Runecrafting

Runecraft (also known as RuneCrafting) is a skill that allows players to craft their own runes for Magic spells. The experience earned from making runes is small, making Runecraft a very slow skill to train, on par with Slayer, and due to the need for constant running and banking, it is fairly click and attention intensive. However, due to the constant demand for different types of runes, it can create a very generous profit.

Due to how slow Runecraft is to train, many players look to avoid training Runecraft, and use the experience from lamps and books of knowledge and from playing Tears of Guthix to raise the stat without having to train it.

With the release of the Blood and Soul altars on 7 January 2016, training Runecraft has become less time consuming for high-level Runecrafters, with blood runes reaching experience rates of around 38,000 per hour and soul runes reaching up to around 47,000 experience per hour. Alternatively, if the player is willing to put in the effort, lava runes can be crafted for up to 78,000 experience per hour at higher levels.

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

Rune essence
Normal rune essence is used to craft air, mind, water, earth, fire and body runes. This is the only type of essence free players can obtain by mining.

Pure essence
Pure essence is used to craft any runes (except blood and soul runes), and is the only kind of essence which can be made into cosmic, chaos, astral, nature, law, death and wrath runes. Level 30 Mining is required to mine pure essence.

Dark essence
Dark essence fragments are used to craft blood and soul runes. Creating them requires level 38 Mining and Crafting, and 100% favour with the Arceuus House of Great Kourend.

Obtaining rune essence
Both rune and pure essence can be mined in the Rune essence mine. Completion of Rune Mysteries is required to access the mines. Members with a Mining level of 30 or higher will always obtain pure essence when mining in the mine, and all other players will obtain rune essence.

To access these mines, players must talk to certain NPCs who can teleport them to the mines. A player can either talk to the NPC and ask to be teleported, or right-click on the NPC and select the "teleport" option. There are five NPCs that can teleport players to the essence mines, two of whom are available to free players:
 * Aubury, inside his shop in Varrock.
 * Sedridor, inside the Wizards' Tower south of Draynor Village.
 * Wizard Distentor, inside the Wizards' Guild in Yanille. (members-only)
 * Wizard Cromperty in East Ardougne. (members-only)
 * Brimstail, inside a small cave in Tree Gnome Stronghold. (members-only)

A second mine is located on Lunar Isle, which does not require a teleport from an NPC but is a fairly long walk from a bank with some strong monsters on the path to the mine.

Other methods of obtaining essence include trading with other players and purchasing from the Grand Exchange, monster drops, rewards from the Nightmare Zone, or the daily reward from the medium or higher Ardougne diary.

Obtaining dark essence fragments
Dense essence blocks can be mined in the Arceuus essence mine. They can be taken to the Dark Altar northwest of the mines to be made into Dark essence blocks, and then chipped with a chisel and pickaxe to make Dark essence fragments. Level 38 Mining and Crafting are required to mine dense essence blocks. Players require 25% Arceuus favour to mine Dense essence blocks, and 100% favour to create dark essence blocks and craft blood and soul runes.

Dense essence blocks, Dark essence blocks, and Dark essence fragments can be banked but are untradeable.

Altars
Altars are where players make their runes. A talisman or a tiara is needed to enter these altars, which are hidden inside "mysterious ruins." Players can find altars by finding them on their own, using a talisman or tiara to locate, 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. This will give a message in the chatbox that tells the player the direction they need to go in to find the altar.

When a player has found the mysterious ruins, they then need to enter the ruins. The player can enter by using their talisman on the ruins. If they are wearing an enchanted tiara, they can use the left-click "Enter" option on the ruins instead.

Inside the altar area, the player can then use their essence with the altar to craft runes, or use an unenchanted Tiara on the altar if they have the corresponding talisman to enchant the tiara.

Altar locations
The table below lists the locations of where the altars are found (members-only altars are written in italics).

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 difficult 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.

Note: All elemental talismans (air, water, earth and fire) can be dropped by the corresponding Elemental wizard south of Falador, close to Malignius 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 be equipped, allowing them to craft runes a full inventory of 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, blood or soul tiara/talisman as the altars are found in the world, not in a special portal/zone.

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.

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.

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 use. 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.

Blood and soul runes cannot be multicrafted. 5x Earth Runes can only be achieved with a skill level of 99 with a +5 boost from an Evil stew and is the only Rune that has a reachable multiple requirement that is past a skill level of 99 with Fire Runes being just shy of being an accessible 2nd; Others are possible but are not accessible with the current existing boosts. It is currently unknown if Cosmic and later runes have any multiplier for 3x or higher.

