Combat level


 * To determine combat level, use the combat level calculator.

A player's, monster's, or non-player character's combat level indicates the difficulty in defeating him, her, or it in combat. All new players start out at combat level 3, and the maximum level for RuneScape is level 138 (126 on the free version), while in RuneScape Classic, it is level 123.

Combat level is calculated by taking into account the following skills:
 * Attack
 * Strength
 * Defence
 * Hitpoints
 * Ranged
 * Magic
 * Prayer
 * Summoning

Levels that are lower than the player display shades of green, levels that are slightly lower than one's display yellow-ish green , levels that are equal to one's are displayed as yellow and levels that are higher than yours display shades of orange to red. It is commonly believed that monsters/players that are 10 levels below you is displayed in green (greenest green) and monsters/players that are 10 levels above are displayed as red, the reddest red.

Effects of combat level
Normally, aggressive non-player characters stop attacking when the player's combat level is higher than double their combat level. There are exceptions, however - for example, any monsters in the wilderness that are normally aggressive will be aggressive to players no matter what their combat level is.

Monsters with a higher combat level than a player cannot be attacked by using a left mouse click. Instead, players need to right click and select the attack monster option. So, to be able to attack a Blue Dragon with combat level 111 with a simple left click, a player needs a combat level of at least 111.

Combat level is the only in-game visible parameter that players have to evaluate another player. High combat levels do not always accurately describe a player's capabilities in other skills. There are players with maximum combat that have very low levels in other skills and there are pure skillers with no combat levels and very high non-combat skills. Yet, there is a reasonable chance that a high combat level also implies a decent skill level and a reasonable knowledge of the game.

A more complicated assessment is in the trustworthiness of a player in trades. Some players place higher trust in higher combat level players, as they have more to lose when they get banned after being reported for illegal trading practices.

Jagex revealed formula
In the Combat Triangle Wallpaper update, Jagex revealed the basic formulas used for calculating the basic combat level (excludes summoning) on the top right of the wallpaper.

The combat level is calculated for each combat type (melee, magic and ranged). The character's basic combat level is the highest of the following three combat types.

The calculations are performed using integer arithmetic, so when multiplying by a fraction, the remainder is discarded.

For example, if prayer is 43, then $$\frac{1}{2} \text{prayer}$$ gives 21 and not 21.5.

Effects of Summoning level in member worlds
In member worlds the summoning level is included in the following cases:
 * In non-PvP worlds, except when near Bounty Hunter
 * In PvP worlds when the player has a summoned familiar
 * In PvP worlds when the player is carrying a summoning pouch or summoning scroll

The effect of the summoning level in these cases is similar to prayer. This means that the character's overall combat level in these cases is the highest of the following three combat types (with the summoning included).

In PvP worlds, when the player does not have a summoned familiar, and is not carrying a summoning pouch or summoning scroll, the potential Summoning increase is displayed separately even in free-to-play worlds. For example, 79+6 instead of 85.

Trivia

 * Early in RuneScape Classic after the introduction of the wilderness, combat levels only appeared when hovering over a player with the mouse in the wilderness. Many players lied about their combat level outside of the wilderness. However, if a player hovered over another player during a loading screen (such as climbing a ladder) for a brief moment the combat level was shown.


 * Most monsters in Runescape are very weak for their combat level. This is because most of them have no food, drinks, and armour. Keep in mind that there are exceptions, such as revenants, which can usually kill a player their level.