There’s sick, and then there’s Red Dead Redemption 2 sick. Far from merely having the sniffles, being Sick or Very Sick in Red Dead Redemption 2 can lead Arthur Morgan down some worrying paths, particularly when it comes to draining health, stamina, and Dead Eye. Here’s what to do when you get sick in Red Dead Redemption 2 and how to stop Core Drain.
How to Get Sick and Very Sick in Red Dead Redemption 2
Unlike being hot, cold, or poisoned, you won’t need to do a specific action to get sick in Red Dead Redemption 2, but merely get to a certain point in the story. Without ruining the story, the Chapter 5 mission “Paradise Mercifully Departed” will see Arthur Morgan get sick, while the Chapter 5 mission “A Fork in the Road” gives Arthur Morgan the Very Sick status.
Can You Cure Red Dead Redemption 2 Sick and Very Sick Conditions? – How to Stop Core Drain
Firstly, to understand the cure you’re going to need to understand what happens when you’re sick and very sick. The vanilla Core Drain (i.e. the time it takes for health, stamina, and Dead Eye to drain completely) is 90 minutes with no status effects. When you’re sick, that drops to 85, while Very Sick drops that down to 75. Simply put, you now have less time to deal with Core Drain, but you won’t have any other ill effects.
To stop core drain, you’re going to do the things you’ve normally done up until now, with the caveat being you have a slightly shorter time to do them in. That includes sleeping, eating, and bathing. They all help replenish your three separate Cores slightly.
However (and mild spoilers here), you cannot cure Arthur of the Very Sick status upon getting it. You can lessen its effects, sure, but you’re stuck with it until you’ve completed the main Red Dead Redemption 2 story.