Mastering OSRS: The Essential New Player Guide
First Steps: Tutorial Island and Account Types
When you first log in, you’ll go through Tutorial Island, which introduces core mechanics like combat, skilling, and navigation. You’ll also choose your account type:
Regular account – the standard way to play.
Ironman – self-sufficient mode, no trading or help from others.
Group Ironman – team-based version of Ironman.
Pick whichever style matches your goals. New players should generally stick to regular accounts unless they want the extra challenge.
Improving Your Visual Experience
OSRS is charmingly old-school, but with modern clients like RuneLite, you can make it look and feel much smoother.
GPU Plugin – massively improves graphics quality. Playing without it feels outdated.
Animation Smoothing – controversial, but worth trying. Some love the polished look, others prefer the jagged nostalgia.
Roof Toggle – type:toggleroofs or adjust settings so roofs vanish, letting you see inside buildings.
117 HD Plugin – reimagines the game in a more modern style. Some find it immersive, others too flashy—try it for yourself.
Stretched Mode – lets you play full-screen in classic fixed mode without tiny visuals.
UI Customization – switch between fixed, resizable, or modern layouts. In resizable mode, you can move your chat box, inventory, or minimap anywhere on screen.
These tweaks don’t change gameplay but make your experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Essential In-Game Settings
Before diving in, make sure you adjust a few key settings:
PK Skull Prevention – prevents you from accidentally attacking another player in the wilderness and losing your gear.
Player/NPC Attack Options – set both to left click where available. This avoids misclicks and ensures you always attack what you intend to.
Keybinds – assign useful shortcuts:
F1 = Combat
F2 = Inventory
F3 = Prayer
F4 = Magic
F5 = Equipment
Escape to Exit – lets you leave menus instantly by pressing Escape.
Shift-Click Drop – hold Shift to quickly drop items, invaluable for training and inventory management.
These changes may seem small, but they make a huge difference in long-term play.
Understanding Skills
OSRS has 23 distinct skills, ranging from combat stats like Attack and Magic to gathering and crafting skills like Fishing and Smithing. Every skill serves a purpose—unlocking resources, quests, gear, or bosses.
Don’t burn yourself out by grinding one skill endlessly. Instead:
Try different activities early to see what you enjoy.
Use quests to level up faster—many offer skill XP rewards.
Mix AFK training (like chopping trees or fishing) with more active methods (like Slayer or bossing) to keep things fresh.
Remember, progression is about long-term goals. Focus on skills that support what you want to do, whether that’s PvM, questing, or making RuneScape gold.
Use the Wiki (Seriously)
The OSRS Wiki is one of the best game resources ever made. It contains everything—from XP rates and quest guides to drop tables and obscure mechanics.
Pair it with RuneLite’s Quest Helper plugin, which walks you step by step through quests. A task that might take hours blind can be done in minutes with the helper. Unless you’re specifically doing a “guideless” challenge, don’t hesitate to use these tools—they save time and frustration.
Quests: More Than Just Story
Quests in OSRS are legendary, both for their quirky writing and their rewards. Many unlock:
New areas
Key items (like the ability to wield dragon weapons)
Huge XP boosts in early levels
For example, Cook’s Assistant gives cooking experience right away. Others unlock essential transportation or bosses. Completing quests early helps propel your account into the mid-game much faster.
Minigames to Try Early
Minigames in OSRS are not just fun—they’re often incredibly rewarding:
Tempoross – great Fishing and Cooking XP, plus useful supplies.
Guardians of the Rift – excellent Runecrafting XP and early runes.
Wintertodt – Firemaking XP plus loot like logs, herbs, and coins.
Whether you’re an Ironman gathering supplies or a main account looking for profit, these minigames are worth your time.
Travel and Agility
The world of Gielinor is massive. Walking across the map can take 30 minutes—so efficient travel is crucial.
Agility – raises run energy regeneration so you can sprint longer.
Magic Teleports – unlock through training Magic or buying teleport tablets from the Grand Exchange.
Transportation Methods – unlock fairy rings, spirit trees, and amulets of glory as you progress.
Travel efficiency is a game-changer, saving hours over time.
Setting Your Own Goals
Unlike many MMOs, OSRS doesn’t funnel you down one set path. You choose your goals:
Train combat for powerful weapons and bosses.
Master skills to unlock new money-making methods.
Chase pets, rare drops, or achievement diaries.
The game is most rewarding when you decide what excites you, then build your progression around that.
Final Thoughts
Starting OSRS can feel overwhelming, but it’s also one of the most rewarding MMO experiences out there. With RuneLite plugins, smart settings, quests, and the help of the wiki, you can quickly move past the learning curve and start enjoying the endless freedom the game offers. Having enough OSRS gold can help you increase your freedom.
Experiment, set goals, and most importantly—have fun. Old School RuneScape is a marathon, not a sprint.