Early on, Groschen (the ingame's currency) can be hard to come by, and weapons, armor, and supplies are expensive. But with the right strategies, you can quickly build up wealth without grinding too much.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the best ways to make money early in the game.
Best Early-Game Money-Making Methods
These are the top ways to earn groschen without requiring high skills or expensive gear.
Nests (Free Gold)
Nests are hidden in trees and can be knocked down by throwing rocks at them whilst crouching. It will fall down and you can loot it. Some of them just have bird feathers in them, but some contain hidden treasures, such as valuable badges or dice, that can be sold for Groschen.
Pro Tip: Try aiming at the bottom left when throwing rocks.
Looting Bandits/Thieves & Selling Their Gear (Best Armor and Loot)
Bandits and Thieves roam the roads, forests and camps. Kill them or knock them out and take their weapons/armor. Sell the loot to blacksmiths, armorers, or traders. Focus on high-value items like chainmail, swords, and shields.
Best Places to Find Bandits Early On:
Forests & back roads (they often ambush travelers).
Camps outside towns (scout from a distance before attacking).
The Best Early-Game Armor can be found in the woods at the thief's camp south west of Zhelejov (careful the thief is accompanied by a dog, try to eliminate it first so you can knock out the thief from behind)
Pro Tip: Bandit armor sells for a lot, but don’t wear stolen armor in towns (guards will stop you).
Hunting & Selling Meat (Good for Early Profit)
Get a bow and some arrows (There is a free bow and arrows at the hidden location “Target on a tree” along the north-west road from Troskowitz). Hunt deer, hares, and boars in the forest. Sell the raw meat to an innkeeper or trader. If you dry or smoke the meat, it sells for more and doesn’t spoil as fast. Many of the towns you come across will have drying-racks or smokehouses that you can use.
Best Hunting Spots Early On:
- Forests near towns (look for deer) - look for Bozhena´s meadow located deep within the woods west of Zhelejov
- Near rivers (animals often spawn there)
Pro Tip: Generally drying food removes the expiration date, smoking it, increases its Nourishment value. Also removes the “stolen debuff” on the food.
Pickpocketing & Stealing (High Risk, High Reward)
Sneak up behind rich NPCs and pickpocket their gold, rings, or valuables. Break into houses or shops at night and steal weapons or goods. Sell the stolen items to a fence (millers) or launder them over time.
Best Early Targets for Pickpocketing:
- Drunk townspeople at night (easier to rob).
- Merchants carrying coin purses.
- Guards patrolling outside castles (some have valuable keys).
Start with easy targets (drunkards, beggars) before trying to rob nobles. Increase your thievery skill to open more difficult locks.
You can steal the nobleman gear from the tailor bag in Troskowitz. First steal the keys to the shop from the sleeping shopkeeper. Now you can easily enter the shop and loot everything inside. This includes 320 Groschen and a bunch of gear that you can sell to millers or wait a few days until they are no longer marked as stolen and sell them to any vendor. There are many more opportunities for pickpocketing and thievery.
Pro Tip: You can distract shopkeepers during the day, by tossing a stone and quickly stealing the desired items.
Side Quests & Tasks (Guaranteed Money)
There are two regions: Trosky (starting region) and Kuttenberg (reached after Main Quest 12: Storm). Each region has its own Point of No Return. You should try to complete a majority of the side content in the region before moving on, otherwise some quests and tasks will no longer be available. Talk to every NPC—many give small but useful jobs for early cash. Some quests/tasks are easily missable.
Some of the Early-Game Side Quests & Tasks:
- Miller’s Questline
- Blacksmith’s Questline
- Tachov & Zhelejov
- Wilderness Quests
- Nomad’s Camp Questline
- Bozhena’s Hut
- Troskowitz
The Miller’s Questline becomes unlocked after you complete the introduction and unlock the open world. It consists of a bunch of fistfights, on which you can bet to further increase your payouts, potentially netting you 375 Groschen early on.
Pro Tip: Talk to the “Quest tipster” outside town, if you are worried you are missing something, or aren't sure where to go next.
Playing Dice (Guaranteed Money)
Dice tables can be found at most taverns. Save the game before trying, bet the maximum, retry until you win. Once you acquire better dice it will become fairly easy.
Best Dice: 5 Lucky Dice & 1 Heavenly Dice
You can steal them by choking out dice players with a gold-badge (Careful this is a crime and will make you wanted. Either move to a different town or accept punishment) Buy a gold badge, if someone wants to play for your badge most likely he has good dice. Steal their dice.
Horse Trading & Selling Stolen Horses (Risky but Lucrative)
Steal a horse, ride it to a fence (miller), and sell it. Be careful nobody catches you. Requires a fence who buys stolen goods (not all traders do). Better horses sell for more groschen.
Where to Find Horses to Steal: The first horse you can steal is from the paddock south of Troskowitz. Save before trying to steal it in case you get caught. You can sell it at an NPC south of the Nomads´ Camp.
Pro Tip: Use a disguise or sneak at night—if caught, you’ll get a bounty.
Save Groschen by repairing Weapons & Armor yourself
You can save money by sharpening your weapons at grindstones. Locate a “Sharpening Wheel” on your minimap (can be found in most towns). Complete the minigame, if successful you can repair your weapon to 100% condition.
For Armor it's always cheaper to pick up a Tailor´s or Smithing Kit and repair it yourself than going to a merchant and repairing your gear. This will increase your craftsmanship skill which you will need later on to repair better gear and you will be able to unlock different perks that give you extra stats. If you pick up the Craftsmanship skill “Razor-Sharp” your sharpened weapons above 98% condition will deal 10% more damage, until its condition drops below 75%.
Pro Tip: The faster you spin the grindstone, the faster you will sharpen your weapon. If you angle your weapon into the grindstone you will see more yellow sparks. Eventually the sparks will turn white, this is the sweet spot. Finish grinding your weapon. Don´t go too far though because once you see black smoke the weapon's condition worsens.
What’s the Best Money-Making Method for Beginners?
If you want quick, safe groschen, follow this step-by-step strategy:
Step-by-Step Money-Making Plan (First Few Hours)
- Loot Bandits & Sell Gear – Best way to get gold and good Early-Game Armor.
- Hunt & Sell Meat – Easy money if you grab the free bow, free food.
- Pickpocket Easy Targets – Troskowitz shop, steal from scribe.
- Do Side Quests & Tasks – Talk to NPCs for small jobs.
- Repair Looted Weapons & Sell – A simple way to increase profits.
Extra Tips to Make More Money
Sell Items to the Right Traders:
- Weapons → Blacksmiths (pay more).
- Armor → Armorer shops (best resale value).
- Meat & food → Tavern owners.
- Stolen goods → Fences (Millers).
Negotiate Prices: When selling, always haggle—traders usually accept a higher price. But be careful not to haggle for too much, they could take offense, decreasing your reputation. This would make it more difficult to haggle during future trades. A successful trade will gain you reputation.
Launder Stolen Goods: Stolen items lose their “stolen” status over time. Store them in a chest for a while before selling.
Avoid Buying Too Much Early On: Don’t waste money on expensive armor/weapons at the start—loot them instead.
Final Verdict: Best Early Money-Making Methods
- Best Overall: Looting Bandits & Selling Gear – Most profitable for beginners.
- Best Passive Income: Hunting & Selling Meat – Easy, low-risk money.
- Best High-Risk, High-Reward: Pickpocketing & Stealing Horses – Big profit but risky.
- Best for Non-Fighters: Side Quests & Playing Dice – Decent money with no combat.
- Best Long-Term Profit: Repair & Resell Gear – Good if you invest in maintenance skills.
