Introduction

Welcome to RuneScape, the massive online adventure game by Jagex Ltd.! RuneScape offers many features and varieties within itself to keep everyone playing it with something to do - a vital characteristic of a game you play! Throughout RuneScape, you will be able to participate in activities that help level up various skills, battle ferocious beasts, complete quests that tax your intellectual abilities, congregate with other people playing the game, and much, much more!

The purpose of this guide is to help you take your first steps in RuneScape. Throughout this guide, we will explain a lot of things a new RuneScape player needs to know such as creating your character, controlling your character, interacting with various people and objects, and much, much more! However, as it has already been mentioned, you will be interacting with other players, of which runs security risks. To help prevent insecurity, it is recommended that you browse through our Security Centre for tips on how to keep you and your computer out of harm's way while playing.

When you're ready to create your RuneScape account, go to RuneScape.com and click on the "Play Now" button in the top toolbar, and then "New Users" option, then follow the instructions provided. As an alternative, you can click on the "Play Free Now" button on the home page, once the game loads there should be two main boxes:"Free Game" and "Members Game". In the "Free Game" box, click the "Register" button, the game client will then take you through the process of registering for RuneScape.

If you opted to use the registration system via the website: Click the "Play RuneScape" button presented to you.

If you opted to use the in-game registration: Click the large "PLAY RUNESCAPE" button that should appear after you finish your registration.

Once the game loads, click on the "Log in" button in the "Free Game" box. It will then ask you for your username and password you used earlier to register.

To login after closing your browser, click on the Play RuneScape button, press Log In for either free players or members, and proceed to login with your details.

Note: Players with existing Facebook and Runescape accounts can alternatively log directly into the game from their Facebook pages. Click the "Play Now With Facebook" button beneath the "Play Now" button on Runescape's main site to install the app which allows this.

Next you will be taken to the "Lobby". Here, you can enter the game, change your settings, chat in a friends or clan chat, or chat with your friends via the private message system. Below is a picture of the Player Info screen, which you will see after officially logging in.

The following is an explanation of their function:

• Click Here to Play: Play
• Favourite Worlds: Next to the "Play" button are 2 smaller buttons that automatically enter you into any world you have set. You can set these worlds to your own preference. This can be done in the World Select screen. Clicking this button enters the game.
• World Select Tab: This allows you to change worlds. You can also set up to two default worlds which will appear on the main screen. Click a world to highlight it, then click the "Click Here to Play" button to enter that world.
• Friends Tab: Displays your friend and ignore lists and allows you to talk to your friends. Click their name in your friend list or in the chat box to send a message. You can also change how people see your online status (either to Everybody, Friends, or Nobody). Chatting with friends is explained more in-depth later.
• Friends Chat Tab: Displays the menu for Friends Chat. Here you can enter a channel and talk to other players that are in it. Friends Chats are discussed more in-depth later.
• Clan Chat Tab: Displays the menu for Clan Chat. Here you can enter a clan you are in and, like with the Friends Chat system, talk to others that are in the channel. Clan Chats are also discussed more in-depth later.
• Options Tab: Change all of in-game graphics and audio options here, as well as whether the background is animated or not in the initial log in screen. Graphics and Audio options are discussed in-depth later.
• Quit (The X): Logs you out and returns you to the main login screen.

Should you attempt to log into a world that is full (2000 users are already logged in) you will be placed on a waiting list.

Once you are on the waiting list a dialogue will appear that tells your what world you are waiting to log into and how many people will need to log out before you can be logged in. Click the red X if you don't want to wait in the queue and you will return to the lobby.

How Tip.It Helps

Tip.It is a RuneScape fansite run by volunteer staff that is dedicated to bringing you comprehensive guides, databases, and other content regarding RuneScape. Tip.It contains information about many, many things in RuneScape - and Tip.It is updated all the time! To see all that Tip.It has to offer, check out the navigation bar on the left side of the screen.

Below are complimentary search engines that will search a database on Tip.It (Bestiary or Items) so that you can see just how much information Tip.It has. (All search results will appear in a new window.)

Bestiary Search Keywords:

Items Database Search Keywords:

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Control Panel

The picture in the middle of the table below is a of the main interface of the game. Around the picture, you will see a picture of the icon, what the icon name is, and what key you can press to quickly open that icon. When an icon is open, the background around is given a dark red tint. You can also click on the icon names in the table below to take you to the subsection explaining that icon in detail.

Note: The following are not shown on the Control interface:

• F9 loads the auto-response menu for QuickChat.
• F10 opens the QuickChat menu and the Context menu for QuickChat.
• F11 repeats the last sentence you spoke using QuickChat.

	Fighting Style Icon	F-5
	Statistics Icon	N/A		N/A	Friends and Ignore List Icon
	Quest Panel Icon	N/A		N/A	Friends Chat Icon
	Tasks Icon	N/A		N/A	Clan Chat Icon
	Inventory Icon	F-1		N/A	Game Options Icon
	Equipment Icon	F-2		N/A	Emote Icon
	Prayer Icon	F-3		N/A	Music Icon
	Magic Spellbook Icon	F-4		N/A	Notes Page Icon

Inventory

The backpack (inventory) icon is the most important part of your control panel. You can easily reach this panel by pressing 'F1' on your keyboard. Within this panel, there are 28 slots laid out in a 4x7 table that show everything that you have with you (excluding armour). Items can be clicked on for quick use, sometimes food will automatically be eaten or wearable items automatically worn, but usually you will "Use" and item and a white border will appear around it. After the border appears, you can use it with any other item on the gamescreen, but an action does not always occur. To get more item options, you can right-click on the item to get options such as examining or dropping the item. If you drop an item, it will disappear from your inventory and be placed on the ground, where it will be visible to only you for one minute, and other players after that. Re-arranging your inventory can be done by left-clicking on the item and dragging it to the spot you want it in.

