This guide will show you how to start the optional Griffin School Gear Quest, where to find and obtain all the diagrams and the requirements to craft the armor and weapons from the basic tier Griffin witcher set in the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.
This guide is up-to-date for The Witcher 3 Next-Gen version (Update 4.04)
Table of contents
How to start the Griffin School Scavenging Hunt Quest
There is no need to go out of your way to find the map fragment that will start the quest for you. When you find the diagrams, this quest will be completed for you automatically.
If you want to get the map fragment, visit the Armorer in Midcospse, in Velen. He may not be there if you visit “out of work hours”. Or simply said – look for him in the village during the day.
This NPC offers two map fragments. Purchasing both of them will start the Griffin School Scavenging Hunt side quests for the normal gear set and the upgraded version. But, we’ll guide you on how to get the upgrades in a different guide, of course. This NPC and location are mentioned in our guide to the Merchants in the Witcher 3 you have to visit!
The basic Griffin set requires level 11 to wear it. The quest has the same recommendation. You could go pick up the diagrams and craft the items earlier, but you will not be able to wear the crafted armor and weapons until you reach that level.
Visual Overview of the set
The Griffin School witcher gear used to look weird and funny, making Geralt appear as if he has been eating too much lately. Thankfully, CD PROJEKT RED listened to player feedback and altered the appearance of the armor (chest piece). Below you can see what it looks like as of the next-gen update, when this guide was written.
Where to find the Diagrams
All six diagrams are available in Velen. Despite being the second major area that is unlocked in the game, you don’t want to start this quest until you’re at least level 13-15. The order in which you get the diagrams doesn’t matter.
Griffin Steel Sword Diagram Location
Travel to Hindhold, a ruin in the middle of Velen. The Hanged Man’s Tree is the closest location, use quick travel to get there and ride north from there.
Once at Hindhold, you’ll find three Endregas that are level 11. Take them down, and climb up to the top of the structure.
A Harpie’s nest awaits you there, they’re level 7 so it’s not that dangerous. Defeat the Harpies and destroy the nest.
Once you finished them, look for the door that’s on the left side.
Go inside, there’s loot on the left side of the room. It contains the Griffin Steel Sword Diagram.
Griffin Silver Sword Diagram Location
The Silver Sword is located in Lornruk. It’s probable that the closest place you have unlocked to use quick travel is the Abandoned Tower.
This is the sight when you get there. Notice that there’s a Wyvern flying over the Lighthouse, lure it so you can fight it outside of the structure. It is a level 14 creature so be careful if you’re not high-level.
The bridge is broken so do not attempt to jump, you’ll fall and take a significant amount of damage. To get inside the Lighthouse you have to go around and get down to the circled area, near the Place of Power.
Once you’re in the water, dive and you’ll see a tunnel. There are five level 7 Drowners swimming there, have your crossbow ready. Get through the tunnel, and after a few meters, you will emerge in this cave. There’s only one way out of the cave so, it is located here:
Continue until you get to this area, and take the smaller stairs. You can go to the tower to get the loot that is there but the Wyvern will attack you (if you didn’t kill it earlier).
Up there, the chest with the Griffin Silver Sword diagram awaits you.
Griffin Boots, Armor, Trousers and Gauntlets Diagram Location
The boots, armor, trousers, and gauntlets are in the Dragonslayer’s Grotto. The location is northwest of Downwarren. Ride until you reach Dragonslayer’s Grotto. It is a Monster’s Den. You may or may not encounter level 5 wolves and a level 20 Leshen on your way there.
Inside, there are level 7 Wraiths waiting for you. There’s only one path to follow so you won’t get lost. Search the adjacent rooms with your Witcher Senses to obtain the loot.
It gets very dark inside, beware of the poison clouds. . Use Igni or Aard to get rid of the poison clouds.
When you get to the end of the corridor, use Aard on the wall that’s blocking the path. Prepare for a fight, before acquiring the diagrams you have to defeat one final enemy. A level 11 Ekimmara.
