OSRS Evil Dave Stew Combinations Guide for Recipe for Disaster

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), the “Recipe for Disaster: Freeing Evil Dave” subquest is a notorious challenge that requires players to craft the perfect spicy stew for Evil Dave. This task involves combining four colored spices—red, yellow, brown, and orange—in precise doses to satisfy Dave’s peculiar taste. With countless possible combinations and a trial-and-error process, this quest can be frustrating. This guide will walk you through the process, offer strategies to minimize mistakes, and provide tips to complete the subquest efficiently. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer aiming for the Quest Cape, this blog post has everything you need to conquer Evil Dave’s stew combinations.

The “Recipe for Disaster: Freeing Evil Dave” subquest tasks players with freeing Evil Dave, a quirky character who’s part of the Lumbridge Secret Council, by preparing his favorite spicy stew. The catch? You need to recreate the exact combination of spices he loves, which is randomly assigned for each player. The process involves gathering spices from hellrats, testing combinations, and refining your stew until Dave approves. This subquest is known for its time-consuming nature, with some players spending over 90 minutes to get it right. Let’s break down the essentials to make this process smoother.

Quest Requirements and Preparation

Before diving into the stew-making, ensure you meet the prerequisites and have the necessary items:

• Completed Shadow of the Storm quest to access Evil Dave’s Basement of Doom.
• Level 25 Cooking (optional, only if you’re making stews yourself; can be boosted).
• Any cat (except overgrown cats; wily or fully grown cats are best for efficiency).
• 9–12 bowls of stew (buy from the Grand Exchange or Warriors’ Guild for convenience).
• Bucket of milk (optional, to revert a hellcat to a normal cat).

Fast travel options like an Amulet of Glory (Edgeville) or Fairy Rings (code DKR) will save time. Stock up on stews to avoid running out mid-quest, as you may need up to nine to test combinations.

How to Gather Spices for the Stew

The spices needed for Evil Dave’s stew are stolen by hellrats in his mother’s basement in Edgeville. Your cat will hunt these hellrats to retrieve the spices, which come in four colors: red, yellow, brown, and orange. Each spice shaker can contain 1–4 doses, and you’ll need to collect enough to experiment with combinations.

Steps to Collect Spices

1. Head to Edgeville, west of the bank, to Doris’s house.
2. Talk to Doris and ask about Evil Dave to learn he’s in the basement.
3. Climb down the trapdoor and speak to Evil Dave. Select the dialogue option “because the magic requires it” to learn he ate a spicy stew.
4. Talk to Doris again to discover that hellrats stole the spices.
5. Return to the basement, interact with your cat, and select “Chase-Vermin” to hunt hellrats.
6. Pick up the spice shakers dropped by hellrats. Aim for at least six doses of each color to cover all possible combinations.

Tip: After catching 7–10 hellrats, your cat may turn into a hellcat. This doesn’t affect gameplay, but you can revert it with a bucket of milk if desired. If your cat catches a hellrat but no spice drops, keep trying, as drops are not guaranteed.

Crafting the Perfect Stew Combination

The core challenge of this subquest is finding the correct combination of spices for Evil Dave’s stew. Each stew requires 1–3 doses of each of the four spices, and the correct combination is unique to your character. This means you’re playing a game of elimination, testing doses one by one to pinpoint the right amounts.

Efficient Strategy for Testing Combinations

To minimize the number of stews used and save time, follow this systematic approach, often compared to the game Mastermind:

1. Test one spice at a time: Start with one color, such as red. Add 1 dose of red spice to a stew and give it to Evil Dave.
2. Interpret Dave’s feedback:
   • If he says, “One of the spices is correct, the rest are incorrect,” note that 1 dose of red is correct.
   • If he says, “None of them are right,” try 2 doses of red on a new stew.
   • If 2 doses are incorrect, you know 3 doses of red is needed (no need to test 3, as it’s the only remaining option).
3. Repeat for each color: Move to yellow, brown, and orange, testing 1 and 2 doses until you identify the correct amount for each.
4. Combine the correct doses: Once you know the correct doses (e.g., 1 red, 2 yellow, 3 brown, 1 orange), add them all to one stew and give it to Dave.
5. Finalize the quest: If Dave approves (saying it’s “totally evil!”), complete the dialogue. Take the stew to Lumbridge Castle and give it to the frozen Evil Dave to finish the subquest.

Warning: Do not eat the stew yourself, or you’ll need to restart the spice collection. Also, ensure you complete all dialogue with Dave to validate the stew before returning to Lumbridge.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing spices too early: Don’t combine multiple spices in a stew until you’ve confirmed the correct dose for each color individually.
• Ignoring feedback: Pay close attention to Dave’s dialogue. Misinterpreting “one spice is correct” as needing to adjust all spices can lead to wasted stews.
• Running out of stews: Bring at least 9 stews, as you may need up to 8 to test (2 per color) plus 1 for the final combination.
• Bug issues: If Dave doesn’t reveal what he ate, hold down the space bar during dialogue and select “because the magic requires it” to proceed.

Spice Combination Table

To help you track your progress, use the following table to record the correct doses for each spice. You can mentally note or write down the results as Dave provides feedback.

Example: If Dave says 1 dose of red is correct, mark “1” in the “Correct Dose” column for red. If 1 and 2 doses of yellow fail, mark “3” for yellow.

Tips for Efficiency and Post-Quest Benefits

Completing the Evil Dave subquest is rewarding, but it can be tedious. Here are additional tips to streamline the process and maximize your rewards:

Time-Saving Tricks

• Use a wily cat: Wily or fully grown cats have a higher success rate for catching hellrats, reducing time spent gathering spices.
• Stockpile spices: Collect extra spices (6–10 doses per color) to avoid running out during testing.
• Buy stews in bulk: Purchase stews from the Grand Exchange to avoid cooking them yourself, saving time and effort.
• Avoid teleport bugs: If your hellcat turns invisible after teleporting, log out and back in to fix it.

Post-Quest Rewards and Spicy Stew Uses

Completing the subquest grants:

• 7,000 Cooking XP and 1 Quest Point.
• Ability to make spicy stews: These can boost or lower skills by up to ±5, depending on the spice and doses used.
• Hellcat companion: A cosmetic pet that can be reverted to a normal cat.
• Access to Hell-Rat Behemoths: After the quest, your cat can fight these for guaranteed 4-dose spice drops, making future stew-making easier.
• Increased access to the Culinaromancer’s Chest: Useful for buying cooking supplies.

Spicy stews are particularly valuable for skill boosting. For example, adding 3 doses of orange spice can boost skills like Smithing or Firemaking by up to +5, ideal for tackling high-level content like the Inferno or elite diaries. Use the Pool of Refreshment at Ferox Enclave to reset negative boosts between stews for optimal results.

Community Insights and Common Frustrations

The OSRS community often shares their struggles with this subquest, with some players reporting hours of trial and error. Reddit threads highlight the importance of testing one spice at a time and avoiding premature combinations. One player noted, “I tried every combination and still failed until I realized I was misreading Dave’s feedback.” Patience and careful note-taking are key to avoiding these pitfalls.

By following this guide, you can reduce the time spent on the Evil Dave subquest to 10–20 minutes with good RNG and preparation. Stay focused, keep track of your spice doses, and you’ll soon free Evil Dave and enjoy the rewards of your perfectly spiced stew!