Overload

Overloads are potions which combine the boosting properties of extreme attack, extreme strength, extreme defence, extreme ranging, and extreme magic potions. Requiring 96 Herblore to produce, overloads have the highest Herblore level requirement to make among potions in the game, excluding a few high-level strong potions within Daemonheim.

Overloads are created by combining 3-dose extreme attack, extreme strength, extreme defence, extreme ranging, and extreme magic potions with a clean torstol. The process grants 1,000 Herblore experience. It is possible to make these potions at level 91 herblore with the aid of a spicy stew (with brown spice) getting a +5 level boost. It is recommended to start making them at 94 with the use of a God banner as it gives you a +2 bonus for 30 minutes. It is possible to achieve 1,600,000xp/hour. Using a preset inventory with appropriate quantities of each of the six ingredients greatly reduces the time spent banking. The cost of making an overload potion (3) from pre-purchased super potions is or  per dose (slightly less with a scroll of cleansing). Four empty vials will be left over afterwards. The Assist System cannot be used to produce overloads.

Overloads boost Attack, Strength, Defence, Ranged, and Magic by 3 + 15% of the stat level, for a maximum of +17 at level 99. The increase to the Damage stat in Equipment stats is +1 for each boosted level (+1.5 with a 2h weapon), but the effective damage increase is far higher. This boost is affected by other damage modifiers such as the effects of the Void Knight equipment set, abilities, and the hidden damage modifier on abilities based on weapon speed (see Ability book).

On top of the +17 damage that overloads give that varies with other damage modifiers, for every level that they boost, overloads also provide a +8 damage boost, which is added on after every other damage modifier has been calculated. With the aforementioned +17 boost to each stat, overloads provide a static +136 damage to all attacks which is unaffected by any damage boosts (e.g. the 5% from Void Knight equipment or the weapon speed-based penalty modifiers of abilities).

This boost is renewed every 15 seconds for 5 minutes, however if you were to time it, it would be more like 4 and a half minutes. It is a popular misconception that overloads will fully restore a player's stats every 15 seconds. This is untrue, as overloads simply reapply their boosts every 15 seconds. This property is useful to players who are using Saradomin brews to restore lifepoints, as the overload's frequent boosts help to counter the Saradomin brews' stat drain. After the five minutes is up, the overload's stat boosts will wear off entirely.

Upon death, the effect of overload will also wear off entirely before the five minutes is up.

After the Evolution of Combat update, overloads can now be used in the Wilderness.

Trivia

 * When first released, overloads could be used in PvP areas, but within 48 hours, this was changed so they cannot be used in any PvP situation, dangerous or safe. This decision has sparked some controversy, as some players believe that extremes and overloads should be available in the Wilderness. Mod Mark has replied that the potions are unavailable in PvP because Herblore level does not affect combat level; players may therefore be misled and think that a potential target is weaker than they are.
 * Before the release of Evolution of Combat, Overloads had a larger boost and reduced lifepoints by 500 when consumed. Attempting to drink a dose of overload with fewer than 500 life points results in the message "You need more than 500 life points to survive the power of overload."
 * According to Jagex, the damage the player received from drinking an overload was because the potion "racks the body with spasms and burns the digestive tract".
 * Using overload potions continuously costs a player approximately coins per hour. As a result, it is generally only recommended to use them when fighting monsters with fairly decent drops in order to offset the cost.