How to level up quickly in RuneScape Dragonwilds

Leveling up quickly in RuneScape Dragonwilds requires a mix of smart strategy, efficient resource use, and a deep understanding of the environment. Focus on battling high XP enemies, using boosting potions, and wearing the best possible combat gear for your level. Completing daily tasks and side quests in the Dragonwilds can provide bonus experience and unlock helpful rewards. Make sure to train in areas where enemy respawn rates are high, allowing for continuous combat and faster progression. Using experience lamps, aura boosts, and participating in Double XP events can further speed up your leveling journey.

Understanding the Skill System

In RuneScape: Dragonwilds, skills are leveled by performing related actions. For example, chopping trees boosts Woodcutting, while crafting gear increases Artisan. Each skill caps at level 50 in Early Access, with plans to extend to 99 in future updates. Milestone levels (e.g., 5, 11, 20) unlock spells or abilities that enhance efficiency or combat prowess, making early leveling critical. The key to fast leveling is prioritizing high-XP actions, using spells to automate tasks, and combining skill training for synergy. Below, we’ll break down each skill, optimal grinding methods, and a table summarizing key unlocks.

General Tips for Fast Leveling

Before diving into skill-specific strategies, here are universal tips to accelerate your progress:

Follow the Main Questline: Quests introduce new areas, resources, and crafting recipes, guiding you to high-XP opportunities like Copper and Tin Ore in Fractured Plains.
Hoard Runes: Spells like Axtral Projection (Woodcutting) and Rocksplosion (Mining) require runes, which multiply XP gains. Stockpile them early by mining Rune Essence and crafting at a Rune Altar.
Target High-Value Resources: Rarer materials (e.g., clay over stone, oak over ash logs) yield more XP per action. Seek out tough enemies or premium nodes.
Build Multiple Bases: Set up bases near resource-rich areas to reduce travel time. Use Lodestones for fast travel, crafted with Vault Cores, 32 Stone, and 20 Rune Essence.
Play Co-op: Team up with friends to split tasks (e.g., one mines, another crafts), sharing resources and speeding up grinding.
Loot Everything: Picking up new items unlocks crafting recipes, which can lead to XP-efficient tasks. Empty chests to ensure respawns with fresh loot.

Skill-by-Skill Leveling Strategies

Attack

Why Prioritize? Attack is crucial for combat, reducing stamina costs and unlocking abilities like Parry (Level 5) and Tempest Shield (Level 11). It’s one of the most straightforward skills to grind, as every melee hit on an enemy grants XP.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Target weak enemies like kebbits, chickens, or rats in Bramblemead Valley. These spawn in large numbers and are easy to kill, providing steady XP.
Mid-Game: Move to goblin camps or tougher regions like Fractured Plains or Stormtouched Highlands. Stronger enemies (e.g., Goblin Bruisers) give more XP per hit.
Gear Up: Level Artisan alongside Attack to craft better weapons and armor, increasing survivability against tougher foes. Use the Goblin Swingslash (a strong Tier 2 weapon) if you can obtain it.
Parry Practice: Master the Parry skill (unlocked at Level 5) by timing blocks against small enemies like rats. It consumes less stamina and staggers foes, speeding up kills.

Tip: Combine Attack grinding with resource gathering. While hunting for Flax (for Coarse Thread), kill cows and rats to collect hides and bones, boosting both Attack and Artisan XP.

Mining

Why Prioritize? Mining fuels crafting and Runecrafting, providing ores for gear and Rune Essence for spells. It’s one of the fastest skills to level due to clustered node spawns.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Mine stone in Bramblemead Valley to build basic crafting stations. Switch to clay as soon as possible, as it grants more XP per strike.
Mid-Game: Seek Copper and Tin Ore in Fractured Plains (unlocked via main quests). Smelt these into Bronze Bars for better gear, which supports other skills.
Spells: Unlock Rocksplosion (Mining Level 11) to blast multiple nodes at once, massively boosting XP. Mine Rune Essence at Rune Geisers for dual Mining and Runecrafting XP.
Critical Hits: Each Mining level increases critical hit chance by 1%, speeding up resource gathering. Focus on high-value nodes to maximize this.

