rsgoldfast’s Ultimate Guide to Leveling Up Skills in RuneScape

If you’re aiming to dominate RuneScape—whether in Old School OSRS gold or RuneScape 3 (RS3)—then mastering skill training is an absolute must. From combat to gathering and artisan skills, every aspect of your journey depends on your ability to train efficiently, make smart decisions, and avoid wasting time or resources.

That’s where this guide comes in. Brought to you by rsgoldfast, we’re giving you the ultimate breakdown of how to train faster, smarter, and with greater returns, no matter your experience level or playstyle.

Why Skill Training Matters in RuneScape

RuneScape revolves around its iconic leveling system, which spans a wide range of skills: combat, production, gathering, and support. Leveling up your skills unlocks new areas, gear, quests, minigames, bosses, and gold-making opportunities. For many players, reaching max total or earning the skill cape is the ultimate goal.

Whether you're a skiller, PvMer, or casual player, knowing how to train makes a massive difference.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before jumping into training, decide on your short-term and long-term goals. Ask yourself:

Are you aiming to max one specific skill or reach base levels in all stats?

Are you focusing on profitable methods or the fastest XP possible?

Do you want to AFK while multitasking or stay active for better rates?

Understanding your own goals will help you choose the best training method for each skill.

Step 2: Questing – Your Secret Weapon

Quests are often overlooked, but they’re one of the fastest ways to gain early XP, especially between levels 1–50. Many quests give large skill XP rewards without requiring prior grinding.

Best XP-Rewarding Quests (OSRS Example):

Waterfall Quest – Attack & Strength

The Grand Tree – Agility

Fight Arena – Attack

Fairytale Part I – Farming

Druidic Ritual – Unlocks Herblore

The Dig Site – Mining

In RS3, quests offer even more generous XP and unlock powerful tools like skill lamps, new training methods, and better gear.

If you’re starting fresh, complete all XP-rich quests early. You'll gain dozens of levels instantly, skip boring content, and gain access to key areas and mechanics.

Step 3: Prioritize Key Items and Unlocks

You don't need the best-in-slot gear for every skill—but having key items can double your efficiency. Here are must-have tools to unlock early:

OSRS:

Graceful Outfit – Speeds up Agility and overall efficiency

Prospector/Lumberjack/Angler Outfits – Bonus XP in Mining, Woodcutting, Fishing

Teleport Tablets & Xeric’s Talisman – Reduces downtime during training

Stamina Potions – Vital for Agility, Runecrafting, and quests

RS3:

Portable Skilling Stations – Boost XP in Smithing, Cooking, etc.

Skilling Auras – Huge XP boosts

Tools like Crystal Hatchet and Dragon Pickaxe – Faster gathering XP

Lodestones and Teleport Unlocks – Massive time savers

Training without these tools is like cutting wood with a butter knife—you can do it, but it’s much slower.

Step 4: Best XP vs. Best Profit – Choose Wisely

Every skill in RuneScape has different training styles: fast & expensive, slow & profitable, or balanced. You need to pick the right method based on your goals and resources.

Examples:

SkillFastest XPMost ProfitableBalanced

SmithingBlast Furnace (OSRS) / Artisan's Workshop (RS3)Rune itemsGold bars / Mith items

Fishing3-Tick BarbarianAnglerfishMonkfish

Woodcutting3-Tick TeakMagic TreesYews

PrayerGilded Altar / Chaos AltarDragon Bones (if self-earned)Ensouled Heads
If you have gold or are willing to buy OSRS/RS3 gold from rsgoldfast, you can afford faster XP methods. Otherwise, stick with money-making routes.

Step 5: Use Passive Training Where Possible

Certain skills train passively in the background—free XP every day just for logging in and clicking a few buttons.

OSRS:

Farming Runs – Tree + Herb runs = huge XP over time

Birdhouse Runs – Hunter XP every 50 minutes

Kingdom of Miscellania – Free resources from workers

RS3:

Daily Challenges – Big XP boosts

Vis Wax + Weekly Events – Bonus XP auras

Distractions and Diversions – Penguins, Troll Invasion, etc.

Do these activities consistently. They take 5–10 minutes a day and can contribute hundreds of hours of passive XP annually.

Step 6: Efficient Training for Every Skill

Here’s a brief overview of efficient training methods for popular skills:

Combat Skills:

OSRS: Use Slayer, NMZ, or Sand Crabs with good gear

RS3: Use Revolution+ combat bar, Slayer tasks, or AFK monsters

Agility:

Canifis Rooftop → Seers → Pollnivneach

Use Marks of Grace for the Graceful Outfit

Combine with Stamina Potions & Mobile client

Runecrafting:

OSRS: Guardians of the Rift or Blood Runes at 77+

RS3: Runespan or Abyss training

Slayer:

Use a Cannon + Prayer setup in OSRS

Stack Slayer with Combat and earn gold passively

Construction:

Build Mahogany Larders or use Mahogany Homes

POH layout optimizations = faster XP

Herblore:

Clean herbs from farming or buy in bulk

Use the Amulet of Chemistry for 5-dose potions (OSRS)

Step 7: AFK Methods for Busy Players

If you can't give full attention, here are some of the best AFK-friendly skilling methods:

Fishing Monkfish / Anglerfish

Woodcutting Magic / Redwood Trees

Smithing Cannonballs

Cooking at Hosidius Kitchen (OSRS)

Mining Iron with RuneLite timers

Fletching broad bolts / darts

AFK doesn’t mean slow—some methods give 30k–50k XP per hour with minimal effort.

Step 8: Daily, Weekly, and Monthly XP Boosters

Always do your regular activities for bonus XP. It’s free and efficient.

Daily (OSRS):

Herb runs

Birdhouse runs

Tears of Guthix

Daily (RS3):

Daily Challenges

Vis Wax

Jack of Trades aura

Weekly:

Penguin Hide & Seek (RS3)

Kingdom check-in (OSRS)

Monthly:

Troll Invasion

Circus (RS3)

Minigame reward turn-ins

Even if you only log in to do these, you’ll steadily gain XP without grinding.

Step 9: Invest in Skilling Wisely

Some skills cost a fortune—but they’re worth it. Others can make you money. Use your gold strategically:

Construction, Prayer, and Herblore are expensive. Consider buying gold from rsgoldfast if you want to skip the grind.

Runecrafting, Hunter, and Slayer are slow but profitable.

Track your profit per hour, and reinvest that into faster XP skills.

Many maxed players buy gold specifically to skip grind-heavy skills like Prayer or Construction.

Step 10: Stay Motivated and Track Progress

Maxing all skills is a long journey. Don’t let burnout stop you. Keep things interesting with:

XP Trackers like RuneLite, Wise Old Man, or Alt1

Skilling Communities on Discord or Reddit

Milestone Goals – e.g., Base 60s, 99 in one skill, Total 2000

Celebrate your victories, share your progress, and reward yourself for hitting goals.

Final Thoughts

Leveling up skills in RuneScape is about more than clicking—it's about planning, optimizing, and using every tool at your disposal. With the tips in this guide, you'll be well-equipped to grind smarter, not harder, whether you're aiming for your first 99 or a maxed-out account.

Need extra gold for supplies, planks, or bones? Don’t waste hours farming—buy safe, fast gold from rsgoldfast and invest that time into real XP gains. We're here to help you train faster and get more out of yourcheapest OSRS gold adventure.