Random encounters/Red Dead Redemption

Random Encounters can occur anywhere on the map during your travels. They will be marked with a blue dot (with very few exceptions) on the players map and will ask the player for help. The tasks the player can carry out for them are not considered side-quests done for Strangers, but rather random encounters that will reward the player fame and honor. Let it be known that these missions can be done either way, in ways that either gain or cost the player honor. When you have done a random encounter, it can come back again and again. Here are some of the types of tasks you can encounter.

The Beauty and the Wagon
Encountered outside of cities. A woman standing near a wagon calls the player for help, when the player comes closer 4-5 men pop up from behind the wagon and start mugging the player. If the player stays still without shooting them, they hold up a ransom for a fee, then let the player go. Once the player kills them all, he has the choice of sparing the woman or killing her for her deception. If the player chooses to spare her she pleads for forgiveness and offers the player money.

Wounded Lawman
Encountered in the wilderness, near major roads or intersections. The player may come across a crashed wagon with an officer in front of it. The officer will be wounded and will tell you that two criminals are making an escape and that they killed his companion. He then asks the player to go catch them. The player can either kill both criminals and receive less fame/money or he can hogtie them and bring them back to the officer which will reward the player with more honor and money. Once the player kills or captures both criminals, he should return to the officer and he will pay the player a decent sum of money. In most cases, the Lawman will execute the Hogtied criminal(s) most likely in revenge for his fallen partner. The player can also help the criminals by killing a Lawman. This will reward the player fame and decrease his honor, unless he has his bandana equipped.

Escort Mission
The player will find a stranded party on the side of the road, usually near a broken wagon, asking for assistance. If the player agrees, he will let the person ride with him to where they want to go. This encounter is easy to confuse with In Need of a Ride and the Beauty and the Wagon. Usually bandits will attack at some point during the mission. The player can fight them, or try to outrun them.

In Need of a Ride
Encountered outside of cities. When the player is traveling on a horse, a man or a woman calls him over and asks him for a ride. Once the player gets closer, he/she runs at the player and throws him off the horse and starts riding away. The player must kill or capture him/her or he will lose his horse. Alternatively, if it is his saved horse, he can whistle ("up" on the D-pad) and the offending party will be bucked off. The player must be warned, killing the thief after the players horse bucks him off will cost him some honor. In addition; an attentive player may draw their gun before the thief can get close to their horse and threaten the would-be horse thief which will either cause the thief to run away or draw their own gun and attempt to kill the player.

Alms from the Convent
Encountered in cities/villages. A nun walks up and greets the player, and asks him to accept some money from her in form of appreciation for what he is doing. This may only occur when the player has a positive honor ranking. The player can accept the money or walk away. Earns 20 Fame. The item Obscuridad del Santo Andres can also be obtained: "A blessed symbol from a far-off land. Enemies have less chance to hit you." According to the nun, she and her sisters raised a collection to help "further your cause in this wicked land".

The Gift
Similar to "Alms from the Convent", a random person outside a city will run up to the player and say he has been looking for him/her everywhere. The person will offer the player a gift, which is a Pardon Letter or Money (there may be other unconfirmed gifts) for saving his/her mother or friend.

You're That Famous Feller
With high enough fame, people in towns or on horses on the roads may say they have heard of the player's deeds. You do not get anything from this encounter however. This will not occur when playing as Jack Marston - You will be treated as you were when you first started the game. This is most likely because Rockstar did not want to voice act each and every NPC for the purpose of saying Jack Marston's name instead of John, although this is unconfirmed. Another theory is that because Jack didn't do much to make himself known, nobody knows him as famous.

Hangman's Noose
Encountered in the wilderness. A man will ride up to the player while he is on a horse and ask him to save his wife/brother/friend from being hanged by a group of bandits. The player can follow him and he will lead the player to a tree with a couple of horses/carriage. There are 4 to 5 enemies and a hanging man/woman. The player must shoot the rope quickly before they die. The easiest way to do so is by using Dead-Eye. Then all there is left is to kill all the enemies and the player will be rewarded with Fame. A scripted hanging can also occur if the player is near the Hanging Rock or Tumbleweed.

Kidnapper
While in a city (especially Thieves' Landing), the player will hear a woman screaming for help. A criminal has hogtied her and is running away with her on his back. The player can choose to shoot him or Hogtie him and cut her free for a decent amount of fame.

Store Robbery
When the player is in a city, a store owner might run out and yell that somebody just robbed their store. The player can catch the robber and bring him back to the store or kill him. The player will receive Fame and more cash if he keeps him alive, but if he chooses to kill the robber and loot his body the player can take all of the money for himself. Returning the thief to the shopkeeper will cause the shop keeper to repeatedly kick the thief in the head, pausing only to spit on the thief. Killing the thief is probably doing him a favor...

