This is a guide to the best character builds you can make for Geralt in the game The Witcher 3. Read on to learn more information on which skills, glyphs, and runestones you should equip to make each build stronger and more effective.
List of Contents
See Also
Any tips for headshot kills w/ crossbow achievement?The Witcher 3: How to equip and use the CrossbowThe Witcher 3: How To Get And Use The Crossbow - The Beast Of Wild OrchidGuide to the Best Witcher 3 Builds (Updated for Next-Gen Patch)- Best Character Build
- Pure DPS (Critical) Build
- Pure Sign Build
- Combat and Alchemy Hybrid Build
- Combat and Signs Hybrid Build
- The Witcher 3 Related Links
Best Character Build
Pure DPS (Critical) Build
Pure DPS (Critical) Build mainly relies on increasing your raw damage and critical hit damage when using fast attacks to hit with enemies with maximum damage.
Skills
| Cat School Techniques | Branch: Combat Cat School of Techniques drastically increases the damage of your critical hits. |
| Fleet Footed | Branch: Combat Main defensive tool, making you invulnerable to attacks when dodging and also increases your Adrenaline Point gain. |
| Precise Blows | Branch: Combat Increases both your fast attack critical chance and fast attack critical damage. |
| Muscle Memory | Branch: Combat Strengthens the damage of your fast attacks and Adrenaline Point gain. |
| Deadly Precision | Branch: Combat Works well fast attacks because of its multiple hits in a short period of time giving Deadly Precision more chance to activate and instantly kill the enemy. |
| Whirl | Branch: Combat Gives you more Adrenaline Point gain and also gives you a strong attack where you can spend all your stamina. |
| Undying | Branch: Combat Drastically increases the survivability of the build specially against enemies that can kill you with one hit. |
| Battle Frenzy | Branch: General Alternative way of increasing your critical chance without sacrificing weapon damage for critical chance. |
Skills Ranking and Tier List for Pure DPS Build
Recommended Runes & Glyphs
| Runestones | |
|---|---|
 Greater Chernobog runestone | Increases your raw attack power, dealing massive damage to enemies while building your Adrenaline Points to Increase your critical chance. |
 Greater Svarog runestone | Increase the Armor Piercing of your sword attacks making your critical hits deal more damage. |
| Glyphs | |
|---|---|
 Greater Glyph of Aard | Increasing your Aard Intensity increases the chances of your Aard Sign to knock down surrounding enemies. This makes them vulnerable to your sword attacks and critical hits. |
Pure Sign Build
Pure Sign Build focuses on using signs and building up sign intensity during combat. Each Sign casted are more effective with its bonus effect, while raising stamina regeneration and consumption.
Skills
| Delusion | Branch: Sign Gives you more options to choose from during dialogues. Usually gives the best outcome to obtain more crowns and experience. |
| Melt Armor | Branch: Sign Permanently weakens the enemy armor making your attacks more effective during combat. |
| Puppet | Branch: Sign Allows you to control enemies to attack each other giving you the fighting chance even against high level enemies. |
| Rage Management | Branch: General Gives you more flexibility during combat even if you run out of stamina. |
| Aard Sweep | Branch: Sign Guarantees your Aard Sign to hit enemies and knocking them down for you to position yourself better or strike them Igni during combat. |
| Pyromaniac | Branch: Sign Makes your Igni more effective by increasing the chances of applying Burning on enemies when hit, to deal damage every few seconds for a short duration. |
| Igni Intensity | Branch: Sign Increases the intensity of your Igni Sign, which is your main tool in dealing damage to enemies. |
| Aard Intensity | Branch: Sign Increases the intensity of your Aard Sign making it more effective for combat. |
Skills Ranking and Tier List for Pure Sign Build
Recommended Runes & Glyphs
| Runestones | |
|---|---|
 Greater Veles runestone | This Runestone increases your Sign Intensity in general, making your offensive and defensive signs more effective. |
| Glyphs | |
|---|---|
 Greater Glyph of Igni | This Glyph will drastically increase the effectiveness of your primary tool in dealing damage to enemies. |
 Greater Glyph of Axii | Boosts your Axii Intensity and increases the duration of your Axii making it more effective during fights. |
Combat and Alchemy Hybrid Build
This build focuses on using heavy armor for increased survivability and maxing the effectiveness of potions for more health and increased damage.
