Shock Therapy in The Witcher 3: Walkthrough, Best Choice and Reward
Witcher 3 Shock Therapy walkthrough: where it starts, how to scare Egill (when to use Aard), the best choice, fixes if it is stuck at 2/3, and the Iorveth Gwent card reward.
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Updated October 2026. Shock Therapy is a short, funny side quest on Skellige in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. A druid asks Geralt to "cure" his friend Egill, who has stopped talking, by giving him a scare. It takes about five minutes, and it is how you get the Iorveth hero card for Gwent.
Quick answer
Start: the cave entrance west of the Gedyneith signpost on Ard Skellig. Suggested level 24.
How to finish: scare Egill three times, each at the right moment: Aard the hornet's nest while he prays on the rock, Aard the pots while he lies on his mat, and put out his fire while he warms himself.
Best choice: there isn't one. Every dialogue answer leads to the same ending and the same reward.
Reward: the Iorveth Gwent card and 75 XP.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Quest type | Secondary quest |
| Region | Skellige (Ard Skellig) |
| Location | Gedyneith, the druids' grove |
| Suggested level | 24 |
| Reward | Iorveth Gwent card + 75 XP |
| Missable | No, you can do it any time you are on Skellige |
How to Start Shock Therapy
The quest is not on a notice board. Travel to Gedyneith, the druids' sacred grove on Ard Skellig, and look for the cave entrance just west of the signpost. A druid there calls Geralt over. He explains that his friend Egill has lost his voice and that herbs and elixirs have not helped, so he wants to try something new: scare or annoy Egill into speaking, without hurting him.
If you turn him down the quest does not fail, so you can come back later.
Shock Therapy Walkthrough
Egill, marked as the taciturn druid, is a few steps from the cave on a small hill. You can talk to him, but he only answers with a rude gesture. Turn on your Witcher Senses and three things light up: a hornet's nest, a set of pots and his campfire. The trick is that each one only counts while Egill is doing a specific thing, so watch him and wait for the right moment.
| When Egill is… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Praying on the rock ledge | Cast Aard at the hornet's nest |
| Lying on his mat | Cast Aard at the pots |
| Warming himself at the lit fire | Walk up to the fire and put it out |
1. Stir up the hornet's nest
Wait until Egill kneels on the rock ledge to pray, then cast Aard at the hornet's nest. The bees swarm him and he answers with a gesture. The objective goes to 1/3.
2. Bang the pots
When he lies down on his mat to rest, cast Aard at the pots next to him. The racket wakes him up.
3. Put out his fire
When the fire is lit and he is warming himself, walk up to it and use the interact button to put it out. This third scare finally breaks him.
The Ending: A Vow of Silence
Egill starts shouting at Geralt and then realises what he has done: he was never ill. He had sworn a vow of silence three years ago for religious reasons, and Geralt has just made him break it. Whatever you answer, he storms off to have words with the druid who set this up.
Go back into the cave. The quest giver laughs about his prank, you can answer however you like, and he gives you the Iorveth Gwent card (plus 75 XP). Stay a moment longer and you can hear the two druids argue.
Shock Therapy Best Choice
There is no wrong answer in this quest. Your replies to Egill and to the quest giver are just for flavour: the ending, the reward and the rest of the game are the same whatever you pick. Choose the line you find funniest.
Stuck at 2/3? Fixes
Aard won't fire at the pots
The game can think you are aiming at Egill, who is not a valid target, so the sign does not go off. Make sure Aard is your selected sign, then move around and try different angles until the cast goes through.
The scare did not count
Each action only counts at its own moment (see the table above). Use Witcher Senses: the nest, the pots and the fire light up in red, and you can see what Egill is doing right now.
Egill keeps standing at the fire
He can stay at the fire for a while, even after you put it out. Wait a little, or step away and come back so his routine moves on.
Still stuck
Players report the counter can hang at 2/3. Repeat the actions in the right order, and if nothing changes, load a save from before the quest.
The Iorveth Gwent Card
Iorveth is a hero card for the Scoia'tael deck, so weather and other effects do not touch him. If you are collecting every Gwent card, do this quest as soon as you reach Skellige.
Video Walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhat is the best choice in Shock Therapy?
There isn't one. Every dialogue option leads to the same ending and the same reward: the Iorveth Gwent card and 75 XP.
QWhere does Shock Therapy start?
At the cave entrance west of the Gedyneith signpost on Ard Skellig. A druid calls Geralt over.
QHow do you scare Egill in Shock Therapy?
Aard the hornet's nest while he prays on the rock, Aard the pots while he lies on his mat, and put out the fire while he warms himself at it.
QWhy is Shock Therapy stuck at 2/3?
Usually the action was done at the wrong moment, or Aard did not register on the pots. Try a different angle; if it still hangs, load an earlier save.
QWhat level is Shock Therapy?
The suggested level is 24, but there is no combat, so you can do it at any level.
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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