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TRANSITION FROM CHAPTER VI TO EPILOGUE I

CARRIES OVER

  • All weapons and ammo, including weapon customizations and crafted ammo.

  • All clothes, including crafted and purchased ones (but not saved custom outfits), stolen hats, and found hats/masks.

  • All crafted and found trinkets, talismans, and unique collectibles picked up so far.

  • All horse saddles and equipment (but no horses, even if stabled).

  • All progress in challenges, achievements, incomplete Strangers missions, and the compendium.

  • All collected documents, the journal, and the game map entries.

  • All orchids, plumes, and gator eggs.

  • All valuables, except for money.

  • Dead Eye abilities that were unlocked during quests.

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DOESN'T CARRY OVER

  • Money. Use the Aberdeen Pig Farm method to transfer your money from Arthur to John.

  • Character or horse stats: health, stamina, dead eye.

  • Saved custom outfits under "Custom Outfits" in the wardrobe.

  • Consumables: food, drinks, tonics, and cures, including those for horses.

  • Ingredients: herbs, meats, carcasses, pelts, feathers, and fat.

  • To maximize your cash before these items are lost, see the Recommended section in my Chapter VI guide.

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RESPAWNS

GOLD BARS

  • Only four of them respawn that are not part of a mapped treasure hunt, mission, or random encounter: one in the Limpany sheriff office, one in the Braithwaite Manor rubble, and two in the Ambarino train wreck.

 

LOOT AND VALUABLES

  • ​Bill folds/stacks, money clips, coin cups/purses, small and large jewelry bags, gold nuggets, and miscellaneous jewelry and items, again except unique ones and also except those that are part of missions, random encounters, or other scripted events.

  • The robbery at Lonnie's Shack is the only random encounter with cash loot that respawns.

  • The loot in the barn at Chez Porter respawns, but not the part that Javier and Arthur find under the floor.

  • The loot at Hanging Dog Ranch only respawns as part of the new mission that's set there.

  • The cash in the southern room at Aberdeen Pig Farm does respawn, but it's only accessible with a noclip cheat.

  • Valerian Root, Aged Pirate Rum, Ginseng Elixir, and Hair Tonics all respawn throughout the world.

  • Randomized loot respawns but may be different; e.g., two pieces of jewelry inside Wrobel's ranch at Painted Sky.

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COMIC BOOKS

  • ​Wild West Heroes No. 132. Downes Ranch.

  • Otis Miller and the Black-Hearted Lady. Osman's Grove.

  • Otis Miller and the Boy from New York. Pleasance.

  • Otis Miller and the Arabian Prince. Clawson's Rest.

  • the fifth comic, True Tales of Frank Heck No. 102, is only obtainable as John: see the Epilogue II Uniques section

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CAMP ITEM REQUESTS

  • If you already have these items because you never turned them in or never got the request, you cannot pick up a second copy.

  • ​The Case of the Shrew in the Fog (Hosea). Inside the house at Hagen Orchards in Lemoyne

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TALISMAN INGREDIENTS

  • If you haven't already purchased the talismans that these are used for, you cannot pick up a second copy.

  • ​Abalone Shell Fragment. In the house near Rhodes.

  • Petrified Cobalt Wood. In the chest under the ledge north of Lake Isabella.

  • Old Brass Compass. On the table inside Francis Sinclair's house east of Owanjila Lake.

  • The ingredients for two more talismans (the Vintage Civil War Handcuffs and the Quartz Chunk) are quest-related and a second copy cannot be obtained.

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Strangers missions and random encounters that weren't started in Chapters II-VI can be started now, except for the chapter-specific ones. Missions that were started but not completed can be finished in the Epilogue. All random encounters related to the O'Driscolls are not available in the Epilogue, while those related to the Lemoyne Raiders and the Murfree Brood are.

MAIN STORY AND STRANGERS MISSIONS

MAIN STORY MISSIONS

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The Wheel. Nothing.​​

Simple Pleasures. Nothing​.

Farming, for Beginners. Nothing​.

Old Habits. Nothing.​​

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Jim Milton Rides, Again?

  • $100 in the lockbox on the cabin's top floor. Two jewelry in the cabinet downstairs. Many guns lying around that aren't in John's arsenal, since Arthur's equipment hasn't unlocked yet.

