In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, "A Dangerous Game" stands out as one of Novigrad's most engaging side quests. Unlocked after rescuing Dandelion during the main story, this mission tasks Geralt with assisting his old friend Zoltan Chivay in tracking down three extremely rare Gwent cards. Successfully navigating this quest requires careful exploration, tactical decision-making, and awareness of potential story locks.
Starting the Quest and Locating the First Card
To begin the journey, head to the Rosemary and Thyme inn located in Novigrad where Zoltan is arguing with local thugs. After intervening in the conflict, Zoltan explains that he needs help retrieving three rare cards: Isengrim Faoiltiarna, John Natalis, and Fringilla Vigo. Your first destination is the house of a fence named Zed to secure the Isengrim card.
Upon finding Zed's front door locked, Geralt must climb scaffolding on adjacent buildings to enter through an upper level. Inside, you will discover Zed's body along with two hostile bandits who hold the Isengrim card and the front door key. Using your Witcher Senses and the Aard Sign, break the floorboards under the stairs to locate Zed's ledger, which reveals the remaining card locations.
Retrieving the Remaining Gwent Cards
Next, track down Ravik at The Golden Sturgeon tavern to retrieve the John Natalis card. Inside, you will find Ravik trapped by criminal thugs who offer a game of Gwent for his life and the card. Regardless of whether you win or lose the card match, a fight will ensue, requiring you to defeat the thugs to claim the card from the body or from Ravik himself.
For the final card, meet Zoltan outside Caesar Bilzen's house. While Zoltan distracts Caesar with drinks, head upstairs, examine a knife on a sideboard, and use a hidden key to unlock a secret room containing the Fringilla Vigo card. As you prepare to leave, hostile guards arrive, giving Geralt the choice to defend Caesar or leave him to his fate.
Concluding the Transaction and Quest Rewards
With all three cards collected, Geralt meets Zoltan to finalize the transaction with a buyer, which quickly turns into an ambush. Pursue the criminal Duke through the city sewers, where you can either spare or finish him off after he is wounded. Finally, return to Zoltan to make a crucial choice regarding your reward.
Players can choose to take a gold reward or keep the three rare Gwent cards for their own collection. Since these specific cards are extremely difficult to acquire elsewhere, choosing the card reward is widely considered the optimal choice for completionists. Be sure to complete this mission before initiating the Brothers in Arms storyline to avoid failing the quest automatically.
