OSRS Slug Menace Blank Rune on Altar Not Working Troubleshooting Guide

If you’re knee-deep in the Slug Menace quest in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) and hitting a wall where using a blank rune on an altar isn’t working, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, frustrated, clicking away at the altar, wondering why nothing’s happening. As someone who’s completed this quest multiple times across different accounts, I know how tricky this part can be. This guide will break down why your blank rune might not be working, how to fix it, and some pro tips to breeze through this section of the quest. Let’s dive in and get you past this hurdle!

The Slug Menace is the fourth quest in the Temple Knight series, and it’s a wild ride through the creepy village of Witchaven. You’re tasked with uncovering a sinister plot involving sea slugs and a mysterious door sealed by the White Knights. One of the key steps involves crafting special runes (air, water, fire, earth, and mind) to unlock this door. Sounds simple, right? Well, not when your blank rune refuses to cooperate at the altar.

Why the Blank Rune Step Matters

This part of the quest is crucial because you need to create special runes to open the imposing door in the Witchaven shrine. You start by shaping rune or pure essence into blank runes using pages from Brother Maledict’s holy book, then imbue them with magic at their respective altars. If the altar isn’t responding, it can feel like the game is trolling you. Trust me, I’ve spent hours troubleshooting this myself, so let’s figure out what’s going wrong.

Why Isn’t My Blank Rune Working on the Altar?

So, you’re standing at the Air Altar, blank rune in hand, clicking like mad, and… nothing. What gives? There are a few common reasons this happens, and I’ll walk you through each one based on my own struggles and successes.

1. You’re Using the Wrong Altar

This is the most common mistake. Each blank rune (air, earth, water, fire, mind) must be used on its specific altar. For example, a blank air rune only works at the Air Altar south of Falador. I once tried using a blank fire rune at the Earth Altar (don’t ask why) and wasted 20 minutes before realizing my error. Double-check which rune you’re holding and where you are.

• Air Altar: South of Falador, near the road to Port Sarim.

• Water Altar: In the Lumbridge Swamp, near the waterlogged ruins.

• Fire Altar: Northeast of Al Kharid, near the Duel Arena.

• Earth Altar: Northeast of Varrock, near the Sawmill.

• Mind Altar: North of Falador, just below the Wilderness.

Quick Tip: Use a rune pouch to save inventory space, and bring talismans, tiaras, or access the Abyss for faster travel.

2. You Didn’t Shape the Rune Correctly

To create a blank rune, you need to right-click the pages from Brother Maledict’s book (Page 1, Page 2, or Page 3) and select the “shape” option for the specific rune type while having a chisel and rune/pure essence in your inventory. If you accidentally used the chisel directly on the essence, you’ll end up with useless rune shards. I did this on my first playthrough and was so confused when the altar didn’t work. Check your inventory to ensure you have the correct blank rune (e.g., blank air rune, not just essence).

How to Fix:

1. Go back to Witchaven and talk to Brother Maledict to ensure you have all three pages.

2. Right-click the page corresponding to the rune you need (e.g., Page 1 for air or earth).

3. Select the “shape” option (e.g., “shape air”).

4. Make sure you have a chisel and at least 5-10 rune or pure essence, as shaping can fail.

3. Your Runecrafting Level Affects Success Rate

Here’s where things get spicy. The chance of successfully shaping a blank rune or imbuing it at the altar depends on your Runecrafting level. At level 30 (the minimum for the quest), you have about a 59% success rate, which means you might break a few runes before getting it right. At level 99, it’s nearly 100%, but who’s got that kind of grind done before this quest? Not me on my first account! If your rune breaks, you’ll see a message like “the essence shatters” or “you fail to channel the altar’s energy.”

What to Do:

• Bring extra rune or pure essence (10-15 recommended) to account for failures.

• Keep the pages and chisel with you to reshape runes if they break.

• If you’re low on Runecrafting, consider using the Guardians of the Rift minigame to boost your level slightly before attempting this step.

4. You’re Not Using the Rune on the Altar Correctly

This one sounds obvious, but hear me out. To imbue a blank rune, you need to use the blank rune on the altar, not just click the altar or use the essence on it. I remember standing at the Water Altar, clicking it repeatedly, thinking it would magically work. Nope! You have to left-click the blank rune in your inventory, then click the altar to use it.

Steps to Imbue:

1. Stand in front of the correct altar (e.g., Air Altar for blank air rune).

2. Left-click the blank rune in your inventory.

3. Click the altar to use the rune on it.

4. If successful, you’ll get a special rune (e.g., special air rune). If it fails, the rune breaks, and you’ll need to try again.

5. Inventory or Quest Progress Issues

Sometimes, the game won’t let you progress if you’re missing a key item or haven’t reached the right quest stage. For example, you need the Commorb v2 in your inventory for certain steps, and the quest log must indicate you’re at the stage to imbue the runes. I once forgot to pick up the dead sea slug from the shrine (a required item for later), and it threw off my quest progress, making me think the altar step was broken.

Checklist:

• Ensure you have the Commorb v2 (upgraded by Sir Tiffy Cashien).

• Check your quest log to confirm you’re at the “use the runes on the altars” stage.

• Verify you have all three pages and the sea slug glue from Bailey on the Fishing Platform.

Step-by-Step Fix for Blank Rune Not Working

Let’s break this down into a clear, actionable plan to get you past this annoying issue. Follow these steps, and you’ll be unlocking that door in no time.

