kcd2 hermit quest

The Hermit Quest Guide

KCD2 Hermit quest guide for Radovan's sword route, witness investigation, Apollonia clues, missable A Sinful Soul setup and the safest order.

Updated 2026-05-07 side Trosky Medium risk

Short answer

Do the optional witness investigation before rushing to the Hermit. Talk to Betty, Gerda, Stanislav and the villagers, inspect the cross with a spade, then follow the Apollonia clues. This keeps the follow-up task A Sinful Soul available and prevents the quest from becoming a blind sword fetch.

Run profile

Questline
Blacksmith Radovan route
Player intent
Players want the Hermit location, sword route, and whether the optional witness work matters.

Watch before you commit

  • Skipping the witness chain can cost you the follow-up task A Sinful Soul.
  • A rushed combat-first route gives less context and is weaker for role-play and completionist runs.
  • Bring a save before the Apollonia investigation because the route mixes dialogue, clue reading and danger.

Practical route

  1. 1 Start with Blacksmith Radovan in Tachov after progressing his Wedding Crashers route.
  2. 2 Ask Innkeeper Betty about the Hermit, then exhaust the extra questions about the apparition and witnesses.
  3. 3 Talk to villagers, Gerda and Shepherd Stanislav before entering the final Apollonia stretch.
  4. 4 Bring a spade and inspect the cross west of Troskowitz for documents that explain the story.
  5. 5 Read every letter or book the quest gives you before making the final report to Radovan.
  6. 6 Return the sword material only after you are satisfied you have gathered the optional truth.

Why This Quest Is Worth Doing Slowly

The Hermit looks like a blacksmith errand: Radovan wants material for an unbendable blade, so Henry needs to find the man in Apollonia. That surface objective is only half the quest. The useful route is an investigation about rumor, fear and what the village thinks it saw.

Players who only follow the marker can finish, but they lose the best part of the quest: why the Hermit matters, what the apparition story hides and how the optional witness chain sets up later content. Treat the first half as a case file, not a travel chore.

Best Investigation Order

Start at Troskowitz tavern. Betty is the anchor NPC because she opens the witness leads. Ask about the Hermit, then keep asking about the apparition, the cross, Gerda, Stanislav and the route. If you leave the conversation too early, you may miss useful objectives.

After Betty, sweep the village conversations. Gerda can be convinced or paid. Stanislav can be persuaded, paid or given alcohol depending on your inventory and build. These small costs are worth paying because they turn a vague forest story into a readable sequence.

Cross and Documents

Bring a spade before you inspect the cross west of Troskowitz. The buried materials are not decorative lore; they explain the background of the order and help you understand what kind of man Henry is dealing with.

Read the documents before moving on. KCD2 often hides the important answer inside item text, and this quest rewards players who slow down long enough to connect testimony, documents and the physical scene.

When to Commit

Commit to the final Apollonia route only after the witness and document work is done. This gives you a cleaner journal state and lets you report back with confidence instead of guessing based on a single conversation.

If you are doing a blacksmith route into the wedding, this is one of the best early quests for learning how KCD2 handles optional truth. The sword matters, but the route you take to understand the Hermit matters more.

FAQ

Can I finish The Hermit without the optional witnesses?

Yes, but it is a worse route for completionists because the optional witness chain is tied to later follow-up context.

Do I need a spade?

Yes, bring one before investigating the cross so you do not waste a trip back to town.

Source and accuracy note

This page combines official edition and publisher context with community-discovered route information. It avoids copying competitor screenshots or proprietary maps. When a route is community-led rather than fully verified, the map labels it accordingly.

PowerPyx route reference