Witcher 3 Now or Never Quest Guide: Best Choices

Now or Never is a late-Novigrad main side quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It’s the direct follow-up to A Matter of Life and Death and serves as a turning point for both Triss Merigold’s storyline and the fate of Novigrad’s persecuted mages.

This quest is time-sensitive; if you progress too far in the main story (Isle of Mists), it will fail automatically.

How to Start Now or Never

• Prerequisite Quest: Complete A Matter of Life and Death.
• Trigger: After finishing that quest, wait 24 in-game hours. Triss will send a messenger boy to invite you to her hideout.
• Location: Triss’s hideout in Novigrad, near the harbor.

Step 1: Meeting Triss

You’ll learn that Triss is helping Novigrad’s mages escape persecution by the witch hunters. Geralt can choose whether to help. If you agree, the rescue mission begins immediately.

Step 2: Escorting the Mages

• Fight through groups of witch hunters on the way to the Kingfisher Inn.
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• Dialogue choices with Triss here begin shaping the romance path.

Pro Tip: Equip Igni or Northern Wind bombs; the confined streets make crowd control invaluable.

Step 3: Defending the Kingfisher Inn

Inside the inn, you’ll face more witch hunters as the mages prepare to board a ship. Triss will decide whether to join them; this is your chance to influence her.

Romance with Triss

The key romance choice happens during this quest:

• When Triss says she must leave with the mages, select “Stay with me” and then kiss her on the docks.
• If you hesitate or stay silent, Triss will sail away, locking you out of her romance for the rest of the game.

Important: You cannot fully romance both Triss and Yennefer; trying to do so results in the infamous “threesome fail” quest later.

Consequences of Now or Never

1. Triss’s Fate:
2. • If you convince her to stay and confess your love, she remains with you in Novigrad.
   • If not, she leaves with the mages, altering dialogue and romance options later.
2. Novigrad’s Mages:
3. • Helping Triss means the mages escape safely.
   • Refusing leaves them to die, which affects certain world states and NPC interactions.
3. Game Endings:
4. • Saving the mages contributes positively to Novigrad’s overall fate in the ending slides.
   • Romancing Triss changes Geralt’s personal ending depending on whether you also pursue Yennefer.

Pro Tips from Experienced Players

• Do it before Isle of Mists: Missing this quest is one of the most common regrets among first-time players.
• Roleplay Fit: If you’re playing Geralt as pragmatic but loyal, siding with Triss makes narrative sense; he doesn’t abandon friends.
• Money Tip: Loot witch hunters for swords and armor; they fetch high coin at Novigrad blacksmiths.

Now or Never in The Witcher 3 is more than a side quest; it’s a branching point that locks in Triss’s storyline, romance, and the destiny of Novigrad’s mages. If you want Geralt’s path tied closely to Triss, or simply want to secure the “good Novigrad” ending, this quest is non-negotiable.