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Skiffs and Wagons
June 9, 2026 at 06:48 AM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
Crimson Desert features transport options beyond mounts and on-foot travel. Skiffs, canoes, and horse-drawn wagons each fill a specific role in the traversal system. Watercraft handle rivers, lakes, and coastal waters without draining the player's stamina, while wagons provide ground-based cargo transport between settlements and play a central role in the trading economy. These vehicles complement the broader movement toolkit that includes horseback riding, climbing, gliding, the grappling hook, and late-game aerial mounts.
Swimming in Crimson Desert drains stamina. Extended stretches of open water can deplete Kliff's stamina bar entirely, leaving the player vulnerable to drowning. Watercraft bypass this problem by providing reliable, stamina-free traversal across bodies of water. For players exploring the map's extensive river systems and coastlines, canoes and skiffs are the safe way to cross.
Vessel | Propulsion | Description |
|---|---|---|
Skiff | Rowing | Small rowing boats found at docks and shorelines across Pywel. Used for crossing rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Gameplay footage shows Kliff rowing a skiff with the game's water physics rendering waves and reflections around the hull. |
Canoe | Paddling | Paddled vessels suited to narrower waterways and river travel. The canoe is confirmed and functional based on early gameplay sessions and pre-launch previews. |
Both vessel types are found at predetermined locations along shorelines and riverbanks rather than being player-owned or craftable. Players walk up to a beached or docked vessel and interact with it to board.
Watercraft tie into the fishing life skill. Rivers, lakes, and coastlines across Pywel are fishing spots, and canoes and skiffs allow players to reach deeper waters that are inaccessible by wading from shore. Fishing is learned through the Observation Learning system: when players liberate a settlement and drive out bandits, fishermen move back in, and Kliff can learn to fish by watching them work.
Horse-drawn wagons are utility vehicles designed for the trading system. Unlike rideable mounts that prioritize combat or exploration, wagons exist specifically to haul trade goods in bulk between the player's Greymane Camp and NPC merchants at trading posts across Pywel. Wagons are slow and vulnerable to bandit attacks on the road, but they are the only way to transport large quantities of packed trade goods. The trading system can be highly profitable, making the wagon an essential investment for players interested in earning silver through commerce.
Building a wagon requires completing several prerequisite steps through the Greymane Camp management system. The process typically becomes available around Chapter 4 of the main story.
Slot | Details |
|---|---|
Set up camp on Howling Hill. | Complete the "A Fresh Start" quest at the beginning of Chapter 3 to establish the Greymane Camp. This involves finding the wagon, raising the banner, and driving a stake to mark the site. |
Progress the Grounds of the Sunrise questline. | This faction quest chain focuses on finding scattered Greymane members and expanding the camp's infrastructure. |
Complete the "A Rumor in Glenbright Farm" quest to discover Brice, the wagon manager. Once recruited, he relocates to your camp and opens the Base Camp Wagon Management Office. | |
After Brice arrives, work through the requests listed under Greymane Commissions until Brice's Request unlocks. | |
Recruit an Engineer. | You need at least one Freesword comrade with the Engineering skill. See the Engineering Skill section below for details on how to get an engineer. |
Dispatch the Timberturner Wainwright mission. | Speak to Ross at camp and select Mission Dispatch. Locate the "Timberturner Wainwright" task in the dispatch list. Assign your Engineer and any additional workers to begin construction. |
Choose your wagon type. | Select from the available wagon options (Old Wagon, Freight Wagon, or Trading Wagon). Larger wagons carry more cargo but require more workers, longer build times, and additional resources. |
Wait for completion. | The dispatch mission takes in-game time to complete. Once finished, the wagon appears at Brice's workshop in camp. |
Brice is the Greymane wagonmaster who oversees the Base Camp Wagon Management Office. A fatalist at heart, Brice believes the future cannot be changed, but his pragmatic approach makes him effective at handling logistics for the group. He is initially located at Glenbright Manor and moves to the Greymane Camp after the player completes the "A Rumor in Glenbright Farm" quest.
Once at camp, Brice handles all wagon-related operations. Speak to him to deploy a wagon, load or unload cargo, check wagon status, and initiate new wagon construction through the Timberturner Wainwright dispatch system.
The Engineering skill is a Freesword specialization required for wagon construction. Without at least one comrade with Engineering in your roster, the Timberturner Wainwright dispatch mission remains locked. Engineering typically unlocks at comrade Level 3. For a detailed walkthrough of recruiting your first engineer, see How to Get an Engineer at Camp.
