RuneScape Dragonwilds Wise Old Man Missing in Dragon Slayer Quest Bug: How to Fix

The Wise Old Man missing bug in RuneScape Dragonwilds has frustrated many players attempting to progress through the Dragon Slayer quest. When you arrive at the designated location expecting to find this crucial NPC, his mysterious absence halts your adventure completely. Let’s dive into this persistent early access issue and explore every available solution to get your quest back on track.

Understanding the Wise Old Man Bug in RuneScape Dragonwilds

RuneScape Dragonwilds delivers an impressively polished experience despite being in early access. The immersive world, engaging combat mechanics, and nostalgic questing experience have captured players’ attention worldwide. However, early access games inevitably come with bugs—some minor, others progression-blocking.

The Dragon Slayer quest bug stands among the most frustrating issues. You follow the quest markers precisely, reach the designated location, and… nothing. The Wise Old Man simply isn’t there, leaving you stuck with no way to advance this critical storyline.

While the developers have addressed numerous issues through hotfixes, some players report still encountering this particular problem. Let’s examine why this happens and how you can work around it.

Why Does the Wise Old Man Disappear?

The Wise Old Man bug appears to stem from a script trigger failure during quest progression. Under normal circumstances, the character should spawn at predetermined locations as you advance through different quest stages. However, several factors can disrupt this process:

1. Save file corruption – Partial data corruption can affect NPC spawning scripts
2. Quest progression tracking errors – The game sometimes loses track of which stage you’re currently on
3. Location loading issues – Environmental assets load correctly, but NPC scripts fail to initialize
4. Collision between multiple quest states – Having multiple active quests can sometimes create conflicts

Let’s move on to the comprehensive list of solutions, ranked from simplest to most complex.

RuneScape Dragonwilds Wise Old Man Missing in Dragon Slayer Quest Bug: How to Fix

Solution 1: Update Your Game (Official Fix)

As mentioned earlier, the developers have released Hotfix 3 which specifically addresses the Wise Old Man wandering off issue. This is now the official solution:

1. Close RuneScape Dragonwilds completely
2. Restart your game launcher
3. Allow the update to download and install
4. Launch the game and load your save
5. Return to the quest location

The update should automatically apply, but if you’re playing through a game launcher like Steam, verify that the game has been updated to the latest version by checking the update history.

Solution 2: Basic Game Restart

Sometimes the simplest solutions work best. Before trying more complex fixes:

1. Save your game if possible
2. Exit to the main menu
3. Close the game completely
4. Restart your device
5. Relaunch RuneScape Dragonwilds
6. Load your save and return to the quest location

This basic restart clears temporary memory issues and reloads all game assets, potentially fixing the NPC spawning problem.

Solution 3: Fast Travel Reset Technique

Many players have reported success with this location-refreshing method:

1. Open your map and locate the nearest Lodestone
2. Fast travel to this Lodestone by pressing E and selecting it
3. Once there, open your map again
4. Fast travel to a completely different area of the map
5. After arriving, immediately fast travel back to the Lodestone nearest to the quest location
6. Make your way back to where the Wise Old Man should appear

This technique forces the game to reload the entire area, which often resets NPC spawn triggers correctly.

Solution 4: The Death Reset Method

While unconventional, deliberately dying in-game can reset certain quest variables:

1. Find a high-level enemy or dangerous area
2. Allow your character to die
3. After respawning, return to the quest location
4. Check if the Wise Old Man has appeared

This method works because death often triggers a complete character state refresh, including active quest variables that might have become stuck.

Solution 5: Create a New Character (Temporary Solution)

If you’re early in the game and don’t mind some replay:

1. Return to the main menu
2. Create a new character
3. Play through the introduction
4. Reach the Dragon Slayer quest again
5. Check if the issue persists with the new character

While not ideal if you’ve invested significant time in your original character, this can confirm whether the issue is save-specific or more widespread.