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Equipment

The equipment menu is an area where you can see what you character is wearing, how much you currently weigh, what stat bonuses you currently have, and check the price of any tradeable item. You can reach this area by pressing 'F2' on your keyboard. Items you are wearing do not take up space in your inventory. If you want to wield an item that is currently in your inventory, right- or left-click on the item and select "Wield"; to remove an item you are currently wearing from the equipment panel, right- or left-click on it and select "Remove" (it will appear in your inventory). By clicking on the icon at the bottom with the shield and helmet (otherwise known as the "Show Equipment Stats" icon), a window will open showing a moving 3-dimensional picture of what you currently look like. Within this window, you can view your equipment stats, see how much you weigh, and change what you are currently wearing. By clicking on the icon with the skull and cross-bones, (the "Items Kept on Death" icon), you can see which items you will automatically keep if you die (considering you are not "skulled"). Some items also have an "Operate" option while they're being worn. Some items, such as the effect of the Ring of Life, will not have to be operated for the condition to be triggered, but others, such as the Amulet of Glory, do. By clicking on the moneybag icon (otherwise known as the "Price-checker" icon), a window will open which allows you to to check the price of tradable items you have in your inventory. Select the items(s) you want to check and it will add them to the screen. Their total worth (at mid GE price) is displayed in the lower left corner.

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Fighting Mode

The fighting mode panel is used in combat to decide which style of fighting you want to use. This area can be reached by pressing 'F5' on your keyboard. At the top, the weapon you are using and your combat level is shown. There are typically four different fighting styles to choose from, the icon with the red background indicates that you are using that style. If you hover over the icon, you can get a description of what experience your fighting will go towards. Under the attack styles, you can toggle with the "Auto-Retaliate" button. Auto-Retaliate set to "Off" means that you won't automatically attack a monster or a player that attacks you first. If it is set to "On", you will automatically fight back when something attacks you, unless your character is still trying to reach a certain point on the map. At the very bottom, your special attack bar shows how much special attack you have left with a green bar. When you want to use your special attack, simply click on the bar and your next hit will be the special attack. You can take the use of the special attack away by clicking on it again before it is used.

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Quest Panel

In the Quests menu you will see a complete list of the RuneScape quests. This menu can be accessed by clicking on the Blue Star. When you haven't yet begun a quest, the name will appear in red. When you have started the quest, the name will be yellow, and when you have completed it the name will appear in green. Click on the quest names to get a short description of what you have done in the quest and what you need to do next. (Detailed information for conquering quests can be found in our Quest Guides.) Your total quest points are shown at the bottom of the screen. If you right click on a quest and select the "Show on the World Map" option, the in-game world map will open and show you where the start location of the quest is in relation to your current location. The quest will then turn blue in your quest list. If you do not wish for it to be displayed on the world map any longer, right click on the quest again and select the "Stop showing on World Map" option. The "Filter" option allows you to choose whether you want to hide or show quests you cannot yet start. The "Hide done" button simply hides the quests you've completed. Click on the drop down menu (defaults to "Free/Members") to bring up two other sorting options: progress, and difficulty. clicking on "Progress" sorts you quest list by quests you have not started, quests in progress, and completed quests. Selecting the "Difficulty" option sorts the quests by level of difficulty, ranging from Novice to Grandmaster.

Upon clicking a quest name, you will see your quest journal progress for that specific quest. The lowest right of this panel contains the "Get Quest Help" feature, which upon clicking will save your game and open a new window with your account logged into Jagex's online quest help system.

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Tasks Interface

In the Tasks Interface menu you will find a selection of tasks that can be done in the area you're in. When you have finished all the tasks in your area, it will show Distractions and Diversions or Minigames instead. These include the Circus, Penguin Hunting, Star Hunting, Evil Trees and Vinesweeper. The Task Interface can be accessed by clicking on the Tasks icon.

If you then click on "Open Task List" a menu pops up showing you all the tasks within the selected area. In the top left corner you can select the area of which you want to see the tasks displayed. The tasks are colour-coded, and can be clicked on for details. These details include a task description, reward, hints, and requirements.

Finished tasks are lit up in gold, and the difficulty can be seen by a coloured dot: green for easy, red for medium, white for hard, and purple for elite. Tasks you do not meet the requirements for will have a small lock.

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Statistics

In the Statistics menu, accessed by clicking on the red, green and blue Bar Graph, you will find all of your stats/skills. When you hover over the icon of a skill, you will be able to see your current experience, and how much experience you need to get to the next level of the skill. You can click on each skill to bring up a small menu of information about that skill. This is very handy for a quick reference and usually has info about different things you can do at different levels. Detailed information about each skill, what can be done at each level and how much experience can be earned is shown in our Skill Guides.

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Prayer

In the prayer menu you will find a list of different prayers you can use. The Prayer menu is accessed by clicking on the silver Star icon or by pressing 'F3'. Prayer allows you to boost your stats for a short time to give you an added boost when you need it most. You can also activate certain special abilities with certain prayers, such as protection against certain kinds of attacks. (See Your Character for tips on beginning training.)

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Magic

In the magic menu you will find a list of different magical spells you can cast. The Magic menu is accessed by clicking on the Spell book icon or by pressing 'F4'. In the bottom area of your spellbook, you can choose to sort your spell list by either level order (default), teleports first, or combat spells first. Magic is a powerful form of combat that allows you to attack your foes from afar with devastating effects. (See Your Character for tips on beginning training.)

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Friends and Ignore Lists

Friends List

Your friends list is your way to keep track of players you want to remember that you have met in Runescape. You can access this menu by clicking on the Friends and Ignore List icon. On your friends list you're able to talk privately with your friends and see how many friends you have (at the bottom right corner). You can do this by clicking on a friend's name, and then entering a message in the chat box under your game screen. This is explained in greater detail in the Chatting section of this guide. You have two different options: one is to add a friend to your list, and second is to delete a friend from your list. These options can be accessed by clicking the + and - icons at the bottom left corner of your interface (see picture below for details). Furthermore, you will be able to see what RuneScape world they are playing, if they are in the lobby, and also, if they are in another Jagex game with chat capabilities, which game they are playing. If your friends are in RuneScape, you will see the "RS" icon next to the world's number. If they are on the same world as you, the world after their name will appear in green, while if they are on a different world, it will be yellow, and if they aren't online, it will say "offline" in red letters. When you're talking privately with a friend, other players cannot see these messages.

Below is an example of what a friends list looks like with the player names censored out. You will notice that it also shows what world you are currently in. Also note that there are two small dots in the right bottom corner of the interface. This is where you can switch from Friends List to Ignore List. The maximum amount of people that can be added to your friends and ignore lists is 200.

