Ultimate OSRS Money Making Strategy
Welcome aspiring gold digger! Whether you’re just starting out in Old School RuneScape or looking to revamp your current money-making (money makers) approach, this guide is designed to be your comprehensive resource. Making money is often considered the most accessible way to progress in the game, providing the resources needed for combat, skills, and gear. We’ll delve into various osrs money making strategies, categorized by skill level, to help you find the perfect path to wealth. From humble beginnings with basic tasks to sophisticated high-level ventures, we’ve got you covered.
Getting Started: Beginner-Friendly Money Makers
If you’re just starting your OSRS journey, or perhaps returning after a long hiatus, focusing on beginner money making methods is crucial. These activities require low levels and minimal investment, allowing you to build your bank with your initial 28 iron bars and a few coins. The goal here is to learn the ropes, understand the game mechanics, and gradually build up the necessary skills and resources for more profitable ventures.
The Fundamentals: Low-Level Tasks
The absolute basics of osrs money making involve tasks readily available to new players. These often revolve around completing tutorial tasks or exploring the initial areas of the game.
- Defeating Tutorial Beasts: The initial quests reward you with coins, providing your very first taste of osrs money making. Completing the Slayer assignment from the Barbarian godfather can also offer early combat experience and potential rewards.
- Basic Herblore: Learn to make Ranging boots using cheap herbs found in the Western Wilderness. This is one of the easiest ways to start osrs money making and provides valuable experience for your Herblore level.
- Iron Mining: Mine iron ore from the Western Wilderness and smelt it into bars. While not highly profitable, it’s a simple way to gain experience and funds before investing in better tools.
- Woodcutting: Cut down low-level trees (like Willow or Elder) and sell the logs. This is a fundamental osrs money making activity that provides experience and requires minimal investment.
Remember, the key at this stage is to progress through the initial content. Completing early-game quests unlocks areas and skills necessary for more lucrative activities later on. Don’t rush, but don’t be afraid to explore and gather resources.
Expanding Your Horizons: Slightly More Profitable Beginnings
As your character gains a few levels, you can start exploring more profitable beginner money making methods. These still require low levels but offer a better return on investment.
- Monkey Nut Gathering: A classic beginner activity. Head to the Western Wilderness (requires level 2 Woodcutting) and chop down Monkey Nut trees to gather nuts. Sell them for a decent profit, especially if you collect a large number.
- Grubby Chests: Found in the Desert (requires level 5 Agility and level 40 Thieving to open without a pickaxe). These offer random rewards, often including coins. While the contents are unpredictable, the chance of finding a chest containing a significant amount of money can be exciting for a novice player looking for quick osrs money making gains.
- Mahogany Plank Crafting: Requires level 3 Woodcutting and level 1 Crafting. Cut Mahogany trees (found in the Central Mine) and craft planks. These can be sold individually or in bulk. It’s a simple crafting loop that provides experience for both Woodcutting and Crafting.
- Sanfew Serum Production: Requires level 5 Herblore. Collect Sanfew and other herbs, then brew the serum. Selling these provides a better return than basic herblore items and is a standard osrs money making method for players with a little herbalism skill.
These activities provide a solid foundation. They teach you the basics of resource gathering, crafting, and trading, all essential components of effective osrs money making. As you accumulate more gold and experience, you can begin looking at intermediate strategies.
Scaling Up: Intermediate Money Making Methods
Once you’ve mastered the basics and have a few thousand gold, you can move on to more efficient intermediate money making methods. These often require a higher level in one or more skills and involve larger quantities of items or more complex processes.
Exploiting Game Mechanics and Resources
Intermediate methods often involve finding more efficient ways to gather resources or capitalizing on in-game economies. These strategies require more planning and investment but offer significantly better returns.
- Gem Mining (Prospecting): Requires level 30 Mining and level 35 Mining (or lower with Prospecting pickaxe). Mine rocks in the Prospecting Cave (requires level 40 Agility). Identifying gems like Topaz or Amethyst and selling them yields a good profit, especially if you find larger, rarer gems. This is a very popular and efficient osrs money making method.
- Potato Mining: Requires level 35 Mining. Mine potatoes from the Mining Guild (requires level 50 Prospecting). Selling potatoes provides a high return per potato mined, making it one of the most profitable osrs money making methods for players with the required Mining level.
- Basic Farming: Start with easy-to-grow crops like Strawberries (requires level 1 Farming) or Tomatoes (requires level 15 Farming). Sell your harvest for a small profit. While not the most efficient, it’s a simple way to practice Farming and generate small amounts of osrs money making.
- Combat Experience (XP for Sale): This involves completing tasks that grant combat experience and selling that experience to other players via the Clan Wars system or through private arrangements. This requires a certain level of combat and often involves grinding mobs in designated areas. It’s a legitimate way to make money in OSRS if you enjoy combat and have the time.
Intermediate strategies often involve finding the most cost-effective way to gather resources. For example, investing in better tools (like a Prospecting pickaxe or a Mining pickaxe) can drastically increase your efficiency and profitability in Mining-based activities. Always calculate your costs (tools, reagents, travel) against your potential earnings before embarking on a large scale activity.
Leveraging Skills and Specializations
As you progress, specializing in certain skills can lead to more profitable osrs money making. Focus on activities where you have high levels and where the demand for the product is consistent.
- Potato Patches: Requires level 35 Farming. Growing and selling large quantities of potatoes is a highly profitable Farming method. It requires significant space and potentially fertilizers, but the return is substantial.
- Basic Crafting: Items like Runeite Bars (from Gold Bars using an Orichalcum Mold, requires level 50 Crafting) or Dragon Slayer Potions (requires level 55 Herblore) can be sold for good profit, especially if you can gather the necessary materials efficiently.
- Banking Services: While technically not a money-making activity itself, providing banking services (like depositing and withdrawing large amounts for other players) can be a profitable side gig, especially for players with high Banking levels. This falls under osrs money making services.
The intermediate stage is about efficiency and finding activities that offer a good balance between profit and skill investment. Experiment with different methods and see what works best for your character build.
Reaching for the Top: Advanced and High-Level Money Makers
Once you’ve comfortably secured an intermediate income and have the necessary skills and capital, you can tackle advanced and