Gothic 1 Remake Guide: How to Join the New Camp

Quick Answer: Joining the New Camp means diving into the criminal underworld. To get your hands on the Bandit’s Dress, let Mordrag escort you to the camp safely, deliver his ring to Lares, and complete a lengthy string of shady jobs involving stolen ore, missing bodies, and a coordinated highway robbery.

Pledging loyalty in the Colony is a massive decision. If you prefer dealing with rogues, mercenaries, and outlaws who value freedom over the Old Camp’s strict rules, the New Camp is calling your name. Tucked away in the western hills near a massive lake, this faction easily has the longest and most involved admission questline in the game.

You are not just asking nicely to join. You have to prove you are willing to get your hands incredibly dirty. Here is exactly how to impress the local bosses and secure your spot among the bandits.

Why Choose the Thieves and Mercenaries?

Aside from the rebel aesthetic, the biggest draw of the New Camp is eventual access to Water Magic. Slinging ice blocks and chain lightning is incredibly fun, but there is a massive catch. The Water Mages will not teach you a thing until roughly Chapter 4.

If you want to blast enemies with magic right out of the gate, joining the Old Camp is technically faster. However, the New Camp is still superior to the Swamp Camp for magic users. The Swamp faction completely caps your magical progression at the fourth circle, permanently locking you out of the most devastating end-game spells.

The Safest Route to Lares

Do not try walking to the New Camp by yourself early on. The wildlife will absolutely destroy you.

Instead, hang around the Old Camp and work through Thorus’s tasks until he hands you the ‘Out of Sight’ quest. He wants you to deal with a shady messenger named Mordrag. Do not attack him. Speak to Mordrag and ask about his employer. He will offer to walk you to the New Camp personally. Accept the offer and simply walk behind him while he slaughters every monster on the road.

Once you arrive, he hands you a special ring. This is your golden ticket to meet the boss.

• Walk past the farm and cross the bridge.
• Head into the massive cave on your left.
• Hug the left wall and hike up the hill to locate Lares’ house.
• Flash Mordrag’s ring to the guards to get inside.

Earning Your Keep: The Faction Quests

Lares does not hand out armor to strangers. You need to earn favor with both him and the Rice Lord by completing a specific set of five quests. While you technically only need to finish three of them and hit level 5, knocking out all five guarantees your admission without any hiccups.

Before you start, talk to Baal Kagan at the bottom of the hill. He gives you some swampweed to sell to the locals. Do this first so you have enough spare Ore to bribe the tavern guards later.

A Piece of the Pie

Lares demands a 400 Ore buy-in. To get it, head to the lake tavern, bribe the bouncers, and find Baal Isidro. He is too depressed to sell his stash of swampweed. Buy him some rice schnapps from the bartender, Silas, to loosen his tongue. He will hand over his entire supply. Sell the weed to merchants like Sharky or Cronos, then take the 400 Ore straight back to Lares.

A Few Drops Too Much & Up to His Neck

The Rice Lord has two jobs for you. First, head back to the tavern and deal with a drunk named Rayk. You can talk him down or just beat him up. Next, you need to track down a missing foreman named Bran.

Talking to the farmer Malon reveals Bran went looking for a cave near Jacko’s pond. Head outside the camp to find it. You will have to fight your way inside and beat up Jacko. If you are struggling to win these early brawls, you might want to rethink your character stats and check out our ultimate strength and magic build guide to start hitting harder.

Jacko confesses that Bran went to rob the tavern basement. You can pick the lock behind Silas, but the stealthy way in is much cooler:

1. Walk behind the tavern near the fishing pier.
2. Dive into the water and look for the submerged cave entrance.
3. Swim through the flooded tunnel until you hit dry land.
4. Walk past the alchemy tables and up the stairs to find Bran’s corpse.
5. Loot the body, read the note, and report back to the Rice Lord.

Something the Matter?

This ties directly into Diego’s Old Camp quests. Go to the Old Mine and get the supply list from Ian. Instead of bringing it straight to Diego, hand it to Lares first. He will forge some extra items onto the list. Deliver the fake list to Diego, then run back and tell Lares the deed is done.

The Final Ambush and Your Reward

Once Lares is impressed, ask him for a special assignment. He will trigger ‘The Raid’ as your final exam.

Talk to Wedge once the dust settles, then report your success to Lares.

He will officially welcome you to the faction, handing over a massive 1,500 XP drop and your shiny new Bandit’s Dress. You are now a full-fledged member of the New Camp, with a clear path toward mastering Water Magic in the later chapters.

For more tips, walkthroughs, and everything else covering the game, check out our full collection of guides.