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So! Geralt is an extremely skilled individual, on top of the whole being-a-superhumanly-strong-magic-mutant thing. Witchers go through tons of training in addition to their alchemically-induced mutations. Geralt is a master of swordsmanship, typically wielding a pair of hand-and-a-half bastard swords (one for monsters and one for people, not at the same time). He’s also a gifted tracker, able to follow and locate targets most could not. Finally, he also has knowledge of how to craft and use powerful alchemical potions to give him even more of an edge in battle. We’ve got a lot to learn!

Combat

We’re going to start, as we always do, with his combat style. As stated above, Geralt favors large hand-and-a-half or “bastard” swords, typically wielded with two hands. No one does modern recreations of European sword arts better than HEMA (the society for Historical European Martial Arts). For starters, you can check out The HEMA Alliance Website. It’s got a lot of info about their history, the styles they study, manuals, etc. After that, you’ll probably want to check out Club Finder to see if there’s a club local to you. If there isn’t, don’t fret! Stop by the forums on the official site and ask for some advice on how to go about founding your own chapter and beginning study!

Keep in mind, in your study, that Geralt has a very unique style, as well. He flows through his moves, almost as though he’s dancing. It’s a graceful power that speaks of mastery of his art, as well as mastery of his own body. In your own practice, look to increase fluidity, and maintain a sense of form in every movement. Don’t waste your time on powerful, overbearing attacks, but instead try to “be like water,” as Bruce Lee once said.

Tracking

Geralt has had cause to track animals, people, and monsters in his career as a Witcher. These finely honed skills have served him well, and saved his life on a few occasions, as well. Want to get started in tracking? Well, I’d love to say I’m an authority on tracking, but I’m not. Luckily, other people are, and I’ve found some awesome stuff for you to get started with.

First and foremost, one of my favorite finds comes from my own home state of New Jersey! I give you the Outdoor Action Guide to Animal Tracking! It’s got a fantastic overview of different tracking techniques, and you can also download it as a PDF for on-the-go reference!

Next up comes the Nature Skills tracking article database! These folks have some more general overviews, as well as animal-specific articles, if you’re trying to follow something in particular! There’s also a whole bunch of other sections of the Nature Skills website that would also fall well within Geralt’s skill set, so check out the whole place!

Finally, here’s a cool PDF with a whole bunch of animal tracks on it! The Animal Track Identification Guide!

Alchemy

So! Magical alchemy isn’t really a “thing” in the modern world. I mean, some people claim it is, but I tend to veer towards the side of proven science here on the blog. That said, we do have our own version of alchemical potions in nutritional supplements! This is a pretty broad field to get into, and more than the scope of a single blog post, but I do cover it more in depth in Potions and Power-Ups! Just for funsies, here’s one of the more popular recipes from the book!

Elixir of Brilliance

Give your brain a boost with this one! Similar to our mana potion, this one will get your brain primed and ready for a fight! Give yourself a mental edge!

Ingredients:

12 oz. water, OR 8 oz. water, 4 oz. coconut water

4 oz. fruit juice

100 mg. caffeine (reduce a bit if you don’t use caffeine often)

200 mg. L-Theanine (if you reduce your caffeine, double it up for your L-Theanine requirements)

450 mg. Bacopa Monnieri

5 mg. creatine (not necessary if you’re already taking creatine as part of your supplement schedule – your body will just dump what it doesn’t use, no sense wasting it)

Green food coloring (optional)

Preparation:

If you’re getting your supplements in powder form (cheaper, but make sure you have a medical scale so you don’t overdose), then add them all to a shaker jar or tall glass, then mix in liquid ingredients. If they’re in partial or all pill/cap form, then just prepare what you can in the liquid ingredients and then just take the pills with the liquid.

Like I said, that’s just a sample of what you’ll find in the book. I also give an overview of all the ingredients featured in that and every potion, so you get an idea of why it works the way it does. Once you understand the why, then you can start making up your own concoctions, bringing you one step closer to Witcher status!

So! That’s it for The Skills of Geralt! Tune in on Thursday for The Mind of Geralt! Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace