Ancient Magicks

Ancient Magicks (also known as Ancients) are a series of Magic spells unlocked upon completion of the quest Desert Treasure I. Unlike the Lunar spellbook, which primarily focuses on utility spells, and both the standard spellbook and the Arceuus spellbook, which feature a mixture of combat and utility spells, the Ancient Magicks is significantly combat-oriented, including some of the most powerful combat spells in the game.

Having far fewer spells than the other spellbooks, the Ancient Magicks only contains 16 combat spells and 9 teleports. Ancient Magicks spells require multiples of expensive runes such as death and blood runes. Owing to their power (a minimum of 50 Magic is needed to even access the spellbook), Ancient Magick spells are popular in player-versus-player activities.

The Ancient Magicks are a long-forgotten and destructive set of spells. In the Second Age, they were very commonly used, mostly by the followers of Zaros, who ruled a very large empire at that time.

The destructive and powerful spells of the Ancient Magicks proved to be useful during the wars in the era. The Spellbook also contained various teleport spells, which made it easier for the Zarosians to travel across their empire, which stretched from the northern Wilderness, to northern Misthalin and north-western Morytania.

Unfortunately, knowledge of Runecraft was lost before the Second Age and the remaining supplies Guthix provided humans in the First Age slowly disappeared through the use of Magic. Back then, many wizards held battles with the few remaining runes as a prize.

After Zaros' banishment following the Betrayal of Zaros, Zamorak and other gods like Saradomin, destroyed the empire. The destruction of the empire and the slow disappearance of runes caused the Ancient Magicks to become a rarely used form of Magic. During this time, only the Mahjarrat used Ancient Magicks, mostly because they didn't need runes to use Magic.

The God Wars held after Zaros' banishment saw the slow fade of the Ancient Magicks from common knowledge. Many of the remaining followers of Zaros, who comprised the majority of spell-casters, were killed or imprisoned. The powerful spells caused much destruction during the enormous battles, although the number of people who knew about the spells was extremely limited.

Long after the end of the God Wars, at the beginning of the Fifth Age, the art of Runecraft was rediscovered, giving humans a new supply of runes. New spells were invented by modern wizards of the Wizards' Tower, driving the Ancient Magicks even further into obscurity. Today, Ancient Magicks are used almost exclusively by the Mahjarrat, who have been driven close to extinction in Gielinor. A handful of people, such as Solus Dellagar, still possess the knowledge of Ancient Magicks. But furthermore, most mages of Gielinor choose to practice the modern magic created at the Wizards' Tower. Players will learn about the Ancient Magicks during the Desert Treasure I quest, where they release the imprisoned Zarosian Mahjarrat Azzanadra.

Because unlocking the Ancient Magicks spellbook requires completion of the Desert Treasure I quest, the following quests are also required:

• The Dig Site
• The Tourist Trap
• Temple of Ikov
• Priest in Peril
• Troll Stronghold
• Waterfall Quest
• Druidic Ritual

The prerequisite quest skill requirements, combined with the experience rewarded from these quests, means that the minimum skills required to obtain Ancient Magicks can be seen in the table to the right.

Once Desert Treasure I is completed, the easiest way to switch spellbooks for normal accounts is to change spell books at the Ancient altar ( 80 ) or Occult altar ( 90 ) for their own or another player's POH. To find another player's house to use, use the House Advertisement next to a POH portal in one of the designated House Party worlds, notably the one in Rimmington on World 330, and select a house which has an Ancient altar or Occult altar. Keep in mind that this method will not work for Ironman Mode.

Players can switch to Ancient Magicks at the altar inside the Ancient Pyramid in the Kharidian Desert, south-west of Pollnivneach and north of Menaphos. There is a rear entrance (tunnel) to the south of the pyramid that allows players who have completed Desert Treasure I to enter the throne room directly, where the altar resides, without having to navigate the four floors of the pyramid. At the altar, players can pray to switch to or from the Ancient Magicks spellbook, though this drains all Prayer points to zero (players can still switch spellbooks even with 0 Prayer points).

Those who simply wish to switch from Ancient Magicks to the standard spellbook may find it easier to pray twice at the Astral Altar on Lunar Isle, provided Lunar Diplomacy has been completed. Similarly, you can instead switch twice to the Arceuus spells with Tyss near the Dark Altar.

Additionally, players who have level 99 in Magic can switch their spellbook up to five times per day with the Magic cape.