Ignore List

Your ignore list is the opposite of your friends list. The ignore feature enables you to ignore messages from other users who you do not wish to receive messages from (such as someone who is harassing you or being offensive), as well as see how many people you have ignored (at the bottom right corner). If you add a name to this list, any messages sent by this person will be ignored, and you won't see them. They also will be unable to join your Friends Chat channel (if you have one set), even if your settings there are to allow "anyone" to join. The user, however, will see you online, and will be able to interact with you - you will simply not be notified and "automatically" ignore them. As with your friends list you have the options to add or delete users from the list.

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Friends Chat

The Friends Chat feature in RuneScape allows you to chat with a group of your friends (and friends of friends) in RuneScape, no matter where or what server they are on.

To join a friends chat, go to the Friends Chat panel and click the "Join Chat" button. Next, type in thechannel owner's name, NOT the clan name, in the box that appears. If you log out while in a friends chat, you will automatically rejoin it upon logging back in. You can also quickly rejoin a friends chat by clicking on the name of the last visited one in the chat box rather than typing its owner's name. To set up your friends chat, click the "Chat Setup" button. The features are explained below. If you cannot join a friends chat channel, it could be because you are not on that person's friends list, your rank is not high enough, the person does not have their friends chat configured, the channel has 100 people already talking in it or because you have been kicked from the channel within the last hour.

Clan Setup When you open the "Clan Setup" button, you will be confronted with a window that has five buttons on the left, and a list on the right. The five buttons allow you to control your chat channel settings in general, and the list allows you to control who, on your friends list, can enter the channel.
 

General Configuration (Five Buttons)

	This button allows you to set the name of your Friends Chat Channel. The names can be up to 12 characters long. If you type anything longer, it will be cut off.
	The "Who can enter chat?" button allows you to set who can enter your chat based on the ranks that you have given people on your friends list. If you select "Anyone", people that are not on your friends list can join. Also, it is useful to remember that anyone on your ignore list is blocked access, even when you put your settings to "Anyone." NOTE: "Joining" does not include "Talking."
	The "Who can talk on chat?" button allows you to set who can socialize in the chat screen. If you select "Anyone", people that are not on your friends list can talk.
	The "Who can kick on chat?" button allows you to set who can kick people out of clan conversations. Only give this access to people who can be trusted! (A "kick" will result in the person being kicked out of the channel and being unable to re-join it for an hour! When someone's being kicked, it will also show who kicked the player).
	Use this setting to determine who will be included with loot sharing. People who want to be included must meet the required chat rank, and be within 16 squares of the monster that is killed.

NOTE: As Channel Owner, you can perform all of these actions without having to make special settings.
 

Ranks (List)

By clicking on people's names on the list to the right, a pop-up will show a list of rankings that you can set them for. Although the ranks are typically just names, here they are in order from lowest rank to highest rank:

These ranks are also used in the general configuration of your Friends Chat. (For example, if you have Sergeant+ as able to kick on your the chat, Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and Generals will be able to kick those of lower rank.)
 

Typing in the Chat

In order to speak in your Friends Chat, put a /f before anything you type, otherwise it will be spoken publicly. Friends Chat messages in the chat box are indicated in the following format:

[Chat Name] Person Speaking: Message

You can change the colour of the Friends Chat text by going to the Options tab, choosing the Chat Setup option (the two speech bubbles), and selecting the Friend tab.

Lootshare

Loot sharing is a highly requested feature that allows your friends to share the drops from high leveled monsters more evenly than before. If you are on a server that allows lootshare (check the world select screen) and are the owner of the channel, click the moneybag in the Friends Chat menu. People that are in your chat and meet the required rank, assigned in the options menu, will be able to share the loot of monsters in a multi combat area. If you are within 16 squares of the monster that is killed, you will receive a notice in your chat box that tells you what was dropped and who gets it. If you don't get a drop, or you have a low value drop, you will have a higher chance of getting it next time. Over time, all people in the chat that are able to get loot will receive equal drops.

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Clan Chat

Clan Chat works in a similar way as the Friends Chat (see above). More details on this system and how to create channels can be found in our Clan Camp Guide.

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Game Options

By clicking on the Wrench (or "Spanner"), you can access the Game Options menu. This menu contains several useful toggles and adjustments that allow you to customise the way you experience the game.

Graphics Settings Audio Settings Profanity Filter Chat Effects Chat options Accept Aid Mouse Buttons House Options Adventurer's Log options

Here's a quick run through of what each one does.

Graphics Settings

Change all your graphical settings here.

Automatic and Manual Setup:

• Auto Setup: Automatically determines and uses the best settings for your computer.
• Min: Uses the minimum settings possible to reduce CPU and memory usage.
• Low: Minimum settings with additional ground detail.
• Mid: Medium settings including lighting detail, shadows, fog, and flickering effects.
• High: Maximum possible settings except for anti-aliasing and all idle animations.
• Custom: Allows for access to all the individual display modes and advanced settings.

Display Modes:

• Safe Mode: The original Java based renderer. This mode is the slowest, but the most compatible.
• Software: A native version of the renderer. It is capable of running some of the HD-style effects, such as texturing and lighting.*
• OpenGL: High graphics settings, the only high detail mode for Macintosh computers.
• DirectX: High graphics settings, an additional high detail mode for Windows computers.

Screen Sizing:

• Fixed: Fixed size game interface.
• Resizable: Adjustable window size.
• Fullscreen: Game window matches your screen resolution.**

*The options to turn on textures, shadows, and lighting is only available on Windows operating systems starting with Windows 2000 - using Sun Java 1.4.2 or later. Players who do not meet these requirements and still wish to play can use Safe Mode.

**To find your screen resolution, right click on your desktop and click Properties. Click the Settings tab, and you should see a slider that says "____ by ____ pixels". That is your screen resolution.

Advanced Settings

• Brightness
• CPU Usage*
• Visible levels: All/Current (High Definition is "Always 'All'")
• Remove roofs: Always/Selectively**
• Ground Decoration: On/Off
• Texture detail: High/Low
• Idle animations: Few/Many
• Flickering effects: On/Off
• Ground textures: Few/Many (High Definition is "Always 'Many'")
• Character shadows: On/Off
• Scenery shadows: None/Static/Dynamic***
• Lighting detail: Low/High
• Water Detail: Low/High
• Anti-aliasing: None/2x/4x
• Fog: On/Off****
• Particles: High/Low/Medium*****
• Custom Cursors: On/Off

*Changing this setting affects how much of your computers CPU resources go into running the game. Lower settings may work better on slower computers or laptops. This can affect game performance, so you may have to experiment to see what works for you.

