In The Witcher 3, should you kill John Verdun or accept his coin?

The Witcher 3 places a small but memorable moral choice in Velen during the game's early stages. John Verdun is the man at the center of the short quest At The Mercy Of Strangers. The updated guide on November 1, 2026, by Kaitlyn Peterson aims to clarify where to find the quest and what happens after Geralt decides whether to rescue him.

Background: The Riverbank in Velen

Spoiler warning: This article reveals quest outcomes and later consequences.

During early travel through Velen, Geralt can encounter a man tied up by a riverbank while a pack of hungry drowners threatens him. The quest is not far from Hanged Man's Tree, where Geralt first enters Velen. The route runs east through Mulbrydale until reaching the coast. There, the player hears a man screaming for his life while under drowner attack.

This setup matters because the encounter is small in scope but high in consequence. The player must first protect John Verdun from the necrophages. After the drowners are slain, Geralt can speak with him. Because he has been tied up and left for dead, the guide notes it is worth checking whether he is an upstanding member of society.

Development: The First Choice, Save Him or Leave Him

John Verdun introduces himself as a Temerian deserter. He says the caravan he tried to escape with tied him up and left him to die. The player must decide whether to set him free or leave him defenseless at the mercy of monsters.

The branch is simple: release Verdun to experience the second half of the quest. If the player lets him die, the quest ends there. This is a major decision, especially from John Verdun's perspective, and it also changes what the player sees later.

Development: The Second Choice, 50 Crowns or Killing the Bandit Leader

If released, John Verdun does not simply disappear. Later, he can be found north of the Pontar, between the Widows' Grotto and Ursten Fast Travel points. By then, he has done well for himself and has come to lead a group of bloodthirsty bandits who have killed several refugees.

When Geralt meets him again, Verdun offers coin as a token of gratitude for the earlier rescue. The player can choose between taking his coin or killing him instead.

The choice labeled 'I'll take the coin' gives 50 Crowns. The guide notes that this is not a small amount of money early in the game, but it is not much. The choice labeled 'Should've left you back there on the bank' requires the player to kill Verdun and his gang. The player can then loot them and sell their equipment, which is likely to net more in the long run.

Why the Update Changes the Reading of the Quest

The November 1, 2026 update by Kaitlyn Peterson says the article has been updated for clarity so readers can find all information needed to complete the quest as easily as possible. It also includes more information about what becomes of John Verdun, so the player can decide whether the consequences are worth the reward.

For readers, the practical takeaway is that At The Mercy Of Strangers is not only a rescue mission. It is a two-stage decision. The first stage asks whether a stranger's life deserves protection. The second stage reveals what that rescue can become: a small immediate payment of 50 Crowns or a later confrontation with a bandit leader whose rise is tied to Geralt's earlier choice.

Current Stage: A Short Quest With a Long Shadow

The quest begins in early Velen and can end quickly if John Verdun is left on the riverbank. If he is freed, it continues later north of the Pontar, where his bandit group and refugee deaths create a second choice. At the current stage of the guide, the key numbers remain 50 Crowns for taking his coin and the combat route through killing Verdun and his gang for better long-run loot potential.