Old School RuneScape Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Old School RuneScape uses the British convention for floor numbering: Ground floor, first floor, etc.
For the main article, see Treasure Trails. For a full list of all clues, see the Full guide.

Preparation[]

Difficulty levels[]

The 'level' of a clue scroll relates to its difficulty. There are six levels of clue scroll: Beginner, Easy, Medium, Hard, Elite, and Master. A beginner clue scroll is the lowest difficulty treasure trail, the only clue scroll available to free-to-play players, and the only clue scroll offering free-to-play rewards. An easy clue scroll is a low difficulty treasure trail, with a low reward yield. A medium clue scroll is a medium difficulty treasure trail with a more substantial reward yield. A hard clue scroll is a hazardous Treasure trail which can be very rewarding. An elite clue scroll is the second most dangerous clue scroll (both to receive and to complete.) Elite clue scrolls require killing higher level monsters, which is rewarded by much greater and expensive rewards as compared to other levelled scrolls. Master clue scrolls are the most difficult to complete and can only be obtained as a reward from other clue scrolls or by handing one of each tier clue scroll over to Watson found on Zeah.

Clue scrolls are generated primarily by monster drops, but also can be generated through thieving, and as certain activity rewards. Each level of clue has a very different set of possible rewards and items, as well as hazards, so it is worth knowing what the player is in for.

Length[]

  • Beginner clue scrolls can be between 1-3 clues long
  • Easy clue scrolls can be between 2-4 clues long with few or no quest requirements.
  • Medium clue scrolls can be between 3-5 clues long with some quest requirements.
  • Hard clue scrolls can be between 4-6 clues long, with multiple enemies to defeat and can have high-levelled quest requirements.
  • Elite clue scrolls can be between 5-7 (on rare occasions 8) clues long, with multiple fights, and puzzles every step.
  • Master clue scrolls can be between 6-8 clues long, with multiple fights, and puzzles every step. Very high levelled skills recommended.

Recommended items[]

All level clues[]

Picture Item Use
Clue scroll
Clue scroll Used to solve clues and required to exchange for a new clue scroll.
Spade
Spade Use this to dig for a clue.
Law rune
Teleportation runes and enchanted jewellery Use this to travel over large distances.
Energy potion(4)
(Super) Energy potions Use these to restore energy
Coins 10000
Money Use this to buy items needed for emote clues and travel costs.
Ring of charos
Ring of charos (a) Used for extra benefits
Dramen staff
Lunar staff
Dramen or lunar staff Use this to access the Fairy ring network shortly into Fairytale II - Cure a Queen (especially useful for level 2 clues and possibly required for level 3 clues).

Medium, hard and elite[]

Alongside the above mentioned items, for these types of clues you will often need some additional tools:

The following items are not required to complete Treasure Trails anymore.

Picture Item Use
Sextant
Sextant Use this to solve coordinate clues.
Watch
Watch Use this to solve coordinate clues.
Chart
Chart Use this to solve coordinate clues.

Hard, elite and master[]

Hard, elite and master clues will often encounter various wizards that may prove difficult to fight. Therefore the following items are recommended:

Picture Item Use
Shark
Food Use this to restore your hitpoints in combat.
Prayer potion(4)
Prayer potions Use this to restore your prayer points in combat.
Antipoison(4)
(Super) antipoison potions Use this to counter poison in combat, caused by Saradomin wizards.
Abyssal whip
Armour and a weapon Use this to protect yourself and deal damage in combat.

Quests[]

Having a high amount of quest points is beneficial when doing treasure trails. Many higher-level trails will lead a player into areas which are locked by quests. If this is the case, the player must do the quest, up to where access to the area is granted, if they wish to complete their trail. If the player hasn't done the needed quest yet, but they have the requirements or are in a position to get them quickly, it is recommended that the player (trains and) does the quest, rather than getting rid of the clue scroll.

Anagrams[]

An anagram is a string of letters which have been purposefully scrambled. For example: od olpe is, unscrambled, poodle. Anagrams can appear in level 2 and level 3 clues. The solution of an anagram is always the name of an NPC. Once the solution is found, the player can get their next clue by talking to that NPC. When the player talks to the solution NPC in a level 3 trail, they will receive a challenge scroll or a puzzle box. Solve the puzzle box and talk to the NPC again, or tell the NPC the answer to the challenge scroll, to receive the next clue.