**Always means that roofs will never appear and you will see into buildings. Selectively means that roofs will only appear when your camera or your character is not in a building.

***The difference between Static and Dynamic shadows is that Dynamic shadows will react to additional light sources that may appear at different times, such as a lantern, whereas Static will cause shadows to be there at all times and no new shadows will be created. This feature is only available in HD mode.

****Fog is designed to lessen the appearance of the horizon pop-up effect. Normally, as new map areas load, they suddenly appear in the distance. Fog causes these details to appear gradually.

*****Particles is a graphical effect. One example of this is the snowflakes you see on your screen when in snowy areas.

Audio Settings

Change all of your audio options here. Music Volume Sound Effects Volume Area Sounds Volume Mono or Stereo

Profanity Filter

With the profanity filter enabled, any potentially offensive words that other players use will be replaced with ****s. With the profanity filter turned off, you will see exactly what other players type in their chat. Note that URLs will still be censored, and any chat containing your password will not be displayed to other players at all.

Chat Effects

The Chat Effects control determines whether you see in-game chat effects or not (these can get annoying after some time.) For more information about these, see the Chattingsection of this guide.

Chat Options

This control has four different sections; Friend, Clan, Guest and Private. Each of the sections allow you to change the colour in which the relacted chat text appears on your screen. The Private section also allows you to split private chat text from other chat, and designate its colour. You can either display private messages in the chat box, or in the lower part of the game window, which will help you notice private messages when you are in a crowded public area.

Accept Aid

This toggle allows you to turn off or on the ability for another player to assist you. This option strictly controls whether or not another player can cast healing, curing, or teleporting spells on you. Turn it off to keep from being interrupted during risky situations, however, because some players may try to teleport you. When this happens, a window appears asking for you to confirm the teleport; this window interrupts your actions, which can be fatal in combat.

Mouse Buttons

The Mouse Buttons control configures RuneScape to work with either a one button or two button mouse. If you choose to have two (default setting), you will have a left click option, and a right click menu. If you choose one button, you will automatically get the menu when clicking.

House Options

The House Options button brings a member to another menu which allows them to change modes in their player-owned house (see the Construction guide). You can turn building mode on or off, select whether your house teleport should place you in your house or next to the entrance, expel all of your guests, or leave your house.

Adventurer's Log Settings.

The Adventurer's Log Settings panel brings the member to another menu which allows them to toggle what they wish to be shown in their Adventurer's Log.

Simply click on the ticked boxes to change what is posted.

Return to Game Options

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Emotes

For information on Emotes please see our Beginner's Reference.
 

Music

To learn more about the Music Interface, Music Playlist, and where you need to go to unlock each piece of music, check out our Music Locations guide.

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Notes Panel

The Notes section is, as the name suggests, a place to put notes. These can be whatever strikes your fancy, from the skills you plan to train next, supplies you need to buy, or anything else that you need to remember. You can colour-code your notes by right-clicking and selecting the 'Colour' option. There are four possible colours: white, green, red, and amber (gold).

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That completes the control panel. Let's move on to some of the other important things in RuneScape.

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Interfaces

Movement
Scenery Interaction
Camera
Mini-map
XP Counter
In-game World Map
Icons
Trading
Shops
Banks
Equipment Stats
Assist
Item Lending
Warning

Movement
Moving around in RuneScape is quite easy. Simply point your mouse at where you want to move your character to, and click your left mouse button. When you click, a little yellow cross will appear, and you will start moving. Your character will automatically walk around tables, trees, fences and other objects if required. As you explore more and learn about the several areas in the huge RuneScape world, there will be different ways to get around the world. Refer to our Getting Around Guide for detailed information.

Scenery interaction
Interacting with objects in RuneScape is easy. All you have to do is point your mouse at the object or NPC (Non Player Character) you wish to interact with and click on it/him/her. While hovering over an object, the default option will be shown in the top-left hand corner of the screen, this action will be performed if you left click. For more options, right click and you will be able to select from a list. The default option is usually the action which is most used, for instance, all items on the ground are left click to pick up, and all doors are left click to open. All objects, items and NPCs may also be examined (in the right click menu.) This is useful for finding out some information about it.
The picture below shows the right click menu of a shopkeeper. The default left click option is to 'talk to' him, but you can also 'trade' with him, 'examine' him or walk over to him.

Camera
Sometimes you will need to see your character from a different angle to see what you're doing. To change the camera angle, simply use the arrow keys on your keyboard. Right and left make the camera angle go from side to side, and the up and down keys make the camera go up and down. Sometimes the game automatically moves your camera when you walk near cliffs and mountains. To re-adjust your camera angle to the North, click the compass next to the mini map or right click the compass and chooseFace North. You can also use the middle button/scroll wheel of your mouse to change the direction and view of the camera.

Mini mapAbove your control panel you will find a little map. This shows the area around you. When you are moving somewhere, a little red flag will be placed at your destination. You can also move your character by clicking on the map. It also has a little compass so you know which direction you're going. If you get lost, try looking at the world map or use your ingame world map (as explained below). Alternatively, you could buy a Newcomer's map from the general store in Lumbridge for one gp. Whenever you read it, it'll automatically pinpoint your location. Keep in mind that it only covers Varrock, Lumbridge, Draynor Village, Port Sarim, and Falador surface areas and all surface areas between them. If you are outside these areas, your location will not be shown.

XP Counter

Next to the minimap is an icon labelled XP, which when clicked will expand a display of the total experience gained since it was last reset. The XP Counter may only be reset by clicking the expanded window, as logging out will not clear the current count.

In-game World Map

Beside your minimap, you will find a globe icon, which looks like this:

Left Clicking on this icon will begin loading the in-game world map. The map covers your playing screen, so make sure you don't open it in dangerous areas. (Note: You cannot open the world map during combat.) Once loaded, the map will be automatically placed at your current location. You can move around by dragging the map around. Double clicking on a location in the world map will activate the marker, placing an indicator on the minimap pointing directly towards that location.