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Fatherhood, for Idiots. Nothing.

 

Motherhood

  • Open-world play resumes here and John acquires Arthur's satchel, journal, and equipment.

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Return to ABERDEEN PIG FARM to recover the money that you may have stored there as Arthur! See instructions here.

 

​​Gainful Employment. Nothing.

The Landowning Classes. Nothing.

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Home of the Gentry

  • Receive $400 bank loan at the end of this mission (to be returned later).

STRANGERS MISSIONS

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Geology for Beginners I-II

  • Part I activates when you meet Francis Sinclair's for the first time, at his house just east of Owanjila Lake. Prior to meeting him, you can only have found nine Rock Carvings, not all ten.

  • Part II activates after you have mailed all ten Rock Carvings locations. You'll receive the Rock Statue and the Invitation from Francis Sinclair in the mail. Return to the cabin to find his mother and him as an infant (he's obviously a time-traveler from the 1920s who went back in time and is now his own father, a la Back to the Future).

    • Right after the cutscene, you have a brief window to reenter the house and take the Old Brass Compass from a table.

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The American Inferno, Burnt Out I-V

  • Part I. Begins at the "?" in Tall Trees across the river from Owanjila, west of "Montana" in "Upper Montana River."

  • Parts III-IV. The game will remind you when Evelyn Miller is ready to receive food, but no prompt will appear on the map.

  • Part V. Recover the unfinished book America at the end. There's also a platinum pocket watch on Miller's desk.

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The Veteran I-IV

  • Technically available since Chapter VI, but usually considered canon to do it with John in the Epilogue.

  • Part I. After completing this mission, the Veteran's Homestead cabin can no longer be entered/looted.

  • Part II. Catch the Legendary Northern Pike; see the Collectibles section. Must use Special Lake Lure from the bait shop in Lagras.

  • Part IV. After killing the giant boar, retrieve the Giant Boar Tusk from the carcass. This item is missable if not taken right now. At the end, take Buell, one of the best horses in the game.

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Wildlife Art Exhibition V  (A Better World, a New Friend I-II)

  • This quest reactivates automatically after the main story mission Motherhood. If it doesn't, you can find the fifth hunting request poster outside the Van Horn post office. See the full walkthrough in my Hunting Guide.

  • After turning in the last carcasses, receive the Invitation from Ms. Hobbs and visit her at the taxidermist's house just outside of Strawberry. Receive the Squirrel Statue. Part II of this mission is available in the Epilogue II.

UNIQUES, VALUABLES, CHALLENGES, COLLECTIBLES

UNIQUE ITEMS IN THIS AREA

A red star * after an item's name indicate that it is missable; i.e., that there is only a specific window of opportunity to grab it. This also applies to items that will be removed from the inventory by making certain choices, such as camp item request items.

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WEAPONS AND CLOTHING

  • Antler Knife. Stuck in a bear carcass on a small rise in the woods, just northeast of the Stilt Shack in Big Valley.

  • Double Bit Hatchet. In a tree stump near the fenced-in chimney, just northwest of "W" in "Wallace Station."

  • Miner's Hat. Near the dead miner's corpse at the end of the mine at Beryl's Dream. Activate the plunger to gain access.​

  • Pagan Skull Mask. On the corpse at the center of the Pagan Ritual site, west of Owanjila Lake and south of the obelisk.

  • Semi-Auto Shotgun. In a weapon case in the basement of Watson's Cabin, just north of "River" in "Little Creek River."

  • Stone Hatchet *. In the center of the Native Burial site south of "B" in "Big Valley." Only available for GTA Online players...

  • Wide-Blade Knife. On the dead miner's corpse at the end of the mine at Beryl's Dream. Activate the plunger to gain access.

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DOCUMENTS

  • 'A Day's Walk' Poem. In a desk drawer inside Vetter's Echo, the grizzly cabin just north of "W" in "West Elizabeth."

  • 'Dear Annabella' Poem. In a desk drawer inside Vetter's Echo, the grizzly cabin just north of "W" in "West Elizabeth."

  • English Spelling Practice. Inside the derelict schoolhouse at the burnt-out Fort Riggs. A random encounter with a drunk veteran at a campsite will tell you the incredibly sad story of this place. See below.

