Understanding How Tertiary Drops Work in OSRS and What You Can Get

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a game of depth, strategy, and efficiency. Whether you’re slaying monsters for loot or skilling to maximize experience rates, understanding game mechanics like tertiary drops and mastering techniques like one-ticking can elevate your gameplay. This guide dives into two key topics: how tertiary drops work and what you can expect from them, and a step-by-step guide to one-ticking your inventory for maximum efficiency. Let’s break it down.

Understanding Tertiary Drops in OSRS

What Are Tertiary Drops?

In OSRS, tertiary drops are items that drop independently of a monster’s main drop table. Unlike standard loot like bones or weapons, tertiary drops have their own drop rates and aren’t guaranteed. They’re often rare, valuable, or unique items that add excitement to combat and skilling activities. Think of them as bonus rewards that spice up your grind.

How Do Tertiary Drops Work?

Tertiary drops operate on a separate roll mechanic. When you kill a monster, the game first checks the main drop table for standard loot. Then, it performs an additional roll for each tertiary item the monster can drop. This roll is unaffected by the main table, meaning you could get a tertiary drop alongside regular loot or nothing at all.

The drop rate for tertiary items is typically expressed as a fraction (e.g., 1/1000). For example, if an item has a 1/1000 drop rate, you have a 0.1% chance of receiving it per kill. These rates don’t stack or improve with more kills; each roll is independent.

Some tertiary drops are influenced by factors like:

• Luck modifiers: Items like the Ring of Wealth can affect certain tertiary drops, such as those from the Rare Drop Table.
• Location or conditions: Some drops only occur in specific areas (e.g., Brimstone Keys from monsters in the Karuulm Slayer Dungeon).
• Task status: Slayer monsters may only drop certain tertiaries while on a Slayer task.

Examples of Tertiary Drops

Tertiary drops vary by monster and activity. Here’s a table listing some notable tertiary drops, their sources, and approximate drop rates:

What Can You Get from Tertiary Drops?

Tertiary drops range from cosmetic items to high-value gear. Here’s a breakdown of common categories:

• Unique Items: Items like Pet Drops (e.g., Baby Mole from Giant Mole) or Vorkath’s Head are collectibles or trophies.
• Equipment: Rare weapons or armor, such as the Dragon Warhammer from Lizardman Shamans (1/5000).
• Resources: Items like Brimstone Keys or Crystal Shards from skilling in specific areas.
• Clue Scrolls: These lead to treasure trails, offering rewards from cosmetics to rare items like 3rd Age Gear.
• Skilling Rewards: Rare items like the Heron Pet from Fishing or Rock Golem from Mining.

Tips for Farming Tertiary Drops

1. Know Your Target: Research the monster’s drop table using OSRS Wiki or in-game tools to confirm tertiary items.
2. Optimize Gear: Use Slayer Helm or Black Mask on tasks to boost damage, indirectly increasing kill speed.
3. Use Luck Enhancers: Equip a Ring of Wealth for monsters tied to the Rare Drop Table.
4. Track Kills: Use a kill counter (e.g., RuneLite plugin) to monitor progress toward guaranteed drops like heads.
5. Be Patient: Tertiary drops are rare by design. Focus on enjoying the grind rather than expecting instant rewards.

Complete Guide to One-Ticking Your Inventory in OSRS

What Is One-Ticking?

One-ticking refers to performing an action in OSRS on every game tick (0.6 seconds) to maximize efficiency. In the context of inventory management, one-ticking involves dropping or processing items as fast as possible, often during skilling or combat, to maintain a seamless workflow. This technique is crucial for high-level players aiming to optimize experience rates or profit per hour.

Why One-Tick Your Inventory?

Dropping or processing items manually can waste ticks, slowing down your activity. One-ticking ensures you’re always performing the most efficient action, whether it’s cutting logs, fishing, or alching loot. Benefits include:

• Higher XP Rates: Faster inventory clears mean more time spent skilling.
• Increased Profit: Quicker processing of items (e.g., high-alching) boosts gold per hour.
• Smooth Gameplay: Eliminates downtime, making grinds feel fluid.

How to One-Tick Your Inventory

One-ticking requires precise timing and practice. Here’s a step-by-step guide for common scenarios:

1. One-Tick Dropping (Skilling)

This is used when skilling produces items you don’t want to keep, like fish or logs.

