How to save Hans from execution in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 For Whom the Bell Tolls

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After an eventful wedding, a punch up, and a sting in prison, Henry finally makes it to the castle as part of the For Whom the Bell Tolls main quest, but not under the circumstances he’d hoped. He’s paying his dues by doing odd jobs, while Hans is penciled in for execution twelve bell tolls from now.

With time against you, you’ll need to find a way into the Maiden tower to speak to Thomas to, hopefully, figure out a way to prevent the execution. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to save Hans from execution in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.

How to get into the Maiden tower

To start, ferry three sacks between the cart and the charcoal shed. Once that’s done, report back to the blacksmith Osina. Offer to help him some more, then say you’re a blacksmith. He’ll task you with smithing a horseshoe. This also gives you access to the inner courtyard.

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Head over to the forge and talk to the Cook Fanka standing nearby. The lock on her spice chest is broken. Exhaust all the dialogue options about the blacksmith, then offer to help her and say you’ll get some tools first.

Go back to blacksmith Osina and choose the ‘Fanka the cook sent me’ dialogue option then ‘Give me a lockpick and I’ll help her’. Osina will explain there are lockspicks in a small red pot on a shelf at the forge.


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Head over to the forge and grab the lockpick. The red pot is on the shelf to the right of the bellows. Take the Charcoal in the pot as well. You’ll need it shortly. Speak to Fanka and say you have the tools. Follow Fanka to the chest then lockpick it for her. It’s an easy-grade lock so it shouldn’t be any trouble. This gives you access to the kitchen. Steal some Nettle and Ginger from the chest. Again, you’ll need it soon.

Head up the stairs to the kitchen and talk to Chamberlain Ulrich. Select ‘I see you have health issues’ then ‘I don’t look the part, but I’m experienced’. Do a complete examination to establish he has a stomach ulcer then say you don’t have the equipment to make a potion. He’ll grant you access to the surgeon’s chambers in the Crone tower.

Get hold of some stomach potion for the chamberlain

Go down the stairs and take the door to the left to reach the outside. Go down the stairs then take a right through the gates, then take a right down the hill. On your right, you’ll find a bunch of Thistle. Check the image above the exact location on the map. Pick enough of the plant so that you have x2 Thistle in your inventory. You’ll need it shortly to brew the digestive potion.

Make your way over to the Crone tower and up to the surgeon’s room at the very top. Enter and you’ll bump into a familiar face, Katherine. You can talk to her but she won’t be much help at this point because of some tough skill checks. As you enter the room, look at the bookshelf on the left and steal up the Physician’s Journal. Read it and under the April 23 chapter, you’ll see a recipe for a digestive potion:

  • x2 Thistle
  • x1 Nettle
  • x1 Charcoal

You’ll find Thistle and Nettle growing in grasses growing on the banks around the castle. Or alternatively, you can get Nettle from the chest you unlocked for the Cook Fanka below the kitchen. 

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 For Whom the Bell Tolls save Hans: crafting menu.
Digestive Potion recipe. Captured by VideoGamer

You can get Charcoal from a sack at the forge or in the red pot with the lockpick. To brew up the Digestive Potion at the alchemy bench, follow these steps:

  • Pour water into the cauldron
  • Put x2 Thistle into the  cauldron and boil for 2 turns
  • Grind up x1 Nettle and add it to the cauldron
  • Boil for 1 turn
  • Grind x1 Charcoal and add it to the cauldron
  • Pour the mixture into a phial

Head back to the Chamberlain and give him the potion. Henry will request access to the chapel to pray for him, which the Chamberlain will grant, giving you access to the upper floors. From the kitchen take the stairs up and go through the door ahead. Take a left and go through the store and up the stairs at the back. Continue up until you reach the attic. At the back of the attic is a wide wooden staircase. Take it then follow the path up to reach the chapel where you’ll find Thomas.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 For Whom the Bell Tolls save Hans: physician's journal.
The Fever Tonic recipe is in the Physician’s Journal. Captured by VideoGamer

Get hold of fever tonic

Talk to Adela and ask if you can help. She’ll agree and you’ll need to brew up a fever tonic. In the Physician’s Journal you picked in the Crowe tower, there’s a recipe for a fever tonic, which requires the following:

  • x3 Feverfew
  • x2 Ginger
  • x1 Elderberry Leaves

You can get the Feverfew, Ginger, and Elderberry Leaves from the locked chest in the physician’s room in the Crowe tower. You’ll have one lockpick left just for this.

If you don’t have a lockpick, you can forge the horseshoe for the blacksmith then take it to Kabat, who from then on will give you a lockpick in exchange for getting his rosemary back by playing dice against Father Deminicus. You’ll need 20 groschen to play dice, which you can get from pickpocketing the guards around the castle. Once you have a lockpick, you either loot the chest in the physician’s room.

Alternatively, you can get the ingredients individually, though you’ll still need a lockpick. You can find Feverfew growing in a small herb garden behind a shack halfway down to the lower castle gate. Check the image above for the exact location. You can get Ginger from Fanka’s chest in the kitchen.

As for the Elderberry, you can get this from a chest inside the carpenter’s house, about halfway up the castle. Check the image above for the exact spot. Crouch and enter the house, then go through the second door on your left. Break the lock on the chest inside the room then steal the Elderberry Leaves inside.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 For Whom the Bell Tolls save Hans: crafting menu.
Fever Tonic recipe. Captured by VideoGamer

To brew up the Fever Tonic, follow these steps:

  • Pour wine into the cauldron
  • Put x3 Feverfew into the cauldron and boil for two turns
  • Grind up x1 Elderberry Leaves and add them to the cauldron
  • Add x2 Ginger to the cauldron
  • Grab a phial and distil the mixture

Make your way back to Thomas in the Maiden tower with the potion to trigger a cut scene. Henry and Thomas will swoop in to save the day just in the nick of time.

About the Author

Tom Bardwell

Tom is guides editor here at VideoGamer.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
  • Genre(s): Action RPG