  • Jim and Mildred's Items*. These four items are found in a quick and easily missable sequence. You must get the photograph and the certificate when the related random encounter is triggered, then the first letter, and finally the second letter:

    1. Bride Photograph. On the corpse of Jim Peyton, at the bottom of a ravine just west of "M" in "Monto's Rest."

    2. Wedding Certificate. In a lockbox further down the ravine from Jim Peyton's corpse.

    3. Letter from Jim. On the front porch of Lenora's View cabin, just northwest of the ravine with Jim Peyton's corpse.

    4. Letter to Jim from Mildred. On the front porch of Lenora's View cabin, 24 hours after you found the previous letter.

  • Letter to Mayor Timmons from Belinda. On the Strawberry Mayor. Kill or hogtie him, loot him, then run like hell.

  • Letter to Nigel from Tom. On the body of Nigel, Gavin's friend, if you hogtie or kill him, during any of his random encounters.

  • Manzanita Post Items*. These three items are all related:

    1. Norwegian Journal Page. Inside the chimney in the smaller cabin at Manzanita Post.

    2. Norwegian Photo. Under a loose floorboard in the smaller cabin at Manzanita Post.

    3. Norwegian Newspaper Scrap*. On one of the Norwegians at Manzanita Post: hogtie or kill them all and loot the bodies until you find it. Alternatively, it can be on a victim of the Skinner Brother at any one of their hideouts/ambush sites. For example, I found it on a woman at the hideout just east of "A" in "Tall Trees."

  • Native American Ring*. This elusive item is only obtained from looting a drunk veteran during a random encounter, which can spawn anywhere in the world. I've seen it in the Heartlands, near Van Horn, or in West Elizabeth. It always happens at night.

  • Special Bitters Pamphlet. In a chest among the scattered wreckage on a cliff just south of "M" in "Owanjila Dam." Also find $15 here.

  • Special Miracle Tonic Pamphlet. In a lockbox at the derelict camp on a ledge overlooking Big Valley, north of "E" in "West" Elizabeth.​​​​

  • The Lady of the Manor. Get Mary-Beth's latest book when you meet her at the Valentine train station.

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MAPS

  • For detailed treasure information, see my Treasure Maps Guide. Chapter guides only contain the location of specific maps.

  • Landmarks of Riches Map #1. At the base of the obelisk on a rise west of Owanjila Lake, near the westernmost edge of the map.

  • Torn Treasure Map #2. In the Hermit Woman's hut, in the far northwest part of the map, at the end of Little Creek River. Kill her dogs and subdue or kill her. The map is in a drawer inside the hut.

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MISCELLANEOUS

  • Old Brass Compass*. Inside Francis Sinclair's house, only accessible briefly during the Strangers mission Geology for Beginners II.

  • Pipe*. In a desk drawer inside Vetter's Echo, the grizzly cabin just north of "W" in "West Elizabeth." Fulfills Dutch's camp item request, or can be kept.

  • Pocket Watch* (unique version). In a desk drawer inside Vetter's Echo, the grizzly cabin just north of "W" in "West Elizabeth." Fulfills Lenny's second camp item request, or can be kept. This is a unique version of the silver pocket watch.

  • Trinkets from Legendary Animals: see the Legendary Animals section under Collectibles just below.​

VALUABLES IN THIS AREA

  • Bear Claw Shack, south of Manzanita Post. $90 at the bottom of the well behind the largest shack.

  • Beryl's Dream Mine. After blowing up the dynamite, at the bottom of the mine is a dead miner with a gold nugget next to him, plus two unique items (Wide-Blade Knife and Miner's Hat)

  • Diablo Ridge. Across from the Dakota River, at a 90-degree bend in the road just south of the end of Little Creek River, is a bunch of abandoned furniture. Inside the chest under the table are $20 and a large jewelry bag.

  • Hanging Dog Ranch, Big Valley. $100 in the lockbox upstairs, only the first time you clear the Laramie gang from this ranch. There's a piece of jewelry in the cabinet downstairs, near the staircase.

  • Lone Mule Stead, southeast of Riggs Station. Inside the small derelict shack near the cabin is a large jewelry bag.

  • Owanjila Lake, in the woods south of the dam. $15 in a chest among the scattered wreckage; also find the Special Bitters Pamphlet.

