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Tutorial Island and the first hour

Chapter 2 of 11 2 min read

Making a character, the island every player starts on, and what to do on arriving in Lumbridge.

Key points

  • Every new character starts on Tutorial Island, which teaches the basics one instructor at a time.
  • Tell the first guide brand new: it unlocks Adventure Paths, early goals with rewards.
  • Say no to Ironman mode on a first character.
  • The island ends with a teleport to Lumbridge, where the adventure starts.

Getting in

  1. Get the game from the official Old School RuneScape website, the App Store, Google Play or Steam.
  2. Create a free account on the official site.
  3. Log in to any world. Progress is the same on all of them.

Careful. Download the game only from those places. Fake game clients and "free membership" sites exist to steal accounts.

Tutorial Island

Every character starts in a small house on Tutorial Island. First comes the character’s look, which can be changed later for free. Then the Gielinor Guide asks how much the player has played before. Answer brand new: it unlocks Adventure Paths on the mainland.

After that, one instructor after another teaches one thing each: walking and talking to people, cooking, fishing, mining and smithing, fighting with a sword, a bow and spells, the bank, quests and prayer. Follow the arrow and the instructions in the chat box. Leaving the island means finishing its quest, Learning the Ropes.

Skills can only reach level 3 on the island, so there is nothing to gain by staying longer than it takes.

Near the end, an instructor offers Ironman mode: no trading with other players and no Grand Exchange, so everything is earned alone. It is a challenge for people who already know the game. For a first character, say no. It can be taken off later in Lumbridge, but never put on after leaving the island.

Tip. Stuck on a step? After a short wait, the controls guide in the top-left corner of the screen says what to do next.

Arriving in Lumbridge

The last instructor sends every new player off with the Home Teleport spell, to Lumbridge. It is a small town with a castle whose top floor holds a bank, with cows, chickens and goblins to fight nearby, and trees and fishing spots around it.

Just north of the castle gates stands Adventurer Jon. He runs the Adventure Paths: short lists of early goals, such as reaching level 10 in a combat skill, each with a reward. Starting the Combat Path hands over a starter kit of useful items.

Around the town are tutors, marked on the map, who explain one skill each and give out starter tools such as a fishing net, an axe, a pickaxe and practice weapons.

The first hour

  1. Talk to Adventurer Jon and start a path.
  2. Collect the tutors’ free tools.
  3. Start Cook’s Assistant in the castle kitchen: the first quest in the game, and a short one.
  4. Fight chickens and cows near Lumbridge for Attack, Strength and Defence XP.
  5. Chop a few trees, catch a few fish, and cook them.

Then read The game screen: it names every button seen so far.