Best Talismans and Trinkets in Red Dead Redemption 2
The best trinket in Red Dead Redemption 2 is the Owl Feather: all three of Arthur's cores drain 15% slower. It is also the easiest to miss, a reward for finishing Archeology for Beginners in chapter 6 without killing anyone. After it come the three core talismans crafted at a Fence, Bear Claw for Health, Bison Horn for Stamina and Alligator Tooth for Dead Eye, each 10%.
Story mode has 26 of them: 18 crafted at a Fence, 5 found in chests, 1 mission reward and 2 edition bonuses. They work from the satchel, with nothing to equip, and their effects stack, so the ranking below is about which ones to get first, grouped by what you play for.
Survival and Combat
The ones that keep Arthur alive. The core talismans slow how fast a core drains, so they matter in every fight and every long ride.
| # | Item | Effect | Fence cost | How to get it | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owl Feather Trinket | Health, Stamina and Dead Eye cores all drain 15% slower | · | Reward from Rains Fall for finishing Archeology for Beginners without killing anyone. Missable | Chapter 6 |
| 2 | Bear Claw Talisman | Health core drains 10% slower | $34.75 | Fence: Legendary Bear Claw (Bharati Grizzly, O'Creagh's Run), Silver Chain Bracelet, Quartz Chunk | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 3 | Bison Horn Talisman | Stamina core drains 10% slower | $38.50 | Fence: Legendary Bison Horn (White Bison, Lake Isabella), Abalone Shell Fragment, Silver Earring | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 4 | Alligator Tooth Talisman | Dead Eye core drains 10% slower | $40.00 | Fence: Legendary Alligator Tooth (Bullgator, Bayou Nwa), Gold Jointed Bracelet, Vintage Civil War Handcuffs | Chapter 6 |
| 5 | Turtle Shell Trinket | Health bar refills 10% faster | · | Chest under the stairs of the largest building at Gaptooth Breach, New Austin | Found in the world |
| 6 | Tatanka Bison Horn Trinket | 10% less melee damage taken | $16.75 | Fence: Legendary Tatanka Bison Horn (New Austin) | Epilogue |
| 7 | Panther's Eye Trinket | Dead Eye drains 10% slower for 3 seconds | $25.00 | Fence: Legendary Panther Eye (Giaguaro Panther, needs Master Hunter challenge rank 9) | Master Hunter rank 9 |
| 8 | Cat Eye Trinket | Fortifying tonic effects last 20% longer | · | Chest on the southernmost island of Flat Iron Lake, near Braithwaite Manor | Found in the world |
| 9 | Iguana Scale Trinket | 10% less damage taken on horseback | · | Special and Ultimate Edition bonus | Edition bonus |
Money and Hunting
The picks for a player who hunts, loots and sells. None of them is flashy, all of them pay back over a playthrough.
| # | Item | Effect | Fence cost | How to get it | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Antler Trinket | 10% more money from looting | $22.75 | Fence: Legendary Elk Antler (east of Bacchus Station) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 2 | Buck Antler Trinket | Better quality pelts and parts when skinning | $22.00 | Fence: Legendary Buck Antler | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 3 | Pronghorn Horn Trinket | Carcasses carried on your horse no longer rot | $24.50 | Fence: Legendary Pronghorn Horn (Rio Bravo, New Austin) | Epilogue |
| 4 | Raven Claw Talisman | All weapons degrade 20% slower | $29.00 | Fence: Old Brass Compass, the Geology for Beginners reward for all 10 rock carvings | After Geology for Beginners |
| 5 | Crow Beak Trinket | 10% more ammo from looting | · | Final reward of The Elemental Trail treasure hunt, Coot's Chapel, New Austin | After chapter 6 |
| 6 | Hawk Talon Trinket | Stamina drains 30% slower while drawing a bow | · | Chest in a destroyed camp at the top of Deadboot Creek, Ambarino | Found in the world |
| 7 | Beaver Tooth Trinket | All weapons degrade 10% slower | $18.25 | Fence: Legendary Beaver Tooth (Butcher Creek area) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 8 | Fox Claw Trinket | Eagle Eye lasts 5 seconds longer | $23.50 | Fence: Legendary Fox Claw (Mattock Pond, north of Rhodes) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 9 | Eagle Talon Talisman | Eagle Eye lasts 5 seconds longer | · | Special and Ultimate Edition bonus | Edition bonus |
Horse
Two items, both for players who ride the same horse for the whole game.
| # | Item | Effect | Fence cost | How to get it | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boar Tusk Talisman | Horse Health and Stamina cores drain 10% slower | $31.00 | Fence: Legendary Boar Tusk (Bluewater Marsh), Gold Earring, Cobalt Petrified Wood | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 2 | Shark Tooth Trinket | 10% more horse bonding XP | · | Chest near a shipwreck east of Annesburg, Roanoke Ridge | Found in the world |
XP and Comfort
Useful early, forgettable late: XP boosts stop mattering once the cores are levelled.
| # | Item | Effect | Fence cost | How to get it | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moose Antler Trinket | 10% more Health XP | $19.00 | Fence: Legendary Moose Antler (Roanoke Ridge) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 2 | Cougar Fang Trinket | 10% more Stamina XP | $20.50 | Fence: Legendary Cougar Fang (Gaptooth Ridge, New Austin) | Epilogue |
| 3 | Lion's Paw Trinket | 10% more Stamina XP | $19.75 | Fence: Lion's Paw from the stranger mission He's British, of Course | Chapter 3 |
| 4 | Coyote Fang Trinket | 10% more Dead Eye XP | $21.25 | Fence: Legendary Coyote Fang (Scarlett Meadows) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 5 | Ram Horn Trinket | Double yield when picking creeping thyme, oregano and wild mint | $17.50 | Fence: Legendary Ram Horn (Cattail Pond, east of Valentine) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
| 6 | Wolf Heart Trinket | Double alcohol tolerance | $16.00 | Fence: Legendary Wolf Heart (Cotorra Springs) | after Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego (chapter 2) |
The Cat Eye, Crow Beak, Hawk Talon, Shark Tooth and Turtle Shell trinkets arrived in December 2019, with the PC release and patch 1.15 on consoles.
How Crafting Works
A trinket takes one part, the legendary animal's. A talisman takes three: the legendary part, a piece of jewellery and a unique item, except the Raven Claw, which needs only the Old Brass Compass. Four Fences craft them, in Rhodes, Saint Denis, Van Horn Trading Post and Emerald Ranch, which opens after The Spines of America. Legendary hunts open after the bear hunt with Hosea, and if you forget to pick up a legendary part it goes to the Fence rather than being lost; it cannot be sold to the Trapper.
More Red Dead on GTAside
The best horses in RDR2, the best weapons, all 16 legendary animals whose parts these recipes need, and every RDR2 cheat code.