Herblore Training Guide OSRS

Herblore Training Guide OSRS

Herblore in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a members-only skill that lets players craft potions from herbs and secondary ingredients, offering boosts for combat, skilling, and more. It’s a buyable skill, meaning it can be expensive but fast to train with the right methods. This guide covers everything you need to train Herblore from level 1 to 99, including quests, efficient methods, cost-saving tips, and profitable alternatives. Whether you’re a main account or an Ironman, we’ve got you covered with strategies to maximize experience and minimize costs.

Before you can train Herblore, you must complete the Druidic Ritual quest, which unlocks the skill and grants 250 XP, boosting you to level 3. This short quest requires raw beef, raw chicken, raw rat meat, and raw bear meat, and involves placing them in the Cauldron of Thunder in Taverley Dungeon. It’s beginner-friendly, even for low-level players, though you may need food for the dungeon’s aggressive NPCs.

Why Train Herblore?

Herblore is essential for end-game content like raids, bossing, and PvP. Potions like Saradomin Brews, Super Combats, and Bastion Potions provide critical buffs. For Ironmen, it’s even more vital since trading isn’t an option, making self-crafted potions a must. Plus, Herblore is a fast track to 99 if you have the gold, taking as little as 35 hours with the fastest methods.

Key Items for Training

Using the right items can save gold and boost efficiency. Here are the essentials:

  • Amulet of Chemistry: 5% chance to create a 4-dose potion instead of 3, saving costly ingredients. Costs ~1,000 GP and has 5 charges.
  • Reagents Pouch: From the Mastering Mixology minigame (level 60 Herblore), holds up to 26 secondary ingredients, doubling AFK time per inventory.
  • Prescription Goggles: Also from Mastering Mixology, 10% chance to not use a secondary ingredient, reducing costs.
  • Herb Sack: Stores up to 28 grimy herbs, ideal for Ironmen farming herbs. Costs 750 Slayer points or 250 Tithe Farm points.

Questing for Early Levels

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Quests are a cost-free way to jumpstart your Herblore training, especially from levels 1 to 19. Completing specific quests can save you gold and time early on. Below is a table of recommended quests with their XP rewards and requirements.

Quest Herblore XP Level Requirement Other Requirements
Druidic Ritual 250 None None
Jungle Potion 775 3 None
Recruitment Drive 1,000 None 12 Quest Points
The Dig Site 2,000 10 10 Agility, 25 Thieving

Completing these quests boosts you to level 19, letting you skip early grinding. For higher levels, quests like Fairytale II – Cure a Queen (3,500 XP, level 57 required) and Eadgar’s Ruse (11,000 XP, level 31 required) offer significant XP but have steeper requirements.

Fastest Training Methods (Levels 1-99)

The fastest way to 99 Herblore is by making potions, buying unfinished potions and secondary ingredients from the Grand Exchange, and banking efficiently. This method yields up to 105k XP/hour at level 81 but can cost around 140-200M GP depending on market prices. Below is a level-by-level breakdown of the best potions to make.

Levels 3-15: Attack Potions

Combine guam leaf with eye of newt in a vial of water for 25 XP per potion. You’ll need 87 potions to reach level 15. Buy ingredients in bulk from the Grand Exchange for speed, or farm guam at level 9 Farming if you’re an Ironman.

Levels 15-26: Serum 207

Mix tarromin with ashes in a vial of water for 50 XP per potion. Craft 127 potions to hit level 26. Ashes are cheap and plentiful, making this a budget-friendly option. Ironmen can gather ashes from fires or monster drops.

Levels 26-38: Energy Potions

Use harralander and chocolate dust in a vial of water for 67.5 XP per potion. You’ll need 322 potions to reach level 38. Chocolate dust is made by grinding chocolate bars with a pestle and mortar, so buy in bulk to save time.

Levels 38-45: Prayer Potions

Combine ranarr weed with snape grass in a vial of water for 87.5 XP per potion. Craft 270 potions to hit level 45. These are profitable if sold, but ranarr weeds can be pricey, so check GE prices.

Levels 45-99: Super Attack and Beyond

From level 45, make super attack potions (irit leaf + eye of newt, 100 XP per potion) until level 55, then switch to super strength potions (kwuarm + limpwurt root, 125 XP per potion). At level 63, make super restore potions (snapdragon + red spiders’ eggs, 142.5 XP per potion) until level 81. From level 81, craft super combat potions (torstol + super attack, strength, and defence potions, 150 XP per potion) for the fastest XP to 99. You’ll need around 86,000 total XP from level 45 to 99, costing ~142M at current prices.

Budget and Alternative Methods

If the high cost of potion-making is daunting, consider these cheaper or profitable alternatives. They’re slower but easier on your wallet and ideal for Ironmen or players with limited gold.

Cleaning Grimy Herbs

Cleaning grimy herbs grants small XP (2.5-11.8 XP per herb, depending on the type) and can be profitable since clean herbs sell for more. With the auto-clean update (September 2020), you can clean 3,000 herbs/hour for up to 150k XP/hour with high-level herbs like torstol (level 75+). For even faster cleaning, use the Degrime spell (level 70 Magic, Arceuus spellbook) for 120k XP/hour and potential profits up to 1M/hour.

Making Tar

Combine herbs like guam (level 19) or tarromin (level 39) with 15 swamp tar using a pestle and mortar for 30-55 XP per action. This requires fewer clicks than potion-making, processing 78 inventories/hour for decent XP. Stockpile swamp tar in advance due to its 13,000 buy limit, which lasts ~30 minutes of training.

Guthix Rest (Level 18+)

Brewing Guthix rest (level 18, partial completion of One Small Favour) yields 59 XP per tea across four steps (14, 14.5, 15, 15.5 XP). Add 2 guam, 1 marrentill, and 1 harralander to a cup of hot water. It’s click-intensive, producing ~800 teas/hour for ~47k XP/hour, but can be profitable (~716k GP/hour cost). Be cautious to avoid misclicks, which waste ingredients.

Mastering Mixology Minigame

At level 60, the Varlamore minigame Mastering Mixology offers up to 80k XP/hour. It’s less click-intensive than potion-making and rewards the reagents pouch and prescription goggles, making it a great mid-level option. Spend time here to unlock these items before resuming potion-making.

Tips for Efficient Training

Maximize your Herblore grind with these pro tips:

  • Bank Efficiently: Set bank quantity to 14 for equal splits of unfinished potions and secondary ingredients. Use bank fillers and separate tabs to stay organized.
  • Check GE Prices: Potion prices fluctuate, so use calculators like OSRS Wiki’s to ensure cost-effectiveness.
  • Ironman Herb Runs: Farm herbs early (guam at level 9, ranarr at 32) to stockpile ingredients. Combine with Slayer for herb drops from monsters like cave crawlers.
  • Use Portable Wells: On RuneScape 3 (not OSRS), portable wells grant 10% extra XP and a 5% chance for an extra potion. For OSRS, stick to bankstanding near GE.
  • Boost for Quests: Use botanical pies (+4 Herblore) or greenman’s ale (+1 or +2) to meet quest requirements like Song of the Elves (level 70).

Training Herblore to 99 in OSRS is a journey of balancing cost, speed, and strategy. Whether you’re splashing gold on super combat potions or grinding tar for profit, this guide equips you with the tools to succeed. Start with quests, leverage key items, and choose methods that fit your budget and playstyle. Happy potion-making!