Distractions and Diversions

Distractions and Diversions, sometimes abbreviated as D&Ds, is a classification of game features initially released by Jagex on 2 September 2008.

D&Ds are a subclassification of minigames. However, unlike minigames many D&Ds move around the world to various locations, have a limit on how often they can be played, and only occur at particular times of day.

Distractions and Diversions aim to divert the original intentions of the player in order to provide an interesting distraction from their everyday routines. D&Ds come in many different shapes and sizes; covering Combat, Gathering, Artisan, and Support skills, there are a wide variety of different options available to suit the players choice.

Players who attempt every Distraction and Diversion can unlock the title. Progress towards this title can be tracked by clicking on the title in the Titles interface.

D&D of the week
A counterpart to the Minigame Spotlight system, every week a Distraction and Diversion will award players a key token for participating. Key tokens can be used to give the player an additional key on Treasure Hunter.

D&D of the week

Ways to play
Most Distractions and Diversions are only available to be played a specific number of times over a given period. Typically, D&Ds will fall into one of three categories: Daily, Weekly, and Monthly. However, some are only available for play after receiving specific items. A few D&Ds can be played without limits, but only occur periodically in-game, and are not always available for play.

Players may obtain D&D tokens from Treasure Hunter, allowing them to reset their participation limits on a number of D&Ds. Tokens come of many different varieties; unique D&D resets, daily resets, weekly resets, and monthly resets. Resetting the D&D of the week does will not make the player eligible for another Treasure Hunter key.


 * The table below lists all D&Ds by category, when and how often they can be played, and any requirements to do so.

List of all D&Ds
Many different distractions and diversions are available, 24 in all, covering a wide variety of skills and activities.

Agoroth


Accessible to both Free-to-play and Members after completion of the quest A Shadow over Ashdale, Agoroth can be fought in the Ashdale Caves by accessing the Dead Man's chest once a week for non-members, and twice a week for members. Defeating Agoroth awards players with a black pearl, awarding bonus experience in a skill of their choice.

Balthazar Beauregard's Big Top Bonanza


At Balthazar Beauregard's big Top Bonanza, players may test their skills and perform tricks in Agility, Ranged, Magic, Firemaking, and Thieving. Win the adornment of the audience to earning maximum points; perform feats as they shout requests out. Each event within the circus can be performed once each week. Circus barkers can be found in major cities informing players where the circus currently is.

Big Chinchompa


At the Big Chinchompa hunting grounds, players can catch soporith moths; feeding them to the Plutonial chinchompa in the centre of the area in an attempt to put the chinchompa to sleep. The D&D lasts either 20 minutes, or until the chinchompa falls unconscious; whichever comes first. Players earns competence points which can either be spent on various Hunter-related items, Hunter experience, or on access to private hunting grounds.

Champions' Challenge


While fighting creatures of one of 13 races, players may receive a Champion's scroll as a drop, challenging them to a formal duel by the race's Champion. Champion's scrolls are extremely rare drops, making it quite difficult to duel all the Champions. Once a scroll is obtained, giving it to Larxus in the basement of the Champions' Guild will permanently unlock access to that champion. Champions may be re-fought weekly for additional rewards.

Court Cases


Court Cases are unlocked after the completion of the King's Ransom quest. The players first case can be obtained from the Seers' Village Courthouse immediately after King's Ransom, but each case thereafter requires a court summons. During a court case, the player may read case notes, interview witnesses, and inspect crime scenes prior to trial. Once a trial commences, the player should make compelling arguments and interview witnesses to win the Jury's favor. Successfully completing your case awards a combat XP lamp, mystery boxes, and further rewards depending on the case.

Demon Flash Mobs


A demon mob spawns every hour, consisting of a demon boss and several of its minions. All minions must be killed before the boss can be damaged; taking too long to dispatch the minions will allow the boss to become more powerful. The demon boss is extremely powerful, and not to be underestimated - this D&D is designed for groups, but solo play can be achieved at near max levels. Once the demon boss is defeated, it will drop loot, with a chance to receive demon slayer armour.

Evil Tree


Evil Trees can be attempted twice a day, awarding potential experience in Farming, Woodcutting, and Firemaking. Waves of evil trees appear every two hours; to check if an evil tree is currently growing a Spirit tree can be asked. Players near an evil tree may see roots attack at them, giving a sign that an evil tree is nearby. When an evil tree is felled and petrifies, players may speak with the nearby leprechaun to receive various rewards including noted logs, coins, and tree seeds. Players are also given a buff which will help them while chopping trees for up to 30 minutes.

