Making money in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is essential, whether you’re a new adventurer or a seasoned player. Having a healthy amount of gold (GP) opens up many possibilities in the game, from buying better gear and training supplies to accessing new content. For players just starting their OSRS journey, the prospect of earning enough gold can seem daunting. This Oldschool Runescape Money Making Guide is specifically designed to help beginners discover straightforward and accessible methods to build their wealth with minimal starting resources. We’ll explore several low-level money-making techniques that require little to no initial investment, allowing you to start accumulating GP and progress further in the game.
Slaying Chaos Druids: Up to 175K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Armor | Any basic armor |
| Weapon | Any weapon |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Level | Combat level 20+ |
| Item | Herb pouch |
Chaos Druids are a popular choice for new OSRS players looking to train combat and make money simultaneously. They are relatively weak, with low health and damage output, making them manageable for lower-level characters. The primary reason Chaos Druids are profitable is their herb drops. They frequently drop various herbs, with Ranarr weeds being the most valuable and contributing the most to your profit per hour.
To begin this money-making method, you’ll need to venture into Taverley Dungeon. The map below shows the path to reach the dungeon entrance.
Path to Taverley Dungeon for OSRS money making
Taverley Dungeon entrance path in OSRS for money making
To get to Taverley Dungeon, start at the Falador bank and follow the red path indicated on the map. If you don’t have the Agility level for the shortcut, you can enter Taverley through the main gates located just north of Falador.
Once inside Taverley Dungeon, proceed straight ahead, ignoring any side passages. You will soon encounter the Chaos Druids. Engage and defeat them, collect their drops, and then return to the Falador bank to deposit and sell your loot. While not essential, a Falador teleport can significantly speed up your trips. By consistently slaying Chaos Druids and selling their herb drops, you can expect to earn approximately 175,000 to 200,000 GP per hour.
Grand Exchange Flipping: Buy Low, Sell High
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Requirements | None |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Some starting cash |
Flipping in the Grand Exchange (GE) is a fundamental trading technique in OSRS. It involves buying items at a lower price and selling them for a higher price to profit from price discrepancies. The Grand Exchange is the central marketplace in OSRS, constantly bustling with activity across all game worlds, making it an ideal place for flipping.
OSRS Grand Exchange Map Location for flipping money making
To start flipping, you’ll need some initial capital. The process involves identifying items with good profit margins. A profit margin is the difference between the buying price and the selling price, representing your potential profit. Determining an item’s margin requires careful observation and testing of prices.
Due to the dynamic nature of OSRS’s in-game economy, providing specific item recommendations for flipping is challenging as prices fluctuate constantly. Success in flipping depends on adaptability and continuous monitoring of item prices. Staying informed about market trends is crucial for profitable flipping in OSRS.
OSRS Grand Exchange Interface for item flipping
Once you have selected an item to flip, begin by placing a buy offer slightly below the current market price. After your purchase is successful, immediately place a sell offer for the same item, but at a price slightly higher than what you bought it for. To gauge potential profit, check the Grand Exchange price history for the item to understand price trends and fluctuations. If you identify a substantial price difference, invest more capital to buy larger quantities of the item at the lower price and then sell them all at the higher price.
Flipping does carry some risk. While you can expect to profit in most cases, market fluctuations can sometimes lead to losses. However, with careful item selection and price monitoring, flipping can be a consistent and profitable money-making method over time. If you need starting gold to begin your flipping endeavors, you can consider purchasing OSRS gold from reputable sources.
Crushing Bird Nests: Up to 470K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Pestle and mortar |
| Item | Bird nests |
Crushing bird nests is a profitable method, but it comes with a significant drawback: it provides no experience points. Furthermore, starting this method efficiently requires a considerable initial investment, ideally around 20 million GP, to purchase a large quantity of bird nests. However, if you have the capital, crushing bird nests can yield substantial profits. Alternatively, you can consider training Hunter to obtain bird nests yourself, as detailed in a dedicated Hunter guide, which also provides Hunter experience.
Pickpocketing H.A.M. Members: Up to 1M GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Skill | 15 Thieving (35 Recommended) |
Pickpocketing H.A.M. (Humans Against Monsters) members can be highly lucrative, even at lower Thieving levels. While higher Thieving levels, ideally 35 or more, will significantly improve your success rate and profit, it’s still a viable money-making method at level 15 Thieving. The primary goal of pickpocketing H.A.M. members is to obtain easy clue scrolls, which can then be completed for valuable rewards.
| Note | Information |
|---|---|
| H.A.M. Pieces | Pickpocketing before completing “Death to the Dorgeshuun” quest increases H.A.M. piece drop rate. |
| Quest Start | Quest progress begins by speaking to Mistag. |
For more in-depth information and tips on maximizing your Thieving efficiency, you can consult a comprehensive Thieving guide.
Collecting Steel Platebodies & Alching: Up to 260K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Knife |
| Skill | 55 Magic (for High Alchemy) |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Stamina Potions |
| Item | Food |
| Item | High Alchemy Runes |
Steel platebodies are consistently sought after items in OSRS, making them a reliable source of income. To begin collecting them, travel to Edgeville bank, carrying a knife in your inventory or wielding a sword. A weapon is needed to cut through webs, but carrying a knife saves an inventory slot. Bringing a looting bag can also increase your carrying capacity if you have one. Proceed south from Edgeville bank and pull the lever, which teleports you into the deep Wilderness. Navigate to the Lava Maze area, using the map below for guidance.
OSRS Lava Maze Map for steel platebody money making
Once you reach the designated spot in the Lava Maze, start picking up the steel platebodies. They do not respawn instantly, so after looting one, switch to a different game world to find another quickly. Repeat this process across multiple worlds to fill your inventory and looting bag efficiently. Once you have a full load, return to the lever you used to enter the Wilderness. Use a teleport to return to Edgeville and bank your collected steel platebodies. To further increase your profit, you can use the High Alchemy spell on the steel platebodies before selling them, although this adds risk due to the Wilderness location and potential player-killers (PKers).
Collecting Nature Runes in Deep Wilderness: 120K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Skill | 33 Magic |
| Item | Staff of air |
| Item | Law runes |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Energy potion |
| Item | Food |
| Item | Teleport runes |
Collecting nature runes in the deep Wilderness is a potentially profitable method, especially for Free-to-Play (F2P) players, but it is inherently risky due to its location in a Player vs Player (PVP) zone. While the route to the nature rune spawn is relatively straightforward, it is somewhat lengthy. Walking instead of running is advisable to conserve energy during your trips. The map below illustrates the path to the nature rune location.
OSRS Nature Rune Wilderness Location Map for money making
Follow the route on the map. Once you arrive at the nature rune spawn, open your spellbook and select the Telekinetic Grab spell. Target the nature rune located on the small island. An animation will play, and the nature rune will automatically be added to your inventory. After collecting a rune, hop to the next game world and wait for the nature rune to respawn in the previous world. For safety, after collecting a few runes, move south of the island to deposit them and minimize the risk of encountering PKers before you have a full inventory.
If you are a Pay-to-Play (P2P) player considering this method, it is generally advisable to avoid P2P worlds. These worlds often have a higher density of players, including those hunting dangerous bosses like Callisto, increasing the risk of encountering unwanted PvP combat.
Collecting Wines of Zamorak in Deep Wilderness: 160K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Skill | 33 Magic |
| Item | Staff of air |
| Item | Law runes |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Energy potion |
| Item | Food |
| Item | Teleport runes |
Collecting Wines of Zamorak in the deep Wilderness is another risky but potentially rewarding money-making method, especially for F2P players. Similar to nature rune collecting, the risk stems from the location being in a PVP area with a high chance of encountering other players who may attempt to attack you. The map below guides you to the Wilderness Temple where Wines of Zamorak spawn. Walking is recommended to conserve energy for potential escapes or longer trips.