Freesword | Engineering Status | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
Starts with Engineering | Complete "A Rumor in St. Halssius" quest | |
Falstaff | Starts with Engineering | Recruited through the Greymane faction questline |
Terry | Must level up to unlock | Recruited first, then leveled through dispatch missions |
Must level up to unlock | Complete "A Rumor in Hills of No Return" |
Arnold is the first engineer most players encounter because his recruitment quest, "A Rumor in St. Halssius," becomes available early in the Greymane faction storyline. He joins the camp roster immediately after the quest and can be assigned to engineering dispatch missions right away. Any Freesword with Engineering can fill the requirement, so players who have not yet recruited Arnold can wait for Falstaff or level up Terry or Otto through dispatch missions.
When building a wagon through the Timberturner Wainwright dispatch mission, you can choose from three wagon types. Each type offers a different balance of cargo capacity, build cost, and worker requirements.
Wagon Type | Cargo Capacity | Speed | Build Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Old Wagon | Small (limited slots) | Moderate | Short | Early-game trading, quick setup |
Medium | Slow | Medium | Balanced cargo runs between nearby posts | |
Large (many slots) | Slow | Long | Maximum profit on long-distance routes |
The Old Wagon is the fastest to build and the easiest to maneuver, making it ideal for players just entering the trading system. Larger wagons like the Freight Wagon and Trading Wagon are clunky and slow, which makes them targets for bandit attacks along trade roads. However, their higher cargo capacity means each successful delivery generates far more profit.
Before loading a wagon, trade goods must be packed. Speak to Carl, the Camp Provisioner, and select "Camp Provisions" from his menu. Choose the items from your inventory that you want to package. Each packing operation costs 100 Alms deducted from your camp funds. You can also press P on keyboard (L3 on controller) to package camp resources directly; every 1,000 resources become one packed trade good.
Once goods are packed, visit the Wagon Management Office and speak with Brice. Select your wagon, then move packed goods from your inventory into the wagon's cargo slots. Alternatively, packed goods can be loaded onto your horse at a stable for smaller deliveries.
To deliver goods, you must manually drive the wagon to the destination trading post. Fast travel is not available while driving a wagon. Plan your route ahead of time and stick to main roads for the fastest travel times. Mountainous paths are slower and present greater risk of bandit encounters.
Trade goods can be sold at various trading posts across Pywel. Each post maintains its own inventory of goods it buys and sells, along with independently fluctuating prices. Before driving to a post, inspect it on the world map and check the "Buying Items" and "Selling Items" tabs to confirm the post accepts what you are carrying.
Location | Details | |
|---|---|---|
South of Unicorn Cliff | Primary trading hub. Speak with Ugmon. Requires minimum purchase/sale of 25 stacks. Only buys listed items. | |
North of Hernand Castle | Accepts a wider variety of trade goods. Located inside the major city area. | |
Various locations across Pywel | Smaller outposts affiliated with the Goldleaf Merchant Guild. Each has a limited buy/sell list. |
Prices at trading posts fluctuate on a weekly cycle. Each commodity has a base market price, and the actual buy/sell price at each post varies above or below that baseline depending on local supply and demand. The trading interface displays trend indicators showing whether a commodity's price is rising, falling, or stable. Packed goods transported by wagon sell for significantly more than unpacked items sold directly from your inventory. For a complete breakdown of the trading economy, see the Wagon Trading article.
The faster but riskier alternative to building a wagon is stealing one. Wagons and carts can be found throughout the world, particularly on trade roads between settlements and in the areas around trading centers where traveling caravans pass.
To steal a wagon, you need a mask equipped to hide your identity. Masks can be purchased from the Back Alley Shop in Hernand for 10 coppers, looted from bandits, or obtained as a quest reward. With a mask on, approach a parked wagon and interact with it to take control. Stealing always reduces your Contribution points with the local faction, whether you are caught or not. If a witness spots the theft, guards will pursue you and impose a fine. Failing to pay the fine results in jail time and additional penalties.
Stolen wagons cannot be sold at legitimate trading posts. Instead, you must bring them to a Wagon Fence, an NPC who specializes in buying stolen vehicles. There are two known Wagon Fence locations:
Wagon Fence | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Earliest available location. Park the stolen wagon at the entrance and a cutscene plays where you sell it. | ||
North of Unicorn Cliff | Alternative selling point. Same process as the Hernand fence. |
Each stolen wagon sells for approximately 15 silver on average, regardless of the wagon's appearance or skin. The modest payout means wagon theft is best treated as a quick cash supplement rather than a primary income strategy. Selling stolen wagons does not contribute to the Trade Challenges achievements. For a full breakdown of the crime system and its penalties, including Contribution loss and fine mechanics, see the dedicated article.
Wagons and carts spawn at predictable locations throughout Pywel. The most reliable spots are around major trading posts, where merchant caravans park regularly. The Royal Trading Post north of Hernand Castle almost always has at least one parked wagon nearby. The road east from Greymane Camp toward the Goldleaf Guildhouse south of Unicorn Cliff is another common spot, since traveling caravans pass through regularly.
