Runecrafting

Runecrafting is a skill that allows players to craft their own runes for magic spells. The experience earned from making runes is small, making runecrafting a very slow skill to raise. Exp rates for runecrafting are half of even the next slowest skill mining. These rates can be slightly increased by minimizing profit, or even incurring a loss. The fastest exp rate without assistance from other players is 71k an hour crafting combination lava runes, which can lose 150k coins per hour. This is better in the long term (due to the return at 91 Runecrafting with double nature runes), however short term return can be gained by crafting nature, lava, or cosmic runes through the abyss. Due to how slow Runecrafting is, many players look to avoid training runecrafting, by dumping any lamps, and using tears of guthix to raise the stat for them.

Creating runes
Runes are crafted from either rune essence or pure essence. Players learn about this essence through the quest Rune Mysteries.

Rune essence
Normal rune essence is used to make air runes, mind runes, water runes, earth runes, fire runes, and body runes. This is the only type of essence Free players can obtain by mining. Only level 1 is required to mine this.

Pure essence
Pure essence is used to make any runes, although it is the only kind of essence which can be made into cosmic runes, chaos runes, astral runes, nature runes, law runes, and death runes. Level 30 Mining is required for this.

Pure essence can also be used to craft any rune type unlike Rune essence which can only be used to craft the basic elemental runes (Water rune, Earth rune, Fire rune & Air rune) along with Mind and Body runes.

Obtaining rune essence
Both normal essence and pure essence are located in the same mines. However, players require a mining level of 30 to obtain pure essence. It is obtained automatically upon mining the rune essence, in place of regular essence.

To access these mines, players need to talk to certain NPCs who can teleport them to the mines. A player can either right-click on the NPC and select the 'teleport' option or talk to the NPC and ask to be teleported. However, the right-click option is faster than talking. There are five NPCs that can teleport players to the essence mines. However, only two of them are available for free players.

Players also have access to a second mine on Lunar Isle which does not require a teleport from an NPC. It is a fairly long walk from a bank with some strong monsters on the path to the mine.


 * Aubury - owner of the shop that sells runes in Varrock, reasonably close to East Varrock bank
 * Wizard Sedridor - found in the basement of the Wizard's Guild south of Draynor Village
 * Wizard Cromperty - This wizard is located in East Ardougne, northeast of the marketplace.
 * Wizard Distantor - This wizard is located in the Magic Guild in Yanille. A magic level of 66 is required to enter the guild, though with a Wizard's Mind Bomb, a player can enter the guild at level 63, and with a Magic Potion, entry can be granted at level 62. This NPC is close to a bank like Aubury. This is the closest teleporter to a bank for Pay-To-Play (this is recommended over Aubury if you are P2P and have at least 63 Magic).
 * Brimstail - This gnome wizard is located in a cave west of the bridge in the Tree Gnome Stronghold. He is very far from a bank, making him obsolete.
 * There is also a mine in the north part of Lunar Isle that has a rune essence rock inside it; however, this requires completion of the Lunar Diplomacy quest.

Alternatives
Some monsters also drop rune essence, for example minotaurs in the first level of the Stronghold of Security and Banshees, which drop countless noted pure essence.

Talismans
Talismans are important as they are needed to make runes. To obtain talismans, players will have to kill monsters or buy them from other players. However, except from abyss monsters, talismans are an uncommon drop from monsters, making them hard to obtain. Right clicking them and selecting locate gives a direction to find the altar for that particular type of rune.

Each talisman has a name that indicates what kind of rune a player can make with it. For example, to make air runes, a player needs to find an air talisman. It is important to note that free players can only make air runes, mind runes, water runes, earth runes, fire runes, and body runes, while members can make cosmic runes, chaos runes, nature runes, law runes, and death runes.

Note that all talismans of elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water) will be dropped by the corresponding wizard south of Falador, close to Malignus Mortifer.

Abyssal monsters have a chance to drop any talisman except death.