Various methods exist for reaching the Ancient Pyramid:

• The fastest way to reach the pyramid is to use the Jaldraocht teleport of the Pharaoh's sceptre.
• The second fastest way is by using a Camulet and teleporting to Enahkra's temple just north-west of the pyramid, following the completion of the hard Desert Diary. Without the hard Desert Diary completed the teleport will be inside the temple, and you will have to navigate out.
• Teleport to the POH portal in Pollnivneach using a Pollnivneach teleport tablet (or Teleport to House for players who have their houses located in Pollnivneach) and run south, through Pollnivneach, around the cliffs then west to the pyramid. This is the third fastest way.
• Use a Nardah teleport scroll and run west across the bridge to the pyramid.
• Use the Fairy ring code BIQ (Kalphite Hive) and run south-west around cliffs, then south-east to the Pyramid.
• From Al Kharid (you can teleport there using charged amulet of glory, ring of dueling or the Minigame Teleport for Giant's Foundry, or you can fly a Gnome glider) take the ferry via Ferryman Sathwood to the Ruins of Unkah. Enter the desert (you will need a Shantay pass to go into the desert; you can buy one from the guard there for 5 coins), then run north to the pyramid.

Unlike the standard spells, Ancient Magicks combat spells can only be autocast with particular Magic weapons. The weapons are:

The Ancient Magicks combat spells are, as mentioned, the most dangerous combat spells in the game. Not only can they deal a substantial amount of damage, but each of the four classes of combat spells has a different additional effect:

• The Smoke spells are the only group of spells that can inflict poison damage to other players and NPCs.
• The Shadow spells can be used to lower the target's Attack level.
  • Shadow spells can also disorient The Leviathan and the Abyssal Sire, during its first phase.
• The Blood spells will heal the caster 25% of the damage dealt.
• The Ice spells freeze the target in place and prevent it from moving.

The specific duration/effectiveness of each of the standard effects (aside from the blood spells, which always heal a flat 25%) depends on the level of the spell cast; for example, Smoke Burst will deal more poison damage than Smoke Rush. Burst and Barrage spells are a 3x3 AoE around the targeted monster, with the latter being a stronger AoE attack. Likewise, Rush and Blitz are single-target spells, with the latter being stronger.

Some monsters are large, meaning that they take up more than one square of space. When a Burst or Barrage spell is cast on one of these monsters, it will hit the monster plus any surrounding monsters with any square of space standing within a 3x3 zone of the targeted monster's south-westernmost corner square, which is treated as its "origin" square.

Virtus robes grant a 5% damage bonus per piece when using Ancient Magicks combat spells, for a total of 15% with the full set, making the set ideal when bursting or barraging monsters.

Quartzes obtained from the post-quest bosses of Desert Treasure II can be attached onto an ancient sceptre to attune it to a specific element. The quartz attached to the sceptre provides it with a unique effect when casting spells of that type:

• Smoke quartz (Smoke ancient sceptre) - Smoke spells that damage the target also reduce their healing efficacy by 20% for 6 seconds.
• Shadow quartz (Shadow ancient sceptre) - Shadow spells that damage the target additionally reduce the target's Strength and Defence alongside Attack.
• Blood quartz (Blood ancient sceptre) - Blood spells can now overheal the player for 10% of their maximum Hitpoints level.
• Ice quartz (Ice ancient sceptre) - Ice spells have 10% increased accuracy against unfrozen targets that are susceptible to binds.

The spells cannot be used in Barbarian Assault.

Players who are in the Wilderness can use blighted ancient ice sacks as a substitute for runes when casting ice spells in the Wilderness, saving inventory space when exclusively using ice spells.

Ancient Magicks is generally used for powertraining Magic, as very high rates can be acquired with burst or barrage spells (the latter being much more expensive) with relatively low attention in multi-combat areas with plenty of monsters, such as maniacal monkeys or smoke devils. It is also popular in Player killing activities, particularly ice spells past level 30+ Wilderness where teleports cannot be used (and so Tele Block on the standard spellbook is less necessary).

Teleport spells from the Ancient Magicks teleport players to former strongholds and settlements of the Zarosian Empire, some of which are located in the Wilderness. Using Paddewwa Teleport is a requirement of the Varrock Hard Diary, while using Ghorrock Teleport is a requirement of the Wilderness Elite Diary.

• Mind, earth, astral, cosmic, nature, wrath, and body runes are not used in the Ancient Magicks spellbook.

• If your membership expires while the Ancient Magicks spellbook is activated, then it will return to the Standard spellbook, even if you re-activate your membership.
• Despite being a members-only spellbook, the Edgeville Home Teleport is available in any Free-to-play world, as long as your membership is still active.

v t e Spellbooks
	Standard Arceuus Ancient Lunar

v t e Ancient Magicks
Combat	Rush spells Smoke Shadow Blood Ice Burst spells Smoke Shadow Blood Ice Blitz spells Smoke Shadow Blood Ice Barrage spells Smoke Shadow Blood Ice
Teleport	Edgeville Home Minigame Paddewwa Senntisten Kharyrll Lassar Dareeyak Carrallanger Target Annakarl Ghorrock