Contract: An Elusive Thief in The Witcher 3: Walkthrough and Whether to Kill or Spare the Doppler
Witcher 3 An Elusive Thief walkthrough: tracking the "imp", the doppler fight, and what you get for killing him (mutagen, trophy) or sparing him (Gnomish Gwyhyr diagram).
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Updated October 2026. Contract: An Elusive Thief is a Novigrad witcher contract about an "imp" stealing from market stalls. The thief turns out to be a doppler, a shapeshifter, who fights Geralt wearing Geralt's own face. At the end you decide whether to kill him or let him go, and the rewards are very different.
Quick answer
Start: the "Contract: Imp" notice on the Hierarch Square board, then talk to Sylvester Amello at the market. Suggested level 13.
Kill the doppler: full reward from Sylvester, plus the doppler mutagen (your only chance) and the doppler trophy (+5% gold).
Spare the doppler: he gives you some crowns and the Diagram: Gnomish Gwyhyr sword, but Sylvester pays only half.
Don't lose him: the quest fails if he gets too far ahead during the chase.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Quest type | Witcher contract |
| Region | Novigrad (The Bits, Farcorners) |
| Suggested level | 13 |
| Quest giver | Sylvester Amello, merchant |
| Enemy | Doppler (optional fight) |
Do Racists of Novigrad first. You can't avoid its elves during the chase, and one of the two quests fails if they are still active.
How to Start the Contract
Take "Contract: Imp" from the notice board on Hierarch Square and talk to Sylvester Amello at his stall at the market during the day. He describes the "imp" and lets you investigate.
Walkthrough: Tracking the "Imp"
- Use Witcher Senses at the stall: the tracks look like a large cat. Follow them to a wall where the thief dropped some food; the tracks turn into scratch marks.
- Follow the scratches to the bridge. The thief jumped into the moat, so jump in after it and swim to shore. The tracks become human footprints.
- They lead to a house with a wide-open door. Read the letter on the table: the "imp" is a doppler.
- Upstairs, examine the clothes to pick up a strong lavender scent and follow it outside.
- You find a guard chatting oddly friendly with an elf. Talk to them: the doppler changes form and runs. Stay close, or the quest fails.
Fighting the Doppler
Catch up and grab him. After a short talk he fights you as a copy of Geralt, with your own abilities. Bring his health down to about a quarter and he surrenders and begs for mercy. If you run away instead, he follows you everywhere on the Velen/Novigrad map until you beat him.
Kill or Spare the Doppler?
| Choice | From the doppler | From Sylvester | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill him | Doppler trophy and doppler mutagen | Full reward | He fights like a normal bandit, so he is easy to finish |
| Spare him | Some crowns and Diagram: Gnomish Gwyhyr | Half the reward (no trophy to show) | You miss the mutagen and trophy for good |
| Ask him to impersonate Menge (only between Count Reuven's Treasure and The Play's the Thing) | Nothing; he runs off | Half the reward | Just a funny extra dialogue |
Which is better? Kill him if you want the doppler mutagen (needed for the doppler decoction) or the +5% gold trophy: this is your only chance at both. Spare him if you want the Gnomish Gwyhyr diagram, a strong steel sword, or simply don't think a thief deserves to die. Neither choice affects the story.
Video Walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
QShould you kill or spare the doppler in An Elusive Thief?
Kill him for the doppler mutagen, the +5% gold trophy and the full reward. Spare him for the Gnomish Gwyhyr diagram and some crowns, with only half the reward from the merchant.
QWhere does An Elusive Thief start?
From the Contract: Imp notice on the Hierarch Square notice board in Novigrad. Then talk to Sylvester Amello at the market during the day.
QWhy did An Elusive Thief fail?
Most likely you lost the doppler during the chase. Stay close behind him. It can also fail if Racists of Novigrad is still active.
QHow do you follow the doppler?
Read the letter in the house, then examine the clothes upstairs to pick up the lavender scent and follow it with Witcher Senses.
QIs the doppler mutagen missable?
Yes. This contract is the only way to get it, and only if you kill the doppler.
Quest details checked against the Witcher Wiki in October 2026.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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