Grand Theft Stallion
When the player is walking in a city, there is a chance that a random pedestrian will run up to the player and desperately ask him to get his horse back which just got stolen by some rustler. The player can catch/kill the criminal and return the horse for Fame and cash. It may be easier to catch the horse if the player lassos or throws a knife at the thief. This will avoid spooking the horse with a gunshot. If the horse is spooked, catching it may be problematic. Sometimes, most often in Mexico, horse-drawn carts are stolen. These are much easier to retrieve as the horse will not run without a driver.

Nice Eyes
Occasionally, while in open wilderness, the player will hear shooting coming from a nearby camp. The man at this camp will challenge the player for money to shoot a number of birds in a faster time than him (Dead-Eye helps a lot). The player will receive cash as his reward.

This is probably the easiest way to earn a lot of money in a relatively short time. Every time the player fails to kill the birds in the allotted time, he will be given the option of "double or nothing". If he fails the challenge several times in a row, the wagers will have been raised by quite a fair amount. After failing the challenge several times in a row, the player must then complete it successfully (most likely with Dead-Eye). He will earn all his money back, but not a lot extra. If the player then kills the stranger and loots his body, he will receive a huge amount of money (although he will also lose Honor if he doesn't wear a Bandana).

The Herbalist
Encountered in the wilderness, a person at a campsite will wave the player over and ask him to help him find a few herbs. Accepting causes a short challenge to start where the player must gather two herbs and run back to the herbalist's camp before the herbalist. The player will receive cash as his reward. (also if you take the challenge {same with the shooting challenge} you can kill him and take the amount of money whatever the bet was and you dont have to lose mone, and if you do lose you can kill him and take back your money along with his)

The Trapper
Encountered in the wilderness, a person at a campsite will wave the player over and ask him to help him gather some pelts. On accepting the challenge, the hunter will give the player some bait to use and indicate what type of pelts he needs. The player simply needs to use the bait just outside the camp, then kill and skin the animals that come.

Treasure Hunter in Need is a Treasure Indeed
While in the open, the player might encounter 2-4 criminals holding up a treasure hunter, usually with them shooting at the treasure hunter who is taking cover behind his wagon. If the player fails to act fast, the hunter will be killed. The player can help him by killing the criminals and he will receive a treasure map. If the treasure hunter is killed, the map can be found on his corpse. (The first treasure map given starts off the Treasure Hunter Challenges.)

It Might Help If You Aim
While in the wild, the player will hear gunfire. It's two lawmen chasing after a criminal. The player can shoot him in the leg and let the lawmen finish him or just kill him. Alternatively, the player can shoot the lawmen and let the criminal go free. The player will receive a thanks from the lawmen and some fame. This event is not marked with a blue dot on the map, probably because the player can help either the lawmen or the criminal.

Bad Hunter
Outside cities, the player might encounter a man on a horse chasing after some animal trying to shoot it. The player can help him out and he will receive thanks from him. This event is not marked with a blue blip. Assisting the hunter also appears to be the only method in which to hunt and skin regular bears, as opposed to the grizzles in the rest of the game, as well as hunt Buffalo after their extinction related to the Manifest Destiny achievement/trophy.

The Prey
A man or a woman in the wild is running away, screaming for help. There are some type of animals, such as Wolves, Cougars, Bobcats, Bear or Coyotes, chasing after him/her. The player can help out and receive a reward. (Tip: It helps to use Dead Eye to kill the animals rather then manual/auto targeting could potentially target and kill the victim.)

The Duel "I'm about to make you famous"
Depending on the players fame, he may have a chance that townsfolk will want to make a name for themselves by killing the player in a duel. On encounter they will harass the player and challenge him. Once he is dueling, the game goes into Dead Eye mode. The player can draw earlier and have less chance of accuracy or draw later but have less time. The player can mark spots on his target. The number is equal to the number of bullets the player has in a magazine (example: The Mauser will give the player 15 shots). Once marked Marston will automatically shoot. By killing the players opponent the player receives 50 Fame. He can also disarm him by shooting his hand which is much harder and receive 100 Fame. It is also possible to shoot his hat off if the player chooses to disarm him but it does not give the player more Fame.

Damsel In Distress
While traveling through a village, the player might encounter a screaming prostitute and a man with a knife chasing after her. The man will pull her down and kill her with a knife if the player doesn't stop him in time. On success, the player will receive both Fame and money. The player can either shoot him, lasso/beat him up or just watch while the guy stabs the woman.

A glitch can occur if you kill the man. The Town people will start shooting at the player and the woman will be afraid of the Player.

There is another glitch where the lasso kills the attacker.

Aggressive Camper
In the wild and often based at a small camp, the player can meet an armed man with a dog. As he approaches, the man will raise his weapon and tell the player to go away. If the player fails to leave, the guy will start shooting and his dog will attack the player. The player can kill him and loot the chest he is sometimes guarding or run away. This event is not marked with a blue dot and is especially common in Nuevo Paraiso.