Tip: Build a base near a Rune Geiser to farm Essence efficiently. Craft a Rune Altar (12 Stone, 4 Rune Essence) to process Essence into runes, doubling down on XP gains.

Woodcutting

Why Prioritize? Wood is essential for building, crafting, and spellcasting. Woodcutting unlocks powerful spells like Axtral Projection (Level 11) and Splinter (Level 27) that automate logging and skyrocket XP.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Gather Ash Logs and branches scattered around trees. Craft a Stone Logging Axe (4 Stone, 4 Ash Logs) to start chopping.
Spells: Reach Level 4 for Overhead Chop and Level 11 for Axtral Projection, which fells multiple trees at once. At Level 27, Splinter turns felled logs into wood, granting huge XP bursts.
High-Value Trees: Target oak or higher-tier trees over ash, as they yield more XP. Clear thorn blockades (Level 20) to access hidden areas with premium trees.
Bird Nests: At Level 16, felling trees can drop Bird Nests with valuable materials, adding extra rewards to your grind.

Tip: Use Splinter strategically by felling several trees, then casting it on the logs. This requires Nature Runes (Runecrafting Level 16), so prioritize Runecrafting to support it.

Artisan

Why Prioritize? Artisan governs crafting weapons, armor, and tools, reducing equipment durability loss by 1% per level. The Bark to Bones spell (Level 11) provides bones for crafting, saving time.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Collect Flax in Bramblemead Valley and convert it to Coarse Thread at a Spinning Wheel. Tan hides into Leather at a Tannery. Craft basic gear like knives or armor.
Mid-Game: Craft higher-tier items like Bronze gear or potions at a Brewing Cauldron. Unlock recipes by looting chests or completing quests.
Spells: Use Bark to Bones (Level 11) to convert trees into bones, reducing the need to hunt enemies. It has a long cooldown, so cast it whenever available.
Repair Gear: Repair damaged items instead of remaking them to save materials and gain small XP.

Tip: Combine Artisan with Attack grinding. Kill enemies for hides and bones while gathering Flax, then craft gear to level both skills simultaneously.

Construction

Why Prioritize? Construction levels by placing structures and furniture, enabling better bases for storage and crafting. It’s slower to level but supports other skills by improving efficiency.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Build a basic base with a Crafting Table, Campfire, and Rune Altar. Place walls, floors, and furniture to gain XP.
Mid-Game: Experiment with advanced structures like roof valley pieces or multi-level builds. Use the free-cam building mode (unlocked via skill progression) to place pieces precisely.
Resource Management: Use wood and stone efficiently by planning builds. Dismantle and rebuild structures for small XP if materials are abundant.

Tip: Set up multiple bases near resource nodes to reduce travel time, indirectly boosting other skills’ XP rates.

Cooking

Why Prioritize? Cooking prevents starvation and provides buffs via Delicious Food Chance (+1% per level). It’s easy to level and supports combat and exploration.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Cook Rat Roast or other simple meals at a Campfire using meat from rats or kebbits. Gather ingredients while exploring.
Mid-Game: Unlock complex recipes like potions or buff foods via quests or looting. Cook at a Cooking Range for higher Delicious Food Chance.
Stockpile Ingredients: Hunt enemies and gather herbs (e.g., Harralander, Marrentill) to craft potions at a Brewing Cauldron, doubling as Cooking XP.

Tip: Cook in bulk to save time. Store excess food in chests to maintain a steady supply during long grinding sessions.

Runecrafting

Why Prioritize? Runecrafting fuels magic by crafting runes, which are essential for spells that boost XP in other skills. It’s critical for long-term efficiency.

