OSRS Beginner Guide: Everything You Need to Know
With the recent surge of new players—many coming over from World of Warcraft streamers—Jagex released a written beginner guide on their website. While it’s a helpful start, it mainly covers basic settings and doesn’t really teach you what Old School RuneScape (OSRS) feels like to play. And let’s be honest… most players today would rather watch a video than read a long wall of text.
So this guide aims to fix that. Consider this your all-in-one beginner resource: how to set up your client, understand the UI, start leveling, pick goals, and get a feel for how the game actually works.
1. Getting Started: Tutorial Island & Account Types
When you first log in, you’ll be guided through Tutorial Island, which shows you core interactions like cooking, fighting, and crafting. You’ll choose whether you want to play:
Normal Account – full access to trading and the Grand Exchange.
Ironman – self-sufficient, cannot trade with other players.
Group Ironman – similar to Ironman but played with friends.
Once this is done, you’re dropped into Gielinor—so let’s make sure your game looks and feels good.
2. Optimizing Your Visual Experience (Runelite Settings)
Most players use Runelite, a powerful third-party client loaded with plugins that modernize the game.
Must-Use Plugins:
GPU Plugin – makes OSRS look significantly better and improves performance.
Animation Smoothing – optional, but many players love the cleaner animations.
117 HD Plugin – transforms the game into a nostalgic HD look, though some find it too heavy.
Roof Toggle – type:toggleroofs or search “roofs” in settings. This lets you see inside buildings.
Stretched Mode – for players who prefer the classic layout but want it full-screen.
You can also rearrange your in-game UI using Resizable Mode to move the chat box, minimap, and inventory anywhere you’d like.
3. Essential In-Game Settings Every Beginner Should Turn On
Before you fight anything, change these two settings:
PK Skull Prevention
Prevents you from accidentally attacking another player in the Wilderness. If you skull, you risk losing all your items. With skull prevention on, you cannot skull by mistake.
Player & NPC Attack Options
Set both to “Left-click where available.”
This ensures you always click on enemies instead of accidentally clicking through them.
Keybinds & Quality-of-Life
Highly recommended:
Escape to close menus
Shift-drop to quickly drop items
Combat = F1
Inventory = F2
Prayer = F3
Magic = F4
Equipment = F5
These will dramatically improve your gameplay speed.
4. Understanding Skills & Progression
OSRS has 23 skills, each with its own purpose and progression path. Skills unlock:
New areas
Gear
Bosses
Quests
Achievement Diaries
The key is this: Find something you enjoy and progress through it.
If you hate a skill, don’t force it—there are multiple viable routes to advance.
Use the OSRS Wiki
The Old School RuneScape Wiki is your best friend. Every quest, item, method, and calculation is documented. Never feel guilty using it—even veteran players rely on it every day.
5. Pick Early Goals That Match Your Playstyle
OSRS lets you play AFK, hands-on, or anything in between.
Examples:
AFK melee training: fight Gemstone Crabs
Hands-on training: fight Sulphur Lizards with prayer & potions
Fast questing: use Quest Helper on Runelite
Resource farming: do Minigames like Tempoross or Guardians of the Rift
Don’t get overwhelmed. Start small, then grow.
6. Minigames Are Overpowered for Beginners
Some of the best early-game XP and rewards come from minigames:
Guardians of the Rift
Amazing Runecrafting XP, great early runes.
Tempoross
Fishing + Cooking XP with early food for Ironmen.
Wintertodt
Firemaking XP and valuable supplies.
These minigames are beginner-friendly and give strong rewards early on.
7. Why Quests Matter So Much
OSRS quests are not filler—they unlock enormous parts of the game:
New areas
Weapons
Armors
Teleports
EXP rewards
Boss access
Using Runelite’s Quest Helper, you can complete quests in minutes instead of hours. And if you enjoy lore, read the dialogues—the stories hold up surprisingly well.
8. Traveling Efficiently Around Gielinor
The OSRS world is huge. Walking across the map can take 30 minutes, so unlock these early:
Agility – restores run energy faster.
Magic Teleports – Varrock, Falador, Lumbridge, Camelot, Ardougne, etc.
Enchanted Jewelry
Games Necklace
Dueling Ring
Skills Necklace
Amulet of Glory
If you’re a main, visit Player-Owned Houses (W330) for free teleports everywhere.
9. Suggested Beginner Goals
Short-Term Goals
Cook’s Assistant, Sheep Shearer
Train combat via Waterfall Quest / Witch’s House
Visit Stronghold of Security (10,000 RS gold reward)
Get a Chronicle (teleports to Draynor)
Mid-Term Goals
Fighter Torso
Barrows Gloves
Dragon Scimitar
Unlock Fairy Rings
Try Barrows & early bosses
Long-Term Goals
Dragon Defender (Warriors’ Guild)
Fire Cape from the Fight Caves (huge milestone)
10. How OSRS Combat Actually Works
Combat is based on a dice-roll accuracy system:
Attack level = accuracy
Strength = max hit
Defense = reduces enemy accuracy
Prayers = huge stat boosts
Game ticks = 0.6 seconds per action update
Choosing the correct attack style (stab/slash/crush) is crucial. Always match your weapon’s best bonus.
Your XP mode also matters:
Accurate → Attack XP
Aggressive → Strength XP
Defensive → Defense XP
Rapid (Ranged) → Fastest DPS
Magic has combat spells, utility spells, and teleports. Some monsters have specific elemental weaknesses, so switching spells helps.
Final Thoughts
OSRS is special because every system connects—skills feed into quests, quests feed into combat, and combat feeds back into new goals. Whether you want to play AFK or sweat every tick, the game supports your style. Having plenty of OSRS GP can also be helpful.
Set a goal, chase it at your pace, and enjoy the journey. That’s what makes OSRS unforgettable.