Gothic 1 Remake doesn’t spare newcomers from the very start. The combat system is well-developed, and any mistake in close combat can cost you your health—or even your life. But first, you need to find something to hit the enemy with. And yes, at the very beginning, you have no weapons at all. No knife, no stick. However, along the way to the Old Camp, you can find several free weapons (meaning blades and bows), with almost no risk to yourself. They’re hidden in unobvious places.
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Where can I find the Shortbow in Gothic 1 Remake at the start?
Stats: 20 damage, requires 10 Dexterity.
This is a great option for ranged attacks at the start. And it’s located very close to the point where you first gain control.
Have you talked to Diego? Great. Now, don’t follow him. Turn left. At the end of the path, you’ll see the Exchange Zone. Head there, then left again, and up. There’s a hut in front of you. You can’t go inside—the local guards will consider you a trespasser. Wait until both guards are looking away (one is carrying boxes upstairs, the other is fiddling with papers downstairs). Quickly run inside, find a chest in the far room, take the key, and then head out. You need to make it before the guard returns to the upper floor.
Did you steal the key? Then open the barn door in the Exchange Zone. Go downstairs, and you’ll see a large iron door on the left. Watch the guards again: when there are no guards left, open it. The shortbow is right next to the barrel inside the barn. Grab it and run. Even if they spot you, they won’t pursue you outside the Exchange Zone.
How to get your first Pickaxe in Gothic 1 Remake without a fight?
Chopping damage: 7, requires Strength 5.
The pickaxe is slow and weak, but it will take down the initial enemies. Before arriving at the Old Camp, you can collect two of them.
Follow the path Diego took and go through the first gate. You’ll notice a mine entrance on the left. The first pickaxe is lying on the ground inside.
The second is at the same entrance, but higher up. Follow the narrow path next to the mine to the wooden bridge. Before the gap, jump onto the ledge on the left. This will lead to the second mine entrance. Inside, in addition to the pickaxe, you’ll find a torch and a chest containing several arrows. A nice bonus for an archer.
By the way, if you’re worried about the guards in the Exchange Zone noticing you, don’t worry. The main thing is to quickly grab the bow and leave the zone. You’ll be safe there. The pickaxes are completely unguarded. Apparently, the developers deliberately scattered the starting equipment so you’ll have a bit of a headache. But the payoff is worth it.
Where is the free Club in Gothic 1 Remake?
Crushing Damage: 5 | Strength Required: 5
The Club is a primitive weapon, but it’s good enough for your first few encounters. It’s located near where you got the second pickaxe. Climb the ledge near the mine? Now look towards the wooden bridge. To the right of the mine entrance, you’ll notice several ledges.
Climb them to the roof of the mine. Turn left slightly and move forward. You’ll see an area of white fog near the ground. In front of the fog, right at the foot of a tree, lies a corpse. The Club is nearby. Did you get it? Excellent.
But that’s not all. If you go to the other edge of the cliff behind the waterfall, you’ll encounter a hostile Goblin. Kill him (the Club will come in handy here) and take the second Club. Two in one – you’ve eliminated the enemy and now have a replacement weapon.
How to get the Rusty Sword from the bridge in Gothic 1 Remake
Slashing Damage: 10 | Strength Required: 5
The next find on the way to the Old Camp is a Rusty Sword. Start your search at the wooden bridge at the entrance to the mine. Cross to the other side. The sword is lying on the ground. Just grab it and move on.
Be careful: a Mole Rat is lurking nearby. It’s a vicious creature and will attack as soon as you raise your weapon. The best advice is to grab the sword and run. Don’t try to be a hero. With that kind of damage and no armor, you have little chance. You ran away—and rightly so.
Where is the best Old Sword hidden in Gothic 1 Remake?