I always light a torch when fighting enemies in dark places, especially vampires. Devil’s Puffball, Vampire Oil, and Igni are very effective against the Ekimmara.
When the vampire is defeated, you’ll be able to collect your prize. Walk into the tomb, up the stairs and loot the chest behind the table with the candles.
This will complete the quest “Scavenging Hunt: Griffin School Gear”.
How to Craft the Armor and Weapons
Since this is the lowest Tier of the Griffin School Gear, you don’t need many things to craft it. Visit any Journeyman Blacksmith to craft the swords, and a Journeyman Armorer to get the armor set.
Crafting Materials Requirements
You need a Journeyman Armorer for the armor pieces and Journeyman Blacksmith for the swords. The materials to craft the armor pieces and both swords are easy to acquire. Excluding the materials that you get from killing monsters, you can purchase them all from the merchants that you visit to craft the gear. Remember that you can also dismantle things to get materials.
With this being a relatively early game witcher set, the crafting materials required are nothing special. You can easily find, buy or dismantle items to get the crafting materials listed at the end of the list for each item – things like Monster Eye, Monster Essense, Leather Straps and others. The most expensive items include Meteorite Ore and Meteorite Silver Plate.
Meteorite Ore
Can be looted, purchased or crafted. You can dismantle Meteorite Ingots into Meteorite Ore.
Meteorite Silver Plate
Can be purchased from Armorers and other craftsmen and merchants. You can also craft it yourself from Meteorite Silver Ingots.
Where to find an Armorer and a Blacksmith
It doesn’t matter which NPCs you visit to craft the items, but if you are not sure, I will mention two easily accessible and already available to you from your previous journeys on The Continent.
The Blacksmith in Novigrad can make both swords for you. He is on the northern side of the open market area. This is just west and south of Hierarch Square.
If the NPC is not there, meditate for a bit. This one works on a regular daily shift and if you visit at night, the shop will be closed.
You can visit Crow’s Perch or Kaer Trolde to find an Armorer for the other four pieces of the set. Here is the location of Fergus Graem and Yoana.
Griffin School Gear Set Stats
The normal (tier 1) Griffin School witcher gear set is medium armor and requires you to be level 11 or higher to wear it. It doesn’t have any set bonuses, only Grandmaster witcher sets have set bonuses and they are available in Toussaint, from Blood and Wine DLC.
This set is ideal for sign builds as it increases Sign Intensity.
Do not sell or destroy the items you crafted, even if you don’t plan to wear them or replace them at some point in your journey. To craft the next tier of each witcher gear set, you need the items from the previous tier.
How to get the Legendary Version of the Griffin set
The Griffin School Witcher Gear set is available in New Game Plus (NG+) in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. The Scavenging Quest and all diagrams are located in the exact same places as in the normal game.
In NG+ this set is called Legendary Griffin witcher set. The word “legendary” is added to acknowledge that you are acquiring the NG+ version of the set. It has the same type of stats, but offers higher values across the board. It also requires the same types of crafting materials.
You can follow this guide for NG+ as well. In some cases the enemies may be more in numbers (and of course, at much higher levels). But that should not bother a seasoned witcher, right?
The Griffin School in The Witcher’s Lore
The School of the Griffin was founded by Erland of Larvik to prevent the Witcher’s order strength to fade. He created a new discipline focused on magic, preparedness, and flexibility.
The Griffins proudly kept some of the “knightly” values of the original Witcher order. They eventually became well-known and respected by the other schools due to their fighting style and study of magic. Unlike the rest of the schools, the Griffins had no issues killing dragons.
A group of mages wanted the knowledge of the Griffin School but they refused to share it. As consequence, when anti-witchers feelings spread amongst the people this caused the death of many witchers of the School of the Griffin.
This concludes the guide on how to find and craft the diagrams of the Griffin School Gear Set in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. Check out the rest of the available The Witcher 3 Gear Sets guides here on VULKK.com
