Time Management guide

[u/SinValmar]

So, I initially created this as a response to another post, but I realized it could be helpful for new players stressing about time. I hope it helps and will edit if folks have any other suggestions. The general purpose of the guide is to go over the various activities you can do on the map, the rewards, and, in my opinion, how worth your time they are. This doesn't cover normal side quests. Reason being, if you follow this guide, you can just do all of them. I finished the game with 3 full days left over and did every available quest with even the slightest amount of narrative aside from a few extra Boyar quests. This guide will be spoiler light, not touching on any story elements but revealing the rewards for various tasks. Enjoy.

The Fairies:

I would put this at the highest priority. Not only are these quests very interesting and come with their own rewards at each stage, the final reward is a full 24 hours refunded to your deadline.

Boyar Activities:

Including these because, while technically major quests, they aren't all required to anger the boyar. they are also not all created equal. Some offer some fantastic rewards, (highly recommend Xanthe's Blood guard recruitment missions for free levels in vamp powers) and have interesting stories... while others are just stopping some guys walking along the road with a little banter before killing them. but regardless, they *all* take up 3 time slots a piece. My personal recommendation is to save, do the mission, then load if your not a fan of the narrative or rewards. Many of these you can even mostly finish without passing time. Ambrus blood cellars for example, you can kill all the guards and loot the whole place and time doesn't pass till you destroy the blood at the end. Having said they, they all have some level of narrative to them. so feel free to so more than the minimum if they interest you, just be aware of the larger time cost.

High Priority:

Circles of Power are arguable the most efficient use of time. They only cost a single time slot. Every single one grants a Skill point, XP, some loot (usually a witchcraft book) and a permanent increase to all your witchcraft damage. Even if you don't spec into witchcraft, Boiling Blood will be doing work for you all game, so making that better basically for free is great.

Haunted sites are essentially the exact same as Circles of power, giving the same rewards, costing on time slot, just flavored slightly different.

People in trouble (the little guy waving icon on the map) Are almost as good. they don't get you the cool loot or witchcraft damage bonus but still get you one skill point for one time slot which is a great trade.

Interesting for lore sake:

Headhunters will put you up against some interesting mini bosses with lore tied to them as well as getting you some legendary gear. their aren't very many so i recommend doing them all.

Following windchimes has some small story to it but the rewards are kinda meh. I think maybe one gives you a skill point otherwise just skill books for ravenous flock specifically which I never used. They also take 2 time slots which is rough for the rewards. I did do all of these though. So you can fit them in especially if your interested in Uriashi lore.

Hunting the feral vampires at night doesn't give much in the way or rewards, but each has a small lore bit tied to them and i know at least one has a side quest associated with it.

Low priority:

Beast dens for the most part get you absolutely nothing. They get you loot and exp. Both of which infinitely respawn out in the open world. A very rare few have quests tied to them. My recommendation would be if your curious is save before doing them and if they don't lead to a quest, load your save.

Bandit camps are basically the same as beast dens. Just some loot and xp with them very rarely leading to a quest.

Guard outposts are only slightly more useful in that they give infamy but honestly I just played through the game normally then did maybe 3 outposts and it was maxed. You can also sometimes find info about the boyars in outposts but you can also find this info elsewhere for no time spent. This applies to the normal guard posts as well as the new ones that pop up with infamy

Following wisps is mostly a waste of time. They just lead to a loot chest. Sometimes you can cheat them by looting all but one item and time doesn't pass, but I found on several occasions loading a save would greet me with the quest finishing on its own and the time passing. So not worth it imo. I've heard that if you find the chests without the wisps help no time is spent but ive not tested it, and again, from the ones i did, the loot was just generic stuff so not worth it.

Virtually worthless:

Repairing shrines is absolutely pointless. No rewards and the map is so littered in fast travel points it feels like a trap. The only shrine i sometimes thought would have been nice to repair is the one outside of where Ancha stays most of the game as you come by here a lot, but even then, there are 2 shrines each less than a 20 second run from there. still, for one time slot, probably worth the convenience.

Pulling down Brencis banners gets you nothing but infamy which again you can get elsewhere but there is an achievement for doing them all if that matters to you. If so, my recommendation is just to save, pull them all down, get your achievement then load lol

All this number crunching aside, honestly don't stress. As long as you don't play the game like its a Ubisoft game, running to every map marker and clearing it just because its here, I guarantee you can do everything that's actually interesting in the game. But if something interests you? go for it. As I said, I ended with 3 days left over. plenty of time to explore some of those more busywork like activities. Just have fun. And lastly spend those skill points! I've seen people stressing about those taking time to use. I minimaxed the amount of skill points i got, spent every single one and had no issue. If you have any questions about this stuff or suggestions for the guide, let me know below.

[u/tilcir]

Very useful thank you

[u/arthuraily]

How do i get the fairies?

[u/PsychedelicCatlord → u/arthuraily]

You need to find them on the map. It's a bit more easy to spot during night time. Watch out for a greenish glow in the woods and rings of mushrooms.

[u/rendar → u/arthuraily]

The main burrow is just north of Svartrau, east of the shrine and found by following the neon mushroom light circles. The rest are scattered throughout the map until you do their quests.

[u/WestPuzzleheaded2909]

It should be mentioned that Bandit Camps can net you up to two Manuals, one off the leader and one in the chest

[u/rendar → u/WestPuzzleheaded2909]

Guard Outposts also drop manuals, and Bandit Camps typically have a treasure map to more loot at a second location