Red Dead Online Roles: how to unlock all specialist roles and frontier pursuits

Red Dead Online roles - Moonshiner — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

There are several Red Dead Online roles available for you to undertake, offering employment in a number of specific areas that each have their own opportunities and rewards. If you've ever considered becoming a Bounty Hunter, Trader, Collector, Moonshiner, or Red Dead Online Naturalist in the Old West then now is your chance, as you can live out any and all of these roles as you see fit in Red Dead Online. Making progress through these different careers will grant you access to unique items and abilities, along with improving your skills in their specific area so you can specialise further. If you're looking to find out what benefits can be bestowed from any of these jobs and decide what the best Red Dead Online roles are for your particular play style, we've got everything you need to know.

How do Red Dead Online roles work?

Each of the Red Dead Online roles has 20 role ranks to progress through by earning role XP, which you get by completing activities specific to that role. You'll receive a role token for every role rank you unlock, which you can save up and use to purchase unique items for that particular role. You'll also unlock new skills at certain ranks that will help you better fulfil the role you're working on. Each of the Red Dead Online roles has a requirement to get started on that path, which we'll detail further below.

Red Dead Online role: Naturalist

Red Dead Online Wilderness Camp — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

How to get started as a Naturalist: Head to the magnifying glass icon in the town of Strawberry to begin a cutscene between two characters, Harriet and Gus, in the town's Welcome Center. You'll have to pay 15 Gold Bars to unlock the role by getting the Animal Field Guide, but if you don't have it, you can come back later to the same icon and buy it then.

The Naturalist role involves working mainly with Harriet to study and collect info about animals, though players can split away from her a little and side with the big game hunter Gus to hand in animal carcasses and fur. However, killing animals will upset Harriet and impede progress, so this is a role that doesn't pair well with the Trader.

As a Naturalist, you can unlock unique skills and items including:

Kit Satchel Upgrade: You can now store more items in your Kit Pouch.
Legendary Eagle Eye: Learn to distinguish Legendary Animal trails.
Sedative Varmint Cartridge Pamphlet: A pamphlet recipe on how to craft Sedative Varmint Ammunition.
The Tilliston: A smart outfit for studying in the great outdoors.
Zapata Headband: A simple headband made from braided leather.
Mercy: Learn to Mercy Kill fatally wounded animals.
Naturalist Opportunities: Learn to disrupt the capture and trade of wild animals.
Animal Focus: Learn to narrow your search area when looking for Legendary Animals.
Naturalist Variant Varmint Rifle: A visual variant of the Varmint Rifle. Can be applied to an owned Varmint Rifle.
Blending Tonic Pamphlet: A pamphlet recipe on how to craft Blending Tonics.
Animal Reviver Pamphlet: A pamphlet recipe on how to craft Animal Reviver.
Wilderness Camp: A temporary camp where you can rest, craft and cook. You can also unlock the Wilderness Fast Travel Skill by purchasing it in any Fence shop.
Animal Attraction: Learn to increase the chances of spotting Legendary Animals.
Legendary Animal Pheromones Pamphlet: A pamphlet on how to craft Legendary Animal Pheromones.
Tonics Satchel Upgrade: You can now store more items in your Tonics Pouch.
The Kennewick: A rugged outfit for committed Naturalists.
The Hemiston: The perfect outfit for the eccentric Naturalist.
Take Note: Write down your observations.
Underhill Charms: A collection of useful tools and charms to hang from any gunbelt.

Red Dead Online role: Moonshiner

How to get started as a Moonshiner: If you've reached Rank 5 in the Trader role, or completed a sell mission as part of that career, then Cripps will invite you to meet the bootlegger Maggie Fike over at Emerald Ranch. If you want to skip this requirement, then you can go through the Progress > Roles menu and unlock the Moonshiner role with 5 gold bars. After meeting with Fike, she'll sell you a Moonshining Shack so you can get up and running, but that's going to set you back 25 gold bars – making this a much higher start up cost than for the other roles.

There's more to this role than just making Moonshine, however, as you'll also get access to a series of story missions with Maggie Fike. Progress through these missions will help you improve your business and make more money, as well as set up your own bar and even hire a band to keep your clientele entertained.

As a Moonshiner, you can unlock unique skills and items including:

Bold Dance: Dance with flair
Toxic Moonshine Pamphlet: A recipe for how to craft Toxic Moonshine
Bar Expansion: Remodel the basement to include a bar
Ingredients Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Ingredients Pouch
New Buyer Order: Take on an extra buyer order
Flammable Moonshine: Highly potent alcohol that can be poured and set alight
Band Expansion: Expand a section of the bar to add a band
Condenser Upgrade: Allows the operation to produce average strength Moonshine
Cheerful Dance: Dance with joy
Master Distiller: Reduce the time taken to create a batch of Moonshine
Polished Copper Upgrade: Allows the operation to produce strong Moonshine
Materials Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Materials Pouch
Protection: Greatly reduce the risk of attacks
Rowdy Dance: Dance erratically
Hangover: Show barrel fever remorse

Red Dead Online role: Bounty Hunter

Red Dead Online roles - Bounty Hunter — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

How to get started as a Bounty Hunter: Go to Rhodes and find the Legendary Bounty Hunter to buy the Bounty Hunter License. This costs 15 gold bars, though if you previously linked your Twitch and Rockstar Games Social Club accounts then you can collect it for free.