Tiaras
Talismans take up a space in a player's inventory, allowing them to only hold 27 essence in their inventory. However, a tiara can fix this. A player can combine a talisman and a tiara together, allowing them to wear the tiara on their head while still being able to craft runes. With the talisman inside the tiara, players can hold 28 essence. Players can either craft a tiara or buy one from another player.

If a player has a grey tiara with no markings on it, then it is unenchanted. To enchant a tiara, the player needs to bring the talisman to an altar (explained in the next section). For example, if a player wants to make air runes wearing a tiara, then they will have to bring their air talisman to the Air altar and combine the talisman and the tiara. Players can also earn some Runecrafting experience from making a tiara, shown in the table below. Additionally, making a tiara does not have a Runecrafting level requirement.

Note: There is no astral tiara/talisman as the altar is found in the world, not in a special portal/zone.

Altars
Altars are where players make their runes. Tiaras or talismans are needed to enter these altars hidden inside 'mysterious ruins'. Players can find altars by finding them on their own, using a talisman, or by asking other players.

To find an altar using a talisman, players can right-click on the talisman and click on the 'locate' option. In the chatbox, the player will notice a message that will tell them the direction they need to go in, whether it be northwest or southeast.

When a player has found the mysterious ruins, they then need to enter the ruins. The player can enter by using their talisman with the ruins. If they are wearing an enchanted tiara, all they have to do is click on the ruins.

When the player is inside the ruins, they are now in the altar. They can then use their essence with the altar to craft some runes. While inside an altar, a player can also enchant a tiara if they have an un-enchanted tiara in their inventory. With the un-enchanted tiara, all they have to do is use with the altar and it will become enchanted. The table below lists the locations of where the altars are.

Abyss
Players can also be teleported inside the ruins by using the Abyss, which does not need a tiara or a talisman to use. This is possibly the best way to craft your own runes. However, despite being much faster in many cases, players often choose not to use this route due to the risk of the Wilderness. Players travel to level 5 Wilderness to be teleported.


 * See also Abyss.

Crafting runes
When a player has entered the mysterious ruins, all they have to do is click on the altar. They will then craft all the essence they hold into a rune. Blood and soul runes cannot currently be crafted. But, as shown above, Jagex has accidentally leaked images of the blood tiara and the soul talisman, by making their URLs very easy to guess. This, coupled with the fact that there are Blood and Soul rifts in the Abyss (that cannot be used), shows that these runes are likely to become craftable sometime in the future.

Crafting multiple runes
As a player's runecrafting level increases, they can make more runes. However, they only earn experience based on the amount of essence they have. For example, a player may have only 1 essence in their inventory, but can make 2 air runes. They will only receive 5 experience, as they only used one essence. The number of runes made from the essence in a player's inventory in an action that gains a level is determined by the player's level before the runecrafting action, even if crafting the same amount of essence one piece at a time would yield more runes.

Law and Death runes cannot be multicrafted.

Combination runes
Members have an extension to Runecrafting, which is the ability to combine two runes into one item.

To craft combination runes, a player needs to take existing runes that are one half of the combination, with a matching talisman (not a tiara), along with an equal amount of pure essence to the Altar which comprises the other half of the combination. Use the talisman for the existing runes on the altar, resulting in:

Normally when Runecrafting, there is a delay after clicking on the altar which restricts the player from performing any action for a couple seconds. When crafting combination runes this delay is lost, meaning you can empty pouches, and use teleports such as dueling rings immediately.
 * The talisman is consumed.
 * 50% success in making combination runes.

For 100% success, players can wear a 'Necklace of Binding' (enchanted emerald necklace), but this is only good for 15 uses. The runes made can often save inventory space when used for certain spells, including those in Ancient Magicks. Alternatively, the player may use the lunar spell Magic Imbue to make combination runes without using the opposing talisman. Using Necklaces of Binding and Magic Imbue to craft lava runes can yield the fastest Runecrafting experience in the game.

Players receive less experience at the lower-levelled altars. For example, making mist runes at the air altar will give 8 xp for each rune made, while the same runes at the water altar will give 8.5 xp for each rune made.

