Random encounters can be both entertaining and frustrating in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Some may boost your reputation, grant you skill points, or provide useful items, while others might leave you empty-handed and beaten on the side of the road. It’s not always obvious which encounters are safe.
Take the encounter with the Cheerful Man near a fork in the road, for instance. What appears to be a pleasant meeting could easily lead to trouble. This character will invite you to celebrate the birth of his first son by sharing a drink of his finest brandy. But is that drink truly worth it?
How to Locate the Cheerful Man
Encounters can happen as you wander the map or while you’re fast-traveling. Many of the situations that arise during fast travel can also be found while exploring, though there’s no assurance they will appear.
The Cheerful Man will appear by the side of the road as you travel around Rocktower Pond, specifically at the ‘Rocktower Camp’ by the three-way crossroads.
He’ll wave you over and propose that you celebrate a significant occasion together. He claims he has just welcomed a son and desires company to toast his new arrival.
When you meet the Cheerful Man, you’ll have two response choices:
- ‘Congratulations!’
- ‘What does this have to do with me?’
If you opt for the congratulations, he’ll invite you to enjoy a toast of his special brandy.
After you inquire about his son’s name, the man pauses before awkwardly revealing his son’s name is Jonty. This could be your first clue that he may not be truthful.
If you choose the second option, the Cheerful Man will express regret for bothering you, yet still urge you to celebrate with him.
Should he offer you a drink, you can respond with one of the following:
- (Toast)
- ‘I’m not in the mood right now.’
- ‘What kind of brandy is this?’
If you ask about the brandy, he’ll describe it as a special brew that’s been buried for ten years. If you say ‘I’m not in the mood right now,’ he’ll persist in trying to convince you to take a drink.
At that point, you can either give in and let him serve you a drink, dismiss him with ‘I couldn’t care less about your son,’ or refuse based on the fact that you ‘don’t drink with strangers.’
If you reject him using either of these options, he’ll feel insulted and initiate a fight. If you start to defeat him, he may even stab you and attempt to flee. You can try to chase him down to knock him out and rob him.
It’s likely you won’t have your weapon drawn at the time of the fight, but try to avoid killing him since that would still be considered a crime if you’re caught.
If you do rob him, you can take the following items:
- 8.7 Groschen
- Weak Lullaby potion
- Cheese
- Hose jointed
- Firm boots
- Tunic
- Ordinary coat
- Miner’s hood
- Miner’s hat
The most valuable items to take are his Groschen and the Lullaby potion.
What Happens If You Drink the Cheerful Man’s Wine?
If you decide to toast with the Cheerful Man at any point, you’ll fall asleep for two hours after drinking the brandy. When you wake up, you’ll notice he has vanished, and you’ll have lost some Groschen. The drink was tainted with the Weak Lullaby potion from his inventory.
To avoid being robbed, you can simply decline to drink the brandy or sneak in a robbery for the Lullaby potion while he’s distracted.
