Skill mastery

See Hiscores for the relative total rankings of the different skills.

Skill mastery is achieved by reaching level 99 in any skill. Level 99 is achieved by reaching 13,034,431 experience points in a skill. Although 99 is the level required for skill mastery, Dungeoneering has a maximum level of 120, achieved at 104,273,167 experience points. The current maximum total level is 2,595 (level 99 in all skills and level 120 in Dungeoneering). When level 99 is reached in any skill, there is a different fireworks animation that can be heard by everyone nearby.

Pay-to-play players reaching level 99 in a skill are entitled to wear a Cape of Accomplishment for that particular skill. This cape is bought from a specific skill master for 99,000 coins. When operated, the player performs a unique emote and has their level in the skill boosted to 100 for a short time. Furthermore, if the player reaches Level 99 in more than one skill, the player's skill cape becomes trimmed and any more skill capes the player obtains will also become trimmed along with the newly received cape.

Before the Skill interface update, players with a level 99 skill could view the experience needed to earn level 100.

In RuneScape Classic, the maximum total level was 1,782. With the addition of Runecrafting (1,881), Slayer (1,980), Farming (2,079), Construction (2,178), Hunter (2,277), Summoning (2,376), Dungeoneering (2,496) and the newest skill recently released, Divination, the maximum total level is now 2,595.

Rarity of level 99s
Strength is currently the most common 99 skill in the game, followed by Cooking, Magic, and Constitution. The rarest are Divination, Agility, Construction, and Hunter. Below is a list of the order of the skills ranked by on the number of players having 99 in it. Most people consider Cooking and Fletching to be the easiest 99s to achieve. It should be noted however, that although they are considered the easiest by many people, they are not necessarily the fastest. For example, it is possible to earn several hundred thousand Construction experience per hour, but only by using extremely expensive methods. Opinions on skills vary greatly, so it comes down to the individual to decide for themselves which they prefer and dislike.

Level 99 parties
A Level 99 party is a party held by a player to celebrate his/her achievement in getting a level 99 in a skill. This party can happen anywhere; many players have them at their POH, and some choose to be near the skill master so they can get their cape quicker.

Celebrating
Players tend to invite friends to follow them as they level up from 98 to 99. After levelling, they usually head to the master of that skillcape (For example Wilfred near Falador who sells woodcutting capes or Hickton in Catherby who sells Fletching capes). The player will then buy the cape (value of 99,000) of the 99 skill and equip it. After buying it, it is an unofficial custom for players to do the first skillcape emote with that cape, often with a group.

Players may take videos or get a friend to take a video of their journey to 99 and of them getting their cape. These videos are some of the most common RuneScape videos shown on sites such as YouTube. These videos are made to congratulate, or in memory of another user, or the owners themselves and to commemorate their efforts in receiving 99 in the particular skill they have achieved.



Announcements
When a player achieves level 99 in a skill, a message will appear in orange text to the other players on the same server.

Achieving 120 Dungeoneering, reaching 99 in every skill, or earning the right to wear the Completionist cape or its trimmed version will be announced on all of RuneScape's servers in red text. A similar message, again in red text, was displayed when the first player reached 99 in Divination (on 29 Aug 2013) reading: "Congratulations to Im Choice for being the first to reach 99 Divination!"

When a player achieves something and their private chat is set at least on 'friends', it will be announced in green text to all logged-in players on their friends list regardless of whether they are on the server.

However, one may only see another player's achievements if they have the 'Broadcast Messages' button toggled to on, the button is located next to the trade and assist button.

Broadcasts may be disabled by untoggling the 'Broadcast Messages' button.

First Players to Achieve Level 99 and Level 120
When level 99 stats first started appearing, players with such stats were often well known around the RuneScape community since they were one of the few to have a level 99 stat.

Below is a chronological list of the first players to reach level 99 and level 120 in their respective skill


 * {| class="wikitable" style="width: 425px;"