	Right click on the words or the marker arrow itself and you will be presented with the options to either clear the marker or jump to the current location of the marker on the world map. You may also jump back to where you are standing by right clicking on your You Are Here location marker.
	Alternately, you can right click the World Map Icon and a tooltip menu will appear, allowing you to clear your marker without having to load the in-game world map.
You will also be presented with some tools.
	Clicking this button will bring up a legend for the icons found on the world map. Clicking on a listing in the legend will cause all of those icons in the area to flash. If you do not see anything flashing, move around and try again. The legend also allows for disabling the current marker.
	Clicking on this button will bring up a mini world map. You can move the red rectangle around to navigate through the map more easily.
	This box allows you to increase or decrease the zoom level. Clicking the arrows of the box lets you choose from 5 different zoom levels: 37%, 50%, 75%, 100% and 200% with 200% begin furthest out and 37% being closest in. The default zoom level is 75%. Zoom may also be controlled through the use of the mouse wheel.
	Here you can search for different cities, towns and villages and have the map take you right to it simply by typing the city name into the box and pressing enter. As you type, it will bring up possible cities. If the city you are searching for comes up before you have finished typing, press enter and it will also take you right to the place.
	Under this dropdown menu you can toggle between the RuneScape surface level or underground dungeon maps. Simply click on the dropdown arrow, find the dungeon you wish to look at, and click on the name to open the map.

Icons
The icons to the right of the mini map tell you a number of things, making it easier to check prayer, health and run percentage without having to change screens. As the level decreases, the colour level in the related circle will get lower. Each number display changes colour as the level decreases: green for full, then yellow, orange, and red as you run out of points.

	This tells you how much health you have. In addition to the colour drain and number colour change, the heart will flash red when you are almost dead!
	This icon displays how many prayer points you have remaining.
	This icon indicates how much run energy you have remaining. Click the icon to toggle between walking and running. You can also hold down the CTRL key to run. Please see our Getting Around Guide for more detailed information.
	If you are a member and have completed the Wolf Whistle quest, you will get an icon displaying how many summoning points you have left. The summoning menu can be accessed by right-clicking the icon.
	Use this to exit the game. You can choose to exit to the lobby or to the login screen.

Trading
Trading with other players is something that makes RuneScape great. You can trade almost every item in the game, except quest items. To trade with other players simply right click on their character, and select trade. The person will get a message on their screen saying "X wishes to trade with you" (Where "X" is your RuneScape name). If the other player accepts your wish, he needs to right click your character and choose trade as well. When both of you have done this, a new window will come up, where you can trade your items. Also, if someone wants to trade with you, you can just click on "X wishes to trade with you" to open the trade window.

The window will have 2 parts. The left side is your own offer. This part will contain the items you are willing to trade to the other person. To add items simply click them in your inventory. You have some more options if you right click the item. As shown below, you can easily offer 1, 5, 10 and all of the item. You can also select to offer "X" which enables you to enter the number on your keyboard, this is useful when making trades with large amounts of items. (Read the bank section below to learn about notes, too.)

The right part of the trade screen is what the other person is offering you in exchange for your items. You can view helpful pre-purchase advice about your opponent's offered item(s), such as stat bonuses or quests/skills required to use the item, by left clicking on the item(s) and reading the information provided in the inventory window. Items purchased via the Grand Exchange also show pre-purchase advice in your inventory window. When you have reached a trade that is acceptable to both of you, you will both have to click accept in the middle of the screen. The small box in the middle tells you how many inventory spaces your partner has. Your opponent will automatically decline any trade offers that he/she cannot carry so take this into account when offering. When you have done that, another screen will appear asking you to accept again. Remember to always check this second trade screen! If you do not check this screen, you may be cheated/scammed. Check both your own side, and the other player's side to make sure everything is as it should be. After that, click accept again, and the trade will be executed. Also, the trade screen will notify you with a large exclamation mark (!) if your opponent changes any items in the trade window. A sample of the trade screen is shown below:

 

On the bottom center of the trade screen, the amount being transferred is displayed, along with the name of the person who is gaining the wealth. There are no limits as to the amount of wealth that can be traded from one account to another, so be aware that people may want to cheat or scam you.

NOTE: If you are trading in a crowded area where a lot of people are talking, you can click the "Trade" tab in your chat toolbar to only show what the person you're trading with is saying.

If you'd like more information about trade and other scams and how to stay safe while playing, we recommend you pay a visit to our Security Centre.

Shops

There are many shops in RuneScape, and they deal with a lot of different items. One of the most important shop types is the General store. You can find these all over RuneScape, and they will buy almost any item, and give you money for it. However, specialised shops will buy your items for more, and sell items to you for less, so it's often worth going to them.

To open up a shop window you will need to talk with the shop keeper or shop assistant. After a bit of talking, a shop window will appear. You can also right click the shop keeper and choose trade, which will open the shop window instantly without the talking. The window has two tabs on it - Main Stock and Player Stock. Left clicking on an item in your inventory will show you how much the shop will pay you for it, and left clicking on an item in the shop will show you how much you must pay the shop for it. To sell an item to the store you will need to right click the item to bring up a menu, and select how many you wish to sell - 1, 5, 10, 50.

Buying items from shops is very similar. Just right click the item in the shop window and select buy 1, 5, 10 or x. The main stock tab of the shop sells items that have an infinite stock. The player stock tab will sell anything that has been sold buy a Runescape player. Shops only accept coins, and you may need to save up a bit before you can buy some of the more expensive things.

You can also buy items through The Grand Exchange system. Here you can buy items from other players even if they are in a different world! The Grand Exchange is located North-West of Varrock's West Bank. Just follow the route, and you'll get there.

Once you get there, you must first go through a brief tutorial. To receive this tutorial you must speak to Brugsen Bursen or the Grand Exchange Tutor, both are located on the south side of the Exchange. After you have completed the tutorial, you can start trading your valuables! Please refer to our The Grand Exchange guide for more detailed information.

Banks
Banks in RuneScape are simple and easy to use. They can be used to store your items so you don't have to carry them around in your inventory. To access your bank account, you'll need to find a bank (check the world map), and left click on the bank booth to use it. After a little talk with the banker, he will give you access to your bank account. (You can right click and select 'use quickly' to skip the chit-chat.) Note that you can only deposit items that are in your inventory (not those which you are wearing.) Depositing and withdrawing items is similar to using shops and trading, you just click on the item in your inventory to deposit it, and click it in the bank to withdraw it. You also have the deposit/withdraw 1, 5, 10, X, all, or all but one options. Note: You can quickly withdraw thousands of items by typing a 'k' next to the number or millions of items by typing an 'm' next to the number.