Solution 6: Advanced File Editing Solution

IMPORTANT: This method involves editing save files. Always back up your files before proceeding.

This more technical solution requires directly editing your character save file:

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer
2. Navigate to C:\Users[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\RSDragonwilds\Saved\SaveCharacters
3. Before making any changes, right-click your character save file and select “Copy” to create a backup
4. Open your character save file with Notepad
5. Use Ctrl+F to search for the quest ID: “QuestId”: “yrRZnkmro-IvH_OmZ3f-5A”
6. Directly below this line, add:
   "QuestState": 1,
   "QuestObjective": "Find and hunt a deer"

7. Next, locate the Quest Bool section and add:
   { "QuestVariableName": "WOMTempleHidden", "QuestVariableValue": true }

8. Save the file and close Notepad
9. Launch RuneScape Dragonwilds and load your character

This manual edit essentially resets the quest state while preserving your overall progress, forcing the game to reload the NPC at the correct location.

Preventing Future Quest Bugs in RuneScape Dragonwilds

While you can’t completely avoid bugs in an early access game, you can minimize their impact with these best practices:

Regular Manual Saves

Don’t rely solely on autosaves. Create multiple manual saves at different points in your adventure. This provides fallback options if a quest becomes bugged.

Quest Focus

Try to complete one major quest line before starting another. This reduces the chance of quest state conflicts that can lead to NPC spawning issues.

Stay Updated

Check for game updates frequently. The developers are actively addressing bugs, and playing on the latest version always gives you the best experience.

Report Issues

If you encounter bugs, report them through official channels. Include details about your system, exact quest stage, and steps that led to the bug. This helps developers identify and fix issues faster.

The Future of RuneScape Dragonwilds

Despite these early access hiccups, RuneScape Dragonwilds shows tremendous promise. The development team has demonstrated a commitment to quickly addressing critical bugs and improving overall stability.

The Wise Old Man bug, while frustrating, represents a normal part of the early access process. Each fixed issue brings the game closer to its full potential. The community’s patience and helpful bug reporting contribute significantly to making the final release more polished and enjoyable for everyone.

Community Workarounds and Additional Tips

Beyond the official solutions, the RuneScape Dragonwilds community has discovered several creative workarounds worth trying:

Graphics Settings Adjustment

Some players report that temporarily lowering graphics settings can help with NPC loading issues:

1. Access the in-game settings menu
2. Reduce graphics quality to medium or low
3. Return to the quest area
4. If the NPC appears, you can gradually restore your preferred graphics settings

Quest Log Refresh Technique

This method focuses on refreshing your active quest tracking:

1. Open your quest log
2. Select a different quest to track
3. Close the quest log
4. Open it again and reselect the Dragon Slayer quest
5. Return to the quest location

This simple action can sometimes reset quest markers and trigger proper NPC spawning.

Character Equipment Reset

Oddly enough, completely changing your character’s equipment can sometimes resolve NPC interaction bugs:

1. Remove all equipped items
2. Save and reload your game
3. Re-equip your items
4. Return to the quest location

While seemingly unrelated, this process forces the game to rebuild your character state, which can indirectly fix quest-related variables.

When All Else Fails: Starting Fresh Strategically

If you’ve tried everything and still can’t progress past the Wise Old Man bug, consider these strategies for starting a new character without losing too much progress:

Speed Run to Your Current Point

Make notes of the most efficient path through early quests and areas. Many experienced players can reach mid-game content surprisingly quickly on a second attempt.

Focus on Different Skills Initially

If your first character specialized in combat, try focusing on crafting or exploration with your new character. This provides a fresh experience while working back to your previous progress point.

Join a Supportive Guild

Connect with other players who might be willing to help boost your new character with resources or assistance on challenging early quests.

Conclusion: April 21, 2025

The Wise Old Man missing bug in RuneScape Dragonwilds represents one of the challenges inherent to early access gaming. While frustrating in the moment, these issues contribute valuable data that helps developers create a more stable final product.