The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers is a secondary quest in The Witcher 3 that begins with bounty hunter Djenge Frett in Blandare, east of Rannvaig. To complete it successfully, you need to join Djenge in hunting the three Grossbart brothers inside the Grotto and keep him alive during the fight.
The quest can unfold differently if you’ve already encountered the brothers before meeting Djenge. The cave also contains several valuable diagrams and manuscript pages worth collecting before you leave.
How to Start The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers
Travel to Blandare, located east of Rannvaig in Skellige, and look for a bounty hunter named Djenge Frett.
Speak with him to learn that he’s searching for the Grossbart brothers.
What happens next depends on whether you’ve already killed them.
If You Already Killed the Grossbart Brothers
If you encountered and defeated the Grossbart brothers before speaking with Djenge, Geralt tells him that he’ll need to find another bounty.
Djenge asks where their bodies are, and Geralt provides the location.
You’ll receive 20 Crowns, but The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers won’t begin as a regular quest because its main targets are already dead.
If the Grossbart Brothers Are Still Alive
If you haven’t encountered the brothers, Djenge mentions that he’s traveling south and suggests that he and Geralt may cross paths again.
After the conversation, head south toward the Grotto east of Fyresdal.
That’s where you’ll find Djenge again and begin the main part of the quest.
Where to Find Djenge Frett in the Grotto
Enter the Grotto and follow the right-hand path through the cave.
You’ll eventually encounter Djenge Frett again. Speak with him, and he’ll ask Geralt to join him in hunting the Grossbart brothers.
Agree to help him.
Refusing is effectively the failure route. Djenge continues into the cave alone, confronts the brothers without Geralt’s help, and dies.
If you want to successfully complete the quest and receive its reward, accompany him.
How to Kill the Grossbart Brothers
Continue deeper into the Grotto after agreeing to help.
You’ll eventually encounter all three Grossbart brothers, triggering the main fight.
The brothers themselves aren’t the only concern. Djenge aggressively charges into combat, and the quest fails if he dies.
You’ll therefore want to eliminate the brothers quickly while preventing them from overwhelming your temporary ally.
Aard and Igni are useful because they can disrupt or damage multiple enemies during the fight.
You can also use Axii on Djenge before the battle to temporarily slow his advance. This gives Geralt time to move ahead and engage the Grossbart brothers first, reducing the amount of damage Djenge takes.
Once all three brothers are dead and Djenge has survived, speak with him to finish the quest.
He rewards Geralt with 50 Crowns.
Can Djenge Frett Die?
Yes, and keeping him alive is the most important requirement for successfully completing The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers.
There are two main ways to lose him:
Refusing his offer: Djenge enters the cave alone and is killed by the Grossbart brothers.
Letting him die during combat: Even after agreeing to help, Djenge can be killed during the fight if the brothers focus their attacks on him.
The safest approach is to accept his offer and immediately take control of the battle yourself. Use Signs to interrupt the brothers and draw their attention away from Djenge.
All Notable Loot in the Grotto
Don’t leave immediately after defeating the Grossbart brothers.
The brothers themselves don’t carry particularly valuable equipment, but three chests in the area contain several useful crafting diagrams and alchemy manuscripts.
Notable loot includes:
- Diagram: Longclaw
- Manuscript Page: Superior Samum
- Diagram: Nilfgaardian Guardsman’s Armor
- Manuscript Page: Dancing Star
- Diagram: Enhanced Ursine Armor
The Enhanced Ursine Armor diagram is especially worth picking up if you’re working toward upgraded Bear School Witcher gear.
Search the Grotto thoroughly before leaving so you don’t have to return for any of the diagrams later.
The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers Rewards
Successfully completing the quest with Djenge alive rewards 50 Crowns, while players who already killed the Grossbart brothers before meeting him receive 20 Crowns after telling him what happened.
The more valuable reason to explore the area, however, is the collection of diagrams and manuscript pages hidden in the Grotto.
If the brothers are still alive when you first meet Djenge, agree to work together, keep him out of danger during the final battle, and loot all three chests before leaving. That completes The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers while securing everything worthwhile from the cave.