Crafting Blood and Soul runes
At levels 77 and 90 Runecrafting, the player will receive a message informing them of their ability to craft Blood runes and Soul runes, respectively. However, the ability to craft these runes has not yet been released so there is no temple, talisman, or tiara. However pictures of the tiaras and tailsmans have been seen on the knowledge base by manipulating urls indicating that they will be released some day.

Tips

 * Using a ring of dueling while making fire runes and Lava runes allows teleporting a short distance (less than 20 squares) from the fire altar entrance and quick banking via the Castle Wars teleport. Each ring will only last for four trips, but saves lots of time and run energy is greatly preferred compared to banking at the Duel Arena.
 * Members find it more convenient to use pouches with them when mining essence or crafting runes. Pouches can be obtained by using The Abyss. When bank trips are short (e.g. using the Magic Guild), the overhead of handling the pouches negates the additional essence carrying capacity.
 * It is recommended that players mine a large amount of essence, bank them all, and then craft runes with 28 essence in their inventory each time. For example, a player should mine 28 essence, bank them, and go back to the mines and repeat until a sizable amount of essence has been banked. This method is faster than mining 28 essence and then crafting the runes. (For water and earth runes, the gain is unclear unless this technique is combined with teleportation between bank and altar, since those two altars are only slightly nearer to banks than to Rune essence mine teleport points.)

Weight reduction

 * When mining essence, players should be only carrying a pickaxe and essence pouches so that they can run longer.
 * All pickaxes mine Abyss shortcut at the same rate. The black pickaxe is the best pickaxe to use as it has a weight of 0 kg.
 * Members should always wear the Boots of lightness. The boots can be obtained at the Temple of Ikov quest (the quest is not required to pick them up) and provide 4.5 kg of weight loss. These boots are enough to negate the weight of a pickaxe and/or Tiara and cost nothing to obtain.
 * With the appropriate Hunter level, players can wear a Spotted cape or Spottier cape to further reduce weight and increase their running duration.
 * Penance gloves from the Barbarian Assault minigame provide 4 kg weight reduction.
 * Graceful clothing can be beneficial, but not always necessary since most players won't be carrying more than 4.5 kg worth of items.

Essence runners
A common method for training Runecrafting is by using runners. A runner is a player that changes noted essences into unnoted essence by converting them in a bank or a shop. At the appropriate altar, the runner trades the runecrafter changing unnoted essences for noted essences and some fee (usually coins or runes). The runecrafter increases the amount of essences processed and the runner gets a good reward.

The following are common worlds where runners are used are:
 * Air running: World 16. Trade 25 normal essence for 25 noted and 1500-3000 coins
 * Nature running: Worlds 36, 65 & 99. Most double nature runecrafters take unnoted essence for noted essences and more than the same amount of nature runes (or equivalent in coins).
 * Law running: World 41. Trade unnoted pure essence for noted essence and the same amount of law runes. On some worlds the scheme is bringing your own pure essence.

Crafting Nature Runes
When crafting nature runes on southern Karamja, there are a number of ways to craft them, because the altar is so far from a bank. Possible ways to craft nature runes are:
 * 1) Have a large amount of noted essence and some money. Sell as much essence as the player's inventory can hold to the general store northwest of the altar, then buy them all back. The player can then go the nature altar and craft their runes and repeat. However, some other players may be doing the same thing, making players buy another player's essence.
 * 2) Some players use runners to bring them unnoted essence in exchange for noted essence, some cash and/or some runes.
 * 3) From Al-Kharid, travel north to the gnome glider. Ride the glider to the Grand Tree and then to Karamja. Travel northwest, cross the river via the log, and then head southwest to the nature altar. The player can then craft their runes. When they are done, they can use either a glory amulet to teleport to Al-Kharid or use a dueling ring to bank at Castle Wars and then teleport to the Duel Arena.
 * 4) Use The Abyss, using an Amulet of glory to teleport to Edgeville and bank there and then repeat, use the Edgeville dungeon teleport with Ancient Magicks, or teleport home and use a mounted amulet of glory.
 * 5) Move your house (construction skill) to Brimhaven. Teleport to home and run to nature altar.
 * 6) Use the fairy ring teleport system. From Edgeville run to ring across the river. At fairy ring central, use the CKR teleport to get close to the altar. Craft and use a teleport method to get back to Edgeville bank.
 * 7) Use the boat system to travel to Shipyard at Karamja. Run to the nature altar. Use Camelot teleport (normal spellbook) or Catherby teleport (Lunar spellbook) to bank and repeat.

