The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt makes many deviations from its source material, The Witcher Saga written and created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Sapkowski has established the lore of The Witcher universe through a series of six novels and fifteen short stories that follow the tales and travels of Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a witcher, a genetically modified monster hunter trained from a young age to rid the realm of the beasts that now infest it. CD Projekt Red, the developer of The Witcher 3, altered and expanded on concepts Sapkowski created within The Witcher Saga while bringing Geralt of Rivia to life.
One major difference between The Witcher 3 and the novels is the way that magic and alchemy, particularly witcher signs, are utilized. Within The Witcher universe, witchers make use of basic magical spells called signs. These are known as Aard, Igni, Axii, Quen, and Yrden. Witchers wield these spells both offensively and defensively in their monster slaying endeavors, and signs are far more powerful in The Witcher 3 than they are in the literary series. In fact, they don't even make much of an appearance in the books at all.
In The Witcher 3, the struggle of fighting and the combat system revolves around the usage of signs that allow Geralt to take on hordes of powerful enemies. Each sign can be upgraded to gain additional bonuses and unique traits, making them each more deadly. In the books, signs act as more of a last resort for Geralt. They don't supply the offensive capabilities as portrayed in The Witcher 3 and can't be relied upon with a high degree of trust. Additionally, they are described as weak magic that almost anybody can learn.
Witcher 3's Magic & Potions Are More Potent Than In The Novels
In the first novel of The Witcher Saga, The Blood of Elves, Yennefer describes the Aard sign to Ciri in detail stating that it "is a very simple spell belonging to the family of psychokinetic magic which is based on thrusting energy in the required direction." In The Witcher 3, a fully upgraded Aard sign unleashes massive telekinetic blast, knocking back and damaging opponents in a far more impressive manner than Yennefer describes in the Blood of Elves.
Potions also behave differently in The Witcher 3, taking effect immediately, providing bonuses and buffs to Geralt. In the novels, potions act much more slowly and are rarely mentioned. When they do make an appearance its usually for the purpose of healing, taking place over an extended period of time. In the short story The Last Wish, Geralt sustains a serious neck wound at the hands of Adda. He is then informed that even with the most advanced healing potions it will take at least a month for him to fully recover. A Swallow potion, common to any Witcher 3 side quest, that gets consumed mid-battle will have Geralt fully recovered in a matter of seconds. Stats can also be invested into alchemy related categories in The Witcher 3 to ensure that Geralt's self-brewed concoctions achieve maximum potency. CDPR took some liberties adapting the potions concept, and it makes for an interesting gameplay mechanic.
CD Projekt Red faithfully adapted the work of the original author in brining Geralt to life in the digital world, but it had to make some changes. By drastically altering the emphasis placed on witcher signs, CDPR was able to create a rewarding sign-focused combat system. The inclusion and development of the potions system provides the opportunity to roleplay as a potions master version of Geralt in the Witcher 3 for an extra layer of immersion. Thanks to the combined efforts of CDPR and Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt continues to offer one of the best story-driven open world experiences to date.