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The Witcher 3 is a game that rewards exploration and investigation. The contract quest 'Patrol Gone Missing' seems simple enough at first, but wouldn't you know it, extra exploration and investigation amplifies one's rewards.
This quest tasks you with helping the Nilfgaardians find one of their missing patrol units, though you'll find much more if you dig deeper. Here's everything you need to know about Patrol Gone Missing, the contract quest from the Witcher 3.
Updated on December 2, 2022 by Quinton O'Connor: The time has come for The Witcher 3 to receive a fancy, flashy graphical uptick for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Hence, the time has come in turn for us to check back with all our old Witcher 3 side quest guides to make sure they're in good condition to help you out, whether you're a newcomer or a veteran on a return voyage.
How to Begin 'Patrol Gone Missing'
As is often the case, you can activate this side quest either by checking a notice board, or speaking directly with the client. We recommend the latter, as you'll need to chat with him to further 'Patrol Gone Missing' either way, but first you'll need to reach your destination: the Nilfgaardian Army Group Center Camp situated far to the region's southeast stretches.
The client's name is Quartermaster Eggebracht, and he'll soon point you near the camp's leisure club, House of Respite.
First Investigation And Wyvern Clash
Near the House of Respite, you'll find a campsite and some footprints by using your Witcher Senses. Following the footprints will bring you to a point where Geralt comments on a terrible scent and some green gooey substance, implying that some sort of draconid is in the area. It seems a wyvern has killed the Nilfgaardian patrol.
Keep using your Witcher Senses, and you'll eventually come upon the wyvern, which you'll need to fight. So long as you're at or above the recommended level of seven for 'Patrol Gone Missing', battling the wyvern isn't too difficult. But preparation is half the fight, right? Use Aard to pull the Wyvern down, which should put things on a more even keel.
Run in and attack it while it's grounded, and repeat the process once it takes to the sky again.
After it's defeated, make sure to grab a trophy for the quartermaster. From here, you can return for your reward, or you can investigate a bit further.
Optional: Second Investigation For Further Context
Should you decide to keep investigating, you can gain a bit more information from this quest in the area. If you backtrack to the area right before the one where you fought the wyvern, you may be able to find some shallow graves.
It seems bodies were buried here, but necrophages dug them up, as necrophages tend to do. Keep examining these graves, and you'll find a new trail to follow, leading you to a cave with a ghoul nest. Geralt will realize these bodies are not Nilfgaardian, which is a bit suspicious.
Apparently, the Nilfgaardian soldiers were not just out on patrol. They had killed some prisoners of war from the Redanian army and tried to bury their bodies here, until some necrophages dug them up.
While you're in this cave, you can find a chest near the wall with the diagram for the enhanced Griffin silver sword.
Return to Eggebracht
If you return to the quartermaster and did not investigate further, you'll just turn in the news and receive your reward: ten XP and 50 Crowns.
However, if you did investigate further, Geralt can accuse the Nilfgaardian of war crimes. From here, one of two things will occur:
- Accept your payment anyway, in which case you'll get the same reward as if you hadn't discovered the full truth of the situation.
- Refuse payment entirely, which forces you to lose out on the 50 Crowns. In lieu of no cash, however, Geralt gains an additional 25 XP, for a total of 35. The choice is yours!