OSRS: All Skills Explained Ultimate Guide

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a game rich in depth, where progression depends heavily on mastering a variety of skills. These skills allow players to craft, gather, fight, and survive in the expansive world of Gielinor. Whether you're battling monsters, collecting resources, or exploring, skills are the backbone of your journey.

Mastering all skills in OSRS can take time, but the benefits are immense: access to powerful equipment, unique areas, and advanced gameplay mechanics. This guide breaks down all 23 skills in the game, explaining their purpose and how they affect gameplay.

Free-to-Play Skills in OSRS

There are 15 skills available to free-to-play players, covering combat, resource gathering, and essential survival mechanics. These skills form the foundation of your OSRS experience.

1. Attack

Attack governs your accuracy with melee weapons. The higher your Attack level, the better you hit enemies with swords, maces, and other melee weapons. This skill also unlocks access to stronger weapons and certain agility shortcuts.

2. Strength

Strength increases the damage you deal in melee combat. Higher Strength allows players to equip specific heavy weapons and deal more damage per hit, making it essential for players focused on close-range combat.

3. Defence

Defence reduces the damage taken from RuneScape gold enemy attacks and lets you equip stronger armor. It is crucial for survival in both PvE and PvP environments.

4. Ranged

Ranged skill allows players to attack from a distance using bows, crossbows, or thrown weapons. Higher Ranged levels improve accuracy and unlock stronger projectiles.

5. Prayer

Prayer lets players activate various buffs such as boosting combat stats, reducing damage, or automatically healing in battle. Prayer points are consumed with each ability and can be restored at altars.

6. Magic

Magic enables players to cast spells for combat, utility, or teleportation. Leveling Magic unlocks more powerful offensive spells, defensive spells, and teleports that significantly improve mobility.

7. Runecrafting

Runecrafting is the skill of creating runes for Magic spells. Each level allows players to craft higher-tier runes, making it essential for spellcasting efficiency.

8. Hitpoints

Hitpoints determine how much damage you can sustain. Higher Hitpoints let you survive tougher fights, and they scale naturally as you train combat skills.

9. Crafting

Crafting allows players to create items from raw materials, including jewelry, pottery, and ranged armor. Crafting can also be profitable if you produce items to sell to other players.

10. Mining

Mining is used to extract ores from rocks, which are then smelted into bars for Smithing. It is the backbone of metal-based crafting and equipment progression.

11. Smithing

Smithing converts ores into metal bars and further crafts them into weapons and armor. It is essential for players who want to create their gear rather than rely on drops or trading.

12. Fishing

Fishing lets players catch fish, which can be cooked for food or used in other crafting recipes. It is one of the easiest ways to sustain health in the early game.

13. Cooking

Cooking allows players to prepare food, restoring Hitpoints when eaten. Higher Cooking levels reduce the chance of burning food, which is important for efficiency.

14. Firemaking

Firemaking allows players to light fires, which can be used for cooking or training the skill itself. It is often paired with Woodcutting for efficient leveling.

15. Woodcutting

Woodcutting lets players chop down trees to obtain logs. Logs are used in Firemaking, Construction, and OSRS Powerleveling Crafting, making this a highly versatile resource-gathering skill.