In the bank interface, there are many features that can be used to organize your items. Here is an image of a player's bank:

The first thing you should notice are the icons on the interface. When you click an icon, it will be saved for every time you log into the game. The icons and their functions are listed below:

	New Tab: When you drag an item onto this icon, a new tab will be created, and the first item in that tab will be represented at the top of the respective tab. All other items that are dragged onto the tab will go into that specific tab. A maximum of 8 tabs can be created, and the way they are organized are up to you. The bank will memorize which items belong in which tabs, so there is no fear of reorganizing everything after multiple withdrawals and deposits.
	Equip Screen: Clicking this button will automatically take you to your Equipment Stats screen, to easily equip items from your bank without having to close your bank window first.
	Insert Item: When the "Insert Item" option is chosen, whenever an item is dragged on top of another item, the item will be placed one space before the corresponding item. This icon only appears if the current bank option is set to "Swap Items."
	Swap Items Icon: When "Swap Items" is chosen, whenever you drag an item on top of another item, they will switch places in the bank. This icon only appears if the current bank option is set to "Insert Item."
	Search Icon: If you have trouble finding a particular item, then use the search feature of the bank. Press this icon and a textbox will pop up. Type in the name of the item you are looking for, and the bank will display all items that match. Typing part of the name also works, and will display all items in your bank with that name.
	Bank PIN Button: If you have not already set a Bank PIN, this button will be displayed in your bank interface. Click on it to be guided through the step-by-step process. A Bank PIN will make your account and items much more secure!
	Note Icon: Pressing on this icon will make all items withdrawn from your bank into note form. Note form is commonly used to trade large quantities of goods, as the maximum amount of items that can be carried at one time is 28. A note of an item only takes one space in your inventory, and is stackable so you can carry as many of one item as you want.
	Filled Slots Indicator: This icon does nothing when clicked, but always displays the number of used members and freeplay bank spaces. Players with a registered email address on their account are granted additional bank spaces.
	Empty Backpack Icon: This icon deposits all items that you are currently carrying into the bank.
	Deposit Worn Items Icon: This icon deposits all items that you are currently wearing into the bank.
	Dump BoB Icon: This icon deposits all items that your Beast of Burden is carrying into your bank.

Equipment Stats

To see the stats of the equipment you're currently wear click on the Equipment Stats button in yourEquipment Tab.

This will appear if you selected to go to the equip screen while in your bank.

To see the stats/info of an item you're wearing or have in your inventory, right click it and select 'Stats' or select 'Compare' and click on another item to compare it with.

Assist

Ever wanted to craft a glory, smith rune or plant a magic tree, but just did not have the levels to do it? With the assist system, you can request someone else's assistance for the levels you need to do something and provided they accept, you can "use" their levels to do many things in the skills they are assisting you in. This is especially useful when you have effigies but do not meet the requirements. To assist someone you just right click them and select "Req Assist".

When you request assistance, like a trade, a message will appear for that person to accept, but this time in purple:

Once the player has accepted, they must then choose which skills to assist you in. In the example below you can see that the other player has offered assist in Crafting, Construction, Magic, Smithing and Herblore.

Note: You cannot use request assistance to get help for Quests or Task Achievements.

For example: If you wanted to make a glory amulet, but only have 63 crafting, you could request assistance from another player that has 84 crafting. Once they accept the request, you can make a glory yourself providing you have the items required. This means you don't have to risk losing your items by giving them to someone else while they make it.

While you are being assisted you do not get any of the XP that you would normally, instead the person who is assisting you does. They can get a maximum of 30,000 XP in any 24 hour period. If you have reached your 30,000 XP you won't be able to assist again until 24 hours have passed.

To check how long you have left till you can assist again, right click on the Assist button in your chat toolbar.

From here, a popup will appear, with the option to check your assist status.

Once you click on the XP Earned/Time option, a message will appear showing you how long you need to wait.

When someone attempts to request your assistance while you are "maxed" assist, they will see a message telling them you are unable to assist them with the remaining time until you are able to do so again. At the same time you will see that an assist request has been refused, again with the time remaining.

Item Lending
Item lending is a feature that allows you to borrow another person's item or lend your items to someone else. To lend an item to somebody else, simply trade with them, and then right click the item you wish to lend.

You can then choose the duration in which the item can be borrowed for. If you choose the "Just until one of us logs out" option, the item can be reclaimed at any time. However, you can also lend the item for a specific amount of time in hours, ranging from 1-24 hours. When the specified period of time is over, the item can then be reclaimed by talking to any banker in RuneScape and asking for your Returned Items box.

There are some things to note when using the item lending system:

• You may only lend out one item, and borrow one item at a time.
• The item lending system only supports a select few items, most of which are weapons and armour.
• A borrowed item always protects over everything else upon death.
• The borrowed item cannot be traded, alched, or brought to into the Wilderness. If the item is dropped or the person using it dies and loses it, the item will still go back to the Returned Items box after the borrowing time is over.

Warning Screens

Although most of Runescape are quite safe to stay in for indefinite periods of time, there are areas that will damage you (eventually knocking you out if you stay around long enough) if you do not have the appropriate equipment that will help you survive. An example of the warning screen is shown below:
Note: The option to have the warning message hidden only appears after you have seen the same Warning screen at least 6 times (e.g. have gone through the Shantay Pass 6 times).

When adventuring through these dangerous areas, it is advised, especially for the first time, to be fully equipped with the equipment needed for these hostile terrains.

Talking to the Doomsayer in Lumbridge will allow you to toggle warning options.

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Chatting

Chatting in RuneScape is very important. You need to be able to communicate with other players to get the full effect of the game. To chat simply enter your message in the typing box at the bottom of the client and hit enter or by typing /p. If you make an error or want to edit your message, you can move the text caret (the small flashing line) by clicking where you want it to move in the text box or holding shift and using the arrow keys. When your message has been sent, it will appear in the chat box, and above your character's head. Normal chat is blue in the chat box.

