Gear and progress
Collectibles and treasure
The world is full of things to find. This page lists each collection, how many there are, who is asking, what you get, and, importantly, how much of it you actually need for 100% completion.
Checked Sep 30, 2026 · Sources: OfficialCommunityCGN
Most collections are started by a stranger mission, then completed in the world. You do not need every item: for 100%, the list below says what is required. For the exact map locations of cigarette cards, bones, carvings and dreamcatchers, an interactive map is much easier than words, so we keep this page about what each collection is and what it is worth. Community checked September 30, 2026.
| Collection | How many | Who asks | How it starts | Reward | Needed for 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarette cards | 144 cards in 12 sets of 12 | Phineas T. Ramsbottom | Stranger mission "Smoking and Other Hobbies" | A prize for each set (for example $50 to $100 plus an item), a bonus for the first set and $200 extra for finishing all 12 | One full set of 12 |
| Dinosaur bones | 30 | Deborah MacGuiness | Stranger mission "A Test of Faith" | Quartz Chunk, Skull Statue, an invitation and the Jawbone Knife | Complete "A Test of Faith" |
| Rock carvings | 10 | Francis Sinclair | Stranger mission "Geology for Beginners" | $10, Kentucky Bourbon, a Rock Statue and an invitation | Complete "Geology for Beginners" |
| Dreamcatchers | 20 | Nobody: you just find them | Found in the world | The Ancient Arrowhead. A journal entry connects the finds once you have them all. | All 20 |
| Exotic collection | 5 requests, 6 visits | Algernon Wasp | Stranger mission "Duchesses and Other Animals" | $750 in total, the Exotic Hat, Algernon's Revolver and the Rare Orchids Order | Complete "Duchesses and Other Animals" |
| Hunting requests | 5 lists of perfect carcasses | Ms. L. Hobbs | Stranger mission "A Better World, A New Friend" (pick up a poster) | $490, a letter and a Squirrel Statue | Complete "A Better World, A New Friend" |
| Legendary fish | 15 legendary fish | Jeremy Gill | Stranger mission "A Fisher of Fish" | Special lures are sold in Lagras once the mission starts | Complete "A Fisher of Fish" |
| Treasure maps | Several independent maps | None | Found in the world, in random encounters and in some stranger missions | Gold bars, valuables and, for some maps, a follow-up map | Complete one treasure hunt chain |
Treasure maps
Unlike earlier games, Red Dead Redemption 2 has several independent treasure maps. A map highlights landmarks and hints at where a chest is buried; the X does not always mark the spot, so you search the area. Some maps are wrong on purpose. Finishing one treasure hunt chain counts toward 100%.
Rockstar added two maps to Story Mode with the 2019 PC release, Landmarks of Riches and The Elemental Trail. Official The first Le Tresor des Morts map was a pre-order bonus on some digital stores.
The Explorer challenge set is entirely treasure hunting. Explorer challenges
| Treasure map | Where the first one turns up |
|---|---|
| Jack Hall Gang | Start of the stranger mission "All That Glitters", west of Flatneck Station. |
| Poisonous Trail | Inside a cabin at Cairn Lake. |
| High Stakes | A random encounter between Diablo Ridge and Riggs Station, after meeting the Jack Hall Gang stranger. |
| Landmarks of Riches | West of Owanjila Lake, south of the trapper in the far west. One of the two treasure maps Rockstar added in 2019. |
| The Elemental Trail | Opens late in the story, on the shore southwest of Tumbleweed. The other 2019 addition. |
| Torn Treasure Map | In a cabin drawer near Little Creek River, or in the Hermit's cottage at Manito Glade, north of Annesburg. |
| Sketched Map | Reed Cottage, a small cottage north of Annesburg. |
| Le Tresor des Morts | At Limpany, for owners of the pre-order bonus on certain digital stores. |
Red Dead Online
Online collecting is a role: the Collector. Madam Nazar sells the Collector's Bag and buys complete sets, and tools such as a metal detector and a field shovel help you find buried items. Treasure maps in Online come from rank-ups, looting and random encounters. Collector role
Do not lose the thread
Keep your journal open. It records what each stranger asked for and how far along each collection is, which saves a lot of backtracking.