Challenge scrolls[]

 Challenge scrolls are logical problems posed to the player by an NPC. Challenge scrolls appear in medium, hard, and elite clues. Challenge scrolls are 'step two' of a clue. To complete the scroll, view the question on the scroll, then speak to the NPC which gave it to provide the answer. When the correct answer is provided the challenge is complete, and the player will receive either the next clue, or the reward.

Cipher clues[]

A cipher is a string of letters which have been purposefully scrambled using the Caesar cipher method. For example: ZCZL is unscrambled by shifting each letter through the English alphabet forward by one letter, and becomes ADAM (A comes after Z again). However, each cipher can be different - some require more shifts than one. The solution will be the name of an NPC, who you need to speak to in order to receive a challenge. These challenges include challenge scrolls and puzzle boxes.

Coordinate clues[]

coordinate clue is a clue scroll that contains a set of coordinates. Much like the real-world longitude & latitude geographic coordinate system, coordinates in RuneScape indicate a precise point somewhere on the surface where the next clue scroll, or potentially the treasure casket, is buried. Coordinate clues will only appear in Treasure Trails of medium difficulty or above. Note: For Hard or Elite Coordinate clues, expect combat.

Cryptic clues/simple clues[]

This section includes both simple and cryptic clues. Simple clues are clues containing a straightforward message such as "Search the boxes in a house in Lumbridge". Cryptic clues are similar to simple clues, but with increased difficulty. They are found essentially in medium and higher level clues. These clues demand a fairly wide variety of tasks, anything from leading the player to speak with an NPC, searching a designated crate, or directing the player to dig in some fairly obscure location. However, these tasks usually require an additional task in order to complete the clue. These challenges include: finding a key, or completing a puzzle box.

Emote clues[]

 Emote clues involve equipping certain items in a particular location and performing an emote, like some strange secret handshake. These types of clues are found in all levels of clue scrolls, and most (but not all) items required for the emote clues can be obtained in shops or other players. Once the emote has been performed, an extremely odd NPC called Uri will appear and usually give the player a casket (and an earful of nonsense). If the player has been requested to do another emote before talking to Uri, and they forgot to do it, he will say, I don't believe we have any business... but will not leave. The player can then complete the second emote and finish the clue. Level 1 clues require doing 1 emote, level 2 clues require doing 2, and level 3 clues require doing 1 emote and combat.

Light boxes[]

When speaking to an NPC in a master treasure trail, the player may receive a light box. Light boxes are 'step two' of a clue: first the player has to find the right NPC to speak to (when they get a cryptic or anagram clue), and then they have to solve the light box, to advance along their trail. Light boxes contain a 5x5 grid of lights and 8 switches to turn them on and off. The goal of the puzzle is to light all the lights. Once the light box is completed, players will need to talk to the NPC who gave the light box to receive the next clue or the reward.

Map clues[]

 Map clues are an image of the location the player needs to search to advance along their trail. Maps are found across all levels of clue scroll. They are rough pictures of a very local area. If the map leads to an X, the player needs to take a spade to the place indicated on the map with the X and dig there. If the map leads to a crate, it must simply be searched. Sometimes players may find a small pile of crates, or a multitude of them. Search all of them until the next clue or the reward is found. Maps can include landmarks such as buildings, fish to indicate fishing spots, roads, rivers, bridges, and other things.

Puzzle boxes[]

When speaking to an NPC in a hard or elite trail, the player may receive a puzzle box. Puzzle boxes are 'step two' of a clue: first the player has to find the right NPC to speak to (when they get a cryptic or anagram clue), and then they have to solve the puzzle, to advance along their trail. Puzzle boxes contain a scrambled image that players must work to unscramble by clicking on tiles to move them to an empty space. Once the puzzle box is completed, players will need to talk to the NPC who gave the puzzle to receive the next clue or the reward.

Fairy ring clues[]

Several clue scrolls are in the format of three letters and then four numbers. The meaning of these scrolls is to go to a fairy ring with the code of the ring as the first three letters and the four numbers indicating the amount of steps to move north, east, south and then west. For example, the following text on a clue scroll:

ckp
0 2 2 4

means to go to the fairy ring ckp, then moving 0 steps north, 2 steps east, 2 steps south and finally 4 steps west.


Advertisement