Stranger missions are optional Story Mode side stories, each started by riding up to someone with a job. Any ten count toward 100%, but a few can slip away if you leave them too long, so check each strand's chapter gate and time window before you push on with the story.
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Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Most of the Chapter 4 starts wait on one of two story missions, The Joys of Civilization or The Gilded Cage, so the story gate matters more than the chapter number.
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
Chapter headings show the first chapter a strand can start, not when it closes. Sequence describes what a strand asks for, such as missions, requests, clue searches or return visits. Availability notes name the deadlines, and Time / weather gives the in-game hours or weather a stage needs.
How Stranger Missions Count for 100%
Total Completion has a Strangers target of ten, and any ten will do. Progress > Total Completion shows the target. Western Stranger is a separate trophy that requires finishing ten multi-part strands. The two track different progress.
For the trophy, look at how many visits a strand has before you choose it.
Bones, fish, hunting requests and exotics each have their own Total Completion requirements. A Stranger strand that sends you after them doesn't replace those, so work through Dinosaur Bones, Legendary Fish, Hunting Requests and Exotics separately.
Missable and Time-Limited Stranger Missions
Fundraiser and The Mercies of Knowledge both need to be finished before the epilogue. For Mercies, treat the epilogue as your deadline, since there's no exact cutoff to plan around. Arcadia for Amateurs needs all of its encounters done before the epilogue if you want the full sequence.
The Noblest of Men, and a Woman has loot you can lose for good. Pick up each unique weapon drop before you leave an encounter, because you can't come back for them. The Widow of Willard's Rest only shows its full sequence if you finish all of its Chapter 6 visits, and the later ones depend on how far you got earlier. Don't count on going back to a visit you skipped.
Timed stages are easy to miss by accident. For strands with fixed windows, the night range is 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and the daytime range is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. A Bright Bouncing Boy mixes the two: part one is daytime, and part two needs night and a thunderstorm. If a stage won't start, check the clock and the weather before you write it off.
Where Stranger Missions Start
Saint Denis has the most starts, and they're spread around the city. Idealism's mayor and Fundraiser both sit in the northwest, so one trip covers them. The Mercies of Knowledge is in the north of the city, and Duchesses and Other Animals is north of town, so give those their own ride. A Bright Bouncing Boy is in the southwest, which is another trip.
Rhodes and Flatneck each have several starts, so clear one town before you ride on instead of bouncing between them. In Van Horn, The Smell of the Grease Paint starts at the saloon. Strawberry has Geology for Beginners and Arcadia for Amateurs. The American Inferno's start sits southwest of town, but it doesn't open until the epilogue.
Some of these starts tie into other activities. Smoking and Other Hobbies is the strand that delivers cigarette sets, and Cigarette Cards covers the full set. Geology for Beginners is the carving strand, and Rock Carvings covers the carvings.
Follow-Ups and Epilogue Gates
- Skipping the invitation. A Better World, A New Friend sends one after its final request to start the closing stages. A Test of Faith and Geology for Beginners only send one after you've mailed every location, and that invitation starts the return visit.
- Starting early and expecting to finish early. A Better World, A New Friend; A Test of Faith; and A Fisher of Fish each have a final stage that waits for the epilogue, so starting them early won't close them out.
- Expecting the next visit right away. Some follow-up visits need in-game time to pass, so don't expect them the moment you finish a stage.
FAQ
Do Red Dead Online stranger missions count?
No. Story Mode strands and Red Dead Online's stranger work track separately.
Can I still start these after the main story?
Not all of them. Fundraiser and The Mercies of Knowledge have to be finished before the epilogue. The Wisdom of the Elders and The Veteran stay available later.
Which stranger missions pay the most cash?
Duchesses and Other Animals pays $760, plus an Exotic Hat and Algernon's Revolver. A Better World, A New Friend pays $490 and a display statue. Smoking and Other Hobbies pays $200 plus set rewards. All That Glitters gives 2 Gold Bars instead.