• Step 1: Position Items: Arrange your inventory so items to drop are in a predictable pattern (e.g., top row).
• Step 2: Click Rhythmically: Left-click each item every 0.6 seconds. Use a metronome (60 BPM) or RuneLite’s Metronome plugin to stay on beat.
• Step 3: Alternate Actions: Drop an item, then immediately perform your skilling action (e.g., click a tree). Repeat.
• Example: When power-chopping teak logs, drop a log, click the tree, drop another log, and so on.

2. One-Tick High Alching

High-alching loot during combat or skilling saves bank trips and boosts profit.

• Step 1: Set Up: Equip a Fire Staff and have Nature Runes in your inventory. Ensure High Alchemy is on your spellbook.
• Step 2: Time Clicks: Click the High Alchemy spell, then the item, every 0.6 seconds. Avoid double-casting, as alching has a 5-tick cooldown.
• Step 3: Integrate with Actions: Alternate alching with skilling or attacking. For example, alch an item, then swing at a monster.
• Tip: Use RuneLite’s Menu Entry Swapper to make alching a left-click option for speed.

3. One-Tick Processing (e.g., Fletching, Herblore)

Processing items like making potions or fletching arrows can be one-ticked for faster XP.

• Step 1: Prepare Inventory: Have all materials (e.g., herbs and vials) ready.
• Step 2: Click on Tick: Select the action (e.g., “Make All” potions) every 0.6 seconds. This requires timing your clicks to avoid delays.
• Step 3: Practice: Use a tick counter plugin to perfect your rhythm.
• Example: When making Prayer Potions, click the herb, then vial, in sync with ticks to process continuously.

Tools and Plugins for One-Ticking

RuneLite is a game-changer for one-ticking. Here’s a table of useful plugins:

Best Activities for One-Ticking

Not all activities benefit equally from one-ticking. Here’s a table of top methods:

Tips for Mastering One-Ticking

1. Start Slow: Practice with a metronome to get the rhythm before speeding up.
2. Minimize Distractions: One-ticking requires focus, so avoid multitasking.
3. Use Hotkeys: Bind actions like alching to mouse keys for faster inputs.
4. Watch Guides: YouTube tutorials (e.g., by creators like Theoatrix or Smallexplamp) show one-ticking in action.
5. Experiment: Test one-ticking in low-stakes scenarios, like chopping oaks, before high-intensity grinds.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistiming Clicks: Clicking off-tick wastes time. Use plugins to stay consistent.
• Overloading Inventory: Don’t let your inventory fill up; drop or process items proactively.
• Ignoring Cooldowns: High Alchemy has a 5-tick cooldown. Plan actions around it.
• Poor Setup: Misaligned items or spells slow you down. Organize your inventory and spellbook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do tertiary drops guarantee better loot?
A: No, tertiary drops are independent of main loot and often rare. They’re a bonus, not a guarantee of value.

Q: Can I increase my chances of getting tertiary drops?
A: For some drops, yes. Use a Ring of Wealth for Rare Drop Table items or complete Slayer tasks for specific rewards.

Q: Is one-ticking bannable in OSRS?
A: No, one-ticking is a legitimate technique that uses game mechanics. However, avoid macros or bots, as those are bannable.

Q: What’s the easiest one-tick method for beginners?
A: Dropping logs while woodcutting is simple and great for practice. Start with oaks or willows.

Q: Do I need RuneLite to one-tick?
A: No, but RuneLite’s plugins (e.g., Metronome) make it much easier to learn and execute.

Q: Are tertiary drops affected by combat level?
A: Not directly, but higher-level monsters often have better tertiary drops, like clue scrolls or uniques.

Q: How long does it take to master one-ticking?
A: With practice, you can get comfortable in a few hours. Mastery depends on the activity and your focus.

Conclusion

Understanding tertiary drops and mastering one-ticking are powerful ways to enhance your OSRS experience. Tertiary drops add thrill to every kill or skilling action, offering rare rewards that can define your account’s legacy—whether it’s a pet, a clue scroll, or a valuable unique. Meanwhile, one-ticking transforms tedious grinds into efficient, rewarding sessions, boosting your XP rates and profits with every tick.

Both mechanics reward preparation and patience. Dive into the drop tables, equip that Ring of Wealth, and track your kills to chase those elusive tertiaries. For one-ticking, grab a metronome, fire up RuneLite, and practice until your clicks are second nature. With these tools and techniques, you’ll not only play smarter but also enjoy the grind more.