Between a Rock... Quest Guide
OSRS Between a Rock... walkthrough, requirements and rewards
Updated September 2026
Between a Rock... unlocks the Arzinian gold mine and rewards a rune pickaxe and gold helmet. It needs 30 Defence, 40 Mining and 50 Smithing — all of which can be boosted — plus Dwarf Cannon and Fishing Contest.
On this page
6 sections
Overview
| Difficulty | Experienced |
| Length | Medium |
| Quest points | 2 |
| Series | None |
| Start point | Talk to Dondakan the Dwarf at the Keldagrim south-west mine. |
Requirements
Skill Requirements
| Skill | Level |
|---|---|
| Defence | 30 |
| Mining | 40 |
| Smithing | 50 |
Quest Requirements
Other Requirements
- Ability to defeat a level 75-125 Arzinian Avatar
Items Needed
- A pickaxe
- 4 gold bars
- A hammer
- An ammo mould or double ammo mould
- About 830 coins for carts and the ferry
Recommended
- Combat level 50+
- Combat gear
- Falador teleport
- Combat bracelet
- Camelot teleport
- Ring of Charos(a)
- Amulet of glory
- Stamina potion
Walkthrough
Video walkthrough by Slayermusiq1.
- Reach Dondakan. Travel to the Keldagrim mines north-east of Rellekka, take the dwarven ferryman across the river and talk to Dondakan by his cannon.
- Find the book pages. Speak to the engineer in the Keldagrim Trading Consortium, then Rolad at the Dwarven Mine camp, and collect three pages from scorpions, mine carts and ore rocks.
- Show the gold. Read the Dwarven lore, talk to Dondakan until he kicks the rock, then use a gold bar on him.
- Golden cannonball. Smith a golden cannonball at any furnace using a gold bar and ammo mould, then use it on Dondakan.
- Assemble the schematics. Collect the four schematics (from Dondakan, the engineer, the lore book and Khorvak in the White Wolf Tunnel) and assemble them into a working design.
- Defeat the avatar. Wear the gold helmet, mine at least six (ideally 15) gold ore, enter the rock and defeat the Arzinian Avatar (level 75-125). Remove the helmet to escape if needed.
Rewards
- 2 Quest points
- 5,000 Defence experience
- 5,000 Mining experience
- 5,000 Smithing experience
- A rune pickaxe
- A gold helmet
- Access to the Arzinian Mine
- Ability to teleport to Dondakan's rock with a ring of wealth
Related Quests
Related Tools
Between a Rock... FAQ
01What skills do I need for Between a Rock...?
30 Defence, 40 Mining and 50 Smithing. Unlike most quest requirements, all three can be boosted.
02How much gold should I mine inside the rock?
Mine at least six gold ore or the Avatar regenerates. Mining 15 lowers its combat level from 125 to 75, and you only have eight minutes to mine and fight.
03What are the rewards for Between a Rock...?
2 Quest points, 5,000 Defence, 5,000 Mining and 5,000 Smithing experience, a rune pickaxe, a gold helmet and access to the Arzinian Mine.
04How long does Between a Rock... take?
It is a Medium-length Experienced quest, with most of the time spent collecting book pages and schematics around Keldagrim.
05Can I boost the skill requirements for Between a Rock...?
Yes. Unlike most quests, the 30 Defence, 40 Mining and 50 Smithing requirements can all be boosted.
06Is Between a Rock... worth doing?
Yes. It gives a free rune pickaxe, the gold helmet and access to the Arzinian gold mine, and it is required for several later quests and diaries.
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Darren started playing the original RuneScape 2 back in the day and came back when Old School RuneScape launched. He's played on and off over the years and built OSRSToolkit to give players a single place to find reliable tools, calculators, and guides — all informed by real in-game experience.