Random events

Random events exist in RuneScape to discourage cheaters from using macros to play the game for them. Some random events are harmful, yet others will benefit the player, if they are responded to correctly. Random events replaced the "fatigue" system in RuneScape Classic.

Monster levels
The level and max hit of some monsters depends upon player level:

Guardians
Guardian random events are monsters that will attack players. They are usually quite powerful and often the best option is to run away, because they won't pursue for very long. Players who feel up to the challenge can try and defeat them, collecting the items they may drop. The level of the monsters depend on your own combat level.


 * Rock golem - Mining
 * River troll - Fishing
 * Shade and zombie - Prayer
 * Tree spirit - Woodcutting
 * Watchman - Thieving (Discontinued)



Gift givers
Some random events in RuneScape will simply give players gifts if they take advantage of them. Note that some random events can simply be avoided by running away from the area that you're in... others cannot be avoided at all. For example, you can run away from the Drunken Dwarf, Rick Turpentine or a Security Guard (though they will follow you until you get quite a distance away!) but you cannot run away from any event that transports you temporarily to another location such as the Mime event. However, some randoms such as the Sandwich Lady will keep teleporting themselves to whatever location you choose to run to. If you go up or down ladders or stairs or teleport, they will STILL follow you, and will reappear if you log out and back in. However... they can sometimes be ignored completely without having to run, depending on what repetitive task you're doing. For example, if you have at least 300+ Nature runes and the same amount of noted items to high alch, you can repeatedly high alch those items over and over and over again... all the while ignoring the random event. As long as you keep doing the same task, the random has no chance to interrupt you... and eventually, they will disappear. Also, if you keep high alching, you might get two or more random events at the same time. Having this happen tends to raise the attention of other players so be prepared to be accused of macroing.
 * Beekeeper (members only) - Mandatory task
 * Candlelight - Mandatory Task
 * Certers - Avoidable
 * Dr. Ford (discontinued)
 * Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (members only) - Avoidable
 * Drill Demon - Mandatory Task
 * Drunken Dwarf - Avoidable
 * Freaky Forester - Mandatory Task
 * Frogs - Mandatory Task
 * Genie - Avoidable
 * Grab the Evil Twin - Mandatory Task
 * Gravedigger - Mandatory Task
 * Lost & Found office (also known as the Abyssal network) - Mandatory Task
 * Lost Pirate - Avoidable
 * Maze - Mandatory Task
 * Mime - Mandatory Task
 * Mysterious Old Man - Avoidable
 * Pillory (members only) - Mandatory Task
 * Pinball (you're sent there by the Mysterious Old Man) - Mandatory Task
 * Pirate's Combination Lock (members only) - Mandatory Task
 * Prison Pete - Mandatory Task
 * Quiz Master - Mandatory Task
 * Rick Turpentine - Avoidable
 * Sandwich Lady - Avoidable
 * Strange Box - Mandatory Task
 * Strange Plant (members only) - Avoidable
 * Security Guard - Avoidable
 * Surprise Exam! - Mandatory Task
 * Evil Bob - Mandatory Task



Dangerous Random Events
Most random events are beneficial or at least not too much of a bother. Most NPC's involved with random events can be done away with by answering their request to acknowledge them or talk to them. There are some random events which should generally be avoided due to the risk of losing items or even killing the character, especially lower level characters and players who are not prepared for battle. If you can run from them which you can you should because they never drop anything good.

Events that can hurt/kill your character

 * Evil chicken - Run away or fight it to the death. Protect from magic prayer can be used to avoid all damage (as long as your points last). It can be worth slaying for the feather drop.
 * Poison Gas (members only) - Run away!
 * Swarm - Although not very dangerous, the swarm cannot be hit, so the best thing to do is run away.
 * Tangle Vine (discontinued)
 * Shade - Run away or fight it to the death. Protect from melee prayer can be used to avoid all damage (as long as your points last).
 * Strange Plant - can be attacked but pick the fruit to heal you if it poisons you.
 * Zombie - Run away or fight it to the death. Protect from melee prayer can be used to avoid all damage (as long as your points last). Zombies can sometimes drop several dragon/big bones.
 * Tree spirit - Run away or fight it to the death. Protect from melee prayer can be used to avoid all damage (as long as your points last). It can be worth slaying for the drop.
 * Rock Golem - Stop mining the rocks & run away or fight it to the death. Protect from melee or range prayer can be used to avoid damage (as long as your points last) though the revised Golem will also range you by tossing smaller rocks from a distance so it's important to have the right protection prayer engaged.

Events that can cause equipment damage or loss

 * Ent - Stop cutting the tree ASAP or your axe will break!
 * Exploding Rock - Stop mining the rocks or your pickaxe will break & you will take damage! [[Image:Smoking_rock.jpg|right|frame|150px|A player with the Exploding Rock random event]]
 * Big fish - Bites onto your equipment and spits it away up onto the bank nearby. Grab your fishing gear or it WILL disappear!
 * Whirlpool - Move away from it or your fishing gear will be tossed from you.
 * Pickaxe handle/pickaxe head - While mining this random event will cause the head of your pickaxe to fly off. Pick up the head and reattach it to the handle before it disappears.
 * Spade handle/spade head - While farming this random event will cause the head of your spade to fly off. Pick up the head and reattach it to the handle before it disappears.
 * Rake handle/rake head - While farming this random event will cause the head of your rake to fly off. Pick up the head and reattach it to the handle before it disappears.

Discontinued
Some random events few people know about because they only ran for a short time, were very buggy, or were taken out for balance reasons or not finished and never released.


 * Dr. Ford
 * Tangle Vine
 * Watchman
 * Axe handle/axe head

Non-Rewarding
Many players find most random events useless and time wasting because they do tend to happen while a player is doing something important (such as training a skill, doing a quest, etc). Many players consider the Mysterious Old Man's box event very annoying, constant, and rewards they don't need or want. Another irritation is a random event that requires the players attention without teleporting them, causing them to be attacked by the random whilst combat training. Some events teleport the player to the event's location (i.e. Mime stage, maze,forest), a respawning skill such as Mining require the miner to be at the top of their game and ready for respawns. If they find 9 Coal rocks all to themselves only to be teleported, the respawn can be gone and the reward useless.

A great amount of veteran players consider the Frog Prince/Princess random event very annoying after the 2nd or 3rd time they get it. It gives a reward, the Frog token that can only be helpful 2 times.

Some, however, enjoy the rewards granted, especially the costumes.

Trivia

 * In the feast cut scene of the Recipe for Disaster quest, the Duke gets the strange box random event, and Evil Bob teleports Osman away, which is probably a reference to how players find them annoying and interrupting.
 * Many random events can be seen at the fishing dock of Karamja. With the macros' numbers at almost none, random events here are not quite as numerable. Five Mysterious Old Man random events have happened simultaneously while other randoms (including the Drunken Dwarf) were interrupting the work of the macros.
 * Some areas of Runescape seem to never have random events, while others seem to have many. The Mime, Freaky Forester, and Drill Demon (along with the Maze and Pinball) random events can be easily found in the Stronghold of Security (namely by burying bones other players leave or by sitting in safe spots and using ranged/magic to kill monsters).  This is a very effective way to get the mime, lederhosen, and camouflage clothing if you are looking for it!