Reason of State in The Witcher 3: How to Unlock It and Dijkstra or Roche?
Witcher 3 Reason of State: how to unlock it, the cutoff, killing Radovid, and whether to side with Dijkstra or Roche, plus what each choice means for the war.
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Updated October 2026. Reason of State is the side quest that decides who wins the war in The Witcher 3. Dijkstra, Roche and Thaler plan to assassinate King Radovid, and at the end you choose between Dijkstra and the Temerians. That choice, or skipping the quest entirely, decides the fate of the North, and it's also one of the conditions for Ciri's Empress ending. It's easy to miss: it has strict requirements and a hard cutoff.
Quick answer
How to unlock it: finish A Deadly Plot, get An Eye for an Eye and Redania's Most Wanted, and bribe Dijkstra (don't break his leg) at the end of Blindingly Obvious.
Cutoff: it fails if you start On Thin Ice first.
Final choice: defend Roche, Ves and Thaler (Nilfgaard wins), or walk away (Dijkstra takes over Redania).
Reward: 25 XP. Suggested level 30.
How to Unlock Reason of State
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| A Deadly Plot | Complete it. That means doing Triss's quests first: A Matter of Life and Death and Now or Never. |
| An Eye for an Eye | Get it and reach its end. It can be failed: let Ves die after her health bar appears. |
| Redania's Most Wanted | Get it and search Philippa's hideout for the Polished crystal. You can fail it by never returning to Radovid. |
| Blindingly Obvious | At the end, bribe Dijkstra with information about Emhyr instead of breaking his leg. |
Cutoff: Reason of State fails if it isn't finished before you start On Thin Ice. Finishing Battle Preparations is the last safe point.
Reason of State Walkthrough
1. The Warehouse by the Docks
After Blindingly Obvious, Dijkstra asks you to meet him at a warehouse near Novigrad Docks. Warehouse of Woe takes place right next door: if you've started it, finish it first, because it fails if you leave the area. Inside, Dijkstra, Roche and Thaler explain the plan: lure Radovid to the bridge to Temple Isle with Philippa Eilhart as bait. You can accept or decline.
2. Philippa's Ring
Outside, Philippa says Radovid won't fall for empty words and gives you Vizimir II's ring as proof. Go to Radovid's ship nearby and talk to the guard. The ring convinces Radovid, and he takes his men, and Geralt, to the bridge.
3. The Ambush on the Bridge
On the bridge, Radovid orders Geralt killed while he's unarmed, but Roche's ambush saves him. You start with a basic sword and get your own gear back after the first few enemies. The Blue Stripes fight well; just stay away from exploding barrels. When Radovid is cornered, Philippa appears, blinds him with powder and kills him, then flies off as an owl.
4. The Choice in the Theater
Roche, Ves, Thaler and Geralt celebrate in the theater. It turns out the Temerians have made a deal with Nilfgaard: Temeria becomes a vassal state in exchange for Radovid's head. Dijkstra refuses the deal. He wants to become Chancellor of Redania, keep fighting Nilfgaard and later unite the North, and his men surround the room.
| Choice | What happens | Effect on the war |
|---|---|---|
| Defend Roche, Ves and Thaler | Fight and kill Dijkstra and his men. | The deal stands: Nilfgaard wins the war, with Temeria as a vassal state. |
| Walk away | Dijkstra's men kill Roche, Ves and Thaler. | Dijkstra becomes Chancellor of Redania; Nilfgaard loses. |
| Don't do the quest at all | Radovid lives. | Nilfgaard loses. |
Reason of State and Ciri's Ending
If you took Ciri to see Emhyr, the war decides between two of her endings. The Empress ending needs Nilfgaard to win, which means defending Roche here. If Nilfgaard loses (you walk away, or skip the quest), Ciri gets the Witcher ending instead, as long as your other Ciri choices were good. Our Something Ends, Something Begins guide has the full conditions, and our endings guide covers the fate of the North.
Known Bugs
- Radovid comments as if you brought him the crystal, whatever you did with it in Redania's Most Wanted.
- Sometimes the final cutscene doesn't play after you kill Dijkstra's men. Jump over the fence left of the stage, go back to the warehouse at the docks and kill Dijkstra's men there.
Video: Reason of State
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhy don't I have Reason of State?
You probably broke Dijkstra's leg at the end of Blindingly Obvious, or skipped A Deadly Plot. You need to finish A Deadly Plot, have the other two assassination quests, and bribe Dijkstra.
QShould I side with Dijkstra or Roche?
It depends on the ending you want. Defending Roche means Nilfgaard wins (needed for the Empress ending). Walking away puts Dijkstra in charge of Redania.
QWhat happens if I don't do Reason of State?
Radovid survives and Nilfgaard loses the war.
QWhen is the cutoff for Reason of State?
It fails when you start On Thin Ice, so finish it before you tell Avallac'h you're ready in Battle Preparations.
QCan I save both Dijkstra and Roche?
No. In the theater you either fight Dijkstra or walk away.
More: Novigrad guide and all Witcher 3 quests.
Sources: in-game quest text and journal; requirements, choices and outcomes checked against the Witcher Wiki and Fextralife pages for Reason of State. Screenshots: gameplay frames from YouTube walkthroughs by Nikolaevna, xLetalis, Prithish Srinivasan and Ultrawide GC.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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