The Witcher 3: Black Pearl walkthrough

The Black Pearl quest in The Witcher 3 is one of the more harrowing quests in the game. Geralt, as per usual, finds himself helping out Nidas with tracking down a black pearl of his own as a gift to his wife. Of course, things don't go as smoothly as planned and Geralt ends up doing what he does best - killing monsters - but even with the black pearl acquired, things don't go quite to plan for Nida, either.

That's where the sad part unfortunately comes in. To point you in the right direction, here's how to complete the Black Pearl quest in The Witcher 3.

The Witcher 3: Black Pearl walkthrough

The Black Pearl quest begins and ends in The Golden Sturgeon inn in Novigrad in The Witcher 3, but you need to go to Skellige for the bulk of the quest (which means completing Destination: Skellige), so bear that in mind if you add it to your quest log on your initial Novigrad exploration.

Nidas is on the hunt for a black pearl, found off the coast of Skellige, as a romantic gift for his partner. He also won't just accept one from you, if you happen to have one in your inventory. Agree to help him with his quest.

If you've been to Skellige before, you can get to the waypoint pretty easily via the Eldberg Lighthouse signpost. Otherwise, Arinbjorn is your best bet for fast travel. You'll have yo make some of the journey overland, jumping across the gaps in broken bridges.

Meet Nidas and follow him to the pearl beds. Save your game, down a Killer Whale potion to make this easier (and apply Necrophage Oil, if you like), and then use your Witcher Senses to locate shells on the sea floor. Loot them till you get a black pearl, then return to the beach.

As you return, Nidas is being attacked by Drowners (and sometimes a Siren), so take them down - fast. The quest fails if Nidas dies, so you'll need to be swift to ensure he doesn't come to an unfortunate fate.

When you've successfully defended Nidas, he confesses that he hasn't brought coin with him but vows to pay you back later. For the best results, just go along with it. You will get paid!

Go ahead and meet Nidas back at The Golden Sturgeon in Novigrad to receive your reward. Sadly, the quest doesn't have the result Nidas had hoped with him telling you about his wife's illness, and how he thought the black pearl may help but it didn't. Have a few feelings as you bid him farewell. The quest wil conclude here and Geralt's wallet will be a few Crowns heavier.

If you're clearing up secondary quests, here's our Novigrad secondary quests guide.

Alternatively, if you fancy doing something else as Geralt for a bit, here's our The Witcher 3 guide and walkthrough to help you out.