Aberrant spectre


 * Not to be confused with sceptres.

Aberrant spectres are Slayer monsters that require level 60 Slayer to kill. They frequently drop large amounts of high level herbs and herb seeds. Due to the short distance from a bank (when killing them at the Slayer Tower) and their drops, killing Aberrant spectres is often used to make money. They are also known for their higher chance in dropping level 3 clue scrolls. A Macaw Summoning familiar is helpful as they will improve herb drops (requires level 41 Summoning), as will herb gloves (reward from the Fist of Guthix minigame). If the player does not have a high enough Agility level to navigate the shortcut in the Slayer Tower, the Desert Slayer Dungeon is a very good alternative. There is a Summoning obelisk in the area with the Aberrant spectres, and moving one's house to Pollivineach or using a Ring of slaying provides a quick teleport just outside of the dungeon. (Banking can be achieved by using a jewelry teleport such as the Ring of Dueling or a teletab.) Note that using a Slayer helm is necessary in the dungeon, as you will need protection from the smoke as well as the Aberrant spectre's stench.

Another way to get herbs for a very long time without banking when killing them in the Slayer Tower, is to use the prayer bonus method, and when the inventory is stocked with herbs, run out of the tower and use all of the herbs with the nearby Tool Leprechaun. Using this method the herbs will be noted and free up inventory space.

Locations

 * Morytania Slayer Tower
 * Pollnivneach Slayer Dungeon

Strengths and weaknesses
Players must equip either a nose peg or a Slayer helmet when fighting Aberrant spectres, or the player's stats (including lifepoints) will be rapidly reduced due to the Aberrant Spectre's smell. Spectres use a very accurate Magic-based attack with a max hit of 130, which will hit fairly often even with a high magic defence. This can be especially hard on combative familiars like the ever-popular Spirit Terrorbird, to the point that one's stay is usually limited by the familiar's lifespan, rather than by one's own.

Aberrant spectres seem to be weak to Ranged attacks, although a weapon with a Slash attack work just fine. In addition, if using melee, wearing a Salve amulet(e) will give a large advantage, since they are classified as undead. For players on Slayer tasks, however, note that the effects of a Salve amulet does not stack with those of a Black mask or a Slayer helmet.

Recommended player armour depends on one's approach. If using the magical defence approach, wear dragonhide (preferably black) or Karil's; an elemental shield, mind shield or Holy book, with other high magic defence armour. One can use Armadyl armour instead, since it has a very high magic defence, but is not recommended for meleeing due to its negative melee attack bonuses. Alternatively, take the prayer booster approach by using gear like Proselyte armour, Falador shield 3, White boots, the Soul Wars Cape, etc. and use the Protect from Magic prayer. Having a Holy wrench in your inventory recovers more Prayer points per sip of the Prayer potion, but takes up an inventory slot; it is an optional item.

During a trip the Spectres should drop enough Grimy Ranarr to recoup or even make a profit over the cost of the Prayer potions used. On average, a Grimy Ranarr is dropped every 10-20 kills. Aberrant spectres also drop high-value seeds, which can make prayer-using trips profitable even if the ranarrs are not sold.

The only non-aggressive Aberrant spectres are in the Pollnivneach Slayer Dungeon. Players cannot kill them safely until the player makes the Slayer helmet because both the nose peg and facemask are needed to fight them without suffering the effects of the spectres or the smoke. The smoke, however, will only damage players down to 10 life points, so it is possible to use a nose peg, with the Protect from magic prayer, to avoid damage from the spectres and remain at 10 life points. This is very risky, as if the player's prayer runs out, or is otherwise turned off, for just a second, there is a very high chance that the player will die, and hence is not recommended. In the Desert Slayer Dungeon, there is also the option to use a cannon, preferably in combination with the prayer-boosting set-up described above, as very many Spectres will be attacking.

Guthan's set could be used to heal on Bloodvelds if you are in the slayer tower. This could extend your trip long enough to fill your inventory with herbs, forcing you to bank.

Players with a Player-owned house that has a Chapel and a Portal Chamber with a Kharyrll (Canifis) portal have a fast way to handle the spectres. By taking a Teleport to House teletablet, players can slay spectres until their inventories are full. They can then teleport to their house, recharge prayer at the altar in the chapel, use the portal to teleport to Canifis, bank there, and then return to the nearby slayer tower. Players who use Summoning familiars can recharge their summoning points at the obelisk on the way to the tower. (Players with a Menagerie at their house can also recharge summoning there.) For an even faster method, the trip from Canifis to the tower can be skipped if the teleport ability of a Ring of slaying is used.