Slashing Damage: 12 | Strength Required: 8
But this is more serious. The Old Sword is the best melee weapon you can collect before entering the Old Camp. After passing the first gate, follow the path under the wooden bridge. Straight ahead. You’ll soon see a dead body hanging from a tree. An eerie sight. The Old Sword lies at the foot of the tree.
By this point, you should have enough Strength at 8 (if you didn’t run like crazy). The sword will be a reliable tool against Mole Rats, Goblins, and Young Scavengers. They can now run away and fight properly.
All this loot will greatly help you survive the first few hours. But be warned: these trinkets are useless against more serious enemies (like the guards or golems). So keep searching, level up, and don’t rush into trouble.
Quick Start Guide: An Efficient Route for the First 60 Minutes
An Old Sword, a couple of Pickaxes, and, if you’re lucky, a Shortbow—that’s your starting capital. To turn this basic set of junk into a solid foundation for survival, simply following Diego’s marker is clearly not enough. You need a clear, precise sequence of actions with strict priorities.
Route from the Exchange Zone to the Old Camp
Follow Diego carefully, keeping an eye on the details of the surrounding area. You’ll inevitably encounter Young Scavengers along the way—don’t ignore them. Each carcass provides raw meat, which will be your main cure for the next hour. You can cook supplies at any campfire: cooked meat restores health much more effectively than most starting potions, which you don’t have the ore for yet anyway.
In the area with the first Young Scavengers, near the spot where the Old Sword and the Cudgel are, be sure to examine the tree with the corpse leaning against it—a Hunting Knife is hidden there. While seemingly useless, it’s actually an important quest item.
At the foot of the hill, right before the gate, there’s a camp of two hunters in blue scarves—Ratford and Drax. Talking to them is absolutely necessary, and there are three good reasons for it:
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Drax is willing to teach you hunting skills for just one beer. Even if your pockets are empty, it’s worth at least unlocking the dialogue for later.
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If you give Drax that very same Hunting Knife, he’ll give you a Shortbow for free—useful if you managed to miss it in the Exchange Zone.
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Ratford and Drax make an excellent combat shield. If a group of dangerous monsters is on your tail, run to their camp: the hunters will quickly clear the area, leaving you only to loot.
At the fork in the road near their bonfire, the paths diverge. The right path leads deeper into the forest and guarantees a quick death, so you should take the left path—it leads straight to the main gate.
How to get past the guards at the Old Camp gate
The guards at the entrance may well demand a fee for entry. Tell them there’s no ore—they’ll let you in without a problem, as Diego has already provided you with a basic level of trust. Once inside, immediately find Diego at the massive castle gates. A proper conversation won’t work—he’ll send you on the “Entering the Old Camp” quest, which is quite natural for this stage.
The main rule of safety inside the walls is to avoid other people’s huts, otherwise the guards will quickly punish you for stealing. First, head to the northern part of the camp, where Snaf, the cook, stands by a huge cauldron. His quest, “Snafu’s Recipe,” will provide you with a hearty meat stew, allowing you to replenish your health bar for free and reliably.
The next mandatory step is purchasing a Colony Map from Dexter or Graham. Without this item, navigation is impossible: there’s no traditional minimap on the screen, and wandering through unfamiliar terrain at night without landmarks will inevitably result in your death.
The best experience quests at the beginning of Gothic 1 Remake
To minimize risks and quickly boost your character, focus on three specific quests:
Until you complete the cooking question with Snaf and speak with Thoros at the castle gates, leaving the outer ring is extremely dangerous. Please note that Diego can boost your Strength and Dexterity with training points (LP). To do this, you need to win his favor by completing the following chain of quests: Toros → Whisler → Sli → Fingers. Don’t ignore this opportunity, as his services are significantly cheaper than those of other trainers.
After exactly an hour of active play, you’ll have access to a starting arsenal for both melee and ranged combat, a personal red-roofed hut near the arena (you can safely occupy it—no one will evict you), a constant source of food, and a clear understanding of the local merchant infrastructure.
