As you explore the world, locations are revealed and marked on your map. Your mini-map identifies the locations of herbs as you pass them. Enemy positions are also marked (including the positions where they fell to allow for finding and looting the corpses), as well as stairwells and important cave entrances, merchant locations, and quest waypoints.
You also unlock Points of Interest on your map simply by being near them, or by reading Notice Boards. Points of Interest cover a wide variety of locations in the world, including special events, battles, or hidden treasures that can help increase Geralt’s strength, line his coffers with money he can use to better equip himself, or contain diagrams and formulae for better armor, weapons, potions, or sword oils. Most Points of Interest appear on the World Map as a large question mark after Geralt overhears interesting information or reads about them on a Notice Board or flyer posted on a wall. It is then up to you whether or not to travel to those locations and discover what’s there. It’s also possible to stumble upon a Point of Interest with no prior knowledge of its existence.
Exploring Points of Interest can not only fatten Geralt’s coin purse and inventory, but he also gains experience once a point is explored and the problem is solved or treasure is looted. It’s in the best interest of a player who wants to get the most out of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to take the time to explore the world and visit these Points of Interest.
SignPosts
Important locations are often marked by signposts, both on your maps and by a physical signpost placed somewhere in that location. These signposts act as a fast travel network that you can use to quickly move from one location to another. This can significantly cut down on travel times, particularly during quests that span across entire regions. However, you can fast-travel to signposts you have already discovered (either by visiting them or by reading a map you’ve found or bought). This is also available during sailing; instead of braving an ocean, open your world map and pick an already-known harbor location as your destination.
Notice Boards
Many towns have a Notice Board (the city of Novigrad contains more than one) where citizens post news. Informative and sometimes funny things can be found on these, revealing Points of Interest on your World Map. Occasionally, side quests even start from a note left on the board. Witcher Contracts can also be found on Notice Boards, sending Geralt after a dangerous mark at the request of a village or local lord.
Bandit Camps
As the war between Redania and Nilfgaard drives on, deserters or common thugs have seen an increase in numbers, forming roaming gangs that attack passersby on the roads between villages. Some of these gangs are organized enough to have set up camps to rest, recuperate, and divide the loot of the day. Entering these camps unprepared can be a fatal mistake, even for a witcher, as they must face off with large numbers of bandits who wish to keep their camp a secret for as long as possible. However, the spoils that can be gained from killing all the bandits and looting the camp are potentially quite lucrative.
Guarded Treasure
Sometimes shipments of goods or treasures are lost between villages for any number of reasons. Bandits or monsters have become distressingly common causes for this. Geralt may hear about this loot as he passes through town, and may even feel inclined to investigate this personally. The bandits or monsters can be found surrounding the item of interest, and it stands to reason that they must be forcibly removed before he can claim the goods for himself.
Monster Nests
Nekkers, ghouls and alghouls, rotfiends, drowners, harpies, and endrega are some of the most common threats that plague the land, and they tend to be the most aggressive at colonizing new regions to build nests. While every nest encountered may not be part of a contract, it benefits a witcher to destroy nests as he encounters them to make a region safer. As one might expect, monsters guard their nests ferociously, but once the defenders are slain, Geralt can destroy the nest using one of the many bombs he can craft. Destroying nests provides experience and monster materials used for crafting and alchemy.
Hidden Treasure hunts
Geralt also comes across information about treasures hidden in various parts of the wilderness, left forgotten to the world. In these instances, it’s simply a matter of finding the treasure and claiming it for yourself to resolve these Points of Interest. There are 30 of these secret Hidden Treasure Quests, and all are revealed in the Treasure Hunt section of this guide.
Smuggler’s Cache
Similar to hidden treasure, smuggler’s caches are locations where smugglers hid a variety of goods with the intent that only they would ever find them. The caches themselves tend to be well camouflaged to the unpracticed eye. A cache may be found hidden under bridges, or it could be a series of treasure chests dangling from barrels floating in water.
Person in Distress
In some bandit camps, Geralt may encounter a prisoner locked in a holding cage. Freeing these people may result in rewards. In some cases, the prisoners are actually merchants or blacksmiths, who then return to their hometowns and offer Geralt their services as thanks for the rescue.
Abandoned Settlement
Shrines left abandoned after monsters took interest, logging mills overrun by bandits, villages plundered by soldiers— all of these are examples of settlements or landmarks that have been left to rot in the hands of those who took it from the innocent. If Geralt can clear these locations of any danger, the people will return, rewarding the witcher for his efforts. Reclaiming abandoned settlements can open up new merchants, blacksmiths, or armorers to purchase goods and services from. Additionally, each reclaimed settlement awards an experience point bonus.
Spoils of War
Battles between Redanian and Nilfgaardian units have left fields littered with corpses. Squabbles in Skellige have led to the spilling of blood. Ships have been sunk at sea and in rivers. Geralt may be able to find valuable supplies left behind by the victors and the defeated.
Places of Power
Arguably the most important Points of Interest are the Places of Power. Finding one allows Geralt to draw the energies from these stone monuments, providing a temporary magical enchantment to one of his magical Signs. They also award Geralt an Ability Point which can then be used to buy upgrades from his Character Ability trees.