Familiarisation
Familiarisation tasks the player with traveling to the Spirit Plane to gather resources. Players summoned transform into random familiars, hunting for raw shards. Once complete, return to Pikkenmix or Pikkupstix to claim a reward, either a charm drop enhancer, or a box of summoning ingredients.

Fish Flingers


Fish Flingers is a fishing competition located in Isla Anglerine. Players participate against each other, selecting bait, hook, and weight combinations to best catch six different types of fish. No requirements or items are needed to compete. Players can start by talking to Fishermen located at various fishing spots around RuneScape. Rewards include raw fish, Fishing experience, an experience boosting outfit, and Tackle boxes to hold fish and fishing supplies.

Giant Oyster
The Giant Oyster is a monthly Distraction and Diversion requiring only completion of Beneath Cursed Tides. Traveling to Tutorial Island, players can obtain delicious seaweed and sea cucumbers, feeding these to a giant oyster. The following month, players can loot the oyster to receive a reward from the clue scroll rewards table. Fishing and Farming experience are also awarded while gathering the seaweed and cucumber.

Goblin raids


Available to both Free-to-play and Members, goblin raids occurs every 30 minutes. Goblin Raiders lead by Hollowtoof will randomly plunder a farm or copper mine in the kingdoms of Misthalin and Asgarnia. Goblin raiders will drop their pillaged loot when killed. Hollowtoof attacks anyone nearby once his mob has been lost, awarding a piece of raider equipment when defeated. After the raid has collapsed, a Black Guard squad led by Commander Yodri arrives, awarding additional skilling supplies when approached by defenders.

God Statues


Each month, players may sculpt a statue of their choosing at a site in Taverley, Gu'Tanoth, Lumbridge, Canifis, and Prifddinas. Choices consist of either Juna, Graardor, Zilyana, K'ril Tsutsaroth, or Queen Glarial. Players are rewarded Construction experience from building each statue, and depending on whether the locals approve of the nearby statue, players can also receive either Prayer or Slayer experience rewards.

Guthixian Cache


Guthixian Caches are a Divination-themed Distraction and Diversion emerging every hour. Players can enter an Energy Rift found at most wisp colonies to collect memories of Guthix. There are no skill requirements to participate. Players are awarded scaling Divination experience based on how many memories they managed to collect, up to 100 points per game. A total limit of 200 points can be redeemed each day.

Memory of Nomad
Memory of Nomad is a combat-themed weekly Distraction and Diversion available after completion of the Nomad's Elegy quest. Players may test their might against the memory of Nomad after the events of the quest at a greater difficultly. During the D&D, Nomad will have new mechanics, a greater amount of life points, his attacks will deal more damage, and does not have checkpoints. If victorious, players can claim their rewards from one of two bounty chests containing an assortment of high-value loot and combat supplies.

Penguin Hide and Seek
Disguised penguins can be found hiding throughout RuneScape. Players of any skill level may spy on the disguised penguins to obtain penguin points, redeemable for experience in any skill via Chuck or Larry at the Ardougne Zoo. After completion of the Hunt for Red Raktuber quest, players can also spy a Polar bear hiding in a well for an extra points. Furthermore, after completing Some Like it Cold, players can spy a penguin hiding in the Shadow realm for additional penguin points, but requiring a ring of visibility to be seen.

Phoenix Lair
The Phoenix is an Ancient, practically immortal creature capable of endlessly renewing herself under the correct conditions. The last Phoenix known to still exist is determined to live a very long life, and asks whichever Adventurer has saved her to return regularly for battle, so that she may repeat her death and rebirth cycle. Of course, the Phoenix must be sure that its opponent is worthy, and so its reborn guardians will do their very best to hinder anyone they come across. Players will have to complete In Pyre Need in order to do this. To kill the Phoenix, they will also need 51 Slayer. This is a daily activity.

Rune Goldberg Machine


The Rune Goldberg Machine, invented by Wizard Goldberg, turns runes into vis wax, a substance with a variety of effects. Wizard Goldberg allows players to mix three different types of runes daily to create some wax. The machine is located in the Runecrafting Guild; as such, this requires players to have level 50 Runecrafting to access it.

Rush of Blood


Rush of Blood is a weekly Slayer-themed combat D&D that can be played in Prifddinas, requiring at least level 85 Slayer and completion of Plague's End to take part. It is run by Morvran Iorwerth, slayer master and former warband leader. Rush of Blood takes place in Morvran's Dungeon, where waves of different slayer-themed monsters, assembled from Morvran's assignment list, must be fought. Players have ten minutes to dispatch as many foes as possible. The activity can be played once a week for rewards, and any number of times for practice.

