Best Way to Get Pharaoh’s Sceptre in OSRS: A Complete Guide

Best Way to Get Pharaoh’s Sceptre in OSRS: A Complete Guide


If you’re an Old School RuneScape (OSRS) player, you’ve likely heard of the Pharaoh’s Sceptre—a coveted item that offers teleports to key desert locations and is essential for building an occult altar in your Player-Owned House (POH). But getting your hands on this rare staff can feel like chasing a mirage in the Kharidian Desert. In this guide, we’ll break down the best way to get the Pharaoh’s Sceptre in OSRS, optimized for efficiency, whether you’re an Ironman or just looking to snag one fast. Let’s dive into the Pyramid Plunder minigame and uncover the ultimate strategy!

The Pharaoh’s Sceptre is a unique polestaff dropped exclusively in the Pyramid Plunder minigame in Sophanem. It requires 30 Attack and 30 Magic to wield and provides teleports to three major pyramids in the Kharidian Desert: Jalsavrah (Pyramid Plunder), Jaleustrophos (Agility Pyramid), and Jaldraocht (Azzanadra’s Pyramid). With only three charges initially (up to 100 with Desert Diary rewards), it’s a game-changer for clue scrolls, teleportation, and POH upgrades.

Key Uses of the Pharaoh’s Sceptre

  • Teleportation: Quick access to desert pyramids, saving time on travel.
  • Occult Altar: Required to build this high-level POH altar, a must for Ironmen and endgame players.
  • Clue Scrolls: Simplifies desert-based steps with direct teleports.

Why It’s Hard to Get

The sceptre’s drop rate is a base 1/1,000 per successful loot from golden chests or sarcophagi in Pyramid Plunder, with slight improvements in higher rooms and with luck enhancements. Its rarity, combined with RNG, makes it a grind—but with the right approach, you can minimize the pain.

Understanding Pyramid Plunder: The Only Way to Get the Sceptre

Pyramid Plunder, located in Sophanem, is a Thieving minigame where the Pharaoh’s Sceptre drops. You’ll need at least 21 Thieving to start, though higher levels unlock better rooms and improve your odds. The minigame involves navigating eight rooms, looting chests, urns, and sarcophagi, all while dodging traps and enemies.

Drop Mechanics

The sceptre can drop from golden chests or sarcophagi in any room, but only on a successful loot (no mummy or scarab swarm spawn). The base chance is 1/1,000, scaling slightly better in higher rooms. Recent updates ensure you still roll for the sceptre even if a mummy spawns from a sarcophagus, making it less punishing than before.

Requirements to Start

  • Thieving Level: 21+ (higher is better—aim for 71+ for Room 6).
  • Quest: Partial completion of “Icthlarin’s Little Helper” to access Sophanem.
  • Gear: Rogue’s outfit (optional), food, antipoison, and a lockpick.

The Best Strategy to Get Pharaoh’s Sceptre Fast

After scouring player experiences and updates, the fastest way to get the Pharaoh’s Sceptre is to focus on golden chests across all accessible rooms, skipping urns and limiting sarcophagi to Rooms 4 and 5. Here’s the step-by-step method:

Step 1: Optimize Your Thieving Level

Aim for at least 71 Thieving to access Room 6, where the sceptre drop rate improves slightly. At 91 Thieving, you can reach Room 8, but the time to navigate outweighs the marginal drop rate boost for most players. Level 71-81 strikes the best balance.

Step 2: Gear Up Efficiently

Keep it simple:

  • Graceful Outfit: For run energy.
  • Rogue’s Outfit: Double loot chance (not sceptre, but helps with recharge items).
  • Lockpick: Speeds up door navigation.
  • Food & Antipoison: Sharks or better, plus a few doses of antipoison.
  • Prayer Gear: Optional for protection prayers against mummies.

Step 3: The Chest-Only Method

For maximum sceptre rolls per hour:

  1. Enter Pyramid Plunder via the northern entrance.
  2. Loot the golden chest in every room up to your max (e.g., Room 6 at 71 Thieving).
  3. Skip urns—they don’t drop the sceptre and slow you down.
  4. Optionally loot sarcophagi in Rooms 4 and 5 only—higher floors have too high a failure rate.
  5. Exit and repeat as soon as you’ve hit all chests.

Why Skip Most Sarcophagi?

Sarcophagi take longer to loot and have a higher fail rate (spawning mummies), reducing your sceptre rolls per hour. Rooms 4 and 5 offer a decent balance of success rate and speed, but beyond that, they’re not worth it.

Alternative: Room 1 Rushing

For lower Thieving levels (e.g., 41-61), world-hop to find a mummy in the north entrance, loot the Room 1 chest, and leave. It’s faster per run but offers fewer rolls, making it less efficient overall unless you’re below 61 Thieving.

Tips to Maximize Efficiency and Sanity

The grind can take hours—or days if RNG hates you. Here’s how to make it bearable:

Use Plugins and Trackers

The Runelite Pyramid Plunder plugin highlights correct doors and tracks successful loots, giving you a sense of progress. It won’t guarantee a sceptre, but it keeps you sane.

Stockpile Recharge Items

Once you get the sceptre, you’ll need to recharge it with artefacts from Pyramid Plunder. Stockpile these while grinding:

Artefact Type Amount Needed GE Value (Approx.)
Gold Artefacts 6 ~60k GP
Stone Artefacts 12 ~30k GP
Pottery/Ivory Artefacts 24 ~10k GP

Note: Noted artefacts work too—talk to the Guardian Mummy in Jalsavrah to recharge.

Balance XP and Sceptre Hunting

If you’re not in a rush, loot urns in your final room for 100k+ Thieving XP per hour. It slows your sceptre grind slightly but makes the time feel productive. Many players get theirs between 70-90 Thieving this way.

Luck Enhancements

Wearing a Ring of Wealth or higher-tier luck items (e.g., Luck of the Dwarves) slightly boosts your sceptre odds. It’s not a massive difference, but every edge counts.

How Long Will It Take? Expectations and Realities

The Pharaoh’s Sceptre grind is pure RNG, but here’s what to expect based on community data:

Average Time Estimates

  • Chest-Only (71+ Thieving): 10-20 hours, assuming 50-60 successful loots/hour.
  • Room 1 Rushing (41-61 Thieving): 15-30 hours, with fewer rolls per hour.
  • XP Method (Urns + Chests): 1-3M Thieving XP (20-40 hours), depending on luck.

Player Stories

Some get it in a few hours; others go dry for 90+ hours. One Reddit user reported two sceptres in 10 hours, while another hit 98 Thieving without a drop. At 1/1,000 per roll, you’re looking at 500-1,000 successful loots on average—plan accordingly.

What to Do When You Get It

Celebrate! Then decide:

  • Keep One: Use it for teleports and clues.
  • Get Two: One for your POH altar, one for utility. The first sceptre’s teleport to Jalsavrah makes the second grind faster.

Final Tip: Don’t drop it—it disappears after 30 seconds if you do!

Armed with this guide, you’re ready to conquer Pyramid Plunder and claim your Pharaoh’s Sceptre. Stick to the chest-only method, stay patient, and let RNG do its thing. Good luck, adventurer—may Tumeken guide your rolls!