Maximizing Experience Points

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You've been warned! In general, kill the most monsters you can, even if it means lurking in dangerous places. You have swallow potions, use them! And if you run out, make more! For each level Geralt advances, the experience points (XP) you get per monster goes down by 5 XP and the number of XP you need to get to the next level increases by 1000. This means that killing things sooner than later is more beneficial. Only your patience (or lack thereof) limits the amount of experience you can rack up.

Another obvious exploit is the way the game deals with the passage of time. Because the passage of time does not actually affect gameplay, quests can be put off indefinitely while you rack up some extra experience points (XP). Below is a chapter-by-chapter guide to getting some extra XP:

Be forewarned that any XP you get from monsters depends on your level at the time, so any deviation from the numbers you get below is perfectly normal.

[edit] Prologue (Kaer Morhen)

There is an endless supply of Salamandra if Geralt chooses to fight the frightener during the assault on Kaer Morhen. This can be exploited by postponing finishing the fight. Simply don't ring the bells, stay away the frightener, and stay near the entrance. Doing this allows Geralt to kill bandits without advancing the main battle (with the frightener). Each bandit is worth 10 XP.

Note: to allow new bandits to respawn, you must rotate the camera so that the entrance is not in your field of view. Bandits only appear if Geralt has his back turned to them... It possible to get an extra level this way, but it does take time.

[edit] Act I (Outskirts of Vizima)

Echinopsae can be found in the cave outside the Maribor Gates to Vizima. Depending on Geralt's level, these beasts are worth around 100 XP each and there are seven of them in the cave (Technically, on our first visit, there are eight of them, but the eighth does not respawn). They respawn every time you exit and re-enter the cave, so just keep doing that until you get sick of it. You can easily have Geralt go up two to three extra levels that way. As with anything, doing this as early as possible maximizes the points available.

Note: a torch is a surprisingly good weapon against echinopsae

Despite the obvious, killing Barghests is also good for profit and XP. They are worth 50 XP per head, and 5 Orens each if you sell it to Abigail.

[edit] Act II (Temple Quarter of Vizima)

Wyvern Island is a good place to rack up a few extra XP. It is also worthwhile running around the swamp at night. This early in the game, bloedzuigers are still worth nearly 100 XP and are quite abundant. I use Igni on them and just keep running around them until they die from the incineration (this avoids taking damage from their poisonous spray when they die).

You can level easily in the Vizima sewers by slaying Graveirs in the crypt of Vizima. Take the Finders Keepers quest to get the key. You'll eventually find the heirlooms and then four Graveirs (one gives up to 350 XP) each time you enter the crypt. There are also some ghouls which respawn, but less frequently.

You can also slay the random Fleders which spawn around town for 350 XP (or so each). Salamandra assassins also roam around the Nonhuman District and make easy pickings of around 50 XP each and loot (50 - 120 Orens ).

[edit] Act III (Trade Quarter of Vizima)

An endless supply of Alps is available in the Elven Ruins in the Sewers in the Trade Quarter of Vizima. Just go there before completing any quests in Act III. Just find the campfire in the room adjacent to the room with the teleporter and the throne. On your way you'll also encounter a couple of other beasts, a fleder (bonus) and a ghoul (not so lucrative, but he's there).

They all three respawn every time you meditate, so just keep alternating between meditating for an hour and killing the monsters. And if you don't want to waste time, just teleport away and back. Each one of these "rounds" is worth around 850 XP (depending on Geralt's level at the time). This can only be taken advantage of before completing Echoes of Yesterday or Gold Rush. As long as you have not done the quests, the monsters respawn endlessly and everything game-wise is simply on hold until you are done.

Another good area is the swamp at night. There are tons of echinopsae, archespores, bloedzuigers, drowned dead, and drowners (more of a nuisance at this point, but still easy to kill). Also the path through the swamp, between the ruined tower and Wyvern Island offers many ghouls, alghouls and cemetaurs which appear at night and respawn any time Geralt meditates at the nearby campfire. Some caution should be exercised as they group will very quickly attack when Geralt finishes meditating.

Royal Wyverns should replace the regular stuff in the swamp after you knocked off Moa for the Royal huntsman trophy quest, and they are worth around 500 XP a piece. They spawn in groups of 4, so 2000 XP per run. Don't get swarmed, they hit hard.

Kikimore Warriors will also spawn all over the swamp, and they are worth 450+ XP a piece.

Finally, the Swamp Cave is full of cockatrices and they also respawn regularly, and they are the best way for you to level up in this Act. They are worth 750+ XP a piece! And there are 6 of them per cave run! That's 4500 XP per run!

[edit] Extra Tips

• Make sure you have the bestiary entries for fleders, alps, bloedzuigers, wolves, royal wyverns, ghouls, cemetaurs, kikimores, archespores, cockatrices, and graveirs before doing this, for contracts, and skinnable items.see Cheapskate's Guide
• When you kill the alp, before looting the corpse, take the opportunity to switch to Strong Style combat before resheathing your weapon, then go get the fleder and the ghoul.
• Or just remember something simple, Q is for steel sword, E is for silver sword, Z for strong style, X for fast style, C for group style.
• Make sure that you surface only early in the morning, that way there is a full day to do all the other quests that have been waiting while you rack up XP.

[edit] Act IV (Lakeside)

Basilisks! These are worth around 1400-1500 XP each and while they do not respawn reliably, they do eventually. You will find them on Black Tern Island, just west of the Lady of the Lake. There is also a colony of wyverns on the island, including a few royal wyverns and they also respawn (if not reliably). Additionally, the creatures in the crypt in the fields (which include quite a few cemetaurs, alps, fleders, and alghouls) also respawn so visit often! You can also kill time running around the fields killing creatures. During the day, there are quite a few noonwraiths and giant centipedes and at night there are devourers and centipedes.

Advance the quest, The Heat of the Day, to the point where you've seen the Midday bride and not to the point where you have to find her mirror. She'll respawn at the Raspberry Patch every time you meditate or reload the Fields map during daylight hours. Approach her when she's neutral (blue) and there's a cutscene, then she becomes aggressive (red.) Killing her gets around 950 experience each time.

[edit] Act V (Old Vizima)

More basilisks. There is at least one basilisk in each of the ancient tombs which are accessed via the wayfarer stones and they are still worth over 1400 XP. Just because you don't have to visit all three ancient tombs to complete the game does not mean that you shouldn't! The creatures in Raven's crypt all respawn after midnight, so it is definitely worthwhile to revisit that crypt often). Bruxae are also to be found and still worth around 700 XP each. Finally, there are at least two, and often three necrophages (graveirs and cemetaurs) outside Kalkstein's place. You can simply go in and out of Kalkstein's to refresh them.

[edit] Epilogue

• Just generally killing as many things as possible, no special tips here.