The “Bad Blood” quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance can be a frustrating experience, not just due to its intricate steps, but also because of several bugs that can disrupt the intended flow. Players have been reporting problems as minor as missing crucial dialogue options that advance the quest, such as the vital conversation about Pavlena’s pregnancy, to the more unpredictable effects of choices that should be quite straightforward, like letting Straw go. These bugs, combined with the multi-layered objectives and branching paths of the quest, can cause confusion and a sense that the game is broken, making it impossible to achieve the desired “best ending” and leaving players wondering if their save file is simply corrupted.
How to Start the Bad Blood Quest
Remember Pavlena and her mom, Bozhena, who helped Hans and Henry out earlier in Kingdom Come: Deliverance? Well, they’re back in a new quest called “Bad Blood.” You won’t be able to start it right away, though. You’ll need to advance a bit further in the main story. Specifically, after Hans and Henry get turned away from Von Bergow castle and end up in the nearby town, you can head back to Bozhena’s hut. Chat with her there, and she’ll get you started on the “Bad Blood” quest.
Woodcutter Dushko Location
Bozhena will tell you that Pavlena has been missing for a few days, giving you a clue that might lead you to Troskowitz. Your next step is to head to town and find a woodcutter named Dushka. He hangs out near a woodcutting yard, behind the tailor shop. Talk to him about Pavlena’s disappearance. Dushka will let you in on Pavlena’s secret – she was seeing a man named Roman. Ask Dushka where Roman is, and if you can, try to persuade him to give you some coins using your speech skills. Once you have that information, go to Roman’s house. The door will be locked, but don’t worry about using a lockpick. Instead, look for a ladder on the wall to the right of the stairs. Make sure no one’s watching, then climb up and check out the lunch table.
How to Find Pavlena
Go back to Dushka and tell him what you found at Roman’s place. He’ll then point you to a spot where Pavlena and Roman used to meet. Head to that location and look for blood. Follow the blood trail to the left, and it will lead you to a body. Nearby, you’ll hear someone yelling about a missing pig. Find this guy and ask him if he’s seen anything strange. He’ll mention a guy named Straw who lives in Jakesh’s barn. Mark Straw’s location on your map and go talk to him. If your speech skills aren’t great, you might not be able to persuade him. Don’t worry, a little sword work will do the trick. A few swings should loosen his tongue and get him to confess.
Once Straw confesses, you have a choice. Let him go, which will make Pavlena unhappy with you. Kill him, which will hurt your reputation in town. Or, the best option, take him to the bailiff, which will actually improve your standing in the city.
How to Rescue Pavlena
Now it’s time to find Pavlena. She’s hiding out among some rocks, and the location should be marked on your map. There’s a small ladder leading up to her hideout. Be careful, though! A dog will ambush you from behind as soon as you climb the ladder, so make sure you’re healthy before you go.
Once you’ve dealt with the dog, head inside. When you see Pavlena, don’t move. If you take a step, Straw’s brother will kill her. Instead, stay where you are and talk to Ota. Tell him you’re Henry and that Bozhena sent you. Don’t bother trying to talk about his dog or brother – those persuasion options are tough at a low level. Just ask him why he’s doing this, then try to appeal to his conscience by talking about how God can forgive him if he lets Pavlena go. Here’s the crucial part: when Straw’s brother asks how he can make things right, choose the second option: tell him you’ll put in a good word for him with Von Bergow. This should convince Ota to release Pavlena.
How to Get the Best Ending
After rescuing Pavlena, take her home and talk to Bozhena. Now comes a tough choice. Bozhena will ask you to kill Jakesh. If you refuse, the quest ends, and your reputation with Bozhena will suffer. If you agree, you’ll need to head back into town and take care of Jakesh. He usually goes to a quiet spot on his land early in the morning to pray by his wife and son’s grave – a good opportunity to confront him. You can also try talking to Jakesh before you do anything, which might give you some other options.
Henry chooses not to kill Jakesh. Instead, the old man agrees to pay Bozhena 100 coins as compensation and allows her to return to the city. When Henry reports back to Bozhena, he has a choice. He can keep the 100 coins for himself without mentioning them, or he can be honest and tell Bozhena about the money. If he’s honest, Bozhena will give him half – 50 coins. Regardless of whether Henry keeps the money or gives it all to Bozhena, sparing Jakesh won’t improve his relationship with Pavlena enough to unlock any new conversations with her.
Bad Blood Bugged
It sounds like you’ve hit a snag in the “Bad Blood” quest, and it’s frustrating when things don’t go according to plan, especially after dealing with earlier hiccups. You’ve gotten to the point where you’ve dealt with Straw and are now trying to rescue Pavlena from Ota at the gorge. You’ve read guides saying you need to mention Pavlena’s pregnancy to Ota, but that dialogue option just isn’t appearing. You’re choosing the top dialogue options, but none of them trigger the pregnancy conversation. You even tried letting Straw go, which led to Pavlena killing him (and a mysterious reputation loss!), but still no pregnancy dialogue. And now, back with Bozhena, the pregnancy option is still missing, preventing you from getting the fruitcake guy off their backs and letting them return to the village. It feels like the game is broken, right?
You’re not alone. Many players have encountered similar issues with this quest, especially regarding the missing pregnancy dialogue. It’s not a bug in the traditional sense, but it’s definitely a point where the game can be unclear. The crucial step you’re missing is learning about the pregnancy before confronting Ota. You need to talk to the guy near Roman’s house – the one who asked you to break in. If you pass a dialogue check with him, he’ll reveal Pavlena’s secret. Only then will the pregnancy dialogue option appear when you talk to Ota. So, it’s not a bug, but a hidden step that’s easy to miss, and it throws off the whole quest flow.