A second variant of this occurs in Tall Trees, and very close to the river in the Great Plains; however instead of a dog there will be two people who will often not warn the player, but will simply open fire.

Cannibals "A man's got to eat"
A man will ask the player if he wants to provide him with company; when the player gets close enough, the guy will shoot the player. If the player kills him, he will find a hostage hogtied under the tent and several human bones and heads scattered around his campsite. It has been rumored that with low enough honor, the cannibal will not attack (Note: A cannibal was encountered in Hennigan's Stead by a player with the lowest possible Honor, Desperado, and the cannibal still attacked the player).

Mainly cannibals are around The Hanging Rock where American Appetites was completed though the player could find one around the Great Plains or Tall Trees, even in Nuevo Paraiso and Hennigan's Stead.

Example Randall Forrester

Captured Outlaw
A lawman or soldier in the wilderness will ask Marston to deliver a hog-tied outlaw to a nearby settlement. It is very much like normal bounty hunting as the player will be pursued while en-route. The pay and honor are much lower however and it counts for +1 travelers escorted.

Dynamite Delivery
Two gentlemen with a wagon full of dynamite will ask the player to deliver the wagon to a weaponry shop. The player must make sure to avoid bumpy paths, or the dynamite will explode. The player will be attacked by thieves who will shoot at him.

One Spark
Out in the wilderness, the player may run across a camp with several crates of Dynamite and two men preparing dynamite bundles from these crates. If the men are approached, they will add some dynamite to the players inventory. If the player sticks around for a minute or so, one of the men will say something to the effect of "Careful, one spark and we'll all go up" or "Time for a cigar, got a light?". Right afterward, the dynamite will explode, taking the camp and the two men with it. The men can be looted afterward, however, they do not carry anything special. This can also be encountered in Mexico, but without the explosion scripting; the player can of course shoot the dynamite at the cost of honor. This encounter does not appear on the minimap. If you loot the chest near them they may begin throwing dynamite and shooting at you.

Wild Posse
Usually found riding into town. A group of around four men will be riding along one dragging a lassoed person behind him while the others fire their guns into the air. +100 honor for aiding the victim and preventing the men from terrorizing the town, but be warned when you shoot at the men, they will start shooting back at you to kill you, so using the Dead-Eye will help a lot. If Marston kills the posse he will receive honor and a thank you from the townfolk. The places this mainly occurs is Armadillo, Casa Magrugada, and Manzanita Post.

The Supply Coach
When near a store a woman will tell the player her supply wagon is missing, he then can press B/Circle to accept her job and find out what happened to the stagecoach. Rather than be given a clear destination, you are given the direction the wagon was heading from and advice to watch for circling vultures overhead to denote the wagon's location. When the player finds the stagecoach it has been attacked by robbers whom the player then has to kill. Following this the player will have to drive the stagecoach back to the woman for his reward. This is very common at Manzanita Post.

Pit Stop
Randomly in the distance, a man may ride up, get off his horse, and walk towards a rock which he will then proceed to urinate upon. The player can easily steal the man's horse or murder the guy and loot him. That surely will piss him off...

Camp
Occasionally, (most often at night) Marston may wander upon a camp of two to three people. They will offer to let Marston stay with them for a while and if he does, he can sit and listen to them talk about recent events or tell stories of the past, most often about those relating to John's adventures. One should exercise a certain amount of caution, however, as these campsites will sometimes house hostile gangs or cannibals.

Suicide
Occasionally, the player may come across someone grieving over a dead body. If the player sits there and watches them for a minute (they will not talk to the player) the grieving person will either shoot themselves in the head or drink poison. The situations the player comes upon will vary slightly, as the couple may be two men, two women, or a man and a woman. In almost every case, it appears the already dead person was shot or possibly knifed (due to the pooling of blood beneath them). The player can loot the person who commits suicide once they've died, but not the already-dead body. The player may shoot the gun or bottle out the the living man's hands before he commits suicide, which will in turn give the player honor. The man will thank the player and walk off. This is most common in the Tall Trees and Cochinay areas that are secluded from society.

Scavenger
Occasionally the player may come across a man standing searching over a persons body before jumping on his horse and riding away. The player can search the persons body for a few dollars and he will not be punished even if he shoots the escaping thief for even more loot. The thief is generally a member of a criminal gang, suggesting he has committed a murder.

Wanna Make Some Money?
In Mexican towns, a man will sometimes run up to the player and ask "Hey you! Wanna make some money!?" If Marston follows the man, he will ask him to steal a supply wagon and then drive it out of the city with the law in pursuit. Once Marston ditches the lawmen, he must then take the wagon back to the stranger, which in return the stranger gives Marston some money and says he "might have some more work for you later." The man then leaves and rides back into town in the same wagon that was stolen and then resells items from the stolen wagon at a higher price. Marston can repeat this event, to earn money.

