Best Quest Order In OSRS: The Ultimate Progression Guide
Every Old School RuneScape player reaches the same point.
You log in on a fresh account, open the quest list, and suddenly have over a hundred quests staring back at you.
Where do you even begin?
While you'll eventually want to complete almost every quest in the game, doing them in the right order can save dozens of hours of training. Some quests instantly give you combat levels, while others unlock powerful weapons, transportation methods, spellbooks, and even entirely new cities.
If I were starting a brand-new account today, I'd follow the progression below every single time.
1. Waterfall Quest
Waterfall Quest is arguably the best quest for any new account. It rewards a huge amount of Attack and Strength experience without requiring you to train either skill beforehand.
Completing it first lets you skip the slowest part of early combat training and gets your account off to an excellent start.
Why complete it first?
• Massive Attack and Strength XP
• Very short completion time
• No early combat grinding required
• Perfect for fresh accounts
2. Tree Gnome Village
Tree Gnome Village continues your melee progression while unlocking Spirit Trees.
Fast transportation becomes more valuable than many players realize, especially once you begin completing more quests around Gielinor.
Rewards
• Attack experience
• Unlocks Spirit Trees
• Required for future questlines
• Makes travelling easier
3. The Grand Tree
The Grand Tree pairs perfectly with Tree Gnome Village.
Besides rewarding valuable Attack and Magic experience, it unlocks Gnome Gliders, making travelling around the map much quicker.
You'll appreciate this unlock every time another quest sends you across Gielinor.
Rewards
• Attack XP
• Magic XP
• Gnome Glider transportation
• Important future quest requirements
4. Fight Arena
Fight Arena is one of the quickest quests with one of the largest Attack experience rewards for lower-level players.
Many people skip it, but it's an easy way to push your melee stats higher without spending hours killing monsters.
Benefits
• Huge Attack XP
• Quick completion
• Helps unlock stronger weapons sooner
5. Druidic Ritual
Not every important quest focuses on combat.
Druidic Ritual unlocks the Herblore skill, which you'll eventually need for dozens of quests, diaries, and useful potions.
Completing it early saves you from backtracking later.
What it unlocks
• Herblore skill
• Future quest requirements
• Potion making
6. Monkey Madness I
Monkey Madness I is one of the biggest milestones for any melee account.
Unlocking the Dragon Scimitar is a massive upgrade and makes Slayer, questing, and general combat much easier.
This is one of those quests nearly every experienced player prioritizes.
Major rewards
• Dragon Scimitar
• Ape Atoll access
• Huge combat progression
• Future quest unlocks
7. Recipe For Disaster
Recipe for Disaster is one of the longest quest series in Old School RuneScape, but it's also one of the most rewarding.
Completing every section unlocks Barrows Gloves, which remain one of the best glove upgrades in the game even years later.
It's easily worth the effort.
Why complete it?
• Unlocks Barrows Gloves
• Excellent combat upgrade
• Large experience rewards
• Huge account milestone
8. Desert Treasure I
Magic becomes significantly stronger after completing Desert Treasure I.
Ancient Magicks unlocks Burst and Barrage spells that make Slayer training faster while also being incredibly useful for PvM and PvP.
It's one of the most valuable spellbook unlocks in the game.
Rewards
• Ancient Magicks
• Burst & Barrage spells
• Faster Slayer training
• Powerful PvP spellbook
9. Dragon Slayer II
Dragon Slayer II represents the jump into late-game content.
It unlocks Ava's Assembler, one of the strongest ranged upgrades available, while also granting access to Vorkath, one of the game's most profitable bosses.
For many players, this is where the real money-making begins.
Major rewards
• Ava's Assembler
• Access to Vorkath
• Powerful ranged upgrade
• Excellent PvM opportunities
10. Song Of The Elves
Song of the Elves is one of the biggest achievements in Old School RuneScape.
Completing it unlocks Prifddinas, giving you access to The Gauntlet, crystal equipment, Zalcano, and some of the best skilling methods in the game.
Many players consider reaching Prifddinas the moment their account truly enters the end game.
Rewards
• Prifddinas
• The Gauntlet
• Crystal Armour & Weapons
• Zalcano
• High-level skilling methods
Recommended Quest Order
If you're looking for the fastest overall account progression, I'd recommend following this order.
• Waterfall Quest
• Tree Gnome Village
• The Grand Tree
• Fight Arena
• Druidic Ritual
• Monkey Madness I
• Recipe for Disaster
• Desert Treasure I
• Dragon Slayer II
• Song of the Elves
This route provides excellent combat experience early, unlocks useful transportation methods, and gradually opens some of the strongest weapons, spellbooks, bosses, and cities in Old School RuneScape.
Need Help Completing Difficult Quests?
Some quests can take several hours to complete and require difficult boss fights, puzzle solving, or lengthy skill requirements.
If you'd rather spend your time making GP, bossing, or enjoying the content you love, our experienced team can complete quests safely on your account.
Whether you need help with Monkey Madness I, Recipe for Disaster, Dragon Slayer II, Song of the Elves, or dozens of other quests, our team has you covered.
Browse our OSRS Boosting Services to see all available questing packages.
If you're preparing for these quests, you can also buy OSRS Gold or browse our collection of OSRS Items to gear up faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best first quest in OSRS?
Waterfall Quest is widely considered the best first quest because it gives a massive amount of Attack and Strength experience while requiring very little preparation.
Should I complete quests in this exact order?
Not necessarily. This guide focuses on efficient progression, but you can always adjust the order based on your goals, skill levels, and account type.
Which quest unlocks the Dragon Scimitar?
Monkey Madness I unlocks the Dragon Scimitar, making it one of the biggest milestones for melee accounts.
Which quest unlocks Ancient Magicks?
Desert Treasure I unlocks Ancient Magicks, including the powerful Burst and Barrage spell family.
Is Recipe for Disaster worth completing?
Absolutely. Barrows Gloves remain one of the best all-around combat upgrades in Old School RuneScape and are useful for almost every account.
What quest unlocks Prifddinas?
Song of the Elves unlocks Prifddinas, The Gauntlet, crystal equipment, Zalcano, and many pieces of high-level content.
