The short version
30-second read- Watson turns four lower clues into a master clue. Hand him one easy, one medium, one hard and one elite clue in Hosidius.
- Expect fights from hard clues upward. Hard emote steps summon a level 108 double agent, and elite digs bring guards up to level 125.
- Unlock fairy rings before pushing elite clues. Lumbridge & Draynor Elite lets you use them without a dramen staff.
- Wilderness steps never risk the clue itself. Clues and caskets always go to your gravestone, so only the gear you wear is at risk.
Treasure Trails at a Glance
Treasure Trails is the clue scroll activity. Each clue scroll is a chain of steps, such as digging at a map spot, performing an emote or solving a puzzle, and the last step hands you a reward casket. There are six tiers: beginner, easy, medium, hard, elite and master. Beginner is the only tier you can do on free-to-play worlds, and each tier above it adds steps, requirements and better loot.
You can only hold one clue of each tier at a time. After X Marks the Spot, clues drop as scroll boxes instead. Those stack to 2 per tier at first and up to 5 once you raise the cap with completions in that tier and the Mimic scroll case.
| Tier | Steps | Reward rolls | Master clue from casket | Notable uniques |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 1-3 | 1-3 | None | Mole slippers, black pickaxe |
| Easy | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1/50 | Black pickaxe |
| Medium | 3-5 | 3-5 | 1/30 | Ranger boots, wizard boots, holy sandals (1/1,133 per roll each) |
| Hard | 4-6 | 4-6 | 1/15 | Robin Hood hat, gilded (1/3,250 per roll), 3rd age (1/16,250 per roll) |
| Elite | 5-7 | 4-6 | 1/5 | Ring of nature, lava dragon mask, Fury ornament kit, 3rd age (1/14,662.5 per roll) |
| Master | 6-8 | 5-7 | Not applicable | Bloodhound pet (1/1,000 per casket), bucket helm (g), ring of coins, 3rd age (1/13,616 per roll) |
Elite and master caskets can also turn into the Mimic boss once you switch it on: 1/35 for elite and 1/15 for master. The Mimic guide covers how to enable it and win the fight first try.
How to Get Clue Scrolls
- Monster drops. Clues are usually a tertiary drop, and tougher monsters drop higher tiers. An imbued ring of wealth doubles clue drops from monsters in the Wilderness.
- Skilling. Clue nests from Woodcutting, clue bottles from Fishing and clue geodes from Mining can give every tier except master, at a much lower rate than combat.
- Impling jars. Baby and young implings are a common way to buy beginner clues.
- Master clues. Open lower caskets (1/50 easy, 1/30 medium, 1/15 hard, 1/5 elite) or give Watson in Hosidius one easy, one medium, one hard and one elite clue.
- Combat Achievements. The Easy, Medium, Hard and Elite reward tiers each add 5% to drop rates for the matching clue tier, implings excluded.
Clue Step Types by Tier
| Step type | Tiers |
|---|---|
| Cryptic clues | All six tiers |
| Emote clues | All six tiers |
| Maps | Beginner to elite |
| Anagrams | Beginner, medium, hard, elite, master |
| Coordinates | Medium to master |
| Challenge scrolls | Medium, hard, elite |
| Ciphers | Medium, hard |
| Puzzle boxes | Hard, elite, master |
| Hot Cold | Beginner, master |
| Light boxes | Master only |
From hard up, some steps fight back. Hard emote steps summon a double agent (level 108, or 65 in the Wilderness), and hard coordinate digs can spawn a Saradomin wizard (108) or a Zamorak wizard (65 in the Wilderness). Elite digs bring an Armadylean guard (97) or a Bandosian guard (125). Master digs spawn three Ancient Wizards (98, 98 and 112) in multicombat or a Brassican Mage (140) in singles, and master emotes summon a level 141 double agent.