Skills
| Strength Training | Branch: Combat Strengthens your primary tool when fighting and gives you more Adrenaline Point gain. |
| Synergy | Branch: Alchemy Makes the equipped Mutagens more effective and increases the duration of Potions. |
| Bear School Techniques | Branch: General Boosts your vitality while making your strong attack damage more effective. |
| Heightened Tolerance | Branch: Alchemy Allows you to use more Potions without having to worry about overdose. This ability also increases the duration of Potions. |
| Acquired Tolerance | Branch: Alchemy Drastically boosts your Maximum toxicity to use more potions and decoctions for combat. |
| Refreshment | Branch: Alchemy Increases the effectiveness of your Potions, giving you more healing for more survivability. |
| Crushing Blows | Branch: Combat Increases the chances of your strong attack to land a critical hit with increased damage. This ability also inreases your Adrenaline Point gain. |
| Undying | Branch: Combat Gives you more survivability making you extremely difficult to kill even when spamming slow strong attacks. |
Skills Ranking and Tier List for Combat and Alchemy Hybrid Build
Recommended Runes & Glyphs
| Runestones | |
|---|---|
 Greater Triglav runestone | Stunning the enemy will give you the opportunity to start dealing massive damage with your strong attacks without being punished. |
 Greater Zoria runestone | Freezing the enemy and slowing them down will give you more time to start winding up your slow devastating attacks. |
| Glyphs | |
|---|---|
 Greater Glyph of Quen | Boosts your defense preventing you from being vulnerable as soon as you start to winding up your slow strong attacks. |
Combat and Signs Hybrid Build
This Hybrid Build of Combat and Signs utilizes Adrenaline Points to increase the damage of both your Signs and your sword to combat enemies.
Skills
| Flood of Anger | Branch: Combat Using Signs with full Adrenaline Points unlocks all the bonuses of the used Sign with a large boost on your Sign Intensity. |
| Razor Focus | Branch: Combat Generates Adrenaline Points as soon as you enter combat, giving you a huge damage boost. |
| Focus | Branch: General Allows your Signs to also benefit from the Adrenaline Points damage boost on combat. |
| Resolve | Branch: Combat Prevents you from losing Adrenaline Points even when you take damage. This also increases your Adrenaline Point gain when you land your attacks. |
| Adrenaline Burst | Branch: General To give your Signs the ability to generate Adrenaline Points everytime it is used. |
| Griffin School Techniques | Branch: General Works well with Griffin Witcher Armors with set bonus to increase the effectiveness of your Signs. |
| Undying | Branch:Combat Increases your chance surviving enemies that can kill you with a single blow without Quen. This ability also increases your Adrenaline Point gain. |
| Melt Armor | Branch: Signs Permanently weakens the armor of enemies, making them more vulnerable to your sword attacks and signs. |
Skills Ranking and Tier List for Combat and Signs Hybrid Build
Recommended Runes & Glyphs
| Runestones | |
|---|---|
 Greater Perun runestone | Increases the Adrenaline Point gain, which is the main focus of this build, to stack up on damage for long fights. |
| Greater Chernobog runestone | Increases your attack power in general making your hits deal more damage. |
| Glyphs | |
|---|---|
| Greater Glyph of Igni | Increases the overall damage of your Igni Sign. |
| Greater Glyph of Quen | Gives you an additional defensive tool in combat while generating more Adrenaline Points. |
The Witcher 3 Related Links
| Completing the Story | |
|---|---|
| Controls and Techniques | Difficulty Level Differences |
| Does Dialogue Matter? | How to Fast Travel |
| Most Important Side Quests for the Story | Romance Guide |
| List of Endings and How to Get the Best Ending | What is Enemy Upscaling? |
| Things to Know Before Starting Witcher 3 | What is New Game+? |
| Should You Simulate a Witcher 2 Save File? | Which Version to Buy? |
| Fighting Like a Pro | |
|---|---|
| Combat Guide and Tips | Sign Tier List |
| Is Repairing Weapons and Armor Worth It? | |
| What are Adrenaline Points? | How to Fight on Horseback |
| How to Fight Underwater | What is Toxicity? |
| What are Mutations | What are Mutagens |
| Leveling Up & Getting Beefy | |
|---|---|
| How to Level Up Fast | Place of Power Locations |
| Best Character Builds | Best Early Game Skills and Builds |
| Skills Ranking and Tier List | Top Five Best and Most Useful Skills |
| How to Get Magic Acorn | How to Reset Ability Points |
| Best Death March Build and Tips for Survival | Max Level and Level Cap for Geralt |
| Obtaining Weapons & Armor | |
|---|---|
| Best Early Game Weapons and Armor | The Best Weapons, Armor and Equipment Sets |
| How to Upgrade Weapons and Armor | Most Rewarding Side Quests and Contracts |
| Witcher Gear Locations | Where to Find Blacksmiths and Armorers? |
| Which Trophy is the Best? | Best Crossbow and Bolts |
| Managing Money & Items | |
|---|---|
| Managing Your Inventory | Best and Worst Items to Sell |
| Where to Sell Junk | Where to Find Ingredients and Crafting Materials |
| Should You Loot Everything? | How to Dismantle Items |
| How to Make Money Fast | Can You Cook Food? |
| What Items to Buy From Shops | - |
| Just for Fun | |
|---|---|
| List of Hairstyles | Best Looking Armor for Geralt |
| How to Get Paintings | How to Win Horse Races |
