Quen
Quen covers Geralt in a protective shield that absorbs a limited amount of damage. The basic shield usually breaks on the first hit it takes. Upgrades let it take more, and its strength scales with Sign intensity.
How It Works
- Quen wraps Geralt in a shield that soaks up damage.
- Higher Sign intensity makes the shield stronger.
- Light armor regenerates Stamina fast, which lets Geralt recast Quen often in a fight.
Active Shield
Active Shield is the alternate mode of Quen: a shield Geralt holds up. Keeping it up and blocking attacks with it drains Stamina, and the damage it absorbs restores Geralt's Vitality. In Remastered it needs Exploding Shield.
Before Remastered, keeping the shield up drained 50% less Stamina at level 2 and none at level 3. Blocking attacks cost the same at every level.
Quen Skills
Remastered rebuilt the skill trees with three ranks per skill. Exploding Shield is a starting skill. Active Shield needs Exploding Shield.
| Skill | Rank 1 |
|---|---|
| Exploding Shield | The shield pushes enemies back when it breaks; the push grows with rank |
| Active Shield | Alternate mode: a held shield; holding it and blocking with it drains Stamina; absorbed damage restores Vitality |
| Fortify Signs | Yrden, Quen and Axii duration +20% |
Gear That Boosts Quen
- The Glyph Of Quen armor upgrade gives +5% Quen Sign intensity.
- The Toussaint Knight's Steel Sword relic carries +30% Quen Sign intensity.
- The Ami silver sword relic carries +30% Quen Sign intensity.
Before Remastered
The old Quen line held Exploding Shield, Active Shield, Quen Intensity and Quen Discharge.
| Skill | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploding Shield | Push back | Push back, damage | Push back, damage, knock-down chance |
| Active Shield | Full Stamina drain | Drain -50% | No drain |
| Quen Intensity | +5% | +10% | +15% |
| Quen Discharge | 5% reflected | 10% reflected | 15% reflected |
The Active Shield drain applied to holding the shield. Blocked attacks drained the same Stamina at every level. Quen Discharge reflected part of the absorbed damage back at the attacker.
All Mechanics
| Group | Pages |
|---|---|
| Signs | Signs, Aard, Igni, Yrden, Quen, Axii, Sign Intensity |
| Stats | Attack Power, Critical Hits, Armor Piercing, Adrenaline Points, Vitality, Stamina, Toxicity, Experience, Resistances, Damage Types and Effects |
| Skills and Mutations | Skills, Combat Skills, Cat School Techniques, Griffin School Techniques, Bear School Techniques, Mutagens, Mutations, Cat Eyes |
| Other Systems | Combat, Witcher Senses, Gwent, Reforge |
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