Black mask

A Black mask requires 10 Defence, 20 Strength, and 40 Combat to wear. It gives a player 15% Attack and Strength boosts against all Slayer task monsters. The black mask's stats are identical to a black med helm, except the black med helm offers +4 Summoning defence, which the black mask does not.

The mask also has ten charges that are invoked at random against any combat opponents, not just slayer task monsters. A charge lowers the opponent's Defence level by 3-10. Once the charges are gone, there is no way to recharge it (the slab outside the cave has no effect on it), although its Attack and Strength bonuses remain after being uncharged. The charge is only lost when initiating combat, so fighting one opponent cannot be used as a way of uncharging it.

For players on undead Slayer assignments, the boosts of a salve amulet or salve amulet (e) do not stack with the effects of a black mask. Only one (the bigger boost of salve amulet (e)) will be effective. However, the black mask's effects do stack with the effects of the dragon slayer gloves.

The effects of any prayer bonus will, however, stack upon the already 15% Attack/Strength increase on Slayer monster bonus.

Black masks are dropped by cave horrors (level 58 Slayer required), found in the Mos Le'Harmless Caves. They can also be purchased from the Grand Exchange with either 0 or 10 charges.

A 2008 update with the release of the Smoking Kills quest allowed players to craft a black mask and other slayer items into a slayer helmet, provided they had acquired the ability to make the helmets. Slayer helmets are valued because of their effects and the fact that they are not tradeable. The black mask has recently been steadily increasing in price due to the update which added the hexcrest and focus sight used in the making of the full slayer helmet which also requires a black mask to make.

Charged black masks cannot be made into a slayer helmet. Also, they cannot be sold on the Grand Exchange unless they are fully charged or completely uncharged. If you obtain one as a drop and intend to sell it, you no longer need to refrain from wearing it, as they can be uncharged (see below).

As of November 2 2010, if you wish to sell a black mask with 1-9 charges or create a slayer helmet, you are able to select the "remove-charges" option to fully uncharge it. Note: You will not be able to get your charges back if you decide to remove them.

Trivia

 * It seems that when the player teleports with a black mask on with the exception regular teleports, the black mask is lifted above the players head similar to a knight raising his plate helmet. The following teleports trigger this. (ring of dueling, games necklace, and amulet of glory.)