1.) Unable to find info about these oils and if they are similar to the usage/effectiveness as Witcher 1.

2.) Is it necessary to obtain books for combat/monster strategy??

3.) Is there a bestiary somewhere?

thanks

I hope no one gives him the answer for this other than this.

Play the game. Really the answer is to play the game. The answers are all in the game, just play it.

The first place to find the oils is in the village outside of the town walls, there's a lady who sells them. Books aren't neccessary as you can learn the same things by simply killing the monsters enough, you learn about them gradually that way. The books obviously help. No bestiary, apart from the one accessible via the journal.

Those two oils gives you a 20% bonus damage against those creatures.

Supposedly if you study a book you get some kind of info on the creatures that translates to a bonus against them, but unlike Witcher1, you can go hunting without studying up. I do think one quest requires you read a book, first, though.

The only real bestiary is the one in your journal, that you fill out by reading books.

Another friendly Canadian!! (Not to insult the majority) thanks

FYI: I only played Witcher1 with the FCR mod which made things very challenging and the neccessity of oils and heard that the Flash author was on the team for Witcher 2. With all the commotion of some players indicating how hard the combat was I thought I would ask because I was failing on the Claws of Madness quest. I was using the Specter oil and Tawney and one other pot and still having trouble so "JUST PLAY THE GAME" is fantastic advice!! I did notice that after I died I had to reapply the oil on each reload, thus my posting here.

There is an entry for monsters in the journal, but it only gives Dandelion's general description. For the useful bestiary you have to find the slightly more hidden menu.

Meditate, then go to the character screen. Go to attributes (press enter) which shows your vitality, armor, etc... On the right side are 3 icons, the middle shows a bestiary with information about what sword to use, which oil helps and so on.

You can get this knowledge through books, or you can get it by just killing monsters.

Thank you so much, I don't think I would have found that sub menu ...still thinking Witcher 1 where everything was easily accessable. I don't believe the guide or manual explains that well.. I got into The Witcher 1 a year after its release so had the benefit of mucho guides and mods for information and never got into the forums for answers that much...

(Obviously with such helpful forum advice as Hula I can see why I never delved into forums that much.)

I found the wraiths pretty tough without using Specter Oil. I wish I'd had some on me, since the first time I came across them I ended up dying several times.

I used Petri's Philter and Specter Oil against the wraiths. Use AXII on them in turns and they kill each other. The wraith that survived I killed with IGNI and the silver sword. Pretty easy this way even on hard.