Find out how to complete Devil by the Well contract in The Witcher 3. Tips and strategy for defeating the Noonwraith boss in White Orchard!
This guide is up-to-date for The Witcher 3 Next-Gen version (Update 4.04)
The first challenging and serious contract Geralt can pick up in White Orchard is called Devil by the Well. It involves a bit of tracking and research and, of course, an epic fight with a Specter. This guide will show you how to start the quest Devil by the Well and how to defeat the Noonwraith creature!
To defeat the Noonwraith from Devil by the Well quest in White Orchard, you will rely heavily on the Yrden sign. Quick movement and precise sword strikes are important as well. Moon Dust Bomb and Specter Oil will improve your chances in this fight.
If you play on higher difficulty and on your first playthrough, it will be quite a challenge.
If you find it confusing that I am fighting a level 53 Noonwraith in the images below, please note that the visual materials for this guide are taken from New Game + (NG+). The mechanics of the fight and the objectives of the contract are identical.
How to start Devil by the Well contract
All over the world of the game you will find Notice Boards. They are usually placed in the middle of each village or town. One such board is also available in White Orchard -along the main road crossing the village, west of the Inn.
There are a few notes and two quests available on it. One of them is the topic of this guide – “Contract” Devil by the Well”.
It’s an optional quest, also known as side quest. You can continue with your adventures and return later or get to it right away as you pick it up.
If this is your first playthrough, you might encounter some difficulties. This is the first serious witcher contract in the game, so CD Projekt RED have done a good job helping you out, but a few key details are still left to be learned by you, as you play through it.
Full Quest Walkthrough
Once you have the contract, open your Quests log and select it as active quest to track. This will allow you to see its objective at the top right corner of your screen, just under the mini map.
From the Notice Board head west until you reach Odolan’s house. This is the guy that posted the contract and it’s his well that is haunted by this mysterious ghostly creature.
Go inside and speak to Odolan to learn more about his contract and discuss the price for your work.
Next, head south towards the well and the abandoned village. Depending on when you arrive – time of the day – the Noonwraith may or may not appear.
If you arrive late in the evening or during the night, you will see her roaming around the well. If it’s daytime, you wont see her.
In any case, seeing her there will not change the outcome of the quest. If you do see her, you will have to fight her a bit. Then she will disappear and you will be prompted to continue with the next steps for this quest.
If you wish to avoid this first fight, approach the village and the well during daytime.
Examine the grass and ground near the well using your Witcher Senses to find trace of the creature.
Next, open your Bestiary and read the newly appeared segments about Devil by the Well and Noonwraiths under the Specters section.
Most Specter creatures in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt are vulnerable to the following things Geralt can use:
| Icon | Item / Action | How it affects Specters |
|---|---|---|
 | The Yrden witcher sign | Makes the ghost turn into a physical form, which allows Geralt to deal damage to it |
 | Moon Dust Bomb | Similar effect as Yrden – makes them take physical form, so you can deal proper damage. |
 | Specter Oil | Increases the damage you deal to Specter creatures if applied to the Silver Sword before or during combat. |
The first one, Yrden, will always be available to you, regardless of when and where in your adventures as a witcher you are. The second and third, however, need to be crafted first and this is something you won’t be able to do right away.
If you are doing the quest in NG+ you should know that all learned formulas and obtained items will remain in your inventory when you start the game again as NG+.
The next step is to explore the three abandoned houses around the well and look for clues about the Noonwraith.
You will find what you are looking for in the house located on the eastern side of the well.
As you enter inside, turn to your left. There’s a book on a table on the left side and a human skeletal remains on the right.
Reading the notes from the book will give you insights on who that Noonwraith might have been and what happened to her.
The bones on the right will show you a clue that you must then follow outside of the house. Check the bloodstains on the floor and on the frame of the entrance door.
Now, head out and inspect the area around the well for more blood stains to find out what happened to the woman.
Finally, examine the blood stains on the rope to see a short cinematic revealing what is inside the well – a corpse with a missing left hand.
To learn more, you need to jump into the well. Dive under water to find the missing bracelet. Use your Witcher senses to help you locate the item on the ground underwater.
The item is right in the middle of the underground lake and your witcher senses will make it very easy to spot it. Explore the area looking for treasures.
At this early stage of the game, Geralt can only survive for a short period of time under water as indicated by the blue line at the top of your screen.
To exit the well and get back above the ground, face the side of the late opposite to the waterfall. You will be able to get out of the water there.
As soon as you get out of the water a short cinematic will play with Geralt inspecting the bracelet he just found.
Follow the narrow passage around until you reach another small water pool. Jump in it and dive under water again.
The passage leads you north. Before you turn to the east, you can get a fresh breath of air at the cross section. Then turn east and swim until you see the end of the cave.
Get back to the abandoned village and burn the body next to the well. A short cinematic will play out before the final fight against the Noonwraith begins.
How to defeat the Noonwraith
This fight is significantly tougher if you are going into it as a fresh new witcher. The only trick at your disposal might be Yrden, but it will be enough.
At the very beginning or before you start the fight, be sure you use any potion at your disposal if you want to make the fight easier. The Spectral Oil will increase your damage done if it’s applied to your silver sword (Geralt uses his silver sword for magical/special creatures like this one).
If you have a Moon Dust Bomb, throw it at the Noonwraith to disable her ghost form and force her to take a physical form. This will allow you to deal proper damage with your sword.
If you don’t have any of the above, focus on using Yrden and Quen.
When the Noonwraith appears, place a Yrden sign on the ground and lure her inside. This will prevent her from assuming ghost form and force her to stay in physical form.
Applying Quen to yourself will absorb a certain amount of damage or number of hits from the Noonwraith in case you can’t avoid them all.
Speaking of avoiding damage – you can easily avoid any and all attacks of the Noonwraith. Dodge and roll when you see her reach towards you will be enough.
While in her physical form, use any and all types of attacks at your disposal to deal as much damage as possible.
At a certain point she will split into several ghosts. When that happens, quickly run to each one and hit them. They should die from one hit. Any second you waste during this phase allows the Noonwraith to heal herself.
Quest Ending and Rewards
When you defeat the Noonwraith, remember to loot her remains! There’s always something useful that these creatures leave behind.
Finally, head back to Odolan in White Orchard. The 23 crowns is a miserable reward compared to the piles of crowns you will earn later on. If you want to be noble and show compassion to the guy, refuse to take his money.
I hope you found this Devil by the Well Guide and my instructions on how to defeat the Noonwraith useful! Don’t forget to stop by the Witcher 3 Guides section here on VULKK.com for more content that will help you on your path!
