The short version
30-second read- Start on a normal main account. Ironman has to be picked on Tutorial Island and is a harsh way to learn how the game's systems connect.
- Buy membership once free quests run out. Only 24 of the 184 quests are free, worth 46 of the 343 quest points.
- Save Lumbridge Home Teleport for emergencies. It costs no runes but has a 30-minute cooldown, so use it after a death or when lost.
- Do Doric's Quest before The Knight's Sword. Then, as a member, finish Waterfall Quest and Tree Gnome Village before any manual combat training.
The First-Day Checklist
Your first day in OSRS has a fixed shape. Finish the tutorial quest, decide on Ironman before you leave the island, switch on two-factor authentication, then walk to the Stronghold of Security for 10,000 free coins and a pair of boots. After that, clear the short free quests around Lumbridge and you have a working account.
- 1
Finish Learning the Ropes on Tutorial Island.
The tutorial became a quest in October 2025 and took this name on 11 February 2026. It is worth 1 quest point and sends you to the mainland with basic tools, a weapon, runes, the Lumbridge Home Teleport spell and 25 coins in the bank.
- 2
Pick your account mode before the Magic Instructor teleports you off.
Ironman is chosen by talking to the Ironman tutor on the island, and the restrictions cannot be added to an account afterwards.
- 3
Secure the account.
New accounts are Jagex Accounts. Add an authenticator app, store the backup codes somewhere safe (they are the only way back in if you lose the phone) and set a bank PIN.
- 4
Clear the Stronghold of Security under the Barbarian Village mine, west of Varrock.
The four floors pay 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 coins and then a choice of boots, plus four emotes. You need two-factor authentication on before the chests will pay out.
- 5
Do the quick free quests:
Cook's Assistant, Sheep Shearer, The Restless Ghost (1,125 Prayer XP) and Rune Mysteries, which switches Runecraft on.
- 6
Do Doric's Quest first.
Its 1,300 Mining XP is level 10 on its own, which is what The Knight's Sword needs, and The Knight's Sword then pays 12,725 Smithing XP. Add Vampyre Slayer for 4,825 Attack XP.
Requirements and rewards above match the OSRS Wiki as of October 2026. Check the wiki page for any quest before you start it, because updates do move things.
Who This Guide Is For
- Brand-new accounts with zero RuneScape history
- Friends who joined because of a Discord or clan invite
- Players who spent their first evening killing cows and want an actual plan
If you played years ago and are coming back, the returning player guide covers account migration and what changed while you were gone.
Free-to-Play or Members?
You can play for free, but the free game is small. Only 24 of the 184 quests are free-to-play, worth 46 of the 343 quest points, and newer content such as Sailing and Varlamore is members-only.
The clearest example is Waterfall Quest. It is members-only, has no skill requirements and can be finished at combat level 3, and it pays 13,750 Attack and 13,750 Strength XP. That takes both skills from 1 to 30. Tree Gnome Village, Fight Arena and The Grand Tree are the same story: big Attack rewards, members only.
A sensible split is to play free until you have finished the checklist above, then buy membership when you run out of free quests you can do.
The Beginner Non-Negotiables
Skip the endgame montages for now. These five things change a new account faster than anything else:
- The Stronghold of Security, for 10,000 coins and boots on day one
- Quests that pay combat XP: Waterfall Quest, Tree Gnome Village, Fight Arena and Vampyre Slayer
- A simple money loop so you can buy food, runes and tools (low-level money methods)
- Membership once the free quest list runs out
- One combat style and one gathering skill at a time
For the full quest list, see best quests for beginners and the optimal quest order.
Your First 10 to 20 Hours
Once the first-day checklist is done, this order keeps you moving:
- 1
Set one weekly goal, for example Waterfall Quest plus 20 Mining.
- 2
Clear the remaining free quests you can do, including Imp Catcher (875 Magic XP).
- 3
Once you are a member, do Waterfall Quest before any manual Attack or Strength training.
- 4
Pick one combat style and one gathering skill to push.
- 5
Learn the Grand Exchange by buying your tools and food there instead of gathering everything.
- 6
Join a friendly clan or Discord for questions, and ignore anyone offering free GP or item doubling.
