Runebound behemoth



The Runebound behemoth is a Dungeoneering boss monster released on 19 August 2010. It is only encountered at the end of an occult floor.

The behemoth is a large beast with the ability to use all three protection prayers simultaneously. While these prayers are active, it is invulnerable to any damage. However, within the room are three active crystals (mage, range, melee) that must be deactivated to remove the respective protection prayer for a few seconds. Players must wait nearly 30 seconds before deactivating each crystal, meaning that 2 attack styles are advised for faster killing. It mainly attacks with both range and magic if no protection prayers of the player are activated. If a player activates Protect from Magic, the monster will exclusively use its range attacks, and vice versa.

Like other behemoths, if a player runs under the Runebound behemoth, it will trample the player under its body, hitting between 300 and 400. Caution should be taken when entering a room and running to deactivate a crystal. It will trample you immediately if you stand under it for even a second.

The Runebound behemoth also has a special attack, in which it first roars charging energy, then spreads a yellow sort of slop, a magic spell with a short delay before hitting the floor and thus hitting you. Massive damage is dealt from this attack, up to 900 damage each time, which cannot be nullified by Protect from Magic. It appears that it can only use its special attack if none of the 3 crystals are deactivated at any one time, and stops using it when even one of them is deactivated. Whenever it uses this special attack, he resets his protection prayers and the crystals do not become active again, meaning you having to wait another 30 seconds if you had just activated them.

There are currently two known ways to avoid its special attack.

The recommended method is to teleport outside when the Runebound behemoth is charging the special attack and re-enter a little bit after.

The other method is to run away from the magical attacks as they quickly approach you.

Strategy
The idea is to constantly move between the crystals to de-activate one of the Behemoth's protection prayers, while changing attack styles. If a player carefully watches the protection prayer sigils over the monster's head, there should be no problem with the special attack. Dress for protect against range (or melee); and pray against Magic.

By bringing in two types of attack, and running between the appropriate two crystals, the boss is easily defeated without it being able to get off a special attack. Moderate food (10 Bouldabass, eg) is all that is needed, depending on player combat level.

For example, a player might bring in range and melee weapons. Carefully avoiding being stomped, the player runs to the the Warrior Crystal, disables the boss's anti-Melee prayer and attacks. When the Melee prayer sigil re-appears over the monster's head, the player then runs to the range crystal and switches to a range weapon.

The boss will continue to take damage, and as the crystals are alternately de-activated, it will not be able to generate it's awesome special attack.

Drops

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Trivia

 * The Runebound behemoth is the second monster to use multiple protection prayers simultaneously. The first is the Kalphite queen.
 * This is the first monster to protect from all forms of attack at once except summoning.
 * Runebound behemoths were created, of course, by binding runes to a behemoth, resulting in the creature becoming better controlled and more docile. The librarimancer, Lexicus Runewright, created this method of behemoth taming.
 * Bug: the music track's unlock hint reads "This track unlocks default info".
 * The method to defeat this boss is similar to that of Night-gazer Khighorahk, since the player must operate devices located around the room in order to damage it.
 * Unlike other bosses, the music track of Runebound behemoth is called "Runed Behemoth" which is not same as the boss name.
 * As well as being able to use multiple protection prayers at the same time like the Kalphite Queen, it almost resembles a Kalphite.
 * In the Behemoth Notes, the writer states that "runebinding is the elegant but expensive solution, whereby a behemoth is infused with rune magic and then controlled by magical pulses from a series of pillars". However, the behemoth is not being controlled but rather boosted in power (thus being immune to all attacks; it does not mean the behemoth is successfully tamed though). The pillars are not "pillars" in reference to the journal but are more likely magical crystals like the ones in Stomp's room.
 * During the release of the Warped Floors on 2 November 2010, it was somehow possible to hit through the Behemoth's protection prayers without deactivating the crystal.This was fixed on 24 November 2010 with the Herblore Habitat update.