The Barrows Clue Step (Master)
The Barrows step is a master emote clue: do a jig at the Barrows chest while wearing any full Barrows set. A full set is the helm, body, legs and weapon of one brother, and the Echo Ahrim's ornament versions count too.
- 1
Equip one complete Barrows set.
Any brother works, so use whichever set is cheapest for you.
- 2
At the Barrows, search the sarcophagi until one offers the hidden tunnel.
The tunnel crypt is random each run.
- 3
Walk to the chest room in the middle of the tunnels and perform the Jig emote next to the chest.
- 4
A level 141 double agent appears.
You can switch into combat gear to kill it, but if it dies while you are out of the set, re-equip the set and jig again.
- 5
Uri appears and gives you the next step.
STASH Units
STASH units hold the items for emote steps, so you stop banking for the same dragon med helm every clue. There are 119 of them, built from inconspicuous bushes, crates, holes and rocks with a hammer, saw, nails and planks. Construction boosts work.
| Tier | Construction | Materials per unit | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 12 | 2 planks, 10 nails | 3 |
| Easy | 27 | 2 planks, 10 nails | 31 |
| Medium | 42 | 2 oak planks, 10 nails | 25 |
| Hard | 55 | 2 teak planks, 10 nails | 16 |
| Elite | 77 | 2 mahogany planks, 10 nails | 19 |
| Master | 88 | 2 mahogany planks, 1 gold leaf, 10 nails | 25 |
Check what you have built on the noticeboard in Watson's house or on a S.T.A.S.H chart in your player-owned house. Master units need 88 Construction, which is where most accounts stop filling STASH units; if that level is the gap, Construction training covers it.
Clue Kit: What to Unlock First
- 1
Fairy rings and spirit trees.
Lumbridge & Draynor Elite lets you use fairy rings without a dramen staff.
- 2
Cheap Wilderness tools:
a Wilderness sword to cut webs, a royal seed pod or teleport crystal, and an Explorer's ring. You lose them on a Wilderness death, but they are easy to replace.
- 3
The Easy and Medium STASH units you hit most often.
- 4
A bank tab for emote gear that is not in a STASH unit yet.
- 5
Notes on the steps that stall you.
Fix the teleport or item for each one before you push elite and master volume.
Ironman Clue Notes
Ironmen can only get clue uniques such as ranger boots by doing the clues themselves, so scroll box stacks and STASH units pay off earlier than on a main. Do not hoard clues you cannot finish: once a tier is at its stack cap, new clues of that tier still drop but you cannot pick them up.
Common Mistakes
- Dropping hard clues to do later and never coming back.
- Starting elite clues without fairy rings or the teleports above.
- Repeating the same emote steps dozens of times without building the STASH unit.
- Wearing expensive gear to Wilderness steps. The clue and casket always go to your gravestone, but what you wear can be lost.
FAQ
Do you lose a clue scroll if you die?
No. Clues, scroll boxes and caskets are untradeable and go to your gravestone, even in the Wilderness, so a clue box is not needed.
How do I get a master clue scroll?
Open lower caskets (1/50 from easy, 1/30 from medium, 1/15 from hard, 1/5 from elite) or hand Watson one easy, one medium, one hard and one elite clue.
How long is each clue tier?
Beginner 1-3 steps, easy 2-4, medium 3-5, hard 4-6, elite 5-7 and master 6-8.
Do I need the quest cape for clues?
No. Beginner and easy clues ask for very little. Higher tiers need quest unlocks for some steps, for example Barrows gloves from Recipe for Disaster for one elite emote, so more quests means fewer skipped steps.
Are clues good money?
The average value of a medium casket is pulled up a lot by ranger boots, and it drops sharply without them. Treat clues as a side activity next to a steady money method.
Still stuck on a mechanic? Ask the team on our Discord, it is free.
Bottom Line
Unlock fairy rings and teleports first, build STASH units up to your Construction level and keep your scroll box stacks full. The Barrows jig, the double agents and the master clue wizards are all predictable once you know they are coming.
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