The monsters that you get to fight inThe Witcher 3are some of the most unique and varied in gaming. While griffins, trolls, and basilisks are standard fare in most virtual worlds we explore, leshen and fiends are not. A witcher contract in Novigrad seems to introduce a common virtual punching bag to the game by naming an imp as the target.

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An annotated screenshot from The Witcher 3, with an orange circle over the Hierarch Square contract board.

Contract: An Elusive Thief will have you help a merchant hunt down a thief that had recently stolen his food for the good of the Novigrad market. The contract will have Geralt hot on the heels of a rare monster.

Picking Up The Contract

This witcher contract is found at the Hierarch Square notice board, titled"Contract: Imp".The quest will automatically begin once you pick it up.Read the contractto get the quest marker leading you to the merchant that posted it, Sylvester Amello.

Amello tells Geralt thathe was robbed by an imp,describing it as a large cat that climbed up a high wall. Geralt is not convinced by the merchant’s description but will accept the contract.

A screenshot of Geralt using his Witcher Senses to observe a set of cat-like prints in a town market.

This is your chance tohaggle with Amello.While negotiations are not an exact science, it is advisable tostart around 75 percentof the total reward and lower it in increments of15 percentto get a better deal.

Once the price is settled, the job can begin.

Tracking Down The Imp

Activate Witcher Sensesand search the areato the left of Amello.Geralt will notice alarge set of cat paws,lending some credence to his claims.

Follow these tracks to the nearby bridge, where they will stop. Once again,use Witcher Senses to investigate the last print.Geralt will notice that the tracks continue onto the wall itself.

Geralt’s Witcher Senses highlight a set of tracks on a river bank outside Novigrad as they transform from cat-like to human-like.

The tracks continue for a short distance beforeentering the moat,disrupting them. you’re able to pick up the trail again bytaking the nearby stairs downand searching for the tracks again. They will lead to a house and have transformed into humanoid feet.

In the house, search the first floor for aletter written by one doppler to anotheron a table directly opposite the front door.

Geralt’s Witcher Senes highlight a letter on a table inside a modest house in the outskirts of Novigrad.

Then,go to the second floorand inspecta pile of clothes by the bed.Geralt will deduce that the monster is, in fact, a doppler and not an imp. He will also find a scent thathe can track.

Confronting The Doppler

Following the trail, Geralt will encounter a rare sight; atemple guardsman talking to an elfwithout any outward signs of aggression. The guardsman will try to maintain his cover but fails in the face of Geralt’s detective skills. He willrun from Geralt, forcing you to chase him.

You need torun up to the doppler and interact with himto end the chase and confront him.

Geralt looks at a pile of clothes on the ground, highlighted by his Witcher Senses.

Cornered, the dopplerassumes Geralt’s formand fights you in a bid to escape. The fight endsafter you deplete most of his health.

The doppler has accessto the usual witcher attacks.He will attack quickly with a sword and can usesome signs such as Quen.Despite these tricks, he isnot a difficult opponent.

Geralt eavesdrops on a Temple Guard talking to an elf in the outskirts of Novigrad in The Witcher 3.

With the fight over, you’re able to choose tospare the doppler or kill him.

Sparing The Doppler

Considering that this doppler’s actionshad not truly harmed anyoneand that the species as a whole is rarely malicious, you may choose to spare him. In doing so, he willgive you a hefty 215 crownsand the crafting diagram for the Steel Sword,Gnomish Gwyhyr.

This sword has atwo percent higher critical hit chanceand deals50 percent more critical damage.

A doppler assuming Geralt’s form raises his hand in surrender after being cornered by the Witcher.

Unfortunately, the merchantwill not give you the full paymentfor sparing the doppler as Geralthas no proof of the kill.You will receive half, ending the quest.

This decision doesproduce more moneythan killing the doppler.

Killing The Doppler

If you choose to kill the doppler, you will have tofight him one more time.As you may have observed, the doppler is not much of a warrior. He will behave similarly toa humanoid swordsmanin a vain attempt to defend himself from you.

Killing the doppler may not paint you in a great light, but it will let you collect the rareDoppler Mutagen and Trophy.These items cannot be found elsewhere in the game, making thisyour only chance for collecting them.

Geralt braces as a doppler attempts to hit him with a sword by the Novigrad moat.

The Doppler Mutagen is used to make the Doppler Decoction. The decoction willincrease damage dealt from the backby50 percent.

The merchant will be pleased with your work andgive you the full payment,ending the quest.

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