If you want to become a fancy gunslinger, then the Red Dead Online Bounty Hunter role should appeal. You'll unlock various gun spinning tricks as you rank up by bringing in wanted criminals, as well as additional weapons such as bolas and a reinforced lasso to help you restrain tough targets. Bounties can be acquired from boards near post offices, railway stations, and law offices, with greater rewards available for felons you bring back alive, and you can also tackle the complete set of Red Dead Online Legendary Bounties. Once you hit role rank 12, you'll also get the opportunity to apprehend other online players with a bounty of $20 or more, by following an invite if a pursuit is happening nearby.

As a Bounty Hunter, you can unlock unique skills and items including:

Focus: Targets glow red in Eagle Eye
Reinforced Lasso: A lasso made with reinforced rope to keep bounties secure
Reverse Spin: Perform a Reverse Spin with a single pistol or revolver
Tonics Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Tonics Pouch
Eagle Eye+: Track enemies while sprinting or galloping
Spin Up: Perform a Spin Up with a single pistol or revolver
Kit Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Kit Pouch
Tracking Arrow Pamphlet: A pamphlet recipe on how to craft Tracking Arrows
Reverse Spin Up: Perform a Reverse Spin Up with a single pistol or revolver
Ducking: Duck for protection while on horseback
Bolas: A thrown weapon, perfect for tangling the legs of bounties
Bounty Wagon: A wagon for securely retaining bounty targets
Perception: Receive a notification of bounties from a greater distance
Alternating Flips: Perform Alternating Flips with a single pistol or revolver
Dual Gun Spinning: Perform gun spinning tricks with two pistols or revolvers

Red Dead Online role: Trader

Red Dead Online roles - Trader — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

How to get started as a Trader: Buy the Butcher's Table for your camp. This costs 15 gold bars, though PlayStation 4 players can collect it for free.

If hunting is your game, then taking on the Red Dead Online Trader role is the next logical step. Working alongside Cripps at your camp, you'll rank up by harvesting pelts and carcasses for materials, which your trusty companion will then convert into sellable goods. You'll need to send out these goods as safe local deliveries or riskier long distance runs, and as you progress you'll unlock better delivery wagons and improved security measures to protect your camp from raids. Levelling up will also make you a more efficient hunter, allowing you to harvest and carry an increased amount of materials.

As a Trader, you can unlock unique skills and items including:

Stew Pot: A camp upgrade that unlocks stew recipes to boost cores
Ingredients Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Ingredients Pouch
Awareness: Identify rival Trader wagons at an increased range
Canine Warning: Train your dog to warn of thieves raiding your camp
Medium Delivery Wagon: An upgraded wagon that can hold 2 barrels for transport
Weapons Locker: Store weapons for later use
Lance Knife: A bespoke knife style available to Traders only
Efficiency: Learn to increase the amount of usable materials from perfect carcasses
Materials Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Materials Pouch
Large Delivery Wagon: An upgraded wagon that can hold 4 barrels for transport
Hunting Wagon: A sturdy wagon fit for carrying multiple carcasses, hides and pelts
Protection: Reduce the chance of raids at your camp

Red Dead Online role: Collector

Red Dead Online roles - Collector — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

How to get started as a Collector: Find the Red Dead Online Madam Nazar travelling saleswoman and buy the Collector's Bag. This costs 15 gold bars, though if you've already found all 54 GTA Online playing cards then you can collect if for free.

For the completionists out there, the Red Dead Online Collector role should be a perfect fit. You'll rank up by searching out hidden trinkets, including lost family heirlooms, Tarot cards, and buried treasure to dig up with your handy field shovel, which you can either sell off individually or work towards completing sets for a bigger payday. While levelling up you'll improve your searching skills, allowing you to detect collectible items with greater accuracy, as well as unlocking new tools such as a metal detector to identify buried treasures and a horse lantern to help you continue your searches in the dark.

As a Collector, you can unlock unique skills and items including:

Divination: Sense when near collectibles
Pennington Field Shovel: An essential tool for uncovering buried collectibles
Potential: Detect disturbed earth when using Eagle Eye
Intuition: Narrow your search area
Horse Saddlebag Upgrade: Carry more in your Horse’s saddlebag
Refined Binoculars: Specialized binoculars that make dig sites glow from a great distance
Águila Machete: A classic machete restyled for the use of adventurous and belligerent Collectors
Metal Detector: An important tool which can identify collectibles buried underground
Equine Assistance: Collect herbs from horseback
Horse Lantern: Light the path ahead with a lantern attached to your horse’s breastplate
Valuables Satchel Upgrade: Store more items in your Valuables Pouch
Witford Compass: A decorative compass designed to adorn the Gun Belts of budding Collectors

Looking for more help? Then check out our essential Red Dead Redemption 2 tips in the video below: