OSRS Hell Rat Behemoth Guide: Everything You Need to Know

OSRS Hell Rat Behemoth Guide: Everything You Need to Know


In the vast world of Old School RuneScape (OSRS), the Hell Rat Behemoth stands out as a unique and intriguing challenge for players. Found lurking in Evil Dave’s basement in Edgeville, these oversized rodents guard valuable colored spices that are essential for creating spicy stews. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or a newcomer looking to spice up your gameplay, this guide dives deep into everything you need to know about the Hell Rat Behemoth, from how to access them to the best strategies for defeating them. Let’s explore this quirky corner of OSRS and uncover the secrets of these formidable foes.

Hell Rat Behemoths are a larger, tougher variant of the standard Hell-Rats found in Evil Dave’s basement. Introduced as part of the Recipe for Disaster questline, these creatures are not your typical rats. They guard four-dose colored spices—red, yellow, orange, or brown—which are crucial for players aiming to boost their skills temporarily with spicy stews. Unlike regular Hell-Rats, which can be chased and caught by your cat for random one-to-four dose spices, Behemoths require a more strategic approach, involving a cat-assisted battle in an instanced area.

How to Access Hell Rat Behemoths

To encounter a Hell Rat Behemoth, you must first complete the Evil Dave subquest within Recipe for Disaster. This quest unlocks access to his basement in Edgeville, where the Behemoths reside behind curtains. Each of the four Behemoths guards a specific spice, making them a reliable source for targeted spice collection. Without completing this subquest, the basement remains off-limits, so it’s a prerequisite for anyone looking to take on these rats.

Combat Stats of Hell Rat Behemoths

These Behemoths aren’t pushovers. According to game data, their combat stats are as follows:

  • Attack: 9
  • Strength: 1
  • Defence: 1
  • Hitpoints: 15

While their attack stat is decent, their low strength and defense make them manageable with the right preparation. However, their ability to deal damage to your cat means you can’t underestimate them.

How to Fight Hell Rat Behemoths

Unlike most OSRS combat encounters where you wield a weapon yourself, fighting Hell Rat Behemoths involves your trusty feline companion. This unique mechanic adds a layer of strategy, as your success hinges on your cat’s performance and your ability to support it during the fight.

Preparing Your Cat

The key to defeating a Hell Rat Behemoth lies in the type of cat you bring. Here’s a breakdown of your options:

  • Kitten: Weak and likely to die quickly—avoid using kittens unless you’re prepared to lose them.
  • Normal Cat: Can fight but struggles against the Behemoth’s attacks, requiring frequent healing.
  • Overgrown Cat: A step up from a normal cat, with better survivability but still not ideal.
  • Wily Cat: The best choice, trained via the Ratcatchers quest. Wily cats are agile and powerful, making them highly effective against Behemoths.

To get a wily cat, you’ll need to raise a kitten to an overgrown cat (about 3–4 hours of following you) and then visit Felkrash in Port Sarim’s rat pits after completing Ratcatchers. This investment pays off with faster, safer Behemoth kills.

The Battle Process

Once you’ve got your cat ready, head to Evil Dave’s basement. Interact with one of the four curtains, each corresponding to a specific spice color, and send your cat in. You’ll enter an instanced area where your cat faces off against the Behemoth. Here’s how it works:

  1. Your cat engages the Behemoth automatically.
  2. You can heal your cat by using fish or milk on the curtain or directly on the cat if it’s visible.
  3. If the fight gets too tough, walk away to exit the instance—your cat will follow unharmed.
  4. If your cat wins, you’ll automatically receive a four-dose spice of the guarded color.

Pro Tip: Use raw karambwanji for healing. They’re stackable, heal the same amount as any other food (despite the type), and save inventory space for multiple fights.

Rewards and Benefits of Defeating Hell Rat Behemoths

The primary reward for defeating a Hell Rat Behemoth is a guaranteed four-dose colored spice. These spices are the backbone of spicy stews, which can provide temporary skill boosts ranging from -5 to +5, depending on the combination and doses used. This makes them invaluable for tasks like achievement diaries, quests, or construction boosts (e.g., building a maxed-out pool at level 82 with a +5 boost).

Spice Collection Efficiency

Compared to chasing regular Hell-Rats, which drop random spices in varying doses, Behemoths offer consistency. Each Behemoth guards a specific color, so you can target exactly what you need. For example:

Curtain Location Spice Color
Northwest Red
Northeast Yellow
Southwest Orange
Southeast Brown

This predictability saves time and effort, especially for players needing a specific boost.

Additional Perks

Beyond spices, killing a Behemoth counts as a rat kill for Slayer tasks, awarding 15 Slayer experience. While not a primary grinding method, it’s a nice bonus if you’re assigned rats by a Slayer master.

Tips and Tricks for Success

To maximize your success against Hell Rat Behemoths, consider these practical tips based on player experiences and game mechanics.

Cat Health Management

Your cat’s survival is paramount, as a dead cat is lost forever, forcing you to start over with a new kitten from Gertrude. Always carry a stack of karambwanji (caught via fishing in Tai Bwo Wannai) to heal your cat mid-fight. If you’re using a RuneLite client, some plugins can display your cat’s health bar when you heal it, helping you judge when to intervene.

Time Efficiency

A wily cat can dispatch a Behemoth in about 30–60 seconds, making it far faster than collecting random spices from regular Hell-Rats. For comparison, chasing smaller rats might yield one to four doses randomly, often requiring multiple catches to match a single Behemoth’s output. If you’re after a full inventory of a specific spice, Behemoths are the way to go.

Safety First

If your cat’s health looks dicey, don’t hesitate to retreat. The ability to exit the instance without loss (as long as your cat’s alive) is a lifesaver. This is especially critical with weaker cats or if the Behemoth lands a string of lucky hits.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with preparation, players can stumble when tackling Hell Rat Behemoths. Here are pitfalls to watch out for:

Using the Wrong Pet

Only cats can fight Behemoths. Attempting to use another pet (like a dog or monkey) triggers a message: “Regrettably, that pet isn’t sufficiently interested in killing rats.” Stick to felines to avoid wasting time.

Neglecting Cat Training

Skipping the Ratcatchers quest and using a normal or overgrown cat increases the risk of failure. Wily cats aren’t just a luxury—they’re a game-changer for efficiency and safety. Invest the time to train one.

Ignoring Inventory Space

If your inventory is full when you defeat a Behemoth, the spice drops to the floor beneath you. In the cramped basement, this can lead to misclicks or accidental loss if you’re not paying attention. Keep a slot open to avoid this hassle.

The Hell Rat Behemoth may not be the flashiest boss in OSRS, but it’s a testament to the game’s charm—turning a mundane rat into a rewarding challenge. With the right cat, a stack of karambwanji, and a bit of patience, you’ll be stocking up on spices in no time. Whether you’re boosting skills for a diary or just enjoying the quirky mechanics, these basement-dwelling behemoths offer a unique slice of RuneScape life. So, grab your cat, head to Edgeville, and let the rat-slaying begin!