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Nekkers[1]
Tw3 cardart monsters nekker
Gwent card image
General Information
Sub-races
phoocas[1]
Locations
forests, caves, ravines; live in underground hollows connected by tunnels[1]
Languages
series of screeches, grunts, and moans[1]
Physical Description
Height
of human child or taller
Hair
bald
Skin
greenish grey, sometimes with war paints[1]

Originally unnamed frog-like-jaw creatures from Something More short-story are given a name of nekker in CD Projekt's The Witcher franchise after a water spirit from Germanic mythology.[2]

In The World of the Witcher[ | ]

Nekkers are small, misshapen creatures that inhabit remote areas. They make their abodes in dark woods, damp gullies, and shadowy dales, where they live in colonies composed of anywhere from a dozen to several dozen individuals. Their lairs take the form of dugout hollows, interconnected by narrow underground tunnels. Nekkers use these pathways to quickly travel around their colony and its immediate surroundings, disappearing into the earth and then seeming to instantaneously pop up elsewhere.

The monsters communicate through a series of screeches, grunts, and moans. The wide variety of these sounds has led a group of scholars to theorize that these are not mere verbal cues, but actually a type of primitive language.

A typical nekker is as tall as a child of several winters, though some specimens can be taller again by a whole head. The creatures hunt in packs, with several members to each. They ambush their prey from their underground tunnels, trying to cut off the victim's avenues of retreat. Nekkers will then rush a cornered man or animal in a large mob, biting and slashing with their sharp claws. Their attacks are usually disorganized, as nekkers are not extraordinarily courageous, and individual specimens will frequently hesitate for a moment before overcoming their fear andmoving to attack. This pattern can be altered, however, by the presence of larger specimens, which are easy to identify because of their habit of spreading colorful clay over their snouts. These larger and more dangerous individuals, commonly known as "nekker warriors", specialize in hunting and fighting. They are also frequently found leading groups of their smaller brethren, and their presence alone is enough to spur other nekkers to fight more ferociously.

— pg(s). 135-136, The World of the Witcher

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt[ | ]

Nekker
Tw3 journal nekker
Details
Class
Ogroid
Variations
Nekker warrior
Hagubman
Phooca
Occurrence
Caves and Forests
Vulnerable to
Northern wind
Ogroid oil
Tactics
Attacking in packs
burrowing underground
Loot
Nekker eye
Nekker heart
Nekker claw
Lesser blue mutagen
Lesser green mutagen

Nekkers rarely attack alone, they tend to be found in groups near a nest. If the nest is not destroyed using either Samum or Grapeshot, they continue to spawn.

Bestiary entry[ | ]

Take heed, gents, there's nekkers under this here bridge. If you all cross at once, without slowing or stopping, there's nothing to fear. But if your cart throws an axle and you get stuck out there... Well, close your eyes and pray to Melitele.
— Kurt Hammerbach, city guardsman in Vengerberg
A lone nekker is harmless. Five are dangerous. Ten can kill even a veteran monster slayer. Particularly troublesome are the larger, stronger individuals known as warriors, as well as the rare breed of nekkers known as phoocas.

Notes[ | ]

  • Although phoocas do not appear in the Witcher games, the origin may be from the Irish folklore creature or spirit, Púca.

In The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings[ | ]

Nekker
Tw2 journal nekker
Details
Class
Others
Variations
Nekker
Nekker warrior
Occurrence
wooded areas
Immunity
none
Susceptibility
Silver swords
Tactics
they attack in groups

XP: 3 – 5

Crafting/Alchemy
Nekker claws
Nekker eyes
Nekker heart
Nekker teeth
Cloth
Twine
Other loot
Nekker trophy

One less fortunate nekker appears in the opening sequence of The Witcher 2 when it is used as bait for an arachas by Iorveth. There is also one particular cave just outside Flotsam which is infested with them.

Nekkers cease to give XP once killed when Geralt reaches Level 11. Nekker warriors do so by the beginning of Chapter II.

Associated Quests[ | ]

Journal entry[ | ]

Imagine a drowner that burrows tunnels, climbs trees, is more vicious than usual, and when ambushing its prey, it does so with many of its kin. Now you have a good idea of what a nekker is. These primitive creatures are the bane of the wilderness-the inhabitants of forest villages fear them, and animals give their nests a wide berth. Nekkers are social creatures, gathering in something akin to tribes, for they can only repel the attacks of stronger assailants en masse.
When nekkers venture out as a war or hunting party, they are led by chieftains. These are larger and mark their faces with red clay. Chieftains give orders, turning a wild band into an organized unit, thus they should be eliminated first.
The nekkers' basic tactic is to strike en masse. They burrow from beneath the ground and swarm upon their prey. Though primitive, the tactic is surprisingly effective. One must be ready to repel many foes at once - the fast style is best suited to this. As with other agile creatures, running from nekkers is not the best idea, for the monsters will catch up to their prey and swiftly kill it with multiple hits of their claws.
Witchers can use their full range of skills and techniques when fighting nekkers. Signs, bombs, poisons and oils that augment bleeding are all extremely effective against the beasts. Nekker nests are best destroyed with Grapeshot bombs.

Gallery[ | ]

References[ | ]