OK, so on my 2nd play through and just completed the Bloody Baron storyline.

First time through I got the happy ending with the Baron taking Anna to the Blue Mountains even though I freed the Spirit under the hill.

2nd time through thought I had done everything the same but Anna died.

I have searched on these boards and the internet and it seems that people believe that freeing the spirit or killing it determines Anna's fate but both times I have freed the Spirit but have gotten different outcomes.

I have read somewhere that if you free the spirit before going to the village to take the contract for the crones, that can cause you to get the Anna lives ending but I cannot remember if that's what I did 300 hrs ago in my first game. Can anyone confirm this?

Also I read that if you buy the guards at Crows Perch beers rather than kill them when you first arrive at the bridge that can give you the bad ending. This is one of the only things I remember doing differently, because I personally at the time was angry and thought I am just gonna kill these gits. Again does anyone know if this is true?

Would be great if someone knows of a post that stipulates the actual things you need to do to get the Anna lives ending as I was really pissed at getting the ending where Anna dies.

Any help appreciated :-)

This probably won't be too much help, but I too have seen reports of people getting the "happy" ending if they freed the spirit during The Whispering Hillock quest--but BEFORE doing the Ladies of the Wood quest. I believe this is the only way to free the spirit, save the children, and have Anna live.

If you start the Ladies of the Wood quest before starting The Whispering Hillock, then you will need to kill the tree spirit in order to get the outcome where Anna and the Baron live, but I believe the children will be sacrificed to the Crones.

It's been a while since I played this part of the game, so my memory might be off.

in the offical strat guide is says

"PATH 1: If you killed the tree spirit, an addled Anna stumbles out of her hut, babbling incomprehensibly, and frightening Tamara.

PATH 2: If you helped the tree spirit, a horrific and monstrous Anna shambles out of her hut, turned into this abomination by the crones. "

it very clearly say two paths, if you freed the tree spirit Anna dies. Anything else sounds like a bug.

I would love it if i could save the children AND Anna.

Yes. I did this in one of my play throughs, and Anna lived. No, this is nonsense. The attitude of the guards at Crows Perch all depends on what you did when you first arrived at Inn at the Crossroads, at the start of the game. If you took steps to avoid a fight there, they will allow you passage at Crow's Perch. It carries no consequence for Anna.

Maybe not a bug but an unforeseen loophole that the dev's didn't realise could be exploited because as Hickory says he had the happy outcome as well, where he did the Whispering Hill quest freeing the spirit first and Anna survives.

Found this info:Could be SPOILER:
When the Crones task you with killing the spirit locked away under The Great Willow, you have to kill it. If you free it, the Crones retaliate by cursing Anna - she's turned into a hag, and once you remove the curse, she dies. This, in turn, causes the Baron to hang himself back at Crow Perch. Kill the spirit under the Willow and you should be able to get the 'good' ending, where the Baron takes Anna away to be healed.

Okay,thought it might help the OP.

Cheers, I was just trying to clarify why when I followed the story line I got the hanging ending.

Interesting, perhaps I'll do that on my next play through. I killed everyone I could possibly kill at the Inn at the Crossroads, and kept doing the same thing at every opportunity at Crow's Perch also. I stopped idiots from harming the villagers a couple of times and fought my way in more or less. Also got in a fist fight with the Baron at one point and kicked his fat arse.

I'm not sure what things were the deciding factors but in my game I saved the baby's spirit and went and found Anna and rescued her more or less, had to fight a fiend in the swamp. Prior to that I had visited there and activated the Crones dialogue, did the Johnny quest, and the old tree spirit which I killed.

Thanks for the info. Yeah I did all the "right" things to get the good ending it seems except 1st time I did the Spirit under the Tree mission out of order which meant Anna lived.

Well I freed the Spirit before I got the quest to take care of it and Anna lived. I also freed the spirit during the quest to deal with it and she died. When I killed the Spirit during the Quest to deal with it Anna also lived. I guess its about are the childres saved or not that Anna lives or dies. I hope that answers your question ;)

Thanks, I know there is a choice to be made. Just trying to figure what the actual steps that make it tip one way or the other are.

You are right that if you kill the spirit as part of the story line that seems to save Anna but not the kids. I have only played twice and both times freed the spirit and was thus shocked to get the hanging ending 2nd time round as I didn't think I'd done anything different. However in my first play through I remembered finding the hill/spirit before I went to the village to take on the contract. That appears to be the only difference.

It's not a bug, it's like a hidden third ending for the quest line. It is actually scripted, the crones get really pissed but cannot do anything about it since it was not Anna's fault, and you set the spirit free before ever accepting their quest so they cannot withhold the info about Ciri. The evil old crones have their own bad luck for once (it's a little bit funny) lol. Quite a few people (including myself) have gone to the hillock first. So I can confirm that if you go to the hillock first (before getting the quest from the crones) the orphans escape the crones, and Anna and the baron both live.

Cheers for that clarification. Was so pissed off and too far on to go back and replay the whole quest but NEXT time will be heading straight for the hill!!!!