So, by now you should have a grasp of the basics when it comes to the world of Gielinor (if you don’t, make sure you read our first blog The World of RuneScape. Now it’s time to get acquainted with the REALLY good stuff before we launch on Steam on October 14th.
In this week’s This is RuneScape, we’ll be focusing on two of the key parts of your RuneScape journey - mastering the many skills and quests Gielinor has to offer.
'92 is half of 99’ – Skilling in RuneScape
Skills are the bread-and-butter of RuneScape. Many of your actions in-game, from killing monsters to chopping trees, will reward you with experience in one of 28 varied and exciting skills. Levelling these skills by gaining XP will enable you to unlock new activities: better equipment to make, locations to explore, quests to complete (more on that below), and much, much more. 14 skills are available to free-to-play players, who can also train all skills in the game to level 5, while members have unfettered access to all 28!
Among the many skills is our newest and biggest - Archaeology! Unearth ancient artefacts, learn new lore in five (soon-to-be six) unique dig site environments and unlock powerful passive abilities that will benefit your adventuring Gielinor-wide! So, grab your fedoras, channel your inner Indiana Jones and prepare to get those hands dirty!
There are four types of skills within RuneScape – Combat (the various forms of fighting), Artisan (using resources items to create other, generally more useful items), Gathering (amassing raw materials) and Support (that assist you in a variety of different ways).
Here’s how that all breaks down:
| Combat | Artisan | Gathering | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | Herblore | Mining | Agility |
| Strength | Crafting | Fishing | Thieving |
| Defence | Fletching | Woodcutting | Slayer |
| Ranged | Smithing | Farming | Dungeoneering |
| Prayer | Cooking | Hunter | |
| Magic | Firemaking | Divination | |
| Constitution | Runecrafting | Archaeology | |
| Summoning | Construction |
For a quick description of every skill, head here. Some will help your game progress, some will enable you to take down greater foes and some will be your ticket to some much-needed gold!
Whilst every level gained is an achievement, the pinnacle of RuneScape is the much-fabled level 99 - the true sign of skill mastery! Achieving this grants you a coveted Max Skillcape to wear and show off to your friends. And, if you’re really keen, in some skills you can work all the way up to level 120 – true skill mastery – which will enable you to get your hands on a Master Skillcape. Getting to this stage is no mean feat, and is a true show of your dedication and talent. Wear it with pride!
‘One Small Favour’ - Questing and story in RuneScape
One of the things that truly sets RuneScape apart is its story – the deep lore, numerous quests and living world that you can inexhaustibly engage with and absorb. With nearly 20 years of history, there’s a lot for us to tell, and we can’t wait for you to get lost in the 227 (and counting!) individual quests spanning multiple stories, innumerable characters and unique environments. Free players can access 38 of these quests, while 189 are members-only.
At the beginning, their difficulty is relatively easy: be it the iconic standalone Cook’s Assistant fetch-quest; Priest in Peril, which opens up the mysterious vampyric world of Morytania; or the atmospheric, fully-voice-acted One Piercing Note to name a few.
Before long though, you’ll be tackling intermediate, experienced, master and grandmaster quests, each bringing all-new storylines, challenges and puzzles. From Yanni Salika’s One Small Favour (if you know, you know), to slaying dragons and even the small matter of saving the world from impending doom at the hands of duelling Gods and Elder Gods, it's all in a day’s work for a budding adventurer!
Quests are the most direct way of immersing yourself into the world of Gielinor, but story permeates every facet of the game – from humourous examine texts and NPC interactions, to exploring ancient texts in the Library of Varrock. If you’re looking for a juicy plot, you’ve come to the right place. We've got SO MUCH of it.
Go on – try it for yourself!
All of this barely does justice to the content we have in game – and we’ve hardly touched on the perilous world of Combat yet (don’t worry, there’s time for that in the next edition).
Our advice? Jump in and explore. Immerse yourself in the rich and bountiful world of Gielinor – and while you’re at it, let us know how you get on in the Steam hub. There are loads of friendly faces to help and support you from anything from finding an item for a quest, to knowing the most efficient way to catch a Chinchompa (don’t ask).
Until next time, future adventurer!
The RuneScape Team