Runecrafting

Runecrafting is a skill that allows players to craft their own runes for magic spells. However, to use this skill, players must first complete the quest Rune Mysteries. The experience earned from making runes is small, making runecrafting a very slow skill to raise.

Rune essence
To craft runes, players need rune stones, known as 'rune essence'. Rune essence is also commonly referred to as 'rune ess' or just 'ess'.

There are two kinds of rune essence, one kind which only members can mine.

Normal essence
Normal essence is used to make air runes, mind runes, water runes, earth runes, fire runes, and body runes. This is the only type of essence Free players can obtain.

Pure essence
Pure essence is used to make any runes, although it is the only kind of essence which can be made into cosmic runes, chaos runes, astral runes, nature runes, law runes, and death runes.

Obtaining rune essence
Both normal essence and pure essence are located in the same massive underground mines. However, members require a mining level of 30 to obtain pure essence.

To access these mines, players need to talk to certain NPCs who can teleport them to the mines. A player can either right-click on the NPC and select the 'teleport' option or talk to the NPC and ask to be teleported. However, the right-click option is faster than talking. There are five NPCs that can teleport players to the essence mines. However, only two of them are available for free players.

Members also have access to a second mine on Lunar isle which does not require a teleport from an NPC. It is a fairly long walk from a bank with some strong monsters on the path to the mine.

Free-to-play NPCs

 * Aubury - This NPC is located in Varrock's rune shop, south of the east bank. This is the NPC that almost all players use, as he is a short walk away from a bank, allowing a player to quickly deposit their essence and go back to him and mine more essence in a quick fashion. Players are strongly recommended to use this NPC.
 * Wizard Sedridor - This wizard is located in the basement of the Wizards' Tower, south of Draynor Village. Unfortunately, he is very far away from a bank. Free players are recommended to use the Aubury instead.

Members NPCs

 * Wizard Cromperty - This wizard is located in East Ardougne, northeast of the marketplace.
 * Wizard Distentor - This wizard is located in the Magic Guild in Yanille. A magic level of 66 is required to enter the guild, though with a Wizard's Mind Bomb, a player can enter the guild at level 63, and with a Magic Potion, entry can be granted at level 62. This NPC is close to a bank like the Aubury.
 * Brimstail - This gnome wizard is located in a cave west of the bridge in the Tree Gnome Stronghold. Unfortunately, he is very far from a bank, making him obsolete.

Some members monsters also drop rune essence. Also, any level Minotaur in the first level of the Stronghold of Security may drop some rune essence. There is also a mine in the north part of Lunar Isle that has a rune essence rock inside it. (You must have done the Lunar Diplomacy quest.

Talismans
Talismans are important as they are needed to make runes. To obtain talismans, players will have to kill monsters or buy them from other players. However, talismans are an uncommon drop from monsters, making them hard to obatin.

Each talisman has a name that indicates what kind of rune a player can make with it. For example, to make air runes, a player needs to find an air talisman. It is important to note that free players can only make air runes, mind runes, water runes, earth runes, fire runes, and body runes, while members can make cosmic runes, chaos runes, nature runes, law runes, and death runes, as well as the runes needed for Ancient Magicks.

Tiaras
Talismans take up a space in a player's inventory, allowing them to only hold 27 essence in their inventory. However, a tiara can fix this. A player can combine a talisman and a tiara together, allowing them to wear the tiara on their head while still being able to craft runes. With the talisman inside the tiara, players can hold 28 essence. Players can either craft a tiara or buy one from another player.

If a player has a grey tiara with no markings on it, then it is un-enchanted. To enchant a tiara, the player needs to bring the talisman to an altar (explained in the next section). For example, if a player wants to make air runes wearing a tiara, then they will have to bring their air talisman to the air altar and combine the talisman and the tiara. Players can also earn some runecrafting xp from making a tiara, shown in the table below.

Altars
Altars are where players make their runes. Tiaras or talismans are needed to enter these altars. Altars are labelled on a player's mini-map as a small circle with a jagged line through it. Players can find altars by finding them on their own, using a talisman, or by asking other players.

Altars are hidden inside 'mysterious ruins'. To find an altar using a talisman, players can right-click on the talisman and click on the 'locate' option. In the chatbox, the player will notice a message that will tell them the direction they need to go in, whether it be northwest or southeast.

