KCD2 Crime and Trespassing — Bounty System and How to Clear It
How KCD2 tracks crime
KCD2 has a regional bounty system, separate from Reputation. Each region (Trosky, Sasau, Kuttenberg, plus minor villages) has its own bounty meter that accumulates from crimes committed in that region. A bounty in Trosky doesn't affect Kuttenberg guard behavior. A bounty in Kuttenberg DOES affect every Kuttenberg guard, including ones at the city gates that may stop you on entry.
Bounty is calculated per-incident: trespassing in a restricted building (red eye icon) adds 5-50 g if spotted; petty theft adds 10-50 g per item; high-value theft (rare swords, treasure) adds 100-200 g; assault adds 100-500 g; murder adds 500-2,000 g depending on victim status (peasants 500 g, nobles 2,000 g). Multiple crimes stack additively.
When you commit a crime AND a guard sees you, the bounty triggers. Crimes committed unseen don't add bounty (no witness, no crime). However the stolen item still flags as 'stolen' in your inventory and can be detected if you try to sell to a non-fence vendor — leading to a delayed bounty trigger.
Crime types and bounty values
| Crime | Bounty range | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trespassing | Trespassing (red eye icon) | 5-50 g | Per spotted incident; 1-min escape windows |
| Petty theft | Petty theft (under 100 g item value) | 10-50 g | Per item; stacks per stolen item |
| Theft of valuables | Theft of valuables (100-500 g item value) | 100-200 g | Per item; flagged as stolen in inventory |
| Assault | Assault (knockout, no kill) | 100-500 g | Per witnessed assault; lower if no witnesses |
| Murder peasant | Murder (peasant victim) | 500-1,000 g | Per body, per region |
| Murder noble | Murder (noble victim) | 1,000-2,000 g | Per body; near-instant region-wide alert |
| Horse theft | Horse theft | 300-800 g | Depends on horse quality |
| Arson | Arson (lighting fires) | 1,000-3,000 g | Rarely successful; region-wide alert |
Bounty thresholds and consequences
Below 100 g (Tier 1 — Petty): single guard interactions threaten arrest. Speech 8 check at a regional guard captain wipes the bounty entirely (one-time use per region per playthrough). Standard guards will demand the bribe but won't arrest you unless you resist.
100-500 g (Tier 2 — Notable): guards will attempt arrest if they spot you. You can flee, but the bounty persists. A bribe at 50% face value clears it (e.g., 400 g bounty = 200 g bribe). Guard captains will accept the bribe without a Speech check.
500-2,000 g (Tier 3 — Serious): hostile guards across the region; gates may close to you. Jail time clears it at 1 in-game day per 250 g bounty (so 1,000 g = 4 days jail). Sleeping in jail also halves your skill XP gain for the duration. The 'serve time' option is available at any guard captain.
2,000+ g (Tier 4 — Outlaw): all guards in the region attack on sight. Cannot enter major settlements (Kuttenberg gates close). Only the Royal Pardon quest in Kuttenberg can wipe this — requires completing a specific story chain and paying 5,000 g to the Lord Chancellor's office.
Bounty-clearing methods
| Method | Bounty range | Cost | Speech / skill required | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speech wipe | Speech 8 wipe | Under 100 g | Free (Speech check) | Speech 8 minimum; one-time per region |
| Bribe | Bribe guard captain | 100-500 g | 50% of bounty | None |
| Jail time | Serve jail time | 500-2,000 g | 1 day per 250 g | None — but halves skill XP during stay |
| Royal Pardon | Royal Pardon quest | 2,000+ g | 5,000 g + quest | Quest gating |
| Region transfer | Move to different region | Any | Free (but bounty persists) | Doesn't work as a wipe — bounty waits for return |
Verdict: For low bounties (under 100 g), use the Speech 8 wipe — free. For mid bounties (100-500 g), bribe — quick and cheap. For high bounties (500+), jail or Royal Pardon depending on severity. Don't run to another region thinking it'll wipe — the bounty waits.
