[Guide] Red Dead Online Roles -What To Pick?

Updated:

06 Aug 2020

Which Player Role in Read Dead Online is best for you?

The world of Red Dead Online is a vast frontier full of opportunities for aspiring cowboys and cowgirls. Currently, there are four Player Roles to choose from, each with their own activities and rewards. However, there is a steep Gold cost to start each Role, so it’s worth it to find out which one is right for you before you go spending your hard earned bars.

I’ve spent dozens of hours grinding each of the four Player Roles, and I’ve found that in addition to unique rewards, each Role tends to work best for a unique playstyle. That’s why I’ve put together this guide to the four Player Roles in Red Dead Online. Read on to find out which Role is best for you.

4. Bounty Hunter

Dead or alive: The Bounty Hunter prepares to trip up his target with some Bolas.

Few professions are more iconic in the Old West than the Bounty Hunter. As a Bounty Hunter in Red Dead Online, you’ll chase wanted criminals across the Five States and bring them in for justice, dead or alive. Every town has a bounty board where you can take on a new Bounty Hunter mission.

Bounty Hunting is exciting, and can be challenging. Your targets will be well protected by enemy NPCs and will often try to flee once the shooting starts. There are new Legendary Bounties added each week, and these more difficult missions result in better rewards, although some of them can be very time-consuming.

To begin the Bounty Hunter role, go to Rhodes and visit the Sheriff’s Office. You’ll be greeted by one of my favorite cutscenes and NPCs in Red Dead Online, after which point you’ll be able to purchase a bounty license for 15 Gold Bars. Once you’ve bought the license, you can pick up bounty posters in any town in the Five States.

Pick This Role if...

You like combat-heavy missions
You want to unlock some of the most intimidating outfits in the game
You’re good with a Lasso (Live bounties are worth more money than a corpse!)

Bounty Hunter details: https://reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Bounty_Hunter_(Red_Dead_Online)

3. Trader

Home away from home: A Trader inspects his camp while Cripps leans against the butcher table.

The Trader Role lets you partner up with Cripps to turn your camp into a thriving business. As a Trader, you’ll keep your business supplied with animal parts from hunting, run resupply missions to keep your business stocked, and complete sales to make money. Operating a Trader business can greatly increase your hunting profits over just selling items to butchers.

Once outfitted with Materials (animal pelts and carcasses) and stocked with Supplies (from resupply missions or by purchasing Supplies,) Cripps will start producing goods at a steady rate. It takes some time for Cripps to make enough products for a full delivery, and you can spend this time by pursuing other activities in Red Dead Online. Then, come back to camp and run a Sale mission to earn a tidy profit.

To begin the Trader role, pitch your camp at any location, and then purchase the Butcher Table from the wagon in your camp. After a short cutscene, you’ll be given a setup mission, and then it’ll be time to start making some money!

Pick This Role if…

You enjoy hunting and can’t ride past a deer without whipping out your rifle
You want a steady source of income that will increase as you invest in unlocks
You want to unlock special items for your camp like the Stew Pot and Weapons Locker

Trader details: https://reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Trader_(Red_Dead_Online)

2. Collector

That belongs in a museum: A Collector brandishes his lamp against the darkness while searching for lost heirlooms in a cave.

Collectors are the treasure hunters of Red Dead Online, exploring the Five States in search of hidden valuables. These treasures can be sold individually or collected into a set for a bigger reward. As a Collector, you’ll scour all corners of the map while seeking out buried and lost items like heirloom jewelry and ancient arrowheads.

The main method of finding Collectibles is to buy treasure maps from Madam Nazar and follow them to the general search area. However, you can just as easily stumble across these items during your travels through the Five States. Whether you use a Treasure Map or not, your controller will rumble when you near a hidden treasure. This means that you can focus on Collecting, or use it as a sort of a “side hustle” while doing other things in Red Dead Online.

To begin your journey as a Collector, you must purchase a Collector’s Bag from Madame Nazar’s wagon. Her location changes on a daily basis, but you can check This Guide to find out where she is on any particular day. The Collector’s Bag costs 15 Gold, and once you own one, Madam Nazar will show up on your map so that you can sell your collected treasures without having to hunt her down again.

Pick This Role if…

You like exploring all regions of the map
You want to make money while focusing on other activities
You have patience. Full sets are worth a lot more than individual treasures!

Collector details: https://reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Collector_(Red_Dead_Online)

1. Moonshiner

Party on: A Moonshiner celebrates a successful sale with her basement bar’s band.

Moonshiners bring the party to the Old West by making and selling illegal alcohol in secret distilleries across the frontier. As a Moonshiner, you’ll gather supplies and recipes to produce and sell illegal moonshine while battling federal agents and rival moonshiners. Along the way, you’ll unlock and purchase upgrades for your shack to transform it into a thriving underground distillery and saloon.

The Moonshiner Role is the most recent of the Player Roles added to Red Dead Online, and while it is the most expensive one to start, it can also be by far the most profitable of the four choices. In addition to making a lot of money, the Moonshiner role offers a better variety of mission types and activities. As a Moonshiner, you’ll gather natural supplies from the frontier, sabotage rival ‘shiners, and even bloody your knuckles in bar fights. Then, once your moonshine has been produced, you’ll run a Sale mission that has you defending a wagon full of illegal liquor while gunning your way through government checkpoints and keeping clear of pursuing agents.

One of the best things about the Moonshiner role is the Moonshine Shack itself. You can upgrade the shack into a fully-functioning underground speak-easy complete with a stocked bar, decorations, and a band. The band plays a variety of fun songs for you and your posse members to drink too, and each instrument can be taken over by a player for added fun.

To begin your career as a Moonshiner, visit Maggie Fike at Emerald Ranch. After watching a short cutscene, you’ll be able to buy a Moonshine Shack via the Camp and Properties section of the Online Menu for 25 Gold Bars. Choose your location, and begin your life of black-market liquor sales!

Pick This Role if…