- 7
After about 10 hours, keep what you enjoyed and drop what felt empty.
Travel Unlocks Worth Getting Early
A new account spends a lot of its first week walking. These cut the regular trips short, and the members ones come from quests you want for the XP anyway.
- Lumbridge Home Teleport costs no runes but has a 30-minute cooldown. Save it for getting back after a death or when you are lost.
- Varrock Teleport needs 25 Magic and costs 1 law, 3 air and 1 fire rune. It is free-to-play and lands by the fountain in Varrock centre, a short run from the Grand Exchange.
- Tree Gnome Village (members) gives 11,450 Attack XP and opens the spirit tree network, including a tree in the north-east corner of the Grand Exchange. You have to beat a level 112 Khazard warlord, so do it after Waterfall Quest.
- The Grand Tree (members) adds gnome gliders, with stops at Al Kharid and White Wolf Mountain, and the spirit tree in the Gnome Stronghold. It needs 25 Agility (boostable) and a level 172 black demon kill, which you can safespot with Ranged or Magic.
- A games necklace and a ring of dueling (members) hold 8 teleports each. Buy them fully charged on the Grand Exchange, because part-used ones cannot be traded there. The necklace reaches Burthorpe, the Barbarian Outpost and, once you have visited Zeah, Wintertodt. The ring reaches Castle Wars and Ferox Enclave, both of which have a bank.
Skills Worth Touching Early
Combat stats (Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints, Ranged, Magic, Prayer) unlock quests and safer money methods. Cooking and Fishing keep you fed. Woodcutting and Mining pay for early tools. Agility is slow, but it restores run energy faster for the rest of the account's life.
- Do not chase a 99 in week one
- Let quest XP cover slow skills whenever the quest is short
- Buy an axe, a pickaxe and food before any cosmetics
Account Mode Advice
Start on a normal main account. Ironman is great once you understand how the game's systems connect, but it is a harsh way to learn them, and you have to commit on Tutorial Island. Group Ironman needs friends who will actually log in. Hardcore can wait until you know how death works and what you lose.
Common Mistakes
- Training every skill a little until nothing is useful
- Skipping quests because skilling feels more productive
- Copying a maxed player's gear goals in week one
- Following a max-efficiency guide step by step before you know what each step is for
- Falling for trade or item-doubling scams
- Buying membership and then logging in with no goal
Without a goal you end up training whatever is closest. One written goal per week fixes that.
When Paid Help Makes Sense (Optional)
If one early quest wall is killing your motivation, hand-done questing or focused skill training can clear it. Agree the exact scope in writing first.
Browse Questing services, read client reviews, or go back to the blog hub.
FAQ
What should a new player do first in OSRS?
Finish Learning the Ropes, set up two-factor authentication, claim the 10,000 coins and boots from the Stronghold of Security, then clear the short free quests around Lumbridge.
What is the fastest way to get started in OSRS?
Let quests do your early training instead of grinding it. Finish Learning the Ropes, claim the Stronghold of Security coins and clear the free quests, doing Doric's Quest before The Knight's Sword. As a member, do Waterfall Quest and then Tree Gnome Village before any manual combat training, and pick up the travel unlocks above as you go. Keep one goal at a time so you always know why you logged in.
Should I buy membership immediately?
Not on day one. Play the free quests first, then buy it. 160 of the 184 quests are members-only, including Waterfall Quest, so most of the early XP shortcuts need it.
Is Ironman good for a first account?
Usually no. Learn the game on a main first. Ironman has to be picked on Tutorial Island and cannot be switched on later, so make it a second account once you know the systems.
What should I do after the Stronghold of Security?
Combat XP quests (Vampyre Slayer for free players, Waterfall Quest and Tree Gnome Village for members), then either an early money method or travel unlocks so more of the map opens up.
Still stuck on a mechanic? Ask the team on our Discord, it is free.
Bottom Line
Tutorial quest, account security, Stronghold of Security, free quests, then membership and Waterfall Quest. That order covers your first week and costs nothing until the membership step.
Pick one milestone for this week and finish it before you plan the next one. Once the basics feel familiar, the account progression plan covers the next stages, from your first real gear set to bossing and raids.
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