(DIR) <- Back
# Gothic 1 game guide
Last modification on 2022-08-07
**Disclaimer:**
Some (including myself) may find some of these hints/exploits cheating. This
guide is just for educational and fun purposes. Some of these hints/tips apply
to Gothic 2 as well. I got the meat exploit from a guide somewhere on the
internet I can't recall where, anyway kudos to that person. Some of the
exploits I discovered myself.
## Configuration
### Widescreen resolution
Gothic supports widescreen resolutions with a small tweak, add the following
text string as a command-line argument:
-zRes:1920,1200,32
This also works for Gothic 2. Here 1920 is the width, 1200 the height and 32
the bits per pixel, change this to your preferred resolution.
### Fix crash with Steam version
Disable steam overlay. If that doesn't work rename GameOverlayRenderer.dll in
your steam folder to _GameOverlayRenderer.dll. I strongly recommend to buy the
(HTM) better version from »GOG.com«. The GOG version has no DRM and allows easier
modding, it also allows playing in most published languages: German, English,
Polish, furthermore it has some original artwork and soundtrack included.
### Upgrade Steam version to stand-alone version and remove Steam DRM (Gothic 1 and 2)
You can install the Gothic playerkit and patches to remove the Steam DRM.
(HTM) »WorldOfGothic« playerkit patches:
(HTM) * Gothic 1 (EN): »https://www.worldofgothic.com/dl/?go=dlfile&fileid=28«
(HTM) * Gothic 1 (DE): »https://www.worldofgothic.de/dl/download_34.htm«
(HTM) * Gothic 2 (EN/DE): »https://www.worldofgothic.de/dl/download_168.htm«
### Play Gothic in a different language with English subtitles
If you're like me and have played the English version many times, but would
like to hear the (original) German voice audio or if you would like to play
with different audio than you're used to, then you can copy the speech.vdf file
of your preferred version to your game files. Optionally turn on subtitles.
I've used this to play the English version of Gothic with the original German
voice audio and English subtitles.
This works best with the version from GOG as it allows easier modding.
## Easy money/weapons/armour/other items
### Steal from Huno
At night attack Huno the smith in the Old Camp and steal all his steel. Then
make some weapons and sell them with a merchant. When you ask Huno about
blacksmith equipment it will respawn with 5 of each kind of steel. This is also
a fairly good starting weapon (requires 20 strength). Also his chest located
near the sharpening stone and fire contains some steel as well, lock-pick it.
The combination is: RRLRLL. The chest contains at least 20 raw steel, forge it
to get 20 crude swords which you can sell for 50 ore each to a merchant. This
will generate some nice starting money (1000+ ore) :)
### Steal weapons from the castle in the Old Camp
This tip is useful for getting pretty good starting weapons.
Before entering the castle itself drop your ore (Left control + down for me)
in front of it. This will ensure when you get caught (and you probably will ;))
no ore will get stolen by the guards. Now use the "slip past guard" technique
described below and you should be able to get into Gomez his castle. Run to the
left where some weapons are stored. Now make sure you at least steal the best
weapon (battle sword) and steal as much as you can until you get whacked. I
usually stand in the corner since that's where the best weapons are (battle
sword, judgement sword, etc). You'll now have some nice starting weapon(s) and
the good thing is they require very little attributes (about 13 strength).
### Free scraper armour the New Camp
In the New Camp go to the mine and talk to Swiney at the bottom of "The
Hollow". Ask who he is and then ask to join the scrapers. He will give you a
"Diggers dress" worth 250 ore. It has the following stats: + 10 against
weapons. + 5 against fire. This will also give you free entrance to the bar in
the New Camp.
### Unlimited water bottles in the New Camp
In the quest from Lefty you will be assigned to get water bottles from the
rice lord. He will give you infinite amounts of water bottles, in batches of
12.
### Armour amulet and increase HP potion
In the Old Camp in the main castle there are at least 3 chests with valuable
items that don't require a key:
* Middle right side (looking from the entrance), 1 chest:
* lock combination: LLLLRLRL
* loot:
* +15 against weapons, +15 against arrows (amulet of stone skin)
(worth: 1000 ore)
* additionally there are 2 locked doors at the right side in this room. In
the final room there are 3 floors with lots of chests.