!Achievement !Date Achieved !Player
 * 99 [[File:Woodcutting icon highscores.png]] Woodcutting
 * 28 August 2001
 * Everdred
 * 99 [[File:Magic icon highscores.png]] Magic
 * 21 October 2001
 * Bluerose13x
 * 99 [[File:Smithing icon highscores.png]] Smithing
 * 13 December 2001
 * Bluerose13x
 * 99 [[File:Cooking icon highscores.png]] Cooking
 * 8 January 2002
 * Tks
 * 99 [[File:Firemaking icon highscores.png]] Firemaking
 * 5 April 2002
 * Cowchicken
 * 99 [[File:Fishing icon highscores.png]] Fishing
 * 16 May 2002
 * Tks
 * 99 [[File:Attack icon highscores.png]] Attack
 * 16 May 2002
 * Zonghui
 * 99 [[File:Strength icon highscores.png]] Strength
 * 7 June 2002
 * Ladykilljoy
 * 99 [[File:Hitpoints icon highscores.png]] Constitution
 * 7 June 2002
 * Zonghui
 * 99 [[File:Defence icon highscores.png]] Defence
 * 7 June 2002
 * Zonghui
 * 99 [[File:Thieving icon highscores.png]] Thieving
 * 3 August 2002
 * Swedemike
 * 99 [[File:Mining icon highscores.png]] Mining
 * 11 October 2002
 * Joe Bill64
 * 99 [[File:Ranged icon highscores.png]] Ranged
 * 17 November 2002
 * Snake Slava
 * 99 [[File:Agility icon highscores.png]] Agility
 * 23 March 2003
 * Thehate
 * 99 [[File:Crafting icon highscores.png]] Crafting
 * 30 March 2003
 * Ltangel
 * 99 [[File:Fletching icon highscores.png]] Fletching
 * 9 April 2003
 * Chilipeppers
 * 99 [[File:Herblore icon highscores.png]] Herblore
 * 9 June 2003
 * Halw Gnun
 * 99 [[File:Prayer icon highscores.png]] Prayer
 * 17 May 2004
 * Lilyuffie88
 * 99 [[File:Runecrafting icon highscores.png]] Runecrafting
 * 15 September 2004
 * Kale Stille
 * 99 [[File:Slayer icon highscores.png]] Slayer
 * 9 July 2005
 * Zezima
 * 99 [[File:Farming icon highscores.png]] Farming
 * 27 September 2005
 * 0xpx0
 * 99 [[File:Construction icon highscores.png]] Construction
 * 6 June 2006
 * Cursed You
 * 99 [[File:Hunter icon highscores.png]] Hunter
 * 2 December 2006
 * Darkforest67
 * 99 [[File:Summoning icon highscores.png]] Summoning
 * 8 February 2008
 * Nercychlidae
 * 99 [[File:Dungeoneering icon highscores.png]] Dungeoneering
 * 7 May 2010
 * Skiller 703
 * 120 [[File:Dungeoneering icon highscores.png]] Dungeoneering
 * 22 August 2010
 * Telmomarques
 * 99 [[File:Divination-icon.png]] Divination
 * 29 August 2013
 * Im Choice
 * }
 * 27 September 2005
 * 0xpx0
 * 99 [[File:Construction icon highscores.png]] Construction
 * 6 June 2006
 * Cursed You
 * 99 [[File:Hunter icon highscores.png]] Hunter
 * 2 December 2006
 * Darkforest67
 * 99 [[File:Summoning icon highscores.png]] Summoning
 * 8 February 2008
 * Nercychlidae
 * 99 [[File:Dungeoneering icon highscores.png]] Dungeoneering
 * 7 May 2010
 * Skiller 703
 * 120 [[File:Dungeoneering icon highscores.png]] Dungeoneering
 * 22 August 2010
 * Telmomarques
 * 99 [[File:Divination-icon.png]] Divination
 * 29 August 2013
 * Im Choice
 * }
 * Telmomarques
 * 99 [[File:Divination-icon.png]] Divination
 * 29 August 2013
 * Im Choice
 * }
 * }

First Players to Max Skill Totals

 * {| class="wikitable" style="width: 425px;"

!Achievement (Members) !Date Achieved !Player !Achievement (Free-to-Play) !Date Achieved !Player !Achievement (RuneScape Classic) !Date Achieved !Player
 * 1980 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 9 July 2005
 * Zezima
 * 2079 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 4 October 2005
 * Zezima
 * 2178 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 11 June 2006
 * N0valyfe
 * 2277 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 8 December 2006
 * Thehate
 * 2376 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 12 February 2008
 * Kingduffy
 * 2475 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 7 May 2010
 * Skiller 703
 * 2496 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 22 August 2010
 * Telmomarques
 * 2595 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 29 August 2013
 * Im Choice
 * 2496 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 22 August 2010
 * Telmomarques
 * 2595 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 29 August 2013
 * Im Choice
 * 29 August 2013
 * Im Choice
 * 1494 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 28 January 2008
 * Syzygy
 * 1593 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 11 June 2010
 * S Diamant Y
 * 1614 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 9 October 2010
 * El Popo1
 * 1614 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 9 October 2010
 * El Popo1
 * 1782 [[File:Stats Overall icon highscores.png]] Overall
 * 10 August 2009
 * Mr Helmut
 * }
 * }


 * Notes :


 * 1. Cowchicken and Dragoon 787 reached level 99 Firemaking on the same day, but it is commonly accepted that Cowchicken reached it earlier.


 * 2. Attack, Strength and Defence did not appear on the hiscores until 2004, making it very difficult to track who achieved 99 in these skills.