When you hop on the stagecoach after a successful theft the man won't become hostile but instead will continue on his way as if you weren't there, he rides all the way to Tesoro Azul and hops off and hangs out around the gate.

Fate of the Stagecoach
Out in the wilderness, you may see a message pop up on the players screen saying that "A stagecoach is under attack" and that the player can choose to either side with the defending stagecoach or the bandits attacking.

Public Execution
In Mexican towns, namely Escalera, the player'll sometimes see a firing-squad of Mexican soldiers lining up a couple of rebels against a wall for execution. If the player tries to stop the execution the Mexican army will immediately open fire on the player and he'll get a bounty on his head, but the player can always just watch the rebels get executed. Sometimes this happens far enough outside a town that the player can kill all of the soldiers with no witnesses around and will result in no bounty on their head. This encounter may not occur if the player has completed every story mission in Mexico, thus allowing the rebels to take control of Escalera. This, however, is unconfirmed.

Unlawful Justice
While exploring around in Mexico, the player sometimes will cross paths with a firing-squad and a poor man. It's unsure if the man is innocent or not, but he doesn't appear to be a rebel or bandito and looks just like a normal person. If the player stands in front of the man the soldiers will attack the player. The player can disarm the soldiers by shooting their weapons out of their hands and he will gain honor. Or he could just stand and watch.

Law or Disorder?
When the player's riding/walking about he may see some lawmen and outlaws shooting it out. Just like Fate of the Stagecoach, the player can choose to help the lawmen or assist the outlaws. Whichever side he helps, the faction will be grateful and commend the player on his actions.

You're not welcome here!
When riding into Thieves Landing, the player may be shot at. Shooting the ambusher, might cause other townsfolk to start attacking Marston, though this might be because of the player accidentally held an innocent at gunpoint or hit one with a stray bullet during repelling the shooters attack. This is due to having a high honor ranking (usually Hero) and can be bypassed by wearing the bandana.

Stick 'em up!
On sides of the roads, the player'll sometimes spot a supply wagon being robbed by a gang. If the player's just approaching the wagon he can help out the people in the wagon before they're executed, but if the player arrives late they'll already be dead and the posse will shoot the player.

Put up your dukes
When the player travels off course, he'll sometimes catch two guys brawling with their fists. If he stays to spectate the fight, eventually one of the men will knock the other man out and then walk off like nothing ever happened. If the player wants to see this event, the best place is Tall Trees in West Elizabeth. This encounter happens more often when in the given area.

Who Dunnit?
While on foot the player may come across a dead man, woman, or couple of people. He can not steal from them, so this could evidently mean that these were mugged victims who refused to give up their money, and paid the ultimate price for it; however, this might be the result of another stranger event such as the suicide or scavenger in which the player arrived to the scene late.

You can't take it with you
Same as Who Dunnit?, only this time the player catches the mugger in the act. If he sneaks up behind the mugger he can see them standing over the person they just killed, and the mugger (if desperate enough) may resort to biting off the victims finger (Or more probably remove the victims ring with his teeth.) to get their rings. If the player runs or walks up to the mugger, he will take out his gun and try to kill the player as well. If the player decides not to do anything the mugger will call for his horse and ride away.

The better man
Out roaming the wild west the player will sometimes see two guys randomly shooting it out. This encounter is just like (Put up your dukes) except instead of a fistbrawl, its a gun fight. Once one of the men kills the other, they will claim that the man was trying to kill him, but the two men are not gangster nor criminals, they're just two guys who wanted to settle their differences using guns.

Refreshing
Sometimes, for example in Armadillo, the player can see a man enter the bathroom, sometimes urinating, and other times, freshening up, like shaving, and taking water in his face afterwards. If you did not complete The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed but completed And The Truth Will Set You Free you can see that Jack often does this, or other chores.

A Dog is a Man's Best Friend/Fetch!
Sometimes, when in a town or village, the player may come across a man or woman throwing a stick for their dog. The dog will fetch the stick and return, then the process is repeated.

T-Pee'ing
After a mission or stranger event there are sometimes people left to wander around. These people will walk around the wilderness and (if they are male) they will sometimes stop at a tree and begin to T-Pee at the tree. This can also happen with people just walking around the wilderness, but these are rare, so it will most likely occur after a mission/stranger encounter.

Don't Play With Fire
While traveling on the road the player may come across a wrecked stagecoach with burn marks all around. If the player approaches the wreck they may find a charred body with a fire bottle next to it. It is unsure exactly what happened to the man in the stagecoach but it appears to have been an accident. This event most likely only happens after the player has completed the story mission The Demon Drink although it might still happen if the player has only completed the story mission We Shall Be Together in Paradise.