Private messages
Private messages are, as the name would suggest, private between you and another user. To send these, you will need to have the friend on your friend list (look above for more information), then click his or her name, and type in a message in the chat box. When you're done with the message, just hit enter and your friend should see the message on their screen. Only you and your friend who can see what you type. Private messages are red in the chat box, but you can change the colour with the Chat colours interface (see earlier on in this guide). You can also make private chat text appear outside of the chat box by going into the Options tab, clicking on Chat Setup (the two speech balloons), then selecting the Private tab.

There are two other ways to send a private message. You can right-click the message you received from a friend (through any of the chats) and select the "Message" option or press the TAB key to reply to the last private message you received.

Split private chat
In the Game Options part of your control panel you have an option to split your private chat. If you have the check box under the split chat interface checked, the private messages you receive will appear in your chat box. If the check box is unchecked, your private messages will appear above the chat box. To customize the colour they appear in, simply left click on the split chat icon and a colour palate will automatically appear.

Underneath the chat area there are four buttons to control your interactions with other players.

Public chat
The public chat button controls the chat that everyone can see. There are four options; simply click to change between them.

• On: Chat acts normally, you can see messages from everybody above their heads and in the chat box.
• Friends: You only see public chat messages from people on your friends list.
• Off: You see no public chat at all. If you talk, the button automatically changes to hide.
• Hide: You only see messages above people's heads, not in the chat box.

Private chat
The private chat button toggles how you filter the people who can private message you.

• On: Everybody can add you to their friends lists, and everybody can talk to you.
• Friends: Only people on your friends list can private message you, everybody else sees you as being offline.
• Off: Nobody can send you private messages, you appear as offline to everybody. If you private message someone in this mode, the button automatically changes to friends.

Trade/duel
The trade/duel button toggles who you can try to trade you or challenge you to a duel (members).

• On: You see trade and duel requests from everyone.
• Friends: You only see trade and duel requests from people on your friends list.
• Off: You see no trade or duel requests. You may, however, still send requests to other players.

Assist
The Assist button toggles who can request your assistance..

• On: You see assistance requests from everyone.
• Friends: You only see assistance requests from people on your friends list.
• Off: You see no assistance requests. You may, however, still send requests to other players.

Chat effectsYou might have seen someone who is typing with a red-coloured text, or text that's waving. Typing like this is called chat effects, and you can only see them if you have the chat effects part of your settings in your control panel on. For information on chat effects, please see our Beginner's Reference.

QuickChatQuickChat is a method of saying commonly said sentences or phrases without typing. Ranging from asking other player's skill levels to asking for assistance, there is a wide variety of chat options. Hit the F9 key to load the auto-response interface, F10 to open the context menu, and F11 to repeat the last sentence you spoke using QuickChat. You can load the main QuickChat menu by pressing the speech bubble on your chat interface or by pressing enter.

You can also use Clan QuickChat by typing a / then enter or right clicking the speech bubble and selecting Clan Quick Chat. In addition, you can use Private message QuickChat by right clicking a name on your friends list and selecting Quick Message.

QuickChat phrases are split into separate categories consisting of :

• General
• Trade/Items
• Skills
• Group Events
• Clans
• Context Variable

Here is a list of what each of the categories contains:

• General consists of various phrases such as questions, answers, compliments, general comments, and even smilies!
• The Trade/Items category is made up of buying and selling requests, along with general item information questions.
• The Skills category contains common questions and comments about all the Runescape skills.
• The Group Events category has phrases useful for organising and executing group events such as quests, fighting, and mini games.
• The Clans subset consists of phrases enabling you to quickly notify your clan of directions, equipment choices, and organisation, among other options.
• Context Variable options change according to your location and what you last did, such as options for mini games and training skills.

Using hotkeys for the QuickChat menu can speed up your typing even more. The letter and number codes next to the letters indicate these codes. For example, typing Enter, E, F, P, then 8, causes your character to say "Time for the dancing knights!".

GlossaryIn addition to common internet shorthand (brb, lol, g2g, etc.) RuneScape players have developed a set of slang for RuneScape items, places and terms. For a listing, view our Beginner's Reference.

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Your Character

For information on your character's looks and skills. Check out our Beginner's Reference.

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The Wilderness

About The Wilderness:
If you continue to head North in Runescape you will eventually come to a vast, deserted area of land known as 'The Wilderness'. In this area, dangerous ghosts and other monsters wander around waiting to make a quick meal out of a curious adventurer.

Entering The Wilderness:
It is not possible to simply stroll into The Wilderness by accident. You will know when you are about to enter the wilderness as a wall is placed at the boundaries to stop you wandering in. This wall runs along the entire edge of the wilderness and requires one click to jump over it.

A warning screen will also appear, reminding you of the dangers of the wilderness and giving you a chance to turn back.

This screen will only appear the first time you enter The Wilderness since you logged on, not every single time you enter.

Note: Before you enter the wilderness it is HIGHLY recommended that you check your "Items kept on Death" interface to check which items are considered the most valuable at the time (see Death section for more information).

To find out more about the area of The Wilderness, check out our Wilderness Map.

Dangers of The Wilderness:
Upon entering the Wilderness, you must keep in mind that other players will be able to attack you. Remember that other players will use tactics that often involve multiple combat styles (melee, ranged and magic), and that they also can use freeze spells to hold you in your spot, or spells that prevent you from teleporting away. That said, the bottom edge of the wilderness is the "safest", as only people your level (or close to it) will be able to attack you. As you head further North, and deeper into The Wilderness, a small ghost icon at the bottom right of the screen will increase allowing players of higher/lower levelled than yourself to attack. Of course this also works the other way: you can attack people of higher and lower level as well. The higher the wilderness level, the larger this difference can be.

As said, the wilderness level corresponds to the level difference in attacking other players. For example, if you are a level 50 character, and are in Level 27 Wilderness, you can attack (or be attacked by) players from level 23 to 77. If someone decides to attack you in a single combat zone, you cannot escape them by attacking another monster. They will make the monster stop attacking you and force you to mind them.

It is also worthy to note that you cannot teleport out of the wilderness after Level 20. (Level 30 on member worlds with certain jewellery teleport items: enchanted dragonstone jewellery and the Ring of Life. See the Getting Around Guide.) After that, you can only use the teleports that are part of the wilderness (portals and levers).

Note: if you die in the wilderness, you will no longer have a gravestone.