Shooting Star


Every 2 hours, a Shooting Star crashes somewhere on Gielinor. Players can locate and mine the star, collecting up to 200 stardust a day to exchange with the Star Sprite found inside the fallen star. The dust can be exchanged for coins, cosmic runes, astral runes, and gold ore, along with a boost to their mining abilities for up to 15 minutes; a chance to mine an additional ore on successful mining attempts. Level 10 Mining is required to mine through the smallest Shooting Star, while level 90 Mining is required to mine through the biggest. Players may locate where the next Shooting Star will land via the telescope of a Player-owned house.

Sinkholes
Sinkholes are a Dungeoneering-themed D&D where players can participate against other players, attempting to collect the most resources from a resource dungeon. Every hour on the half hour a sinkhole appears somewhere on Gielinor. Entering it, players are placed in a group of 5. Summoning familiar cards can be found and used to twist rewards around. Each card has a special effect that may swap, copy, or add to a players' reward. Rewards consist of Dungeoneering experience lamps, tokens, and cosmetic equipment. Talsar offers teleports to active and upcoming sinkholes three times daily.

Tears of Guthix
Tears of Guthix is a weekly D&D players may use to gain experience in their lowest levelled skill. Juna guards access to the tears of Guthix deep within the caves under the Lumbridge Swamp, only allowing players entrance after completion of the Tears of Guthix quest, and after gaining at least 100,000 experience or having gained one quest point since their previous visit. Once grated access, players attempt to fill their bowl with the tears which flow from the cave walls.

Treasure Trails
Treasure Trails is a D&D where players who found a Clue scroll follow a series of cryptic clues in search of buried treasure. Clue scrolls can be found randomly dropped by various monsters, found pickpocketing H.A.M. Members and Elven clan workers, by opening a Treasure chest decoration, or purchased with Thaler. Four levels of clue scrolls exist, ranging from easy to elite; each offer greater values of rewards upon completion. Rewards are randomly picked when opening a clue scroll's casket. Players may re-roll their rewards if they are unsatisfactory, but they must complete three of the same difficulty of clues before able to do so again.

Troll Invasion
Troll Invasion is a D&D in which players attempt to defend Burthorpe from a troll assault, either via combat, or using non-combat skills. For combat, waves of trolls will approach from Death Plateau, getting progressively more difficult. In the regular version, there are 20 waves; in the hard version, there are 7. If defending with non-combat skills, the trolls must be held off for ten minutes before they will depart. To do so, the gatehouse must be maintained for the soldiers assault, ballistas must be tended to, oil vats refilled, and barricades repaired. A reward book is awarded upon success or failure, granting experience in any skill, scaling to how successful the player was at defending Burthorpe.

The Pit


The Pit is a D&D in which players preform in various minigames relating to Agility, in order to gain agility experience. Completing laps on agility courses, players may attract the attention of the Talent scout and be chosen to participate in a challenge run by Snotgut and Scrambles. Completing the challenge successfully for the first time earns the player a gorilla mask. Each participation in The Pit is rewarded by agility experience, the amount dependent on the agility course being ran, the challenge received, and whether the challenge was completed successfully or not. The Talent scouts' attention can only be caught once an hour.

Wilderness Warbands
Wilderness Warbands is a dangerous D&D, composed of heavily defended storage camps guarded by the followers of the different Gods. Camp are set up in the Wilderness every 7 hours. Quercus will task adventurers to fight at the camps, awarding experience for their efforts. Players must head to the camp and avoid detection from the sentries posted around the camp. Failing to sabotage the beam results in the whole camp turning hostile without reinforcements to aid attacking players, and reducing the time to clear the camp and loot the tents to five minutes. After clearing the camps of followers, players can loot the tents. Participating in looting will skull the player, and holding the looted supplies prevents teleportation out of the Wilderness. 25 supplies can be directly looted per camp before having to turn them in to Quercus, however more can be acquired from killed players.

Additional Activities
There are several other activities that are sometimes incorrectly classified by players as Distractions and Diversions, due to their similarity to D&D style mini-games. However, this article covers only those activities that are classified as D&Ds by Jagex. For some of these other activities, see also:
 * Triskelion Treasures - Find and assemble all 3 parts of the Crystal Triskelion.
 * Shattered Heart - Collect strange rocks to re-assemble the Dahmaroc statue at the Varrock Museum.

Trivia

 * On 3 March, 2010, Tears of Guthix, Champion's Challenge, and Treasure Trails were re-classified as Distractions and Diversions. Each had been initially released prior to the creation of the label, and had been listed as minigames.

Distractions and Diversions Distractions and Diversions