While traveling along the main road linking Vernworth and the Checkpoint Rest Town you may be treated to an odd sight - a phantom oxcart! Easy to spot due to its blue flames and unusual nocturnal schedule, this enigmatic aberration is initially little more than a curiosity. It’ll speed off if you approach it, comfortably vanishing into thin air before you can catch it. Eventually, however, advancing the main questline the activities of the phantom oxcart will become notorious enough to incite a proper investigation into it, starting a quest aptly named The Phantom Oxcart. This page will provide a walkthrough for The Phantom Oxcart, including info on how to start the quest and how to catch and ride the phantom oxcart.

How to Start The Phantom Oxcart - Dragon’s Dogma 2¶

After traveling to Bakbattahl during the main quest Nation of Lambent Flame, return to Vernworth and near the western gate (around the West Vernworth Oxcart Station) you’ll find a character named Guerrero complaining about an oxcart that doesn’t follow the rules restricting travel to daytime. Overhearing the conversation should be enough to kick off this quest. Once it starts, do yourself a favor and change your vocation to a Fighter, Warrior, Thief, Mystic Spearhand… something that can fight well on its own without relying on pawns to deal damage or draw aggro. This isn’t mandatory, but it’ll make your life easier in a bit.

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(1 of 2) Exit Vernworth via the eastern gate and you’ll catch Navil scheming with Mansenn. Capture the corrupt guard and he’ll give you evidence.

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Exit Vernworth via the eastern gate and you’ll catch Navil scheming with Mansenn. Capture the corrupt guard and he’ll give you evidence. (left), Turn Navil’s evidence over to Captain Brant and he’ll suggest you impersonate a pawn to board the phantom oxcart. (right)

How to Find the Phantom Oxcart¶

When you’re ready to proceed, rest until night, then exit Vernworth via the eastern gate and at an intersection across a bridge a ways outside of the city you’ll encounter the phantom oxcart, looking decidedly less supernatural than usual. A soldier named Navil will pawn off some contraband to phantom oxcart’s master, Mansenn, all the while cackling about the specifics of their scheme.

Approach and the phantom oxcart will take off, but don’t concern yourself with that, instead, apprehend Navil and he’ll spill even more details about the phantom oxcart’s illicit activities before making you an offer - accept his bribe and let him walk, or escort him to prison. You’ll get 5,000G if you let him go while if you take him to jail justice will be served. Cheap, profitless justice. Either way the outcome of the quest doesn’t change and Navil doesn’t play a role in any other quests. Regardless of what choice you make regarding Navil, he’ll hand over a Merchant’s Document, which is key to advancing the quest.

Once your decision regarding Navil has played out, return to Captain Brant at The Stardrop Inn in Vernworth (he’ll only be there at night, as usual) and give him the document you obtained from Navil to gain some more insight on the source of the document. After that Brant will make an odd suggestion - impersonate a pawn to gain entry to the phantom oxcart, a dangerous and determined ruse that’ll see you expose yourself to danger and abuse, but one that may deposit you at the heart of this conspiracy.

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(1 of 3) Take off all your gear and walk up to the phantom oxcart to talk to Mansenn to gain access to the wagon.

How to Disguise Yourself as a Pawn and Ride the Phantom Oxcart¶

Disguising yourself as a pawn is deceptively simple. Despite all the heavily armed and armored pawns you see wandering around literally everywhere, apparently poverty is the key to boaring the phantom oxcart. Strip your character of all their arms, armor and accessories. Keeping your lantern equipped is fine, but that’s the only thing we still had equipped when we successfully boarded the phantom oxcart.

Once done, wait until night then head out the eastern gate of Vernworth to reach the spot where you busted Navil and you should find the phantom oxcart obediently waiting. Be sure to tell your pawns to “Wait”, then walk (don’t run) up to the phantom oxcart and talk to Mansenn. Once he approves of you, enter the back of the wagon and examine the door to get moving.

After a while on the road you’ll be attacked by goblins. At Mansenn’s insistence, get out of the oxcart and defeat them. Let the other pawns lead so they can catch the torches the goblins throw, and do not equip your armor or weapons, do not use skills, just punch the goblins into submission and let your fellow pawns do the heavy lifting - they should be sufficient to scatter this rabble on their own. Hop back on the wagon when you’re done and continue riding until you disembark at the Checkpoint Rest Town.

When you get there you’ll get a scene where some Battahli guards decide to take advantage of the passivity of pawns by beating you. Continue playing the part by not responding. After a few punches you’ll be free to continue. At this point there’s really nothing you can do to mess this up, as you’ll be transported to Bakbattahl without further incident, disembarking at the Flamebearer Palace Spellseal Door.

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(1 of 2) After crossing the border you’ll need to fight some Battahli guards. Equip your gear and go all-out, but don’t count on your pawns to provide much assistance.

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After crossing the border you’ll need to fight some Battahli guards. Equip your gear and go all-out, but don’t count on your pawns to provide much assistance. (left), Defeat all the guards to obtain some Labor Requisition Orders. (right)

The guards here aren’t as clueless as the ones in Vernworth, and they’ll quickly sniff you out. Re-equip your gear and indulge in the first real fight of this quest. Your pawns will be present, but you shouldn’t rely on them too much, as they’ll be debilitated by a device your enemies possess - apparently the Battahli have means of enforcing passivity among pawns if the innate inclinations of pawns shouldn’t suffice. Kill the guards - they’re aggressive and durable, but they don’t have high damage output - and the last one you slay should drop some Labor Requisition Orders. You’ll claim this automatically, so you don’t need to fuss over it. If you don’t get it, some guard is lurking around somewhere.

You’re functionally done with the quest for now, you just need to return to Captain Brant in Vernworth and present him with the evidence you uncovered. For doing so you’ll complete the quest and earn 4,000 XP, a Ring of Momentum and 14,500G.