A shadowy cart rolls through the moonlit roads of Vernworth, its cargo hidden and its purpose shrouded in rumor. In Dragon’s Dogma 2’s “The Phantom Oxcart” quest, players are drawn into a covert investigation-will you stalk the cart from the shadows, or risk everything by disguising yourself as one of its mysterious passengers? Every choice brings you closer to the truth behind the midnight smuggling ring, and the fate of the Pawns trapped within it.
In this Dragon’s Dogma 2 guide, we’ll walk you through how to start “The Phantom Oxcart” side quest and where to find the Phantom Oxcart itself. We’ll also cover the various choices in the quest, including if you should turn Navil in and if you should follow the Phantom Oxcart or disguise yourself as a pawn.
How to start ’The Phantom Oxcart’ quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2
To start “The Phantom Oxcart” quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you first need to complete the main quest “Nation of the Lambent Flame.” Once that’s done, return to Vernworth and head to the West Vernworth Oxcart Station. There, listen for NPCs-specifically Guerrero and Dagras-talking about a mysterious oxcart that travels at night. If you don’t catch their conversation right away, try resting and returning until you overhear them, which will trigger the quest. Alternatively, you can also start the quest by speaking with Wilhelmina at the Rose Chateau Bordelrie after the main quest. Once the quest is active, rest until nighttime, then follow the objective marker north of Vernworth to begin your investigation.
Like many quests in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you’ll get “The Phantom Oxcart” by eavesdropping on a conversation between two NPCs.
Once you’ve made your way to Bakbattahl – the capital of Battahl – fast travel back to Vernworth. If you walk by the western gate oxcartat night, you’ll eventually overhear a conversation between Guerrero and Dagras, which will automatically give you the quest. They’ll be talking about a mysterious, Phantom Oxcart (hey, that’s the name of the quest!) that only rides around at night.
If the conversation isn’t triggering for you, try talking to them directly. If that isn’t working either, double check that you’ve finished the “Nation of the Lambent Flame” quest in Bakbattahl, and go complete it if you haven’t.
Where to find the Phantom Oxcart in Dragon’s Dogma 2
To find the Phantom Oxcart in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you must first unlock the quest by overhearing NPCs discussing a mysterious oxcart that travels at night. This typically happens after you complete the main quest “Nation of the Lambent Flame” and reach Bakbattahl. Head back to the West Vernworth Oxcart Station, where you can overhear Guerrero and Dagras talking about the oxcart, or speak with Wilhelmina at the Rose Chateau Bordelrie to trigger the quest. Once the quest is active, rest until nighttime and then head to the crossroads north of Vernworth, following the quest marker. The Phantom Oxcart, distinguished by its blue lights, will appear at this location only after dark. Be careful not to approach too closely, as being spotted can complicate the quest’s progression.
At night, follow the quest marker to the crossroads north of Vernworth. You’ll find a mysterious oxcart bathed in blue light. The driver should be in the middle of a conversation with a soldier named Navil when you arrive.
Wait off to the side until the cart drives away. Then walk up behind Navil. When you get close enough, he’ll start to run. Tackle him to the ground with your grab and he’ll tell you everything. Turns out the oxcart is selling pawns as slaves in Bakbattahl.
Should you bring Navil back to Vernworth in ’The Phantom Oxcart’?
Should you bring Navil back to Vernworth in “The Phantom Oxcart”? The quest gives you a choice after catching Navil, the corrupt soldier involved in the pawn smuggling operation. You can either accept his bribe and let him go, or you can send him to jail. Accepting the bribe does not appear to have any negative consequences, and you will still receive the Merchant’s Document needed to progress the quest. Ultimately, your decision does not significantly impact the quest’s outcome or rewards-regardless of your choice, you will be able to complete the quest by bringing the evidence back to Captain Brant in Vernworth. Therefore, bringing Navil back to Vernworth is not required, and you can choose whichever option you prefer without worrying about missing out on rewards or quest progression.
After he dishes the details, Navil will give you the Merchant’s Document as evidence and then ask you to let him go. You can escort him back to Vernworth and throw him in gaol (which the game does for you automatically if you select that option) or let him go in exchange for 5,000 gold.
This choice doesn’t impact the quest.
Should you follow the Phantom Oxcart or disguise yourself as a pawn?
When tackling the Phantom Oxcart quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you have two main approaches: follow the cart stealthily or disguise yourself as a pawn to infiltrate it. Disguising yourself as a pawn-by unequipping all your gear and approaching the oxcart at night-tends to be the easier and more reliable method. This route allows you to ride inside the cart, directly witness the events, and gather crucial evidence for Captain Brant. However, you’ll need to fend off goblins barehanded and endure some rough treatment from guards, but it quickly moves the quest forward and reduces the risk of failure due to being spotted. Alternatively, you can try to tail the oxcart from a distance, but this method is trickier; being seen can cause the quest to fail or complicate progress, requiring precise stealth and patience. Overall, going undercover as a pawn is recommended for a smoother and more immersive experience, while following the cart is best for those who prefer a stealth challenge.
With Navil dealt with, take the Merchant’s Document to Brant at night – he’ll be hanging out in the bar, same place as he was for quests like “The Caged Magistrate” and “The Nameless Village.” Brant will suggest two options for you:
- Follow the Phantom Oxcart.
- Trick the driver bydressing up as a pawn. This option is easier, faster, and will earn you a trophy or achievement (depending on what platform you’re playing on), so I recommend you do that.
