Witcher 3: How Your Choice at the Inn Affects Crow’s Perch
James Whitfield
3 min read
A pivotal choice during The Nilfgaardian Connection main quest in The Witcher 3 determines which route Geralt must take to reach Crow's Perch and confront the Bloody Baron. The encounter at the Inn at the Crossroads sets the stage for this branching path, with peaceful resolution offering the straightforward approach while combat forces players to find an alternate entrance.
When Geralt arrives at the Inn at the Crossroads searching for information about the Nilfgaardian spy Hendrik, the Baron's men show up and create a disturbance. Players face multiple dialogue options to handle the situation. The most direct approach involves telling the soldiers to leave, which triggers combat and requires killing them. Additional guards wait outside the inn, though players can slip out the back door to avoid a second fight. Alternatively, Geralt can identify himself as a witcher, causing the soldiers to stand down without violence. A third option involves buying the men drinks, which opens further dialogue branches where Geralt can maintain civility or escalate to combat. The peaceful approaches also reward players with additional information about the Baron himself.
The consequences of this choice become apparent when attempting to enter Crow's Perch. If the inn encounter remained peaceful, the guards at the fort's main gate will recognize Geralt and grant him passage without incident. A sergeant will then direct him through the fortress toward the Baron's chambers. This straightforward route represents the easiest path through the quest.
Should players choose to kill the Baron's men at the inn, the guards at Crow's Perch will refuse entry at the main gate. However, this does not prevent progression through the Bloody Baron quest—it simply requires finding an alternative way inside. Players must travel down to the village below the fort and locate an old man sitting atop a pile of wood. Speaking with him reveals a story about a boy who drowned in the moat, with his hat later discovered near a well inside the castle walls. This anecdote hints at a submerged passage connecting the external river to the interior.
The old man offers to provide directions to the hidden entrance for 15 Crowns, though players can refuse payment and locate it independently. Either way, the path leads toward a shrine on Crow's Perch's northwestern side. From there, players must spot an underwater cave entrance across the moat, dive into the water, and swim through the passage. The cave interior is poorly lit and contains a Water Hag that should be eliminated before proceeding. After navigating through the cave and climbing several ledges and a ladder, players emerge through an old well inside the fortress walls. A cutscene plays showing the Baron in conversation before he notices Geralt's arrival.
Regardless of which entrance method players use, the next step involves reaching the Baron's chambers and initiating dialogue with him. This conversation confirms that Ciri visited Crow's Perch during her time in Velen. The Baron then proposes an exchange: he will share more details about Ciri's stay in exchange for Geralt's assistance with his own personal troubles, advancing the quest narrative.
The choice between peaceful negotiation and combat at the inn ultimately determines player convenience rather than quest availability. While the main gate route proves faster and more direct, the hidden cave entrance provides an equally valid path for those who prefer a more confrontational approach. Both routes lead to the same destination and story progression, offering flexibility in how players experience this critical moment in The Witcher 3's main storyline.
