What are your favorite specialist roles in Red Dead Online?
The arrival of the Frontier Pursuits update in Red Dead Online is one of its biggest and most popular to date. Players can now choose a role to specialize in, something that role players and grinders have always wanted to try out. This also opened the game to themed events, activities, special items, and even abilities that you can work towards.
Frontier Pursuits originally introduced three new specialist roles for players but eventually added two more. You can now be a Trader, Collector, Bounty Hunter, Moonshiner, or Naturalist. These five specialist roles come with their own perks, bonuses, and specific missions that let you explore the Wild West from a whole new perspective.
If you would like to try your hand at one of them, check out our detailed guide on how to unlock all the specialist roles and Frontier Pursuits in Red Dead Online.
Frontier Pursuits
First released in September 2019, Frontier Pursuits is arguably the most ambitious feature added to Red Dead Online. It unlocked a whole new way to play the game, which many are still discovering these days. It allowed players to choose between Bounty Hunter, Collector, and Trader as their specialist role.
You can earn a lot of money and Gold Bars through the missions in each role. However, it will also cost a significant amount to accept any role in the first place. This means that players must save up a bit before investing in a specialist role.
Once you have decided which role you want to take, you will need to meet a specific character that will introduce that career to you. After that, earn experience from each mission to increase your rank and skill level, unlocking special weapons, items, clothing, and abilities on the way.
There are 20 Role Ranks for each specialist role. These are divided into four tiers each: Novice (Rank 1 to 5), Promising (Rank 6 to 10), Established (Rank 11 to 15), and Distinguished (Rank 16 to 20).
In this article, we will cover each step of the process to become a specialist as soon as you can.
Bounty Hunter
To unlock the Bounty Hunter role, visit the town of Rhodes. Look for the Legendary Bounty Hunter, who will be selling the Bounty Hunter License. This license costs 15 Gold Bars, which is quite expensive, but can be drastically reduced or even free if you are lucky.
If you have linked your Twitch channel or Rockstar Games Social Club account to Red Dead Online, you can get the license for free. Red Dead Online will also have occasional events and promotions, which will give you a good discount.
Once you obtain the license, you can start doing Bounty Hunting missions throughout the Wild West. Look for bounties at post offices, law offices, and railway stations.
Trader
To begin a career as a Trader, simply buy the Butcher’s Table for your camp. Just like the Bounty Hunter License, this item costs 15 Gold Bars. However, if you are playing Red Dead Online on your PlayStation 4, you can get it for free.
Hunters will want to progress into a Trader. Being a Trader is all about harvesting carcasses and pelts from wild animals. Cripps will help you convert these materials into goods that you can sell for great prices. Trading is also exciting because transporting these goods comes with the risk of encountering robbers trying to take your products on the road.
Collector
Like the other specialist roles, you will need to pay 15 Gold Bars to start as a Collector. Look for the traveling saleswoman Madam Nazar to purchase the Collector’s Bag from her. Luckily, if you have found all 54 playing cards in GTA Online, you can get the bag for free.
The Collector role is perfect for players that want to explore every inch of Red Dead Online’s massive map. You will be tasked to find hidden items like trinkets, Tarot cards, lost family heirlooms, and even buried treasure to complete sets and rank up as a Collector. You can even sell these items individually and make a living doing this.
Naturalist
The Naturalist is the opposite of the Trader role. Once you unlock the role by buying the Animal Field Guide from Harriet, you will begin studying animals in the wild. However, Harriet will hate it when you kill animals and harvest their pelts and carcasses. She wants you to study and collect info without harming animals.
This means that you will find it difficult to progress in both the Naturalist and Trader roles at the same time. You can also opt to give the carcasses and pelts to Gus, Harriet’s rival. This sometimes pays off more than as a Trader.
Moonshiner
The Moonshiner role is arguably the unique one so far in Red Dead Online. Once you get to Rank 5 as a Trader, Cripps will help you meet the famous bootlegger Maggie Fike at the Emerald Ranch. Otherwise, you can also unlock the Moonshiner role from the beginning by paying 5 Gold Bars at the Roles menu.
As you rise up in the ranks, you will find more story missions involving Maggie. You will also be more profitable in the Moonshine business, eventually even having the option to open your own bar with entertainment.
If you want to live a quiet, albeit illegal, life as a businessman, try out Moonshining. You will not have to risk your neck getting into shootouts or doing violent crime once you start making a lot of money as a Moonshiner.
Make Good Money With the Frontier Pursuits
Money and Gold Bars are some of the most important things to have in Red Dead Online. Everything you want and need will come at a price, so it is best to have some early savings. If you’re going to get the best weapons, horses, or clothing, be prepared to spend some hard-earned cash.
The Frontier Pursuits and other specialist roles can be the best ways to make fast money in Red Dead Online. The Moonshiner, Trader, and Collector roles can make you a lot of money very early on.