How to disguise yourself as a pawn in ’The Phantom Oxcart’
To successfully disguise yourself as a pawn during “The Phantom Oxcart” quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you must unequip all your armor, weapons, shields, and accessories-essentially leaving your character with nothing equipped except, optionally, a lantern. Next, command your other pawns to wait outside the oxcart’s objective zone so they don’t raise suspicion. Approach the oxcart at night, moving slowly and ideally from behind to avoid startling the driver, Mansenn. If you approach correctly, Mansenn will mistake you for a pawn and invite you to get into the back of the cart. Once inside, close the cart door to trigger the next phase of the quest. During the journey, you’ll need to fight goblins bare-handed-do not re-equip any gear or use skills, as doing so will break your cover. Remain passive even when guards harass you at the checkpoint, and only once your disguise is inevitably broken later in the quest should you re-equip your gear and summon your pawns.
After you’re done talking to Brant, head to a bench and wait until sundown – just before night, when there is still a bit of daylight. Remove all of your clothes and weapons. Walk back to the crossroads where you met Navil and wait. As night comes, you’ll see the Phantom Oxcart appear.
Walk up to the cart speak to the driver. He’ll tell you to get in the back with the rest of the pawns. Follow his instructions and then hit the interact button to wait. After a few minutes, the cart will get attacked by some goblins, but do not reequip any weapons or armor. Instead, walk out with the other pawns and beat the monsters to death with your fists. When they’re gone, get back in the cart.
When you reach the checkpoint gate, a bunch of guards will start hitting you. Do not move or attack back, as doing so will break your cover. Continue with the ruse until you reach Bakbattahl, where a bunch of guards will tell you to kneel before realizing that you’re not actually a pawn. Now – finally – you can reequip all of your equipment.
Fair warning: The fight in Bakbattahl is very annoying, as the guards will just constantly beat on you, interrupt you, and knock you over. The Mystic Spearhand vocation is great for this section, as you can easily stun human enemies in a group, but you can complete it as any vocation with some patience – it’s much more annoying than it is difficult, so just make sure you have some healing items.
Once you kill the final enemy, you’ll get the Labor Requisition Orders. Make your way all the way back to Vernworth and hand over these papers to Brant. He’ll give you 4,000 XP, 14,500 gold, and the Ring of Momentum (which increases your max stamina) as a reward for your good deeds.
What to do if the Phantom Oxcart is not moving, has disappearing, or runs away
If the Phantom Oxcart in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is not moving, disappears, or runs away, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try. First, ensure you are approaching the oxcart at night and from behind, walking slowly-running or coming from the front can spook the driver, causing the cart to vanish or the quest to stall. If the oxcart disappears or fails to move, wait until the next night and try again, making sure to keep your distance if you are following it, or unequip all gear and approach as a Pawn if you are infiltrating. Some players have reported that if the quest bugs out and the cart is stuck or missing, reloading an earlier save or waiting until the following night can resolve the issue. If the quest remains broken, you may need to reload a previous save before the bug occurred, as persistent bugs sometimes require reverting progress to fix.
You may have had trouble getting here because of some weird bugs in this quest. “The Phantom Oxcart” is very specific with its triggers, so it can be finicky. Sometimes it won’t move if you meet the conditions incorrectly, or run away if you make yourself known or rest too long. There are a lot of bug workarounds out there, but we found this explanation from reddit user soluutaire to be pretty effective and simple.
For their recommendations:
- Take off all gear (rings included)
- Sleep in the nearby inn to make a save
- Rest at the north gate twice to pass time, no more
- Tell you pawn to wait on the bridge
- Walk to the Oxcart spawn location with your lantern on
- Tell your pawns to wait again once it gets dark
- Wait five minutes of real time in the spot where the Oxcart will appear, which is marked with a yellow circle
- Talk to the driver the minute they appear
- Turn around and close the gate once you get in the cart
- Do not fight back with the guards in Checkpoint Rest Town
This solution seems to have worked for a lot of people in soluutaire’s thread. But, if you keep retrying and it’s not working, you’re better off just loading your save and following behind the cart. It’s not as fun, but the cart moves very slow, so keeping up with it is very simple. The game will eventually warp you to the end of the quest if you stay behind the Phantom Oxcart.
What secrets does the Phantom Oxcart hide in Dragon’s Dogma 2
The Phantom Oxcart in Dragon’s Dogma 2 conceals a dark secret: it is used to abduct and traffic pawns under the cover of night, smuggling them out of Vermund to be sold into slavery in Battahl. As players investigate, they discover that this illicit operation is not just the work of common criminals but is orchestrated by a member of the Verian royal court, with evidence pointing toward the queen regent herself as a mastermind behind the scheme. The quest’s revelations expose a network of corruption, forced labor, and political intrigue at the highest levels, making the Phantom Oxcart one of the game’s most sinister and consequential side stories.
What hidden plot involving pawns and the Verian court does the Phantom Oxcart reveal
The Phantom Oxcart quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2 uncovers a hidden plot involving the abduction and trafficking of pawns, orchestrated with the involvement of the Verian royal court. As you investigate, you learn that the oxcart is used to smuggle pawns out of Vernworth to be sold as slaves in Battahl. Evidence collected during the quest-including a labor requisition order and a merchant’s document-points to a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of power, with the queen regent herself implicated as the mastermind behind the operation. The quest exposes not only the exploitation of pawns but also the corruption and moral decay within the Verian court, making it a pivotal moment of political intrigue and dark revelation in the game.