Trade roads connecting major settlements see frequent cart traffic. Wagons driven by NPC merchants can be found on the main routes between Hernand, the Goldleaf Tradeposts, and other trade hubs. If you do not see one immediately, ride along the road for a minute or two; caravans cycle through on a regular schedule.
The Great Thief's Gloves are a special piece of equipment obtained through the House Serkis faction quest line. When equipped, these gloves allow you to steal any item, including wagons, without being detected. Witnesses will not report the crime, and no bounty is applied for the theft. The gloves have a 30-minute cooldown between uses.
For wagon theft specifically, the Great Thief's Gloves are extremely useful. You can walk up to a wagon parked at a busy trading post, steal it in plain sight, and drive it directly to a Wagon Fence without worrying about guards or Contribution penalties from that particular theft. The cooldown timer resets after 30 minutes, so if you are making multiple wagon runs, plan your route to take at least that long between thefts.
When you arrive at a Wagon Fence with a stolen vehicle, park it at the entrance of the depot. A cutscene plays where the fence operator takes the wagon, conceals it from sight, and pays you. The process is automatic once you park; there is no haggling or inventory management involved.
Each stolen wagon sells for approximately 15 silver regardless of the wagon's type or appearance. Custom wagon skins do not affect the payout. The Hernand Wagon Fence east of Hernand along the Nas River (south of the Halssius Apothecary) is the earliest available location. Additional Wagon Fences open in other regions as you progress through the story.
Transporting trade goods is not without danger. Larger wagons move slowly and attract the attention of bandits who patrol the roads between settlements. Bandit ambushes can occur on any trade road, and the risk increases with the value of your cargo.
Slot | Description |
|---|---|
Drive defensively. | Avoid stopping on the road. If you see bandits ahead, try to steer around them or accelerate through their blockade. |
Bring combat-ready gear. | If ambushed, you will need to fight off the attackers before you can resume your journey. Make sure your weapons and armor are refined before setting out. |
Choose safer routes. | Main roads near major settlements are generally safer than backcountry paths. The road from Hernand to the Goldleaf Guildhouse is one of the more secure routes. |
Travel light for short runs. | If you are making a quick delivery to a nearby post, use your horse instead of a large wagon. Horses are faster and less likely to be targeted. |
Interact with Brice at the Wagon Management Office in the Greymane Camp to handle all aspects of your wagon fleet:
Action | Details |
|---|---|
Deploy a wagon: | Select which wagon to take out from your available fleet. |
Load and unload cargo: | Transfer packed trade goods between your inventory and the wagon. |
View wagon status: | Check current cargo capacity and condition. |
Build new wagons: | Initiate additional Timberturner Wainwright dispatch missions to expand your fleet as your trading operation grows. |
Skiffs, canoes, and wagons are part of a broader transport system with 29 confirmed mount and vehicle types. Crossing the continent of Pywel takes approximately two hours on horseback, making water shortcuts via skiffs and canoes valuable for players navigating the map's coastlines, rivers, and lake regions.
Terrain | Transport Options |
|---|---|
Ground | Horses, exotic mounts (bears, raptors, wolves), wagons, on foot, War Robot |
Skiffs, canoes, swimming (stamina-limited) | |
Aerial | Crow's Wing glider, hot air balloon, dragon mount, jetpack, skyrail |
Fast travel points (Traces of the Abyss) are also available for instant travel between discovered locations. For a full overview of all rideable creatures and vehicles, see the Mounts and All Mounts Comparison articles.
Building a wagon early in Chapter 4 gives you a significant economic advantage for the rest of the game.
Prioritize recruiting Brice and Arnold as early as possible through the Greymane Commission system.
The Old Wagon is cheap and fast to build. Start with it to begin earning trading income, then upgrade to a larger wagon once you have the resources.
Always check the trading post's demand on the world map before loading your wagon. Posts only buy items they have listed.
Packed goods transported by wagon fetch significantly higher prices than items sold individually. Never sell unpackaged trade goods if you have access to Carl's packing service.
Use the Freesword Dispatch System to generate trade goods passively while you focus on other activities.
Stolen wagons work the same as crafted ones for transporting goods, but stealing triggers bounties and Contribution penalties through the crime system.
Wagon Trading - Complete trading economy guide
Pywel Wagon - Detailed wagon vehicle page
Brice - Wagon manager NPC
How to Get an Engineer at Camp - Engineer recruitment walkthrough
Trading - Overview of the Crimson Desert economy
Greymane Camp - Camp management and facilities
Crime System - Stealing, fines, and Contribution penalties
Mounts - All rideable creatures and vehicles
Best Ways to Farm Money - Comprehensive money-making guide
Trade Challenges - Trade-related achievement challenges
Life Skills - Gathering, fishing, mining, and other skills
