Witcher 3 Gaunter O'Dimm Riddle Answer: How to Beat Master Mirror and Save Olgierd

Updated October 3, 2026. The answer to Gaunter O'Dimm's riddle in The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone is a mirror. You prove it inside O'Dimm's pocket world by reaching the ruined manor at the end of the road, finding the dry fountain next to a mirror, and blasting the cracked wall behind it with Aard. This guide covers how to unlock the challenge in the first place, the timer, the route, and exactly what each ending gives you.

The riddle O'Dimm asks (paraphrased)

When Geralt stakes his own soul against O'Dimm's claim on Olgierd von Everec, O'Dimm sets the terms: he chooses the riddle and the place, and Geralt has to find the answer before the clock runs out. The riddle is a short rhyme, and the walkthroughs at GameBanshee and the Witcher wiki reproduce it in full.

In plain terms, it describes something that:

• belongs to every person and every thing, yet some people avoid and dislike it;
• can be stared at and touched endlessly, but cannot be hurt by any blow;
• delights children, frightens the old, and pleases young women;
• cries when you cry, yawns when you yawn, and smiles when you smile.

That last part gives it away. The answer is a mirror, and it is a fitting one. Earlier in the expansion O'Dimm is called "Master Mirror", so the riddle quietly points back at the man asking it.

How to unlock the riddle challenge (do not skip this)

Many players never see the riddle at all. The contest is only offered if you complete an optional objective in "Whatsoever a Man Soweth...", the final Hearts of Stone main quest.

1. After "Scenes From a Marriage", the quest asks you to meet Olgierd's representative at the Alchemy Inn.
2. Before heading to the meeting with Olgierd at the old temple (the Temple of Lilvani, south of Oxenfurt), take the optional objective to visit Shani at the Oxenfurt Academy.
3. Shani introduces Geralt to Professor Shakeslock, who explains that pacts like O'Dimm's can be broken through a contest of wits.
4. Only then go to the temple and deliver the violet rose to finish Olgierd's third wish.

If you skip Shakeslock, the Witcher wiki is clear about what happens: O'Dimm simply claims Olgierd's soul, and there is no option to challenge him. If you are not sure whether you did it, make a manual save before entering the temple. Hearts of Stone's endings are tied up in a single conversation, so a save there lets you see both.

For where this fits in the wider story, see our full list of Witcher 3 quests.

The timer: how long you have

Once the contest starts, Geralt is pulled into O'Dimm's own world and a timer starts counting down. The sources do not agree on the exact figure:

• GameBanshee's walkthrough describes it as a five-minute limit that only starts once you leave the starting area.
• The author of a Nexus Mods time-extender mod says the vanilla limit is between 6.5 and 8 minutes, depending on difficulty.

In practice, either is enough if you follow the road and do not stop to fight everything. A few practical rules:

• If time runs out, it is a game over. The wiki says you have to reload a save.
• You cannot manually save inside O'Dimm's world, but GameBanshee notes the game makes a checkpoint save when you enter.
• The spectral monsters along the way can be avoided. They give XP if you kill them, but the clock keeps running while you fight.

If you play on PC and find the limit stressful, time-extender mods exist. Our guide on how to install Witcher 3 mods covers the basics. On the free next-gen update, check that a mod supports your game version before installing it.

Step-by-step route to the answer

The world O'Dimm builds is full of decoys. Points of interest and red herrings appear along the road, but the answer is at the very end. This route matches the GameBanshee, Gamepressure and Witcher wiki walkthroughs:

1. Follow the road away from where you start.
2. At the first fork, go right. Ignore the point of interest down the left path.
3. At the next fork, go left and pass under the rocks or bridge.
4. Go left again. A spectral monster lurks nearby and can be skipped.
5. Watch for a red beam of light. It marks a sword stuck in a stone, guarded by a spectre. Pulling it out gives you the Viper Venomous silver sword (optional, but you can only get it in this challenge).
6. Head for the manor house on the hill. Spectral gargoyles guard the approach, and you can fight or slip past them.
7. Enter the house. The floor gives way and drops Geralt into ruins below. The Witcher wiki recommends going in with at least half your health.
8. In the ruins, turn left immediately. You will see a mirror and a dry, broken fountain.
9. Use Witcher Senses on the cracked wall behind the fountain, then hit it with Aard.

Breaking the wall lets water flow back into the fountain, Geralt sees his reflection, and a cutscene plays in which he gives the answer. O'Dimm is bound by his own rules and has to give up both souls.

