Welcome to Old School RuneScape

OSRS is one of the greatest MMOs ever made, but it can be overwhelming for new players. This guide walks you through everything from creating your account to your first meaningful accomplishments.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Visit oldschool.runescape.com and create a free account. You can play F2P content indefinitely or subscribe for members content. Download the official client or RuneLite (runelite.net) for the best experience.

Step 2: Tutorial Island

Follow the tutorial. It teaches basic skills, combat, and interface navigation. Takes about 15 minutes. Pay attention — the basics matter.

Step 3: Your First Hour

Complete Stronghold of Security in Barbarian Village for 10K GP + boots
Set a bank PIN immediately at any bank
Enable Authenticator on your account settings
Start questing: Cooks Assistant, Sheep Shearer, and Restless Ghost

Step 4: Early Quests (First Day)

These quests give massive free XP:

Waterfall Quest: 30 Attack + 30 Strength instantly
Witchs House: Hitpoints XP boost
Knights Sword: 29 Smithing instantly
Tree Gnome Village + Grand Tree: Attack XP + teleport unlocks

Step 5: Set Your Goals

OSRS is a sandbox. Common early goals include:

Recipe for Disaster for Barrows Gloves
Fire Cape from the Fight Caves
Full Graceful from Agility training
First million GP from herb runs or Barrows

Step 6: Install RuneLite

RuneLite is the recommended client. Essential plugins: Quest Helper, Ground Items, Menu Entry Swapper, GPU, and Tile Indicators. See our RuneLite plugins guide for the full list.

Common New Player Mistakes

Training skills to 99 before questing. Quest first for free XP.
Ignoring Slayer. Start Slayer early — it is the best skill in the game.
Not using the Wiki. Type /wiki [anything] in chat for instant information.
Buying expensive gear at low levels. Focus on unlocks, not gear.

Get a Head Start

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