Line of sight

Line of sight is a game mechanic that determines whether a direct, unobstructed path exists between two points or entities. It is a fundamental requirement for most interactions, including combat, skilling, and NPC detection. Players and NPCs become visible if they are within 15 tiles of the tile an observing player is standing on.

A target is considered to be outside the line of sight if the path is blocked by scenery (such as a wall or a tree), another character, or if the target is around a corner.

The game calculates line of sight based on the pathfinding system; it checks for a straight path between the tiles occupied by the origin and the target.

• Successful Interaction: If a player clicks on a target that is out of LoS, their character will attempt to run towards the target until a tile is reached where a valid line of sight can be established.
• Failed Interaction: If the character is unable to move or cannot find a valid path to a tile with line of sight, the action is cancelled and the player receives the message: I can't reach that!

For Melee attacks, the target must be on an adjacent and reachable tile. For Ranged and Magic attacks, the target must be within line of sight and the attack range of the equipped weapon or selected spell. Safespotting involves finding a location where they can attack an opponent from outside that opponent's line of sight or attack range.

For NPCs that occupy multiple tiles, the closest tile to the player must be within line of sight and range in order for the player to attack that NPC without moving.

In certain quests, minigames, and activities, line of sight is used as a primary detection mechanic. For example, during the Monkey Madness I quest, while stealing artefacts, or avoiding detection by patrolmen and patrolwomen, players must avoid the line of sight of various NPCs to avoid being caught. The detection range in these scenarios is often much larger than standard combat ranges.

Actions such as casting Telekinetic Grab on an item or interacting with distant scenery also require both line of sight and that the target be within a specific range.

v t e Mechanics
Engine	Java RuneScript RuneTek
Game clients	Jagex Launcher Desktop Mobile Third-party RuneLite HDOS Discontinued OSBuddy Konduit Java
Performance	Bad luck mitigation Cache format Clickbox Drop rate Game square Game tick Line of sight Player identification number Stealth
Exploits	Run trick Tick manipulation Tick eating Drop trick Animation stall
Graphics	Interface Graphical updates (historical)
Servers	Server Ping Lag