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 existing runes or the talisman for the existing runes on the altar. This has a 50% chance of success, and will consume the talisman whether successful or not. Players can wear a Binding necklace to have a 100% chance of success instead.

The player may use the Lunar spell Magic Imbue to make combination runes without needing the opposing talisman. Using Binding necklaces and Magic Imbue to craft lava runes can yield the highest Runecrafting experience per hour in Old School RuneScape.

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

Normally when Runecrafting, there is a delay after clicking on the altar which restricts the player from performing any action for a couple seconds. There is no such delay when crafting combination runes, so you can empty pouches or use teleports such as dueling rings immediately after crafting them.

Rune running
A common method for training Runecrafting is by using rune 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:
 * Nature running: World 336. 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 341. 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. Note however, this method has decreased in popularity due to double nature runes being more profitable.

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 because this method saves time and run energy, it is greatly preferred compared to banking at the Duel Arena.
 * Players who have completed the hard Kandarin Diary unlock the ability to change their Camelot teleport location to Seers' Village, which is also very close to the bank.
 * Players who have 99 Crafting have unlimited teleports with their crafting cape to the Crafting Guild, which is the closest teleport to a bank after completion of the Hard Falador Diary.
 * Members may find it more convenient to use pouches with them when mining essence or crafting runes. Pouches can be obtained by killing the monsters in the Abyss. When bank trips are short (e.g. using the Wizards' Guild), the overhead of handling the pouches negates the additional essence carrying capacity.
 * It is recommended that players mine a large amount of essence and bank it 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 sizeable 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 shortcuts at the same rate. The black pickaxe is the best pickaxe to use as it has a weight of 0 kg, although a bronze pickaxe can be used as a cheaper substitute especially if the player can reach 0 kg weight anyway.
 * Members should always wear the Boots of lightness. The boots can be obtained from the Temple of Ikov (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 a tiara and cost nothing to obtain.
 * With the appropriate Hunter level, players can wear a spotted/spottier cape to further reduce weight and increase their running duration.
 * Penance gloves from the Barbarian Assault minigame provide a 4.5 kg weight reduction.
 * Graceful outfit can be beneficial, but not always necessary since most players won't be carrying more than 4.5 kg worth of items. Wearing full Graceful outfit makes run energy restore 30% faster.

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 an amulet of glory to teleport to Al Kharid or use a ring of dueling 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 the Nature altar.
 * 6) Use the fairy ring teleport system.
 * 7) *From Edgeville, run to the ring across the river and use the teleport to get close to the altar. Craft and use a teleport method to get back to the Edgeville bank.
 * 8) *From Castle Wars/Clan Wars, use Ardougne cloak 2 or above, and run to fairy ring east of the teleport point. Use ring of dueling to go Castle Wars/Clan Wars. *Clan Wars has portal to restore run energy.
 * 9) *From Castle Wars/Clan Wars, use Necklace of passage to Wizards' Tower, and run to fairy ring south of the teleport point. Use ring of dueling to go Castle Wars/Clan Wars.
 * 10) Use the boat system to travel to the Ship Yard on Karamja. Run to the Nature altar. Use a Camelot Teleport (standard spells) or Catherby Teleport (Lunar spells) 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 an amulet of glory to return to Draynor Village. 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 law runes. You wear a law tiara, a ring of dueling and a spotted cape. In the inventory, bring logs, pure essence and pouches. The sequence then is: Castle Wars bank, balloon ride to Entrana, walk to the altar and craft your runes, use a ring of dueling to teleport back to the Castle Wars bank.
 * 4) Leave Entrana via the boat, then run to the Void Knights' Outpost boat and use the Void Knights' 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, from Barbarian Assault minigame)

In the Abyss this might be helpful, as you will be crossing the Wilderness ditch, rendering yourself vulnerable to player killers.

Miniquests

 * Enter the Abyss (no Runecrafting requirement other than Rune Mysteries) - 1,000 experience

Temporary boosts
There are two boosts available to members. None of these boosts stack:
 * For up to +5, players may eat orange spicy stews from Evil Dave to get a random boost between -5 to +5.
 * For +1, at level 99, players can wear and operate the Runecraft cape.
 * Talking to Oldak in Dorgesh-Kaan may raise or lower a players runecrafting level by up to two points.