How to Reset Your Honor in Red Dead Redemption 2: A Comprehensive Guide

So, you’ve been living life a little too on the wild side in Red Dead Redemption 2? Don’t worry, even Arthur Morgan and John Marston had their moments. The question is, how do you reset your honor in RDR2? The short answer is, you can’t entirely reset your honor to a perfectly neutral state. However, you can significantly raise or lower it through your actions and choices within the game. There’s no magical button or menu option, but a combination of honorable and dishonorable deeds will shift your honor level accordingly. This guide will dive deep into how honor works and how you can manipulate it to align with your desired playstyle.

Understanding the Honor System in RDR2

Before we jump into the methods, let’s clarify what “honor” really means in Red Dead Redemption 2. Honor isn’t just a superficial score; it actively impacts your gameplay experience. Higher honor unlocks discounts at stores, influences NPC interactions (people will be more friendly and helpful), and even affects the ending you receive. Conversely, lower honor leads to higher bounties, hostile encounters, and a generally less pleasant Arthur or John. It’s a dynamic system that shapes your journey through the American West.

What Influences Your Honor?

Numerous actions impact your honor level. Obvious ones include:

• Helping people in need: Assisting stranded travelers, donating to the poor, and resolving conflicts peacefully all boost your honor.
• Following the law: Paying off bounties, surrendering to law enforcement, and avoiding unnecessary violence are honorable actions.
• Performing camp chores: Contributing to camp funds and helping your fellow gang members improves your honor.
• Making moral choices: Many story missions and random encounters present you with choices that directly affect your honor. Choose wisely!

On the flip side, the following actions decrease your honor:

• Killing innocent people: This is the quickest way to plummet your honor. Avoid unnecessary violence at all costs.
• Robbing stores and stagecoaches: Dishonorable activities always have consequences.
• Starting fights and committing crimes: Lawlessness will definitely lower your honor.
• Ignoring pleas for help: Turning a blind eye to those in need makes you look bad.

Raising Your Honor: Embracing the Good

Since you can’t entirely reset your honor, let’s focus on how to raise it substantially. The key is consistent positive actions.

High Honor Activities

• Greet people in towns: A simple “Howdy” or “Good day” to pedestrians can gradually increase your honor, especially if you do it often.
• Complete the “Money Lending and Other Sins” missions: This is Leopold Strauss’s mission line. Choosing to show mercy and forgiving debts in these missions will give you significant boosts to your honor.
• Catch and release fish: Yes, even virtual fishing has moral implications! Releasing fish back into the water is a minor but consistent way to gain honor.
• Donate to the Church or Monastery: Head to Saint Denis and donate to the poor to improve your honor.

The Most Effective Methods

While greeting people and releasing fish help, they are slow processes. The most effective methods for raising honor involve deliberate acts of kindness and moral choices during missions. Replaying story missions and consistently choosing the honorable path is a powerful way to shift your honor significantly. Look for opportunities to help strangers and defuse tense situations non-violently.

Lowering Your Honor: Embracing the Outlaw Life

Maybe you want to be a villain. If so, lowering your honor is relatively easy.

Low Honor Activities

• Robbing stores and trains: The most direct way to become a low-honor character.
• Attacking and looting civilians: A surefire way to become notorious.
• Killing law enforcement officers: Be prepared for a serious bounty, though.
• Ignoring or harming animals: A particularly cruel way to lower your honor, but effective.

The Consequences of Low Honor

Remember, low honor has consequences. Shopkeepers might refuse to deal with you, bounty hunters will be constantly on your trail, and the overall tone of the game will become much darker. But if that’s your preferred playstyle, go for it!

FAQs: Your Honor Questions Answered

Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the honor system in Red Dead Redemption 2, providing further insight and clarification:

1. Can I lock my honor level?

No, there’s no way to lock your honor level. It will continuously change based on your actions.

2. Does my honor affect the story?

Yes, significantly. It influences the availability of certain missions, how NPCs interact with you, and ultimately, the ending you receive.

3. What are the benefits of high honor?

Discounts at stores, positive NPC interactions, and access to specific outfits and rewards.

4. What are the benefits of low honor?

Access to certain missions and a different set of NPC interactions, although often hostile.

5. How do I check my honor level?

You can see your honor level on the character screen in the pause menu.

6. Does honor carry over between Arthur and John?

Yes, a portion of your honor from Arthur’s playthrough carries over to John Marston in the epilogue.

7. Can I raise my honor after reaching the lowest level?

Absolutely. It might take time and effort, but it’s entirely possible to redeem yourself.

8. How quickly can I raise or lower my honor?

It depends on your actions. Consistent honorable or dishonorable actions will shift your honor relatively quickly, while sporadic actions will have a slower impact.

9. Do camp chores significantly impact my honor?

Yes, consistently contributing to the camp boosts your honor.

10. Does my horse’s honor affect my own?

No, your horse’s actions don’t directly affect your honor, but treating your horse well is generally a good idea.

11. Are there any items that affect honor?

No, there are no items that directly raise or lower your honor. It’s all about your actions.

12. Does the “Money Lending and Other Sins” questline have the biggest impact on Honor?

It has one of the largest impacts on Honor. Choosing to show mercy and forgiving debts in these missions will give you significant boosts to your honor.

13. Can I see my honor change in real-time?

Not directly, but you’ll notice the subtle shifts in NPC behavior and dialogue as your honor changes. The character screen will also reflect the overall level.

14. Does hunting animals affect my honor?

Hunting animals for sustenance doesn’t significantly impact your honor unless you act cruelly, such as using improper weapons or leaving them to suffer.

15. Where can I learn more about character development and moral choices in games?

You can explore resources and research related to game design and narrative at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. The study of games like RDR2 can provide valuable insights into how interactive narratives influence player behavior.

Final Thoughts

While you can’t magically reset your honor in Red Dead Redemption 2, you have considerable control over your character’s moral compass. Whether you choose to be a saint or a sinner, your actions will have consequences that shape your experience in the game. Embrace the choices and carve your own legend in the Wild West. Good luck, and remember: Your honor is what you make of it.