Should I Kill the Succubus in The Witcher 3?

When It Makes Sense

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the best-known succubus choice occurs during the Novigrad contract Deadly Delights. Geralt tracks a killer to a merchant’s house and finds Salma, a succubus who claims the dead men attacked her first. The encounter is framed as a standard monster contract, and a lethal response is the expected witcher solution.

• Good fit: You want the concrete gameplay rewards tied to the contract. Killing Salma yields a succubus mutagen, a trophy, and the standard experience payout, all of which support alchemy, crafting, and character progression. This path also satisfies the city guard in Novigrad and lets Geralt complete the contract without leaving a dangerous creature alive.
• Good fit: You are roleplaying Geralt as a professional who honors signed contracts. From a traditional witcher perspective, a succubus is a monster listed in bestiaries, and Geralt’s job is to remove the threat. Choosing combat reinforces a disciplined, business-first interpretation of the character.
• Good fit: You prefer choices with clear outcomes and no need to deceive NPCs. If you spare Salma, you must return to the guard and report that she left the city; if you kill her, you can simply state the job is done. The lethal route avoids the ambiguity of lying about the target’s fate.

When You Should Avoid It

Although succubi are classified as monsters in-universe, they are also sentient, articulate beings capable of reasoning. Sparing the succubus can be a more nuanced resolution, especially for players who dislike executing intelligent creatures.

• Warning sign: You are running a merciful or good Geralt who distinguishes between aggression and self-defense. Salma’s dialogue suggests the victims were not random; if you find her account credible, killing her is a disproportionate punishment.
• Warning sign: You want the optional intimate scene and the extra journal entry. In Deadly Delights, letting Salma leave can lead to a brief romantic encounter that is permanently lost if you draw your sword. For completionists and players interested in character interactions, this can outweigh the loot.
• Warning sign: You are trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed for achievement or narrative reasons. Some playthroughs aim to keep sentient monsters alive whenever possible, and the succubus is one of the clearer cases where negotiation succeeds.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Loot and progression value. A dead succubus drops a succubus mutagen, which is used in alchemy and decoctions, and a trophy that can be equipped for small bonuses. You also receive the contract’s normal experience reward, making the lethal path materially efficient.
• Straightforward quest resolution. Reporting back after a kill is narratively clean: the threat is gone, the guard is satisfied, and Geralt’s reputation as a reliable witcher is upheld. There is no need to mislead the client about the target’s escape.

Cons

• Missed optional content. Sparing the succubus opens unique dialogue and a potential intimate scene, depending on dialogue choices. Once the fight starts, that content is locked for the rest of that playthrough unless you reload an earlier save.
• Narrative dissonance. Because the succubus can speak, negotiate, and explain herself, killing her can feel cold or inconsistent with a Geralt who routinely shows mercy to intelligent beings elsewhere in the game. Players who value roleplay coherence may regret the lethal option.

Decision Checklist

• What is your Geralt’s ethical baseline: does he kill every contracted monster, or does he weigh intent and sentience before acting?
• Do you need the succubus mutagen and trophy for your current build, or can you obtain similar bonuses from other contracts and crafting?
• Have you created a manual save before the dialogue branch? Because the consequences are minor but mutually exclusive, a save at the door lets you experience both outcomes.
• Are you comfortable telling the guard that the succubus fled if you spare her, or would that conflict with your roleplay as an honest witcher?

Alternatives to Consider

The main alternative is to spare the succubus and accept the reduced material reward. In Deadly Delights, this still lets you collect the contract payment if you tell the guard she has left Novigrad. If you are uncertain which outcome you will prefer, save the game immediately before entering the final conversation. After viewing one ending, you can reload and try the other. Beyond that, the choice has no lasting impact on the main story, romance arcs, or faction standings, so either path is easily justified within the context of a single playthrough.

Final Recommendation

If you are focused on rewards, alchemy ingredients, and a conventional witcher playthrough, kill the succubus: the mutagen, trophy, and clean contract report make it the practical choice. If you prefer a merciful, character-driven resolution—or you want the optional scene and extra journal entry—spare her instead. Because the long-term story impact is negligible, the decision should reflect your preferred version of Geralt rather than a hidden right answer. If you want exact drop tables or quest steps, consult an up-to-date Witcher 3 wiki or guide before making the final call.