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Death

If you are unlucky enough to die, you will lose all but three items with the exception of the items that are always protected. These items do not count towards your three, and among them are quest items (though not reward weaponry), basic tools (e.g. hammers, chistles, etc), costumes, coins, and low level equipment (such as mithril armour). Keep in mind not all tools, quest items, etc. are protected. Also keep in mind that protection does not count in the wilderness.

If you have recently entered the Abyss or attacked another player or familiar in the wilderness, you will have a skull floating over your head.
If you die with this skull above your head, your gravestone will hold every item you were holding previously (unless you die in the wilderness in which case you will not have a gravestone). Using the level 25 prayer Protect Items as stated in the Prayer Guide will let you keep 1 extra item if you die.

Items kept on Death interface:
If you are curious as to what items you will keep when you die, click the "Show Items Kept on Death" button from the equipment menu. This will also show you the total value of all the items that you are wearing and carrying, as well as the value of the items you stand to lose upon death.


Keep in mind that the normally automatically protected items are dropped when you die in the wilderness.

Before you go into the wilderness (or anywhere dangerous) it is highly recommended that you check which items you keep upon your death. When you die outside of the wilderness you get to choose which three (of the not automatically protected) items you wish to keep.At the top of the interface are the three items that the system automatically selected for you to keep. These items are chosen as they have a higher Grand Exchange value than any of the other unprotected items. If you click another from the list of items in the middle section they will replace one of those automatically selected. While you're using this menu, keep in mind that the timer on your gravestone will continue to run.

You will also be given the choice where to respawn. The three "hubs" (or bigger cities) from which you can choose will consist of the last three hubs you have visited.
Note: if you die in the wilderness your respawn point will (automatically) be Edgeville.

At the place of your death, a gravestone will appear, and depending on which gravestone you have upgraded to, your items will remain there for a x amount of minutes. If you can get to it before the timer runs out, you can pick up every one of the dropped items. If you fail to get there on time, the gravestone will crumble away and others will be able to take whatever you dropped. It is possible to extend the lifespan of a gravestone to almost an hour.

If you are in the wilderness, all of your items will drop on the ground without a gravestone, and if you're in a "High-risk Wilderness World", the protect item prayer will not be an option.

Gravestones
For in depth information on Gravestones, view our Beginner's Reference.

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RuneScape Rules

Like everything, RuneScape has rules. These are not to make the game harder, or to annoy anyone, they are to protect you. Please, adhere to them at all time - it makes the game better for everyone. The official rules can be viewed here. It's very important that you read them carefully. If you accidentally break one you could be banned from RuneScape.

Reporting abuse
If you see someone breaking one of these rules, you ought to report them to Jagex. If everyone reports abusive players, the game will be a better place for all. If you have checked the "Richt-click reporting" box in the options interface, you can report people by right-clicking their name in-game, or by right-clicking what they are saying. If you have not checked this box you can report abuse by clicking the red button in the lower right hand corner of the chat box. You need to type in the player's name and then select what the user is doing wrong. This sends a snapshot of the last 60 seconds of chat and trade activity to Jagex or it will submit the account name for review, depending on the type of abuse being reported. The below two images show reporting possibilities when the right-click reporting is enabled.


If the person continues to annoy you, add them to your ignore list rather than responding. Please, only send in an abuse report if the player is genuinely being abusive, not just because they called you a 'noob.' Clicking the question mark beside the category will show you general guidelines of what is and what is not appropriate. Below is a sample report.

If you find your account disabled or want to make an appeal to any offences, go to the Account Management section of the official RuneScape website and choose the option 'Appeal an Offence'. This feature will also show you what will happen if you continue to receive offences. Please do not send abuse reports to Tip.It. We are NOT part of Jagex Ltd. and cannot deal with abuse reports regarding players on RuneScape.

Player moderators
Player moderators are RuneScape players just like you, except Jagex has selected them as being responsible members of the RuneScape community. They are able to temporarily mute players who are being particularly foul-mouthed, and their abuse reports receive additional priority. This does not mean that they can answer all your RuneScape questions or that they always want to buy or sell items. They want to play the game, complete quests and raise their skills just like you do. When a player moderator talks they have a small silver crown next to their name to stand out from other players. You can read more about player moderators in the Frequently Asked Question section on the official RuneScape website. Note that you can also speak to Town Criers found in the game for some information about Player Moderators, in particular what they can do and what they cannot do.

- Player Moderator

Jagex staff
Jagex staff members have a little Gold crown next to their names when they talk in-game. Follow all their instructions promptly and you will have no cause for worry. If a member of the Jagex staff asks you a question, it would be wise to reply to them. Please note that ignore chat messages will not work on Jagex staff or player moderators.

- Jagex Staff

Town Criers
In addition to these features about playing by the rules, there are also NPC's dotted in all major cities. These cities are Falador, Draynor Village, Varrock, Seers' Village and East Ardougne. These Town Criers inform players about all the Rules of Runescape, as well as information on player moderators: most importantly, what they can or cannot do for other players.

Well! How's that for an 'introduction' eh? If you've read this far, you've gained the biggest head start in RuneScape that you could ever imagine. So get out there, explore the map, raise your skills and strive for your goals!

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Credits

Original Guide by: Cameron and Ks Jeppe

Revised Version by: Jaffy1

Thanks to: abomb67, Adamskii, allbogs, bambino, bluehooloovo, booduz69, Bows, brainymidget, Bransonosnar, carl0dublin, chenw, Cowman_133, cretureisland, Daman422, Darkblade986, darthruneis, den160593, Drakolord7, Dragontotem, dutylil, FallenYou, Ferrol, Fire2012, Fudgy999, geopkip, Georgelemmons, Ginger_Warrior, Headnazgul, Howlin0001, Hellomoron, Iron Man, Jaffy1, Kaphias, knittinqueen, Jaa_master, Jaffy1, Jamesjeffery, Jimmyw3000, Lady_Shahdie, lalala7324 manoman, Mchainmail, Misplacedme, MysticTiger, n_odie, Nyosuht, Paw_Claw, pokemama, Qbee101, RCTY, Rien Adelric, ruben, sheep455_is_the_best, Shelby_Polo, Sonikku, soothsayer, sorry310, Speedyshel, Sterlite, Swifty Mcvae, TecMaster532, The Pure12, The_Unknown, Triadz tryto, Warriormonkx, wiseTSM, wizard111111, wyvren2000, Xena Dragon, Zaaps1

Thanks To Tip.it runescape help