Common mistakes

• Stopping at early "clues". O'Dimm's world has things that look like answers, but none of them count until the fountain.
• Fighting everything. Gamepressure notes that oils, signs and bombs do not work on the phantoms, so long fights only burn time.
• Forgetting Aard. Examining the wall is not enough. You have to break it with the sign.

If the gargoyles keep catching you, our dodge vs roll breakdown helps you get through groups without stopping.

Ending 1: Beat O'Dimm and save Olgierd

If you solve the riddle in time, O'Dimm has to honour the contest. The pact is cancelled, Olgierd keeps his soul, and he admits he now has to live with what he has done. Wikipedia's plot summary notes that he vows to change his ways. O'Dimm leaves, beaten on his own terms, but nothing in the game says he is gone for good.

Rewards for this route, according to GameBanshee and Game8:

• Iris, Olgierd's steel sword, given to Geralt as thanks. The Witcher wiki says its special effect builds up with quick attacks: when the blade flashes red, a strong attack delivers a much heavier strike at a cost to Geralt's vitality.
• Viper Venomous silver sword, if you pulled it from the stone during the challenge.
• 200 XP for the quest.

This is the ending most players consider the "good" one, and it is the only way to get Iris. If you collect unique blades, compare it with the end-game silver sword in our Aerondight guide.

Ending 2: Let O'Dimm take Olgierd's soul

If you skipped Shakeslock, or you choose not to get involved, O'Dimm collects. Olgierd dies, and O'Dimm then offers Geralt a boon for his help, which you can turn down. Guides list 150 XP for this outcome.

The boons below are listed by GameBanshee, Game8 and the Official Witcher Wiki. Gamepressure describes the Bottomless Carafe as purely cosmetic and GameBanshee calls it a source of vodka, so treat its practical value as minor.

None of these comes close to Iris in long-term value. 5,000 crowns helps a little early on, but Hearts of Stone is designed for higher-level characters, who usually have money to spare by this point.

Which ending should you pick?

For rewards and for the story, beating O'Dimm is the stronger choice:

The achievement or trophy, Pacta Sunt Servanda ("Finish the 'Hearts of Stone' expansion"), unlocks with either ending, so you will not miss it by choosing one or the other. For how Hearts of Stone sits alongside the base game's outcomes, see our Witcher 3 endings explained.

Other O'Dimm riddles and puzzles players search for

"O'Dimm riddle" searches often turn out to be about other parts of the expansion, since Hearts of Stone is built around O'Dimm's wordplay. The main ones:

Olgierd's three wishes

Olgierd's wishes are deliberately written like riddles, because Olgierd expected them to be impossible. According to Wikipedia's summary:

• Entertain his brother Vlodimir, who is long dead. This is "Dead Man's Party": Geralt lets Vlodimir's ghost possess him for a wedding party.
• Retrieve the house of Maximilian Borsodi. The "house" is not a building. It is a casket holding the deed to the family business, stolen in the "Open Sesame!" heist.
• Bring the rose he once gave Iris, which leads to her haunted estate in "Scenes From a Marriage". Delivering that violet rose to Olgierd at the temple is what triggers the final confrontation.

Who or what is "Master Mirror"?

"Master Mirror" is one of the names O'Dimm goes by, which is why the riddle's answer feels like a signature. The game never fully explains what he is, and CD Projekt Red has left it open.

Can you fail the riddle and still continue?

No. Running out of time ends the game, and you reload. There is no way to lose the contest and keep playing. If you want the O'Dimm ending, choose not to intervene in the conversation instead.

Tips before you start the final quest

• Save manually before the temple. It lets you watch both endings and keep the one you prefer.
• Stock up on food and potions. The drop into the manor ruins and the gargoyles can take a chunk of your health.
• Have Aard ready. You need it for the final step, so make sure the sign is selected and you can cast it.
• Grab Shani's Gwent card. The Witcher wiki notes it is available at her clinic if you missed it earlier.

If combat in Hearts of Stone is giving you trouble in general, our Witcher 3 combat tips and parry and counterattack guide are worth a read before the final quest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources checked on October 3, 2026 against the Witcher wiki (witcher.fandom.com), the Official Witcher Wiki, GameBanshee, Gamepressure and Game8 walkthroughs, the Steam store page for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and CD Projekt Red's official Hearts of Stone trailer.