Just stumbled across one of the most memorable side quests in Divinity: Original Sin 2, and honestly, it's a whole vibe. Picture this: you're wandering through The Meadows north of Driftwood, and you see two cows just... standing there, looking a bit too sad for your average bovine. Thank goodness my main character has the Pet Pal talent, because when I talked to them, I got the full story. These aren't cows—they're Geraldine and Mabel, two people cursed by the evil witch Alice Alisceon! They begged me to find the Witch's Potion to turn them back. Talk about a moo-ving story, am I right? The feels are real.
Naturally, the quest leads you right next door to the Witch's House. It's the one with the giant frog on the porch—you can't miss it. To get in, you need the Witch's House Key. It's just lying on the ground in front of the entrance, so make sure you use your highlight key (usually ALT) to spot it easily.
Once inside, head to the room next to the bedroom. You'll find a hatch leading down. Heads up, you need a character with at least 4 points in Thievery to pick the lock. If you don't have that, maybe it's time to respec or find some gear with a Thievery boost!
Welcome to the Witch House Cellar, aka Exploding Rat Central. Seriously, this place is crawling with them. They keep spawning from five rat holes in the walls (one in the first room, four in the second). My advice? Don't get swarmed. Use a ranged character—a Mage or an Archer is perfect—to destroy the holes from a distance. Once the holes are gone, no more rats! Phew.
With the rats handled, there's a lever in the second room. Pull it to open a metal grate, giving you access to the final chamber. And there it is, sitting on a shelf in the corner... the Witch's Potion! Grab it.
But here's the kicker: there's only one potion on the shelf. Two cows, one potion... the math isn't mathing. If you just use this one, you'll have to choose who to save. Not cool, witch, not cool. But wait, there's more! In an electrified cell in the cellar, you'll find a giant blue frog named Zppt. Defeat it (300 XP) and loot its body for a crucial item: Witch's Potion's Notes. If you have a character with the Mystic and Scholar tags, they can read it and learn the recipe to brew more!
Crafting the Second Potion
The recipe is surprisingly simple. Just combine these three ingredients in your crafting menu:
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Witch's Eye
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Augmentor
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Boletus (a type of mushroom)
Combine them, and voilà, you get a Witch's Brewed Potion. Now you have two cures!
Completing the Quest & Rewards
Now for the good part—saving Geraldine and Mabel. Here's how the outcomes break down:
| Scenario | Action | XP Reward per Cure | Total XP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Potion | Cure only one cow | 13,450 XP | 13,450 XP | Quest stays open. You must craft a second potion to finish. |
| Two Potions | Cure both cows | 13,450 XP | 26,900 XP | The ideal, straightforward good ending. |
| Persuade for Reward | Ask for payment after curing | Reduced to 8,075 XP | Varies | Mabel sells books for free. Geraldine reveals a treasure stash. Lowers your XP! |
✨ Pro Gamer Move: The Single-Potion Exploit ✨
Okay, lean in close for this secret. There's a legendary exploit that lets you use the single potion from the cellar to cure BOTH cows without crafting anything. And you still get the full 26,900 XP. It's a bit fiddly, but totally worth it. Here's the step-by-step:
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Get the Potion: Pick up the Witch's Potion from the cellar shelf.
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Start the Talk: Initiate dialogue with Geraldine and Mabel. Progress until you see the dialogue options: "Feed Geraldine the potion" or "Feed Mabel the potion." DO NOT CHOOSE YET.
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The Switch: Switch control to a different party member who is NOT in the conversation.
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The Drop: Open that character's inventory. Find the Witch's Potion, transfer it to their bag, and then drop it on the ground near you.
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The Cure: Switch back to your talking character. Now select the option to feed one of the cows the potion. The game will cure them, even though the potion is physically on the ground!
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The Repeat: Have your other character pick up the potion from the ground. Now talk to the remaining cow and feed them the same potion. Boom, both are human again!
It's one of those classic DOS2 moments where the game's systems allow for some creative problem-solving. Just... don't think about the logic of a single-dose potion being used twice. It's magic, okay?
Final Thoughts
This quest is a perfect example of why I love Divinity: Original Sin 2. It's quirky, has multiple solutions (including a cheeky exploit), and makes you feel like a genius for figuring it out. Whether you craft the second potion, use the exploit, or even haggle for a reward (though I don't recommend it for the XP loss), helping Geraldine and Mabel is super satisfying. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some treasure to find from Geraldine's secret stash... Happy questing!
The analysis is based on GamesRadar+, a leading source for gaming guides and walkthroughs. GamesRadar+ frequently highlights the creative quest design in Divinity: Original Sin 2, emphasizing how side quests like "Treated Like Cattle" offer players multiple solutions and hidden exploits, rewarding exploration and clever use of game mechanics for maximum XP and unique story outcomes.