Crafting Law runes
When crafting law runes on Entrana, there are a number of ways to craft them, because the altar is so far from a bank. Remember no weapons or armour of any kind are allowed here. Possible ways to craft law runes are:
 * 1) Walk from Draynor Village to Port Sarim. Board the boat. Craft and use glory amulet to return to Draynor. Have at least 10+ charged glories for this method.
 * 2) Use the Abyss method. Have at least 10+ charged glories for this method. This method isn't recommended because you can't use armour or weapons to protect against PKers and Abyss monsters. Also it limits the ways to get into the inner ring in the abyss.
 * 3) After doing the Enlightened Journey quest you can unlock the balloon route to/from Castle Wars. After this route is unlocked, it is one of the fastest and safest methods to craft Laws. You wear a Law tiara, a ring of dueling and weight saving gear. In the inventory, bring logs, pure essence and Pouches. The sequence then is: Castle Wars bank, Balloon ride to Entrana, walk to altar and craft runes, use a ring of dueling to teleport back to Castle Wars bank.
 * 4) Leave Entrana via the boat, then run to the Void Knight outpost boat and use the Void Knight outpost bank.

Weight-reducing outfit
This outfit will enable you to run for longer periods of time when runecrafting thus increasing your crafting rate. Possible items that can be worn:
 * Boots of lightness
 * Graceful outfit
 * Spotted cape or Spottier cape
 * Penance gloves (with 40 defence after barbarian assault mini-game)

In the Abyss this might be helpful, because of the many PKers that want your glory amulet.

Levels 1-9
Complete the Abyss (miniquest) which awards 1000 experience points OR craft 194 air runes (see above for Air altar location).

Levels 9-14
Craft 176 earth runes (see above for Earth Altar location).

Levels 14-44
Craft 7,649 fire runes (see above for altar location). You will be using the ring of dueling method, therefore you will require at least 69 rings of dueling. Wearing a fire tiara, teleport to the Duel Arena using your ring of dueling whilst having 28 rune essence or pure essence in your inventory. Run slightly north from the teleport location to the Fire altar. Craft your Fire runes. Then teleport to Castle Wars using your ring of dueling. Bank and repeat. If done properly, you can power level to 44 Runecrafting in as little as 3 hours.

Levels 44-54
Craft 10,581 nature runes (see above for Nature altar location).

Levels 54-65
Craft 31,427 law runes (see above for Law altar location).

Levels 44-99
Continue to craft nature runes until 91, where you unlock double nature crafting. Craft 649,687 nature runes. Once 91, it will take a further 792,000 nature runes to reach level 99 Runecrafting. This method could potentially net you a 300M+ profit depending on pure essence & nature rune prices (please check before crafting).

These are not the only methods of levelling Runecrafting, however they are some of the most commonly used methods. Other notable methods include crafting astral runes, at level 82 Runecrafting you will make double astral runes. This is also a profitable method of levelling however is not as profitable as crafting nature runes.

Please refer to Runecrafting training for additional methods/information.

Quests

 * The Eyes of Glouphrie (no Runecrafting requirement) - 6000 experience
 * Devious Minds (requires level 50 Runecrafting) - 5000 experience
 * Lunar Diplomacy (requires level 14 Runecrafting) - 5000 experience
 * Slug Menace (requires level 30 Runecrafting) - 3500 experience
 * What Lies Below (requires level 35 Runecrafting) - 8000 experience

Miniquests

 * Abyss (miniquest) (no Runecrafting requirement other than Rune Mysteries) - 1000 experience