How to Make Potions in OSRS: A Complete Guide to Herblore

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers a rich and engaging experience with its diverse skills, and one of the most rewarding yet intricate is Herblore. Learning how to make potions in OSRS not only boosts your gameplay but also opens doors to powerful buffs, healing, and utility effects. Whether you’re a newbie just starting out or a seasoned player looking to master this skill, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about crafting potions in OSRS. From unlocking Herblore to gathering ingredients and creating high-level concoctions, let’s dive into the world of potion-making!

Before you can start brewing potions, you need to unlock the Herblore skill. This members-only skill requires a bit of preparation, but once you’re set up, the process becomes straightforward and enjoyable.

Unlocking Herblore with Druidic Ritual

To begin making potions, you must complete the Druidic Ritual quest. This short quest, available to members, grants you access to Herblore and boosts you to level 3 upon completion. Here’s how to get started:

Quest Requirements: None—just be a member!
Location: Start by speaking to Kaqemeex in the stone circle north of Taverley.
Steps: Gather raw bear meat, raw rat meat, raw chicken, and raw beef, then deliver them to Sanfew in Taverley.
Reward: 250 Herblore XP and the ability to train Herblore.

Once completed, you’re ready to start mixing potions and leveling up your Herblore skill!

Basic Tools and Supplies

Potion-making in OSRS requires a few essential items. Stock up on these before you begin:

Vials: Empty vials are the foundation of every potion. Buy them from shops like the Herblore store in Taverley or the Grand Exchange (GE).
Vial of Water: Fill empty vials with water at any water source (e.g., fountains or sinks) or purchase pre-filled vials from the GE.
Pestle and Mortar: Used to crush certain secondary ingredients, like bird nests or unicorn horns.

With these in hand, you’re ready to gather ingredients and start brewing.

Gathering Ingredients for Potions

The key to making potions in OSRS lies in collecting the right ingredients: herbs and secondary items. Knowing where to source these will save you time and money.

Farming and Identifying Herbs

Herbs are the primary ingredient for most potions. You’ll start with grimy herbs, which need to be cleaned before use.

Farming Herbs: Use the Farming skill to grow herbs in patches (e.g., Falador, Catherby, or Ardougne). Guam, marrentill, and tarromin are great for beginners.
Monster Drops: Low-level monsters like chaos druids or hobgoblins often drop grimy herbs.
Cleaning Herbs: Click on a grimy herb in your inventory to clean it, earning a small amount of Herblore XP. The required level varies by herb (e.g., Guam at level 3, Ranarr at level 25).

Sourcing Secondary Ingredients

Secondary ingredients are what turn an unfinished potion into a finished one. Here are some common examples and where to find them:

Ingredient	Potion	Source
Eye of Newt	Attack Potion	Herblore shops (e.g., Taverley) or GE
Unicorn Horn Dust	Super Attack Potion	Kill unicorns and crush horns with a pestle and mortar
Snape Grass	Prayer Potion	Grow in Farming patches or collect near Crafting Guild

Stockpiling these through skilling or the GE will streamline your potion-making process.

How to Make Potions: Step-by-Step Process

Now that you’ve got your ingredients, it’s time to craft some potions. The process is simple but requires precision.

Making Unfinished Potions

The first step is creating an unfinished potion, which serves as the base for all standard potions.

Take a vial of water and a clean herb.
Use the herb on the vial of water (or vice versa).
Select “Make” from the interface—this produces an unfinished potion and grants a small amount of XP.

For example, using a clean Guam on a vial of water creates a Guam potion (unf).

Adding Secondary Ingredients

To complete the potion, add the secondary ingredient to the unfinished potion.

Have your unfinished potion and secondary ingredient in your inventory.
Use one on the other and select “Make” or “Make-X” to craft multiple potions at once.
Enjoy the finished product! A newly made potion typically has 3 doses.

For instance, adding an eye of newt to a Guam potion (unf) creates an Attack Potion (3), boosting your Attack level temporarily.

Leveling Up Herblore: Potion Recipes for Every Stage

Herblore progression in OSRS involves making increasingly complex potions as your level rises. Here’s a breakdown of key potions to craft at different stages.

Low-Level Potions (Levels 3–25)

Start with these beginner-friendly potions to build your skills:

Attack Potion (Level 3): Guam + Eye of Newt – Boosts Attack by 3-12 levels.
Strength Potion (Level 12): Tarromin + Limpwurt Root – Boosts Strength by 3-12 levels.
Energy Potion (Level 26): Harralander + Chocolate Dust – Restores 10% run energy per dose.

Mid-Level Potions (Levels 25–50)

These potions offer better XP and utility:

Prayer Potion (Level 38): Ranarr + Snape Grass – Restores Prayer points (7 + 25% of your Prayer level).
Super Attack Potion (Level 45): Irit + Unicorn Horn Dust – Boosts Attack by 5-19 levels.

High-Level Potions (Levels 50+)

For advanced players, these potions are both powerful and XP-efficient:

Super Combat Potion (Level 63): Super Attack, Super Strength, Super Defence + Torstol – Combines boosts for Attack, Strength, and Defence.
Saradomin Brew (Level 81): Toadflax + Crushed Nest – Heals 15% + 2 HP per dose but lowers combat stats.
Extended Super Antifire (Level 92): Super Antifire + Lava Scale Shard – Grants 12 minutes of dragonfire immunity.

Tips and Tricks for Efficient Potion-Making

To maximize your Herblore training and save resources, consider these expert tips.

Boosting Efficiency

Speed up your potion production with these strategies:

Bank Presets: Set up presets with 14 herbs and 14 vials of water for quick restocking.
Amulet of Chemistry: Wear this for a 5% chance to create 4-dose potions instead of 3, saving ingredients.
Make-X Interface: Use the “Make-X” option to craft multiple potions in one go, reducing clicks.

Managing Costs

Herblore can get expensive, so here’s how to keep costs down:

Gather Your Own Ingredients: Farm herbs and hunt for secondaries instead of buying everything from the GE.
Sell Finished Potions: High-demand potions like Prayer Potions or Super Combats often sell for a profit.
Buy in Bulk: Purchase vials of water and common secondaries in large quantities to save trips and gold.

Advanced Techniques

For those aiming for 99 Herblore or beyond:

Mastering Mixology: At level 60 (with Children of the Sun completed), try this minigame on Aldarin for high XP rates (up to 105k XP/hour at level 81).
Combination Potions: Unlock recipes in Prifddinas to craft powerful combo potions like Overloads, requiring multiple high-level potions and a crystal flask.

With these tips, you’ll be brewing potions like a pro in no time, whether for personal use, profit, or that coveted Herblore cape!

Making potions in OSRS is a skill that blends preparation, resource management, and strategy. From humble Attack Potions to game-changing Extended Super Antifires, Herblore offers something for every adventurer. Start small, experiment with recipes, and soon you’ll be crafting potions that enhance your gameplay and impress your friends. Happy brewing!