* Left side, 1 chest:
* lock combination: RLLLLLRR
* loot:
* +8 mana amulet (worth: 600 ore)
* 2 potions (+70 hp)
* dreamcall (weed)
* 120 coins (worth: nothing)
* Right side, 2 chests with:
* lock combination: RLLLRLLR
* loot:
* armour amulets, +15 against weapons (worth: 600 ore)
* maximum life potion, +10 maximum life (worth: 1000 ore)
* speed potion (1 minute duration)
* 4 potions (+70 hp)
### Swamp/Sect Camp harvest twice
In the swamp-weed harvest quest you must get swamp-weed for a guru. After this
quest you can get the harvest again, but you can keep the harvest without
consequences.
## Exploits
### Slip past guards
This exploit is really simple, just draw your weapon before you're "targeted"
by the guard and run past them, this bypasses the dialog sequence. When you're
just out of their range holster your weapon again, so the people around won't
get pissed off.
Works really well on the guards in front of the Old camp's castle, Y'Berrion
templars and New Camp mercenaries near the Water magicians, just to name a few.
### Meat duplication
Go to a pan and focus / target it so it says "frying pan" or similar. Now open
your inventory and select the meat. Now cook the meat (for me Left Control +
Arrow up). The inventory should remain open. You'll now have twice as much meat
as you had before. Do this a few times and you'll have a lot of meat, easy for
trading with ore/other items as well. This exploit does not work with the
community patch applied.
### Fall from great heights
When you fall or jump from where you usually get fall damage you can do the
following trick: slightly before the ground use left or right strafe. This
works because it resets the falling animation. There are also other ways to
achieve the same thing cancelling the falling animation, such as attacking with
a weapon in the air.
## Experience / level up tips
### Test of faith (extra exp)
You get an additional 750 exp (from Lares) when you forge the letter in the new
camp and then give it to Diego. You can still join both camps after this.
### Fighting skeleton mages and their skeletons
An easy way to get more experience is to let the skeleton mages summon as much
skeletons as they can, instead of rushing to kill the summoner immediately.
After you have defeated all of them: kill the skeleton mage.
### Permanent str/dex/mana/hp potions/items and teachers
When you want to get the maximum power at the end of the game you should save
up the items that give you a permanent boost. Teachers of strength, dexterity
and mana won't train over 100 of each skill. However using potions and quest
rewards you can increase this over 100.
You should also look out for the following:
* Learn to get extra force into your punch from Horatio (strength +5, this
can't be done after level 100 strength). Talking to Jeremiah in the New Camp
bar unlocks the dialog option to train strength at Horatio.
* Smoke the strongest non-quest joint (+2 mana).
### Permanent potions in Sleeper temple
This one is really obvious, but I would like to point out the mummy's on each
side where Xardas is located have lots and I mean lots of permanent potions.
This will give you a nice boost before the end battle.
### Permanent potions as reward in quests
Always pick the permanent potion as a reward for quests when you can, for
example the quest for delivering the message to the High Fire magicians (mana
potion) or the one for fetching the almanac for the Sect Camp. Don't forget to
pick up the potions from Riordian the water magician when you're doing the
focus stones quest, it contains a strength and dexterity potion (+3).
### Random/beginner tips
* If you want to talk to a NPC, but some animation of them takes too long (like
eating, drinking, smoking) you can sometimes force them out of it by quickly
unsheathing/sheathing your weapon.
* When in the Old Camp: Baal Parvez can take you to the Sect Camp, he can be
found near the campfire near Fisk and Dexter.
Mordrag can take you to the New Camp, he can be found near the south gate,
slightly after the campfire near Baal Parvez.
When you follow them and when they kill monsters then you also get the
experience.
* The NPC Wolf in the New Camp sells "The Bloodflies" book for 150 ore. When
you read this book you learn how to remove bloodflies parts (without having to
spend learning points). After you read the book and learned its skill then you
can sell the book back for 75 ore. This investment quickly pays back: Per
bloodfly: sting: 25 ore (unsold value), 2x wings (15 ore each unsold value).
* The templar Gor Na Drak (usually near the old mine and walks around with
another templar): talking to him teaches you how to learn to get secretion from
minecrawlers for free.
* The spell scroll "Transform into bloodfly" is very useful:
* A bloodfly is very fast.
* Can also fly over water.
* The scroll costs 100 ore. Its the same price as a potion of speed, but it
has no duration (just until you transform back).
* You have no fall damage.
* You can climb some steep mountains this way.
* Some monsters won't attack you, but some NPCs will attack you.
* Your attribute stats will temporary change.
* It requires 10 mana to cast (low requirement).
* Almost all mummies that are lootable in the game (Orc temple and The Sleeper
temple) have really good loot: permanent and regular potions and amulets and
rings.
### In conclusion
When you use the tips described above Gothic should be a really easy game and
you should be able to get at a high(er) level with lots of mana/strength/hp.
Have fun!