What is the true purpose of the Trial of Grasses?

[Captmorgan72]

What is the true purpose of the Trial of Grasses?

I've read information that explained it physically enhanced Witchers but I see no evidence of that, at least in the games. I believe that the trials main purpose is to mutate their bodies to allow them to drink potions that are highly toxic, that give them supernatural abilities. The mutagens in the games at least, do permanently change Witcher's physical abilities. So it looks to me like alchemy is a Witcher's true power and the Trial's main purpose. The fencing and magic training compliment a Witcher's main power, which is alchemy. Would you guys agree?

 

[Sirnaq]

Witchers have cat eyes because of this trial, also superhuman agility and endurance. Just look at Geralt's scars, these wounds would kill normal human.

 

[prometheus34572]

Better eyesight (you can see their catlike eyes), faster reflexes, more agile, heal wounds faster, can endure more damage, And like you said, can take highly toxic potions that would be deadly to a human. Their speed is not really shown in the game I think to go for a more realistic approach but Witchers are actually way faster than humans, there is no way a human could keep up with them. I'm not sure if Alchemy is the trials main purpose though, I think its just mainly to physically improve the body and change one to a Witcher. And they also take their Swordfighting training very seriously.

 

[Corylea.723]

So it looks to me like alchemy is a Witcher's true power and the Trial's main purpose. The fencing and magic training compliment a Witcher's main power, which is alchemy. Would you guys agree?

No, I don't agree. The games are based on a series of 7 books, and we know a lot about the Witcher world from the books, things that you might not have gleaned from a first play-through of the games.

The mutations the witchers undergo make them incredibly fast, and this increased speed is one of their biggest advantages. They're also stronger than ordinary men, though from what I can tell from the books, the increase in strength is not as great as the increase in speed. They also heal much faster than ordinary people and can survive wounds that would kill anyone else.

Drinking potions helps, of course, but the speed and healing are at least as important and probably more so.

I think they can't make Geralt's speed as fast in the games as it would be in reality (if the books were real) because the players don't have the increased speed that witchers have. Making the game Geralt as fast as the book Geralt would -- paradoxically enough -- make the game seem fake. And since players haven't been mutated to be astonishingly fast, we couldn't keep up with the character.

In the books, people who see Geralt move react with fear and awe. They realize that he's far less human than he looks, because nothing human was ever that fast.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Increasing Geralt's speed game wise can be achieved by decreasing the perceived speed of the surrounding events (similar to what blizzard potion does for example). In the Bloodlines for example that's exactly the effect of the Celerity discipline. How it affects gameplay is another question. Fitting it into the game properly is tricky, since you can't make it a constant condition, while increased reflexes (even without potions) are a constant thing for witchers.

 

[wisielec]

Trial of Grassess is a way of toughening a witcher. They are exposed to highly toxic and hallucinogenous mixtures. And mutagens. Their nervous and limbic system is mutated, other are secondary (like cats eyes), and differ from one to another (eg not all witchers have cat-like eyes, but all are sterile).
If the process doesnt kill the boy he gains superhuman reflexes and changed metabolism with healing factor. He is immune to most , if not all, dieseses and some poisons. He gains coplete control of his body - can control heartbeat and eye accomodation for example.
Potions only enchance all that and more (alas temporarily), making witcher high on potions a real killing machine (without exaggeration). All this is not reflected in the game, sadly.

Foremost witcher skill and tool is his body discipline and the sword. Potions are used when battling really dangerous creatures or when in hazardous environment.

 

[gregski]

Hmm, noone actually mentioned the "trial" aspect.

Yes, the ritual is making Witchers stronger, faster and whatnot. But that's a "bonus". I find its main purpose to be separating the sheep from the goats. Those who will make it as Witchers and those who are too weak to handle that role and would die quickly anyway, so they die during the trial.

Yeah, but that's probably too obvious