  • Owanjila Lake, on the west bank of the emissary creek. A lockbox under the wrecked wagon contains three gold nuggets.

  • Strawberry Hotel. In Room 1 upstairs is $15 in the wardrobe and a lot of miscellaneous loot in the other furniture.

  • Watson's Cabin, just north of "River" in "Little Creek River." When you first visit, the old woman will tell you to go downstairs. Go and take the Semi-Auto Shotgun. When she realizes you're not who she thought you were, she'll ask you to leave. Do it. Return a day later and her four sons will be there. Kill them all. A lockbox with $73 is now available on the table. There's also two jewelry in the cabinet.

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The Landmarks of Riches Treasure

  • To get this, you must have found all previous Landmarks of Riches Maps. See my Treasure Maps Guide.

  • Follow the dotted path up Mount Shann until the sundial made of rocks, just southwest of "S" in "West Elizabeth." The treasure, six gold bars, is under a rock at the foot of the sundial.​​

CHALLENGES EASILY DOABLE NOW

HORSEMAN

  • #9. Van Horn to Blackwater 17-minute dry dash. To avoid touching water, you have to cross four bodies of water:

    • Kamassa River. Use the rope bridge at Butcher's Creek or the covered bridge at Bluewater Marsh.

    • Dakota River. Use the railroad bridge at Bard's Crossing.

    • Hawks Eye creek. Use either bridge at Strawberry, or the one west of Riggs Station.

    • Montana River. Use the dam bridge at Owanjila Lake.

    • Then just follow the road. If you find a random encounter, don't shoot anyone and don't dismount.

  • #10. Break every wild horse breed. I strongly recommend consulting an interactive game map, such as RDR2Map, to find horses in the wild. Some, like Morgans and Saddlers, are very easy. Others, like Arabians, are very rare. Buying a horse doesn't count. None of the horses are exclusive to New Austin.

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WEAPONS EXPERT

  • #9. Kill 9 unaware enemies from behind with your bow. A good place for this stupidly artificial challenge is Shady Belle, which in the Epilogue has been taken over by Lemoyne Raiders again. Approach from the southeast and stay in the bushes by the creek. Aim for the Raider who's at the end of the straight path entering the mansion, whose back is always turned to you. Then ride away, go as far as the train tracks, and come back to find Shady Belle respawned. Rinse and repeat eight more times...

  • #10. Kill a grizzly bear with throwing knives without taking damage. Another stupid challenge, because it's way too easy. Just find a grizzly and hit it with a poison knife. Either wait for the poison to kill it, or throw another knife at it. That's it!

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SHARPSHOOTER and â€‹â€‹â€‹SURVIVALIST. Easier to complete during Epilogue II.

COLLECTIBLES IN THIS AREA

CIGARETTE CARDS

  • Amazing #3. On the floor under the bunk bed upstairs in Hanging Dog Ranch, in Big Valley.

  • Amazing #4. On a barrel near the door of the large warehouse, between "E" and "R" in "Blackwater."

  • Artists #2. On the table on the top floor of the hotel in Strawberry, just on top of the stairs.

  • Artists #4. On a coffee table on the porch of the house south of Blackwater, east of "ET" in West "Elizabeth."

  • Artists #6. On a table under the clothesline in the back of the house, just north of "E" in "Blackwater."

  • Champions #11. On the windowsill inside Clawson's Rest, the shack east of the word "West" in "Grizzliest West."

  • Fairest #6. On a barrel inside the chicken coop in a backyard, just southeast of "R" in "Blackwater."

  • Fairest #7. On a crate on the second floor of the barn in Hanging Dog Ranch, in Big Valley.

  • Fauna #1. On the desk inside Vetter's Echo, the grizzly cabin just north of "W" in "West Elizabeth."

  • Flora #9. On a table on the back porch of the house with the stables on the south side of Strawberry, right above "RY" in "Strawberry."

  • Flora #11. On the front porch railing at Vetter's Echo, the grizzly cabin just north of "W" in "West Elizabeth."

  • Gunslingers #8. On a barrel along the Blackwater docks, just south of the long pier.

  • Gunslingers #12. On a shelf beside the sofa downstairs in Hanging Dog Ranch, in Big Valley.

  • Horses #3. On a bench in the stables at Painted Sky, which is Thomas Wrobel's house from Money Lending and Other Sins I.

