Skotizo OSRS Guide: Dark Totem Pieces, Altars, Gear & Drops

Overview: Skotizo at a Glance

Skotizo is a level 321 demon fought in a lair beneath the Catacombs of Kourend. You get in by using a dark totem on the altar in the centre of the Catacombs, and the totem is used up even if you die or teleport out, so every kill costs one totem. There is no Slayer level or quest requirement.

A dark totem is three pieces (base, middle and top) that drop from any monster except ghosts in the Catacombs or the Giants' Den. Superior Slayer monsters in the Catacombs always drop one. The full breakdown is in the dark totem section below.

In the fight, hold Protect from Melee so only his magic attack can land, and switch off the four awakened altars as he lights them. Each active altar cuts the damage you deal, and Arclight or Emberlight turns an altar off in one hit, which is why most players bring one.

Access Requirements

Skotizo has no skill or quest gate. You need one dark totem per attempt and access to the Catacombs of Kourend.

He also counts toward black demon and greater demon Slayer tasks, so a demon task from Chaeldar, Konar, Nieve or Duradel is a good time to use a stockpile of totems. Each kill is worth 618.5 Slayer XP. The boss requirements checklist lists the other Slayer boss gates by group.

How to Get a Dark Totem

A dark totem is the dark totem base, middle and top used together in your inventory. The pieces drop from any monster except ghosts in the Catacombs of Kourend and the Giants' Den. The game gives you the base first, then the middle, then the top, and duplicates only start once you have had all three.

Hitpoints barely move that formula: a 35 HP hill giant rolls 1 in 465. Hill giants are the wiki's pick for farming totems because they die so fast. Most players collect pieces as a side effect of Slayer tasks in the Catacombs instead, where the same monsters also drop ancient shards; our Slayer guide covers which tasks to do there.

The totem cannot be traded, so you cannot buy one on the Grand Exchange. The shards matter too: Darklight plus three ancient shards, used on the same central altar, makes Arclight.

Location and How to Get There

Skotizo's lair is beneath the Catacombs of Kourend. Use your dark totem on the altar in the centre of the Catacombs to go down.

The quickest way in is a Xeric's talisman to Xeric's Heart, then the Statue of King Rada I in the Kourend Castle courtyard. After Client of Kourend, the Kourend Castle Teleport does the same job. The lair is an instance: if you die, your items go to a grave outside, and anything left on the floor is lost.

Recommended Combat Stats and Gear

• Arclight or Emberlight switches off an altar in one hit regardless of your stats, and each active altar only cuts its damage by 15% instead of 25%. Silverlight and Darklight do not have the altar effect.
• Ranged works well. The strategy page rates a scorching bow above melee for most players, but no ranged weapon disables altars in one hit; the toxic blowpipe is the wiki's pick for altars if you skip Arclight.
• A Defence-lowering special (dragon warhammer, elder maul, Bandos godsword), or burning claws or Voidwaker for raw damage.
• Black d'hide pairs well with Protect from Melee, since it adds magic defence against the one attack that still hits you.

Inventory and Supplies

• A dark totem. One per kill.
• Arclight or Emberlight, or your ranged weapon.
• 2 to 3 prayer potions: Protect from Melee in the fight, Protect from Magic on the walk to an altar.
• A divine super combat potion, or a divine bastion potion for ranged.
• A stamina potion. The wiki recommends one with Arclight, since you end up walking to more altars.
• Sharks or better, a special attack weapon and an emergency teleport.

Mechanics: Attack Styles, Max Hits and Immunities

Where Skotizo Sits in Progression

Within the Slayer boss group, the fights below Skotizo are Kraken and Thermonuclear Smoke Devil. Above it sit Araxxor and Abyssal Sire.

Fight Strategy: Altars, Minions and Prayer

1. 1

   Use the totem on the altar with Protect from Melee already on.

   That leaves only his magic attack able to hit you.

2. 2

   He lights one of the four awakened altars, one on each side of the room.

   Every active altar cuts your damage on him by 25%, so four lit altars take a normal weapon to zero. With Arclight or Emberlight the cut is 15% per altar, capped at 60%.

3. 3

   Walk to the lit altar with Protect from Magic on, because he does not follow you to melee range, and switch it off. A disabled altar cannot relight for one minute.

4. 4

   When he is down to a third of his health he summons three reanimated demon spawns, and a Dark Ankou can appear while an altar is active. Protect from Melee makes both harmless. Ignore them, since he can summon them again.

5. 5

   Back next to him, flick back to Protect from Melee and keep hitting.

With ranged you can stand off and still deal with the altars on foot. With Arclight the kill turns into a loop of one hit per altar and back to Skotizo, which is why it stays the default weapon here.

Drops and What Skotizo Is Worth

The uniques are the dark claw, the Jar of Darkness and the Skotos pet. A dark claw on a Slayer helmet makes the purple Slayer helmet once you have bought Dark Mantle for 1,000 Slayer points, and Patchy on Mos Le'Harmless will combine one with flippers into dark flippers for 500 coins.

Every kill drops infernal ashes and a hard clue scroll, and elite clues are a common extra roll. Ancient shards, the shield left half and dark totem pieces fill out the rest, and any totem pieces he drops go straight into your next attempt.

Combat Achievements

Skotizo has seven Combat Achievement tasks, and two of them pull in opposite directions: one needs a demonbane weapon equipped, the other needs you to win without one.

Combat Achievements guide

Ironman Notes

Skotizo counts for black demon and greater demon tasks from Chaeldar, Konar, Nieve and Duradel. Each kill is 618.5 Slayer XP.

The guaranteed hard clue makes him a steady clue source for an ironman, and the ancient shards you collect on totem trips are the same shards Arclight needs.

Common Mistakes and Death Causes

• Fighting with altars lit. Four active altars take a normal weapon's damage to zero.
• Walking to an altar with Protect from Melee still on, while he keeps casting at you.
• Killing the reanimated demon spawns. He can summon them again and they give you nothing.
• Bringing a ring of recoil, which does not damage him.
• Using a totem without supplies for a full kill. It is consumed even if you teleport out.
• Expecting Silverlight or Darklight to disable altars in one hit. Only Arclight and Emberlight do.

FAQ

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