Trespassing — the unintentional crime
Trespassing is the most common KCD2 'crime' players accidentally commit. Many quests involve sneaking into noble residences (Trosky castle, Kuttenberg manor) where the building's interior is flagged as 'restricted' for outsiders. A red eye icon appears in the corner of your screen when you're in a restricted zone — visibility from NPCs within view triggers a trespass alert.
Trespassing penalties scale by zone: peasant homes (5 g per witness), merchant shops (15 g), nobles' private rooms (30 g), guard barracks (50 g). Multiple witnesses multiply the penalty additively per witness. Spending 5 minutes in a restricted zone with 3 witnesses = 5 × 3 = 15 g minimum.
Avoiding trespass: watch for the red eye icon. Crouch (stealth) to avoid the line-of-sight detection. Wear common clothing (peasant gear gets less suspicious treatment in peasant homes). Visit at night (4am-5am, when most NPCs sleep in their beds — you have ~30 minutes of clear movement).
Regional bounty severity
| Region | Max tolerable bounty before quest lockouts | Notable lockout | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trosky | Trosky | 500 g | Trosky castle quests close above 500 g |
| Sasau | Sasau village | 300 g | Bathhouse access closes above 300 g |
| Kuttenberg | Kuttenberg | 200 g | Half the noble district quests close above 200 g |
| Minor villages | Minor villages (Suchdol, Tisova) | 150 g | Vendor access restricted above 150 g |
How to safely commit 'good crimes'
Some KCD2 quests require Henry to break in, steal, or trespass. These 'good crimes' are story-mandated and don't add bounty if you complete them correctly. The Bandit Camp Loot quest, for example, encourages stealing from bandit corpses (no bounty because the victim is hostile).
Quest-flagged thefts and trespasses are highlighted in the quest log. If a quest objective says 'find the document in the noble's study,' the resulting trespass is no-bounty as long as you complete the objective. However, if you grab extra items from the noble's study while there, those count as standard theft and add bounty.
Use the Padfoot potion (silent footsteps, 5 min) and Lullaby potion (sleep target NPC, 1 hour) to enter restricted zones at off-hours. These two potions together let you complete most stealth-trespass quests without bounty accumulation.
Step-by-step bounty management
- Check current bounty in pause menu → reputation → regional bounty section. Visible per-region.
- Below 100 g (Tier 1): wait until you have Speech 8, then do the Speech wipe at a regional guard captain (one-time use).
- 100-500 g (Tier 2): travel to a regional guard captain, accept the bribe option (50% face value). For 400 g bounty: pay 200 g.
- 500-2,000 g (Tier 3): serve jail time. Find a guard captain, accept arrest, sleep in the cell. 1 day per 250 g — plan for 2-8 days jail.
- 2,000+ g (Tier 4): pursue the Royal Pardon quest in Kuttenberg. Costs 5,000 g + chapter-specific quest steps.
- Avoid resisting arrest. Resisting adds +200 g and triggers guard hostility — escalating Tier 1 to Tier 2 immediately.
- Don't run between regions to 'wipe' bounty. Bounty waits — fleeing to Sasau doesn't clear Kuttenberg's bounty.
Common crime mistakes
- Stealing high-value items without a fence relationship. Trying to sell to a regular vendor triggers a 100+ g bounty.
- Resisting arrest. Adds +200 g and escalates the bounty tier. Always accept arrest unless you can flee cleanly.
- Not using Padfoot + Lullaby on stealth quests. These two potions are the meta for no-bounty trespass.
- Letting bounty exceed 200 g in Kuttenberg. Locks out half the noble quarter quests.
- Trying to 'flee to another region' to clear bounty. Doesn't work; bounty persists and re-triggers when you return.
- Killing a noble in a duel. Sometimes the game flags duels as 'mutual combat' (no bounty), but other times it doesn't — save before duels involving nobles.