  • Horses #6. On the middle shelf of the stacks behind the benches in Wallace Station.

  • Marvels #4. On the railing of the staircase behind the Trackers Hotel (not the main hotel/visitor center) in Strawberry.

  • Marvels #10. On a passenger bench under the timetable at Riggs Station.

  • Stars #4. On a platform atop the windmill tower in Hanging Dog Ranch, in Big Valley.

  • Vistas #3. On a chimney on the Blackwater theater's rooftop, just east of "R" in "Blackwater." The ladder to climb up is in the back.

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DINOSAUR BONES

  • #20. Inside a tiny cave halfway between "W" in "Wallace Station" and the Ambarino border, just west of the northward dotted path.

  • #21. Right in the middle of the dotted path going uphill toward Mount Shann, between "W" and "E" in "West Elizabeth."

  • #22. By the roadside of a hairpin turn along the dotted path, south of the Beryl's Dream mine and west of "M" in "Mount Shann."

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​​​DREAMCATCHERS

  • None in the state of West Elizabeth.​

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LEGENDARY ANIMALS

  • Buck. Black Bone Forest. First clue is just south of the start of the dotted path that leads to Beryl's Dream. Buck Antler Trinket.

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LEGENDARY FISH

  • Chain Pickerel. Dakota River. Stand on either shore across from the ghost town of Limpany, and cast toward the other shore.

  • Rock Bass. Aurora Basin. Lake. Stand on the derelict pier just outside of the cabin, and cast toward the center of the lake.

  • Smallmouth Bass. Owanjila Lake. Stand on the flat eastern shore, near "N" in "Owanjila," and cast toward the center of the lake.

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ROCK CARVINGS

  • #9. On a cliff face along the dotted path on Mount Shann, precisely at the "T" in "West" Elizabeth.

  • #10. On a rock near the water on the western shore of Owanjila Lake, near the felled trees and the fisherman.

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS AND RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES

Strawberry General Store Robbery

  • While the owner opens the basement trapdoor, rob the cash register for $30 and steal some valuable items in the store, such as the liquors and premium cigarette packs. Stop when someone walks by the windows, or they will raise the alarm immediately.

  • Find $50 in the wall stash in the basement, plus miscellaneous loot on the shelves. Hogtie the owner before going back up.

  • Keep stealing items from the store if no-one is outside the windows. Leave via the rear door. No alarm raised, no bounty.

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Strawberry Stagecoach Robberies

  • Available from Hector, the Strawberry post office clerk, after the Chapter III main story mission Friends in Very Low Places.

  • Fort Riggs.​ $100 in loot from the back of the coach. Set dynamite on the ground right before the ford, then shoot it when they cross.

  • Appleseed Timber Co. $100 in loot from the coach. Set dynamite on the ground under the bridge and shoot it when they cross.

  • Owanjila Lake. $200 in loot from the coach. Set dynamite on the ground in the middle of the street and shoot it when they're on it.

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Strawberry Bounty Missions​

  • Joshua Brown. $40 reward. Alive.

    • The plunger at Beryl's Dream only works either before this mission is started or after it's completed.

    • This bounty is available since the Chapter II main story mission Blessed Are the Meek, but I'm covering it here.

  • Bart Cavanaugh. $60 reward. Dead or Alive.

    • This bounty unlocks only after the main story mission Gainful Employment, so it's exclusive to John.

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Blackwater Bounty Missions

  • These unlock after the main story mission Motherhood, when open-world free-roam resumes:

  • Elias Green. $90 reward. Dead or Alive.

    • The Skinner Brothers attempting to recapture Green can be avoided by not following the main road back to Blackwater.​

    • If Green is brought in alive, his execution can be seen in a random encounter a week later, at the gallows by the sheriff's office.

  • ​Herman Zizendorf. $30 reward. Alive.

    • The standoff at the end can be avoided by lassoing and hogtieing Zizendorf as soon as he reaches the top of the wooden stairs.

  • Otis Skinner. $75 reward. Dead or Alive.

    • The Skinner Brothers attempting to recapture Otis can be avoided by not following the main road back to Blackwater.​

    • If Otis is brought in alive, his execution can be seen in a random encounter a week later, at the gallows by the sheriff's office.

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