a lot of people get him confused with characters in the Band of Bastards or The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon. While those DLCs add a lot of "flavor" NPCs, the Kingdom Come Deliverance riddler is a base-game staple. He’s been there since day one. He doesn't have a deep backstory or a secret questline involving a lost treasure—though fans have spent years wishing he did.
There was a rumor on Reddit a few years back that if you beat him 50 times, he’d give you a unique hat. Total nonsense. He’s just a guy who likes puzzles. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a weird guy on the road is just a weird guy on the road.
The Cultural Impact of the Riddler
Why do we remember him? In a game filled with brutal executions, the Black Death, and political betrayal, the Riddler is a moment of levity. He represents the "High Middle Ages" intellectualism that was starting to seep down from the universities in Prague into the general populace.
It’s a tiny detail that makes the world of Bohemia feel lived-in. You aren't just a killing machine; you're a person in a world of people who have hobbies. His presence suggests that even in a time of war, people still valued wit.
Practical Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re starting a new game or cleaning up your current save, here is exactly how to handle the Wayfarer:
✨ Don't miss: Cómo configurar controles personalizados en Red Dead Redemption 2 para que el juego deje de sentirse pesado
- Boost your Stats First: While you can win the riddle with pure player logic, having a higher "Intellect" or "Main Level" sometimes unlocks "special" dialogue options in other encounters. For the Riddler, just use your brain.
- The Rattay-Sasau Loop: If you're hunting for him, ride the southern road from Rattay to the Sasau Monastery. This path has roughly four "encounter" nodes where he can spawn.
- Carry Change: Always have at least 50-100 Groschen on you. There’s nothing more annoying than finding him and realizing you gambled all your money away on Farkle the night before.
- Don't Kill Him: Seriously. Some players get frustrated and attack him. Killing the Riddler won't get you any special loot—just a leather jerkin and some cheap shoes—and it will tank your reputation. Plus, he stays dead. You lose that encounter for the rest of the game.
Ultimately, the Kingdom Come Deliverance riddler is a test of how much you're paying attention to the world around you. He’s a reminder that Henry of Skalitz isn't just a sword-swinger; he's a man growing into a complicated world. Next time you see that man standing alone on the path to Uzhitz, don't just gallop past. Stop, put down your shield, and see if you can solve the puzzle of the seven sons. It’s worth the detour.
To truly master the roads of Bohemia, focus on your "Scout" perks in the Agility tree. These perks make it much easier to spot these encounters from a distance on the map, giving you the choice to engage or avoid them. If you're specifically hunting for the Riddler, the "Scout II" or "Scout III" perks are your best friends. They turn the random map icons into specific "Points of Interest," so you aren't walking into a bandit nest when you were actually looking for a friendly game of wits.