OSRS Optimal Quest Order
The most efficient route through every quest
Updated September 2026
There is no single correct quest order, but there is a most efficient one. This route sequences quests by the XP they give and the content they unlock, so you never train a skill a quest would have trained for you. It runs from your first minute in Lumbridge to the grandmaster quests.
How to Sequence Quests
Three rules do most of the work:
- Do zero-requirement quests first. They are free XP and quest points, and quest points gate the big quests later.
- Let quest XP pay for requirements. If a quest needs 40 Smithing, check whether another quest gives Smithing XP before you train it.
- Check boostability. Many skill requirements can be met with a temporary boost, letting you start quests early. A few are non-boostable — those are the real gates.
The Quest XP Planner shows every quest reward by skill, so you can see exactly which quest to do before training.
Phase 1 — Zero-Requirement Quests
Do these the moment you create an account. No stats, no prerequisites, and they hand you the early XP that skips the worst low-level grinds.
| Quest | Why do it |
|---|---|
| Cook's Assistant | 300 Cooking XP |
| The Restless Ghost | 1,125 Prayer XP |
| Sheep Shearer | 150 Crafting XP |
| Witch's Potion | 325 Magic XP |
| Doric's Quest | 1,300 Mining XP |
| Romeo & Juliet | 5 Quest points |
| Shield of Arrav | 1 Quest point |
| Ernest the Chicken | 4 Quest points |
| Rune Mysteries | Runecraft access |
| Imp Catcher | 875 Magic XP; Amulet of accuracy |
Phase 2 — Early Combat Power
These quests give huge Attack and Strength XP relative to their requirements, so they carry your melee stats into the mid game.
| Quest | Why do it |
|---|---|
| Waterfall Quest | 13,750 Attack + Strength XP; no requirements |
| Fight Arena | 12,175 Attack XP |
| Tree Gnome Village | 11,450 Attack XP |
| The Grand Tree | 18,400 Attack + Agility XP |
| Vampyre Slayer | 4,825 Attack XP |
| Death Plateau | 3,000 Attack XP; unlocks Troll Stronghold |
Phase 3 — Skilling XP Skips
Use quest XP to jump past the slowest early levels instead of grinding them out.
| Quest | Why do it |
|---|---|
| The Knight's Sword | 12,725 Smithing XP |
| Nature Spirit | Defence + Crafting XP; Morytania access |
| Fishing Contest | 2,437 Fishing XP |
| Sea Slug | 7,175 Fishing XP |
| The Dig Site | Herblore + Mining XP |
| Plague City | Mining XP; unlocks Biohazard |
Phase 4 — Unlock Quests
These gate the content you actually want: Morytania, fairy rings, dragon weapons, and the Barrows.
| Quest | Why do it |
|---|---|
| Priest in Peril | Unlocks Morytania and Barrows |
| Lost City | Dragon weapons; fairy ring access |
| Fairy Tale I | Magic secateurs; fairy ring network |
| Monkey Madness I | Dragon scimitar; Ape Atoll |
| Desert Treasure I | Ancient Magicks |
| Horror from the Deep | God books |
| Animal Magnetism | Ava's device |
Phase 5 — Recipe for Disaster
RFD is the single biggest account upgrade in the game because it ends in Barrows gloves. Start it early and finish the subquests as your stats allow.
| Quest | Why do it |
|---|---|
| Another Cook's Quest | Start RFD (10 Cooking) |
| Freeing the Goblin generals | Goblin Diplomacy |
| Freeing the Mountain Dwarf | Fishing Contest |
| Freeing Pirate Pete | 31 Cooking |
| Freeing Evil Dave | 25 Cooking; Shadow of the Storm |
| Freeing the Lumbridge Guide | 40 Cooking; Big Chompy Bird Hunting |
| Freeing Skrach Uglogwee | 41 Cooking; 20 Firemaking |
| Freeing Sir Amik Varze | 107 Quest points |
| Freeing King Awowogei | 70 Cooking; 48 Agility |
| Defeating the Culinaromancer | 175 Quest points |
Phase 6 — Grandmasters
The endgame quests. Each one unlocks a major boss or region, and each has steep, mostly non-boostable requirements.
| Quest | Why do it |
|---|---|
| Dragon Slayer II | Vorkath; Ava's assembler; rune dragons |
| Monkey Madness II | Demonic gorillas; Zenyte jewellery |
| Desert Treasure II | The Forgotten Four bosses |
| Song of the Elves | Prifddinas; Gauntlet; Zalcano |
| While Guthix Sleeps | Tormented demons; huge XP |
| The Blood Moon Rises | Vampyrium; Maggot King |
Shortcut: Members who want the full quest cape should work the phases in order and finish RFD before starting grandmasters. See the RFD guide and the grandmaster quest list.
Related Tools
Quest Order FAQ
01Is there an optimal quest order in OSRS?
There is no single mandatory order, but the efficient route follows one rule: complete quests with no requirements first, then use their XP rewards to meet the requirements of the next tier. That way you never train a skill a quest would have trained for you.
02What quests should I do first in OSRS?
Start with zero-requirement quests like Cook's Assistant, The Restless Ghost, Sheep Shearer, Witch's Potion, and Doric's Quest. They take minutes and give early Cooking, Prayer, Crafting, Magic, and Mining XP.
03Should I rush Recipe for Disaster?
Start it early and finish it as soon as your stats allow. RFD ends in Barrows gloves, the best-in-slot gloves for nearly every account build, and the subquests can be completed in any order.
04Do quest XP rewards scale with my level?
No. Quest XP is a fixed amount, so claiming it at level 10 or level 50 saves the same total XP. The common strategy is to use it early to skip slow low-level training.
05When should I do grandmaster quests?
After Recipe for Disaster and once you have high combat stats. Grandmaster requirements are mostly non-boostable, so check them first. Dragon Slayer II and Monkey Madness II are the usual first targets because of the bosses and gear they unlock.
Plan Your Next Quest
See exactly which quest gives XP in the skill you are about to train, then check the requirements before you start.
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.