Perhaps an even faster method, that makes quick work of a slayer task, is for players to have a house in Pollnivneach with a Mounted Glory and a Chapel. In conjunction with a Dwarf Multi-cannon and Ring of slaying (or house teleports) a player is able to collect herb drops, recharge prayer at their chapel, bank in edgeville and teleport back in record time. Best of all this approach does not require any prayer potions, but on the other hand, there is no leprechaun nearby to note your herbs, resulting in more frequent trips.

Recommended Armour
If you are using prayer:
 * Full slayer helmet/Slayer helmet/Nose peg
 * Soul Wars cape/Ardougne cloak 3/Trimmed Skillcape/God Vestment cloak/Fire cape
 * Salve Amulet (e)/Amulet of fury/God stole/Unholy symbol/Holy symbol
 * (If you are using Slayer Helmet and on an Aberrant Spectre slayer task, it is not recommended to wear the normal Salve Amulet since the boosts do not stack).
 * Abyssal whip/Dragon scimitar/Saradomin sword/Dragon mace
 * Falador Shield 3/Falador shield 2/Holy book/Unholy book/Book of balance/Rune defender/Any Spirit shield
 * Proselyte hauberk/Initiate hauberk/Monk's robe (top)
 * Proselyte cuisse/Initiate cuisse/Monk's robe (bottom)
 * Dragon boots/Rune boots/Climbing boots/White boots/Bandos boots
 * Your best Metal gloves/Regen bracelet/Combat bracelet/White gloves
 * Ring of wealth/Explorer's ring/Fremennik ring of your attack style

If using magic defence:
 * Full slayer helmet/Slayer helmet/Nose peg
 * God capes/Skillcape/Fire cape
 * Salve Amulet (e)/Amulet of Fury
 * Abyssal whip/Dragon scimitar/Saradomin sword/Dragon mace
 * Spectral spirit shield/Dragonfire shield/Holy Book/Rune Defender/Spirit shield/Unholy book
 * Karil's leathertop/Black d'hide body
 * Karil's leatherskirt/Black d'hide chaps
 * Dragon boots/Rune boots/Infinity boots/Silly jester boots/Climbing boots/Snakeskin boots
 * Your best Metal gloves/Regen bracelet/Combat bracelet
 * Ring of wealth/Fremennik ring of your attack style/Beacon ring

After the release of the extreme defence potion with the large Herblore update, a common high level strategy is simply using armour of high magic defence, as the defence bonus of the potion is large enough to make this option cheap and effective.

Champions' Challenge
Aberrant spectres are one of the 'races' who have lesser champions in the Champions' Challenge minigame. To fight the Aberrant Spectre Champion, the player must kill aberrant spectres until one drops a Champion scroll, which is a very rare drop.

Seeds

 * Avantoe seed
 * Belladonna seed
 * Cactus seed
 * Cadantine seed
 * Dwarf weed seed
 * Irit seed
 * Kwuarm seed
 * Lantadyme seed
 * Poison ivy seed
 * Ranarr seed
 * Snapdragon seed
 * Toadflax seed
 * Torstol seed

Herbs (1-3)

 * Grimy avantoe (uncommon)
 * Grimy cadantine (rare)
 * Grimy dwarf weed (rare)
 * Grimy guam (common)
 * Grimy harralander (common)
 * Grimy irit (uncommon)
 * Grimy kwuarm (common)
 * Grimy lantadyme (rare)
 * Grimy marrentill (common)
 * Grimy ranarr (uncommon)
 * Grimy tarromin (common)

Weapons/Armour

 * Dragon spear (extremely rare)
 * Lava battlestaff (rare)
 * 5 Rune javelins (very rare)
 * Rune spear (very rare)
 * Steel hatchet (common)
 * Adamant platelegs (rare)
 * Black/Red Mystic robe bottom (rare)
 * Mithril kiteshield (rare)
 * Rune full helmet (rare)
 * Shield left half (very rare)

Other drops

 * Champion Scroll (rare)
 * Level 3 Clue scroll (uncommon)
 * 460 Coins (rare)
 * Gems (common)
 * Loop half of a key (uncommon)
 * Tooth half of a key (very rare)
 * Nature talisman (rare)
 * Nothing

Trivia

 * Aberrant means absurd or abnormal, spectre means ghost.
 * Some players prefer to use Prayer-Flashing, to extend their trip without using any supplies. A skilled Prayer-Flasher can stay until he/she is forced to bank his/her herbs. Prayer-Flashing is not recommended when using a cannon or fighting more than one Aberrant spectre.
 * Although they are using a long-ranged magic attack, they will always engage in close combat when first targeting.