Frequently asked questions
How does the bounty system work in KCD2?
Each region (Trosky, Sasau, Kuttenberg, minor villages) tracks a separate bounty meter. Crimes committed in a region add to that region's bounty. Bounty thresholds: under 100 g (petty — Speech wipe works), 100-500 g (bribe at 50% face value), 500-2,000 g (jail time at 1 day per 250 g), 2,000+ g (only Royal Pardon quest can wipe).
How do I clear a small bounty fast?
If under 100 g: visit any regional guard captain and use the Speech 8 wipe option (one-time per region, free). If 100-500 g: bribe the captain at 50% face value. The Speech 8 wipe is the cheapest method but only works once per region; save it for emergencies.
Should I serve jail time or bribe?
Bribe up to ~1,000 g (500 g bribe cost). Above 1,000 g: jail time is cheaper but slower. Jail also halves skill XP during the stay. For 1,000 g bounty: 500 g bribe = quick but expensive; 4 days jail = free but you lose 4 days of quest time. Choose based on your groschen reserves.
What's the Royal Pardon?
A late-chapter quest in Kuttenberg that wipes ANY bounty regardless of tier. Costs 5,000 g + specific quest steps including a noble dialogue check. Available only after completing the main quest 'A New Page' in chapter 2. Worth pursuing if your bounty exceeds 2,000 g (Tier 4 — region-wide hostility).
Why is my bounty still there after fleeing the region?
Bounty is region-specific and PERSISTENT. Fleeing Trosky to Sasau doesn't clear your Trosky bounty — it waits for you to return. Bribe or jail in the region where the bounty was earned. Fleeing temporarily avoids arrest but doesn't actually clear anything.
What's the most common KCD2 crime players accidentally commit?
Trespassing in restricted buildings. The red eye icon in the corner of your screen warns you, but many players miss it until a guard yells. Trespassing penalties: 5 g (peasant home), 15 g (merchant shop), 30 g (nobles' rooms), 50 g (guard barracks). Multiple witnesses multiply the penalty. Always crouch (stealth) in restricted zones.
Should I sell stolen items?
Only to fences. KCD2 has dedicated fence NPCs in Trosky (Skalitz fence) and Kuttenberg (multiple). Selling stolen items to regular vendors triggers a 'stolen goods' check — failure adds a 100+ g bounty AND flags every subsequent vendor in that region. Fences pay ~50% face value but accept stolen items without bounty risk.
Sources & verification
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Continue this guide path
- ›KCD2 Reputation Guide — Region System, Recovery, and Hidden Quest LocksReputation in KCD2 is per-region, not global — being a hero in Trosky won't save you in Kuttenberg. This guide explains every meter, what moves it, which thresholds matter, and which quests it silently locks.
- ›KCD2 Thievery Skill Guide — Pickpocketing & Stolen Goods FencePickpocketing in KCD2 uses a new stealth ring UI, and fences are scattered across Bohemia. This guide breaks down the ring mechanic, lists every fence by region, and explains the perk that hides stolen tags fastest.
- ›KCD2 Speech Skill Guide — Charisma, Eloquence & Speech ChecksKCD2 hides the inputs that decide every speech check behind UI numbers most players ignore. This guide breaks down the formula — outfit charisma + reputation + alcohol intoxication + perks — and shows the perks that swing the math reliably.
- ›KCD2 Stealth Archer Build — Crossbow, Hood & Houndmaster Synergy (2026)KCD2's new crossbow plus the Houndmaster skill make stealth archer finally viable. This build lays out the perks, gear, and Mutt commands that let Henry win every fight from 40 metres out.
- ›KCD2 Lockpicking Guide — New Minigame, Sweet Spot Timing & Perk OrderKCD2 rebuilt the lockpicking minigame from scratch — old KCD1 muscle memory will fail you. This guide explains the new sweet-spot system, controller vs keyboard differences, and the perk order that opens Hard chests before Kuttenberg.