When a player has found the mysterious ruins, they then need to enter the ruins. The player can enter by using their talisman with the ruins. If they are wearing a talisman, all they have to do is click on the ruins.

When the player is inside the ruins, they are now in the altar. They can then use their essence with the altar to craft some runes. While inside an altar, a player can also enchant a tiara if they have an un-enchanted tiara in their inventory. With the un-enchanted tiara, all they have to do is use with the altar and it will become enchanted. The table below lists the locations of where the altars are.

Crafting runes
When a player has entered the mysterious ruins, all they have to do is click on the altar. They will then craft all the essence they hold into a rune. Blood and soul runes cannot currently be crafted.

Crafting multiple runes
As a player's runecrafting level increases, they can make more runes. However, they only earn experience based on the amount of essence they have. For example, a player may have only 1 essence in their inventory, but can make 2 air runes. They will only receive 5 experience, as they only used one essence.

Law and Death runes cannot be multicrafted.

Combination runes
Members have an extension to runecrafting, which is all but unused.

To craft combination runes, a player needs to take existing runes that are one half of the combination, with a matching talisman (not a tiara), along with an equal amount of pure essence to the Altar which comprises the other half of the combination. Use the talisman for the existing runes on the altar, resulting in:


 * The talisman is consumed.
 * 50% success in making combination runes.

For 100% success, players can wear a 'Necklace of Binding' (enchanted emerald necklace), but this is only good for 15 uses. The runes made can often save inventory space when used for certain spells, including those in Ancient Magicks. Alternatively, the player may use the lunar spell Magic Imbue to make combination runes without using the opposing talisman.

Players receive less experience at the lower-leveled altars. For example, making mist runes at the air altar will give 8 xp for each rune made, while the same runes at the water altar will give 8.5 xp for each rune made.

Tips

 * Members should wear the Boots of Lightness while runecrafting so that they can run longer. The boots can be obtained during the Temple of Ikov quest, although the quest is not a requirement.
 * When mining essence, players should be only carrying a pickaxe so that they can run longer.
 * Members find it more convenient to have pouches with them when mining essence. Pouches can be obtained by using The Abyss.
 * It is recommended that players mine a large amount of essence, bank them all, and then craft runes with 28 essence in their inventory each time. For example, a player should mine 28 essence, then bank them, and then go back to the mines and repeat. When they've gotten about 500 essence, then they can make some runes. This method is faster than mining 28 essence and then crafting the runes.
 * When crafting nature runes on southern Karamja, there are a number of ways to craft them, because the altar is so far from a bank. Possible ways to craft nature runes are:
 * 1) Have a large amount of noted essence and some money. Sell as much essence as the player's inventory can hold to the general store northwest of the altar, then buy them all back. The player can then go the the nature altar and craft their runes and repeat. However, some other players may be doing the same thing, making players buy another player's essence.
 * 2) Some players use runners to bring them unnoted essences in exchange for noted essences, some cash and/or some runes. Typical locations for this are the air, law and nature altars.
 * 3) Members can use the duel ring teleports for fast Runecrafting xp. The duel arena teleport location is very close to the fire altar and the castle war teleport is very close to a banking spot.
 * 4) From Al-Kharid, travel north to the gnome glider. Ride the glider to the Grand Tree and then to Karamja.  Travel northwest, cross the river via the log, and then head southwest to the nature altar. The player can then craft their runes. When they are done, they can use either a glory amulet to teleport to Al-Kharid or use a dueling ring to bank at Castle Wars and then teleport to the Duel Arena.
 * 5) Use The Abyss, using an amulet of glory to teleport to Edgeville and bank there and then repeat or use the Edgeville dungeon teleport with Ancient Magicks.
 * 6) Move your house (construction skill) to Brimhaven. Teleport to home and run to nature altar.
 * 7) Use the fairy ring teleport system. From Edgeville run to ring accross the river. At fairy ring central, use the CKR teleport to get close to the altar. Craft and use a teleport method to get back to Edgeville bank.
 * 8) Bank in Catherby. Use the boat system to travel to Shipyard at Karamja. Run to nature altar. Use normal style Camelot teleport or Lunar style Catherby teleport to get back to bank.