Each style has strengths and weaknesses, and many bosses require you to RuneScape gold switch between them. Combat relies on RNG (random number generation), where damage is based on your stats versus the enemy's defenses.

Training Combat: Early Progression
Free-to-Play Training

Levels 1–20: Start with cows (Lumbridge) for XP and hides you can sell.

Levels 20–30: Move to the frogs in Lumbridge Swamp.

Levels 30–50: Train on Flesh Crawlers in the Stronghold of Security.

Levels 50+: Spiders in deeper Stronghold floors or Ogress Warriors for profit.

Members Training

Questing first: Waterfall Quest boosts you to level 30 Attack and Strength instantly.

Low-level grind: Rock Crabs (Rellekka) and Sand Crabs (Zeah) provide steady, AFK training.

Level 50+: Start Slayer tasks-widely considered the most efficient and profitable way to train combat long-term.

Quests and Diaries

Unlike some MMOs, questing in OSRS is optional, but it unlocks essential tools, items, and content. For example:

Recipe for Disaster gives access to the powerful Barrows Gloves.

Druidic Ritual unlocks Herblore.

Rune Mysteries unlocks Runecrafting.

To stay efficient, follow an optimal quest order guide or use RuneLite's Quest Helper.

Achievement Diaries are another major progression system. Completing tasks around the game world grants permanent perks, such as better teleports or faster resource gathering.

Skills Overview

OSRS features 23 skills, with levels ranging from 1–99. Leveling requires millions of experience points, and each level takes progressively longer to achieve. Skills fall into several categories:

Combat Skills: Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints, Ranged, Magic, Prayer.

Gathering Skills: Mining, Fishing, Woodcutting, Farming, and Hunter.

Production Skills: Smithing, Cooking, Fletching, Herblore, Crafting, Runecrafting, Construction.

Utility Skills: Agility (faster movement), Thieving (stealing and money-making), Slayer (combat progression).

While all skills have value, beginners often focus on combat, Fishing, and Woodcutting for early money-making, then branch out as quests demand more requirements.

Making Money Early On

Money is vital for purchasing gear, food, and teleports. Some beginner-friendly methods include:

Collecting cowhides and selling them on the Grand Exchange.

Thieving: Pickpocketing can generate steady RuneScape gold, with 99 Thieving worth ~15M GP.

Crafting Jewelry: Low-level jewelry can sometimes yield profits.

Farming Herbs: Once unlocked, this becomes one of the best passive money-makers.

Research methods that fit your stats-many guides and calculators exist online to help.

Setting Goals and Progressing

OSRS is about freedom, but setting goals keeps you motivated. Early goals include:

Unlocking essential quests (Waterfall Quest, Recipe for Disaster).

Building money reserves for gear and supplies.

Reaching level 40–50 combat stats for flexibility.

From there, mid-game progression introduces powerful untradeables like the Dragon Defender or Void Knight armor, while end-game players tackle raids, high-tier diaries, and difficult bosses.

The Journey to Endgame

Reaching 99 in a skill is a huge milestone, often requiring hundreds of hours. Each 99 grants a cape with unique perks. Some players even push for 200M XP, the maximum possible, though that's essentially doing a skill 15 times over.

Endgame also means raids, high-level bosses, and achievements. These encounters test everything you've learned-gear swapping, prayer flicking, and mastering mechanics. Some players also chase rare pets, which drop randomly from bosses or skilling.

Final Thoughts

Old School RuneScape may look simple, but its depth is unmatched. From humble beginnings on Tutorial Island to slaying raid bosses with billions in loot, OSRS offers a journey shaped entirely by your choices.

For new players, focus on quests, Slayer, and setting short-term goals.  Above all, remember that RuneScape is a marathon, not a sprint. Whether your dream is maxing a skill, completing every quest, or earning your first 10 million OSRS gold, there's always another goal waiting.

For many players, Old School RuneScape's midgame is where progress can feel stagnant. You've unlocked the basics, completed some key quests, and earned a few useful items-but true late-game content still seems out of reach. Escaping the mid-game is all about setting concrete goals that secure important unlocks, expand your account's capabilities, and set you up for efficient bossing, Skilling, and money-making.

Here are 10 goals every player should pursue to break out of the mid-game and step confidently into the late game.

1. Earn Your Quest Cape

Completing every quest in OSRS is one of the most impactful milestones for your account. Beyond the cosmetic cape, the rewards unlock entire regions, bosses, and training methods. Quests like Sins of the Father and Song of the Elves open up Darkmeyer, Prifddinas, and high-level PvM such as Theatre of Blood. Even miniquests are worth completing for quality-of-life perks. Once you have the Quest Cape, you'll never feel locked out of content again.

2. Finish the Hard Achievement Diaries

Medium diaries provide strong early benefits, but hard diaries truly push your account into the next tier. Some highlights include:

Ardougne Diary: +10% chance to successfully pickpocket-amazing for Thieving to 99.

Desert Diary: Permanent ropes at Kalphite Queen and faster potion making with Zahur.

Falador Diary: Access to the Crafting Guild bank and noted Mole drops.

Kandarin Diary: Camelot teleport to Seers' Village and +15% Marks of Grace at the rooftop course.

Morytania Diary: Extra runes from Barrows chests and daily bonemeal/slime for Prayer training.

Western Provinces Diary: Unlocks Elite Void and access to private red chinchompas.

Wilderness Diary: More ecumenical keys and selectable obelisk teleports.

These are just a handful of benefits-the full list is extensive. Completing hard diaries is one of the most valuable steps toward late-game efficiency.

3. Upgrade to Crystal Armor and Bow of Faerdhinen (Bofa)

Gear upgrades are the single biggest way to transform your PvM experience. The Crystal armor set paired with a Bow of Faerdhinen is an outstanding mid-to-late-game option. While not as powerful as a Twisted Bow or Shadow, it's far more affordable and will carry you through bosses like Zulrah, Nex, and raids. For around 160M OSRS GP, this setup bridges the gap to true end-game gear.

4. Unlock Final Skilling Methods

Each skill has "breakpoints" where training becomes either efficient or profitable. Hitting these unlocks makes 99s less of a grind:

Magic: 86 for Plank Make or 94 for Ice Barrage.

Runecrafting: 77 for Blood Runes on Zeah.

Agility: 90 for Ardougne rooftop or 92 for Sepulchre.

Herblore: 72 for Ranging Potions; 81 for Saradomin Brews.

Thieving: 91 for full Pyramid Plunder access; 95 for consistent Ardougne Knights.

Crafting: 87 for light orbs.

Fletching: 85 for magic longbows.

Hunter: 80 for five box traps.

Mining: 92 for Amethyst.

Fishing: 82 for Minnows.

Cooking: 80+ for Sharks.

Woodcutting/Firemaking: 90 for Redwoods.

Farming: 85 for Tier 3 Farming Guild.

Prayer deserves a special mention-more on that shortly.

5. Unlock Rigor and Augury

The two most powerful late-game prayers fundamentally change how you boss. Rigor boosts Ranged damage and accuracy, while Augury improves Magic and Defence. They require high Prayer and completion of buy RS gold Chambers of Xeric. These prayers are expensive to unlock but critical for efficient high-level PvM.