Fast Leveling Method:

Early Game: Unlock the Rune Altar by giving Zanik 50 Ash Logs. Mine Rune Essence at Rune Geisers for dual Mining and Runecrafting XP. Craft Air and Astral Runes (no level requirement).
Mid-Game: Reach Level 16 to craft Law Runes for fast travel and Level 19 for Nature Runes to support spells like Splinter. Craft runes in bulk to maximize XP.
Essence Farming: Build a base near a Rune Geiser to farm Essence efficiently. Each crafting session can boost Runecrafting by multiple levels.

Tip: Always carry a variety of runes, as they’re lightweight and power spells across all skills. Craft extra to trade with co-op partners.

Key Skill Unlocks Table

Below is a table summarizing milestone unlocks for each skill, focusing on abilities that accelerate leveling or gameplay.

Skill	Level	Unlock	Description
Attack	5	Parry	Time blocks to stagger enemies, reducing stamina use and speeding up kills.
Attack	11	Tempest Shield	Conjures a damage-blocking shield with a burst effect, aiding tough fights.
Mining	11	Rocksplosion	Blasts multiple mining nodes, greatly increasing XP per cast.
Woodcutting	11	Axtral Projection	Fells multiple trees at once, boosting XP efficiency.
Woodcutting	27	Splinter	Turns felled logs into wood, granting massive XP (requires Nature Runes).
Artisan	11	Bark to Bones	Converts trees to bones, reducing hunting time for crafting materials.
Cooking	10	Efficient Cooking	Reduces cooking time, allowing faster meal prep and XP gains.
Runecrafting	16	Law Runes	Enables fast travel via Lodestones, saving time for grinding.
Runecrafting	19	Nature Runes	Powers high-XP spells like Splinter, enhancing Woodcutting efficiency.
Construction	15	Free-Cam Building	Allows precise structure placement, speeding up base-building XP.

Advanced Strategies

Synergistic Grinding

Combine skills for efficiency:

Attack + Artisan: Kill enemies for hides and bones, then craft gear.
Mining + Runecrafting: Mine Rune Essence to level both skills, then craft runes.
Woodcutting + Construction: Chop trees for logs, then build structures.

Spell Optimization

Spells are game-changers. Prioritize Runecrafting to craft runes for:

Axtral Projection (Woodcutting): Fells multiple trees.
Rocksplosion (Mining): Clears node clusters.
Windstep (Exploration): Access hidden areas with chests or resources.

Co-op Roles

In multiplayer, assign roles:

One player focuses on Mining and Runecrafting to supply runes.
Another grinds Attack and Artisan for gear.
A third handles Woodcutting and Construction for bases.

Exploration for XP

Explore tough areas like Stormtouched Highlands for high-XP enemies and resources. Use Windstep to reach hidden ledges or destroy Crumbling Walls (requires high Mining) for secret chests.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Ignoring Quests: Skipping the main questline delays access to new areas and resources, slowing XP gains.
Overfarming Low-Value Resources: Mining stone or chopping ash logs is less efficient than targeting clay or oak.
Running Out of Runes: Spells are critical for fast leveling. Always craft and carry extra runes.
Neglecting Gear: Weak weapons and armor make combat grinding slower and riskier. Keep Artisan leveled.
Static Bases: Relying on one base increases travel time. Build outposts near key resources.

Conclusion

Leveling up quickly in RuneScape: Dragonwilds requires a mix of strategic grinding, spell usage, and synergistic skill training. By prioritizing high-XP resources, unlocking key spells like Axtral Projection and Rocksplosion, and following the main questline, you can rapidly progress through the skill trees. Attack, Mining, and Woodcutting are great starting points due to their immediate utility and powerful unlocks, while Runecrafting supports long-term efficiency with rune-powered spells. Combine skills, play co-op, and explore Ashenfall’s secrets to maximize your XP gains. With these strategies, you’ll be crafting top-tier gear, building epic bases, and slaying dragons in no time. Dive into Dragonwilds, embrace the grind, and conquer the Dragon Queen’s realm!