Step 1: Verify Your Items

Make sure you have:

• Chisel

• 5-15 rune or pure essence (more is better due to failure rates)

• Page 1, Page 2, and Page 3 from Brother Maledict’s book

• Commorb v2

• Access to altars (via talismans, tiaras, Abyss, or Guardians of the Rift)

Step 2: Shape the Blank Runes

1. Right-click Page 1 to shape blank air or earth runes.

2. Right-click Page 2 to shape blank fire or water runes.

3. Right-click Page 3 to shape blank mind runes.

4. If a rune breaks, repeat the process with another essence. Don’t Panic if it fails a few times—it’s normal!

Step 3: Imbue the Runes at the Correct Altars

Rune Type	Altar Location	How to Get There
Air	South of Falador	Teleport to Falador, run south
Water	Lumbridge Swamp	Lumbridge teleport, run southwest
Fire	Northeast of Al Kharid	Al Kharid teleport, run northeast
Earth	Northeast of Varrock	Varrock teleport, run northeast
Mind	North of Falador	Falador teleport, run north

• Use the blank rune on the corresponding altar.

• If it fails, reshape a new blank rune and try again.

• Once successful, you’ll have special air, water, fire, earth, and mind runes.

Step 4: Use the Special Runes on the Door

Head back to the Witchaven shrine (west of town, near Ardougne). Go down to the imposing door and use each special rune on it in any order. This triggers a cutscene where Mayor Hobb reveals his evil plan, and you’ll face a level 62 Slug Prince. Make sure you have melee gear, as only melee attacks work, and the Slug Prince drains Prayer with each hit.

Pro Tip: Stand behind the stone pillars in the shrine to attack safely with a halberd if you’re low on health or food.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Here are some pitfalls I’ve fallen into (and seen others struggle with) during this quest:

• Forgetting the Chisel: You can’t shape runes without it. Always keep it in your inventory.

• Running Out of Essence: Bring at least 10-15 essence to account for failures, especially if your Runecrafting is low.

• Using the Wrong Page: Each page corresponds to specific runes. Page 1 is for air and earth, Page 2 for fire and water, and Page 3 for mind.

• Not Checking Quest Progress: If the altar still isn’t working, open your quest log to ensure you’re at the right stage.

My Personal Experience with Slug Menace

When I first tackled Slug Menace years ago, I was a mid-level player with barely 30 Runecrafting. I remember getting so frustrated at the Fire Altar because my blank fire rune kept breaking. I must’ve gone through 12 essence before I realized I was using Page 1 instead of Page 2 to shape it. Rookie mistake! After fixing that, I still failed a few times at the altar due to my low Runecrafting level. What saved me was bringing extra essence and using the Abyss to hop between altars quickly. If I can get through it, so can you!

Have you ever gotten stuck on a quest step like this? It’s super annoying, right? The key is to stay calm and double-check everything. If you’re still struggling, let’s explore some additional tips.

Advanced Tips for Smooth Questing

If you’re like me and want to optimize your time, here are some extra strategies to make this part of the quest easier:

• Use the Abyss: If you’ve completed Enter the Abyss, the Abyss is the fastest way to access all altars. Bring an Amulet of Glory for quick teleports to Edgeville and an Abyssal Bracelet to avoid PKers (though they’re rare these days).

• Guardians of the Rift: If you’ve unlocked this minigame, it’s a great way to access altars without needing talismans or tiaras.

• Stock Up on Essence: I always bring 15 pure essence to be safe. It’s better to over-prepare than to run back to the bank mid-quest.

• Boost Runecrafting Temporarily: If you’re just shy of a higher success rate, consider using a Runecrafting potion (requires Herblore level 54) or playing Guardians of the Rift for a quick level-up.

What to Do If You’re Still Stuck

If you’ve tried everything and the altar still isn’t working, here are some final troubleshooting steps:

1. Log Out and Back In: Sometimes, OSRS glitches out. A quick relog can reset things.

2. Check Your Inventory: Make sure you’re not accidentally holding rune shards or regular essence instead of a blank rune.

3. Talk to NPCs: Go back to Brother Maledict or Col. Jake O’Niall in Witchaven to ensure you haven’t missed a dialogue trigger.

4. Consult the Quest Log: It’ll tell you exactly what to do next. If it says “use the runes on the altars,” you’re on the right track.

5. Ask the Community: The OSRS subreddit (r/2007scape) or the official OSRS Discord are great places to get quick advice from other players.

Why Slug Menace Is Worth the Trouble

I know this quest can feel like a slog, especially when the runes aren’t cooperating, but it’s worth it. Completing Slug Menace unlocks the Proselyte armor, which gives a massive +18 Prayer bonus—perfect for AFK Slayer or bossing on a budget. Plus, you get 3.5K experience in Crafting, Runecrafting, and Thieving, which is a nice boost for mid-level accounts. For me, getting that armor was a game-changer for training Prayer-heavy skills like Combat.

What’s your goal for completing Slug Menace? Are you chasing that sweet Proselyte armor or just trying to clear the Temple Knight series? Whatever it is, don’t give up—you’re almost there!

Final Thoughts

The “blank rune on altar not working” issue in Slug Menace can be a real headache, but it’s usually down to using the wrong altar, incorrect rune shaping, or a low Runecrafting level causing failures. By following the steps above—checking your items, shaping runes correctly, and using the right altars—you’ll get past this in no time. My biggest advice? Bring extra essence and double-check your quest log. I’ve been stuck here before, and I know how infuriating it is, but with a little patience, you’ll be fighting the Slug Prince and finishing the quest like a pro.

Got any other OSRS quest troubles? Drop a comment on the OSRS subreddit or hit up the community for more tips. Happy questing, and may your runes never break (too often)!