Herblore





Herblore (Herblaw on RuneScape Classic) is a members-only skill that allows players to make their potions. Before players are able to begin using it, they must first complete the Druidic Ritual quest. This gives enough Herblore experience to raise the skill to level 3, which is the first level at which players can make potions. Players that have not completed the quest may utilise the Assist system to borrow someone else's Herblore level and make potions, though they will not receive the experience for doing so.

Herblore appears to have been established by Sarah in Past A, as revealed after finishing the Meeting History quest and then talking to her.

Although it is easy to get Herblore to level 99, it is one of the most expensive skills in the game for players who buy all or most of the needed ingredients. For players who gather the ingredients (most are available from monster drops and some spawn in various locations), it is much less expensive but quite time consuming.

Herbalists
Herbalists' locations are identified by the green herb icon on the world map and minimap.

The shops sell vials, pestle and mortars and eyes of newts.
 * Jatix in Taverley owns Jatix's Herblore Shop
 * Frincos in Entrana owns Frincos's Fabulous Herb Store
 * The Ogre merchant in Gu'Tanoth owns Grud's Herblore Stall
 * Zahur in Nardah only cleans grimy herbs

Cleaning Herbs
Players will gain a small amount of experience when cleaning a herb.

Potions

 * See the Potion calculator for coins-per-experience-point analysis of potions using live data from the Grand Exchange Market Watch.


 * Note: Strength potion is the only potion available to non-members.



The potion-making process in Herblore takes two steps, each combining separate items. The first step involves adding a primary ingredient (usually a herb) to a vial of water (or a vial of coconut milk for some high-level potions), to produce an unfinished potion. This does not grant any Herblore experience.

The second step involves adding a secondary ingredient (see below) to make a complete potion that the player can drink or sell (with the exception of a few potions made as part of a quest). This is the main method of gaining Herblore experience. Both steps can be done in batches, which is when the player's inventory contains several of the required items, and the player can choose to "make all" or "make x", etc.

The choice of herb and secondary ingredient dictate which potion is made. Each potion has a minimum Herblore level that players need before they can make the potion, unless they are being assisted by another player.


 * Serum 207, Guam Tar, Weapon poison, and Guthix balance potion (unlike its Saradomin and Zamorak brew counterparts) cannot be consumed, and are to be used for special purposes.

Barbarian potions

 * See the barbarian mix calculator for coins-per-experience-point analysis of barbarian mixes using live data from the Grand Exchange Market Watch.

In order to be able to make Barbarian mixes, you will need to talk to Otto Godblessed, located at Otto's Grotto (West of Baxtorian Falls). He will teach you basic Barbarian Skills needed to get the second ingredient for these mixes. You will also then be able to turn 4 dose potions into two 2-dose potion, by using any 4-dose potion on an empty vial.

To make the enhanced potions, you will need:


 * 2-dose potion (or a 4-dose and an empty vial)
 * Roe (for Attack mix, Anti-poison mix, Relicym's balm mix, Strength mix and Restore mix)
 * Caviar (for all other mixes).

Note: All mixes that can be made from roe heal 3 Hitpoints per dose. All mixes that require caviar heal 6 Hitpoints per dose. '''Warning! Using caviar on potions that require roe does not make the potion heal 6 hp per dose, the potion will still heal the usual 3 hp.'''


 * These potions are not consumable, and are used for special purposes.

Obtaining secondary ingredients
When training Herblore it is useful to have ample supplies of secondary ingredients.
 * Prices are approximate for buying item on the Grand Exchange

Note: Another way to obtain Eye of Newt, Unicorn Horn, or Red spider's eggs would be Creature Creation, a minigame achievable only after completing the Tower of Life quest. By defeating the appropriate creature, you will receive 2-10 of the item in question.

Money
With the introduction of grimy herbs, these herbs now reveal their identity. Hence, the price of grimy herbs depends on what level herbs they are. Chaos druids (as well as Aberrant spectres and Flesh crawlers) drop grimy herbs often, and on occasion may drop two. Uncommonly, Aberrant Spectres may even drop three.

Many combat-related potions sell for high prices (prices are for 3 dose potions):

Some of these prices are under pressure as the number of herbalists that can make those potions increases. Prices of potions have recently fallen due to the grand exchange allowing players to sell them in bulk quickly.

Training
For the training guide; see herblore training.

Temporary boosts



 * A Greenman's ale will temporarily boost Herblore by 1 level. Greenman's ale can be bought in the Yanille pub or brewed using the Cooking skill. Players with level 26 Construction may also build a beverage barrel of Greenman's ale in the kitchen of a player-owned house.
 * A Mature Greenman's ale will temporarily boost Herblore by 2 levels. This can only be made by brewing using the Cooking skill.
 * Spicy stews, which can be made by players who have freed Evil Dave in Recipe for Disaster, can randomly boost or lower Herblore by up to 6 levels, depending on the amount of brown spice used.

Trivia

 * In the game's fictional history, the skill owes its name to a temporal paradox. In the meeting history quest when the player has travelled back in time and talks to the creator of the art, they mention herblore and she replies by saying that that is the perfect name. This is a paradox as the player only mentioned this because they knew it from their own time but it appears they were the original inspiration.
 * The player Halw Gnun was the first one to reach 99 Herblore, as well as the first one to reach 200m Herblore XP on 29 December 2007 at 01:12 GMT. Halw Gnun managed to keep the #1 spot throughout the whole time.
 * Free users can use strength potions, but no other useful ones. Free players are also able to drink the sleeping potion in the Romeo & Juliet quest. This potion will "almost" kill you and you will have an empty vial. This method was one way for new players to gain money.
 * Potions, when made, have 3 doses. Using two of the same potions on each other will fill one to as many as 4 doses in one vial. So if you make 4 of the same potion, you can reclaim one of your vials without losing any of your doses. The exception to this are strength potions that are made by the apocethary in Varrock. He will give you a four dose potion.
 * Zahur is a herbalist in Nardah, east of the general store, who can clean your herbs with 200 coins per herb.
 * It was once possible to use 15 Genie lamps to get to level 3 Herblore without needing to complete the Druidic Ritual quest. Jagex has since removed the ability to use a lamp to level up Herblore if players have not completed the quest.
 * Previously, players who had not done the Druidic Ritual quest could drink a mature greenman's ale to raise their Herblore level and make potions, but an update has now prevented this.
 * Originally, players had to identify herbs instead of cleaning them. All unidentified herbs or "unids" looked the same. It was changed due to the fact that people were scamming with unidentified herbs by telling other players that the herb was a higher level than it actually was.
 * In mythology (real world), a unicorn's horn was believed to have magical properties, such as curing poison. Ground-up unicorn's horn is used to make antipoison.
 * Bob Barter, the Grand Exchange Herb price lister can be right-clicked to give the option "decant". Doing that makes all potions on your inventory combine, forming as many four-dosed potions as possible. That is a quick and efficient way to turn many potions into four-doses, since you can bank at the Grand-Exchange.
 * The potion-making emote shows player using mortar and pestle, which is a bit awkward, considering that pestle isn't necessary for creating potions.