Best Way to Get Fossils in Old School RuneScape

Best Way to Get Fossils in Old School RuneScape

Fossils in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) are valuable items found exclusively on Fossil Island, offering players multiple rewards like experience lamps, Prayer training, and numulites for island activities. Whether you’re aiming to complete Varrock Museum displays or grind Prayer experience, knowing the most efficient methods to gather fossils is key. This guide dives into the best ways to farm fossils, tailored for both casual players and dedicated grinders, with tips to maximize your haul.

Before jumping into fossil collection, it’s worth understanding what fossils do. Found on Fossil Island after completing the Bone Voyage quest (requiring 100 Kudos and The Dig Site quest), fossils come in small, medium, large, plant, and rare varieties. They serve several purposes:

  • Varrock Museum Displays: Cleaned fossils complete displays for Kudos and experience lamps (2,000–5,000 XP).
  • Prayer Experience: Enriched at the Mycelium Pool, fossils become bones for 500–2,500 Prayer XP each.
  • Numulites: Trade fossils to the Fossil Collector for 100–500 numulites, used for Volcanic Mine or Drift Net Fishing.
  • Ancient Wyvern Shield: Fossils recharge this shield, saving numulites.

With these uses in mind, let’s explore the top methods to gather fossils efficiently.

Preparation for Fossil Farming

Old School Runescape How to get to Fossil Island YouTube

Quest and Requirements

To access Fossil Island, complete the Bone Voyage quest. You’ll need:

  • 100 Kudos: Earned through Varrock Museum activities like cleaning finds or answering quizzes.
  • The Dig Site Quest: Unlocks access to the Digsite barge.
  • Recommended Skills: 70+ Hunter, Woodcutting, or Mining for faster methods.

Gear and Inventory Setup

Your setup depends on the method, but general recommendations include:

  • Graceful Outfit: For stamina regeneration during activities like Herbiboar tracking.
  • Tools: Axe (for Sulliusceps), knife (for Tar Swamp), or Hunter gear (for Herbiboar).
  • Fossil Storage: Use crates at the Museum Camp or Varrock Museum to store fossils without banking.
  • Optional: Digsite Pendant for quick Fossil Island teleports.

Pack light to maximize trips, and consider a Ring of Endurance for extended stamina.

Top Methods to Gather Fossils

Chopping Sulliuscep Mushrooms

Chopping Sulliuscep mushrooms in the Tar Swamp is the fastest way to farm fossils, offering high Woodcutting XP and frequent fossil drops. Only one Sulliuscep is active at a time, requiring navigation through the swamp’s vines and Tar Monsters.

  • Requirements: 65 Woodcutting, an axe, knife, and rake.
  • XP Rates: ~100k Woodcutting XP/hour at 99.
  • Fossil Rates: Roughly 1–2 fossils per 10 minutes, with small, medium, and rare fossils possible.
  • Tips: Wear hitpoint-reducing gear (like a locator orb) to suicide at the Museum Camp for quick respawns, avoiding long walks. Use the Mycelium Transportation System to hop between active Sulliusceps.

Tracking Herbiboar

Tracking Herbiboar in the Mushroom Forest is a Hunter-focused method, ideal for players seeking fossils alongside herbs and Hunter XP. Herbiboars drop small, medium, large, and rare fossils at a decent rate.

  • Requirements: 80 Hunter (boostable from 77 with a spicy stew), 31 Herblore, knife, and secateurs.
  • XP Rates: 140k–160k Hunter XP/hour at 85–95 Hunter.
  • Fossil Rates: About 1 fossil per 5–7 tracks, with higher levels improving efficiency.
  • Tips: Start at the north inspect spot for consistent tracks. Use stamina potions and the Hunter cape (if 99) for infinite run energy. Store fossils in nearby crates to avoid inventory clutter.

Volcanic Mine

The Volcanic Mine offers fossils through mining boulders, doubling as a great Mining XP method. It’s less fossil-intensive but suits group play or ironmen gathering calcite/pyrophosphite for Prayer training.