OSRS Wilderness Temple Map for Wine of Zamorak money making
When you reach the altar inside the Wilderness Temple, do not attempt to pick up the Wines of Zamorak directly, as the Zamorak flames will damage you. Instead, use the Telekinetic Grab spell. Open your spellbook, select Telekinetic Grab, and cast it on the Wine of Zamorak on the altar. Repeat this until your inventory is full. Once your inventory is full, head south to level 20 Wilderness and cast Varrock Teleport to quickly escape the Wilderness and bank your loot.
Cooking Raw Tunas: 33K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Skill | 30 Cooking |
| Item | Raw tunas |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Skill | 63 Cooking |
Cooking raw tunas is a straightforward and profitable money-making method in F2P OSRS, and it also provides Cooking experience. Cooked tunas are a commonly used food source for healing, creating consistent demand in the Grand Exchange and ensuring a stable selling price. Al-Kharid is a convenient location for cooking tunas due to the presence of a range close to the bank, minimizing travel time between banking and cooking.
OSRS Al-Kharid Bank and Range Map for tuna cooking money making
The image above highlights the location of the range in Al-Kharid. While you can start cooking raw tunas at level 30 Cooking, you will likely burn a significant portion of them, reducing your profit. Reaching level 63 Cooking significantly reduces the burn rate, making this method more consistently profitable. To cook tunas, simply interact with the range, select the raw tunas in your inventory, choose “Cook All,” and wait for them to cook. Once finished, return to the bank to replenish your raw tunas and repeat the process.
Collecting and Tanning Cowhide: 144K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Requirements | None |
Recommended:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Item | Weight-reducing clothing |
| Item | Energy or Stamina potions |
Collecting cowhides and tanning them into leather is a simple and accessible money-making method, particularly suitable for very low-level players. The process involves collecting cowhides from cows, typically in the Lumbridge cow field, and then taking them to a tanner to be tanned into soft leather for a small fee. Gather 27 cowhides (a full inventory), run to Al Kharid to find the tanner Ellis, pay him to tan the hides, return to the bank, and repeat the cycle. Completing the Prince Ali Rescue quest beforehand is highly recommended as it allows free passage through the Al Kharid palace gates, streamlining your trips to the tanner. Collecting and tanning cowhide is a reliable method for beginners to earn some initial GP in OSRS.
Making Gold Bracelets: 220K GP Per Hour
Requirements:
| Category | Item |
|---|---|
| Skill | 7 Crafting |
| Item | Gold bar |
| Item | Bracelet mould |
Making gold bracelets is a relatively AFK (Away From Keyboard) money-making method, although there are other crafting methods that may offer better experience rates or similar profits. A recent update made the furnace in Edgeville accessible to F2P players, making gold bracelet crafting more efficient. The Edgeville furnace is conveniently located close to the bank, reducing travel time.
To make gold bracelets, start at the Edgeville bank. Withdraw a bracelet mould and fill the rest of your inventory with gold bars. Run a short distance to the Edgeville furnace.
OSRS Edgeville Furnace and Bank Location for gold bracelet money making
OSRS Gold Bracelet Crafting for money making
Interact with the furnace. A crafting interface will appear. Select gold bracelets and choose the quantity you wish to make. After a short crafting period, all the gold bracelets will be created. Return to the bank to replenish your gold bars and repeat the process. Making gold bracelets is a slower but steady method for leveling Crafting. Gold bracelets are also commonly used for High Alchemy, which helps maintain their demand and value in the Grand Exchange.
These methods represent just a starting point for low-level money making in OSRS. Numerous other techniques exist, catering to various skill levels and preferences. For players seeking the quickest and most straightforward method to obtain gold, purchasing OSRS gold from reputable sellers is also an option. It’s important to be informed about safe gold buying practices. Conversely, if you accumulate significant wealth through in-game methods, you can also sell your OSRS gold for real money. For further exploration of money-making strategies, including higher-level and P2P methods, numerous online guides and resources are available.