  • Requirements: 50 Mining, 150 Kudos, 100 numulites per entry (or free after Bone Voyage).
  • XP Rates: Up to 82k Mining XP/hour at 99.
  • Fossil Rates: ~0.5–1 fossil per game, depending on points earned.
  • Tips: Join a group via the “VM” friends chat for faster games. Solo capping is viable for ironmen but slower. Trade extra numulites to Mairin for fossils if needed.

Underwater Activities

Looting giant clam shells and treasure chests underwater provides fossils alongside Agility and Thieving XP. This method is slower but offers a unique environment.

  • Requirements: 71 Hunter, 43 Thieving, fishbowl helmet, diving apparatus (or oxygen-free with pufferfish).
  • XP Rates: ~30k–40k Agility/Thieving XP/hour.
  • Fossil Rates: ~1 fossil per 15–20 minutes.
  • Tips: Use a fishbowl helmet to avoid oxygen management. Bank mermaid’s tears with Mairin for fossil purchases if drops are low.

Other Sources

Additional methods include:

  • Monster Drops: Kill Ancient Wyverns or Zygomites for rare fossils, but drop rates are low (~1/5,000).
  • Mairin’s Market: Buy fossils for 100 mermaid’s tears each (slow but reliable for ironmen).
  • Museum Camp Tasks: Complete tasks for Peter to claim 5 small fossils once.

Processing and Using Fossils

Cleaning Fossils

Unidentified fossils must be cleaned at the Fossil Cleaning Station (Museum Camp or Varrock Museum) to become usable.

  • Requirements: Leather boots, leather gloves, trowel, rock pick, specimen brush.
  • Process: Use fossils on the cleaning bench for a chance at limbs, ribs, pelvis, spine, or skull (small/medium/large) or roots/stumps (plant).
  • Note: Rare fossils yield parts with no museum use yet—save or enrich them for Prayer.

Varrock Museum Displays

Complete displays for rewards:

Fossil Type Displays Fossils Needed Rewards
Small 14 70 2,000 XP lamp, 2 Kudos each
Medium 12 60 3,500 XP lamp, 2 Kudos each
Large 5 25 5,000 XP lamp, 2 Kudos each
Plant 5 25 5,000 XP lamp, 2 Kudos each

Total: 72 Kudos, 120,000 XP. Large unidentified fossils may yield plant fossils, so expect to farm ~50 large fossils for all displays.

Prayer Training with Fossils

Enrich fossils at the Mycelium Pool (Mushroom Forest) for Prayer XP:

  • Requirements: Calcite, pyrophosphite (mined from Fossil Island rocks).
  • Process: Enrich fossils into bones, then use at the Strange Machine (House on the Hill).
  • XP Rates:
    • Small: 500 XP
    • Medium: 1,000 XP
    • Large/Plant: 1,500 XP
    • Rare: 2,500 XP
  • Tips: Stockpile calcite/pyrophosphite via Volcanic Mine. Use rare fossils here since they lack museum use.

Tips to Optimize Fossil Collection

Prioritize Your Goal

Choose a method based on your needs:

  • Museum Completion: Focus on Sulliusceps for balanced fossil types.
  • Prayer XP: Herbiboar or Volcanic Mine for rare fossils.
  • Numulites: Trade excess fossils after museum completion.

Efficient Travel

Save time getting to Fossil Island:

  • Digsite Pendant: Teleport near the barge, unlocked via Varrock Museum.
  • Magic Mushtrees: Unlock the Mycelium Transportation System for island hopping.
  • Glider/Spirit Tree: Use Lemanto Andra glider from Gnome Stronghold if pendant-less.

Inventory Management

Maximize trips by:

  • Storing fossils in crates (up to 200 per type).
  • Dropping low-value items (e.g., sulliuscep caps) to free space.
  • Using numulites to buy fossils from Mairin if short on specific types.

Conclusion: The best way to get fossils in OSRS depends on your skills and goals, but chopping Sulliuscep mushrooms stands out for speed and consistency, followed by Herbiboar tracking for Hunter enthusiasts. Volcanic Mine and underwater activities offer variety for specific needs. Combine these methods with efficient travel and inventory management to build your fossil collection quickly. Whether you’re chasing Kudos, Prayer XP, or numulites, Fossil Island’s got you covered—just bring patience and a good axe!