Treasure Trails



Treasure Trails are only accessible by RuneScape Members. Please subscribe to get this feature.

Please note this is a 'Dangerous' distraction and diversion. If you die on a treasure trail, you will lose your items.

Introduction

A clue, perhaps?
When certain creatures die, there is a chance that they will drop a clue. This clue could lead you to someone in RuneScape, a spot where you need to dig using a spade or something you need to search, such as a crate or chest.

Once you have a clue scroll, read it by either left-clicking, or right-clicking and selecting 'Read Clue Scroll'. You will only receive a new clue scroll if you do not already have one in your bank or inventory.

There are three levels of difficulty for clue scrolls - low (1), medium (2) and high (3). If you are just starting out, your best option is to go after a low level NPC. These will drop level 1 clues, whereas stronger NPCs will drop level 2 or 3 scrolls (depending on which NPC you go after). A selection of NPCs that drop the different levels of clue scroll are shown below.

Not all NPCs that drop scrolls are detailed below.
Level NPC Location
1 Men All around RuneScape
Goblins Goblin Village, Goblin Cave, Lumbridge Swamp
Barbarian Barbarian Village
Farmers Various locations
Al Kharid Warrior Al Kharid Palace
H.A.M. Member H.A.M Headquarters
Thugs The Wilderness and Varrock
Thief Varrock


Level NPC Location
2 Guards In most large towns.
Tribesman Karamja Jungle
Jogre Karamja Jungle
Ice Warriors Blurite Mine
Paladin Ardougne


Level NPC Location
3 Jelly Fremennik Slayer Dungeon
Green Dragons The Wilderness
Greater Demons The Wilderness and Entrana Dungeon.
Blue Dragons Taverley Dungeon and the Heroes' Guild
Hellhounds Perfect gold mine and Taverley Dungeon
Red Dragons The Wilderness
Black Dragons Taverley Dungeon and the Wilderness


Please be aware that it is possible to defeat lots of clue dropping NPCs and not receive a clue scroll because the chance of receiving a clue is random. You may have to complete several clues before you reach your treasure, depending on the level of the clue scroll you are undertaking.

Location

The treasure trails can take you on a journey around RuneScape. There's no way to know where you're going or how long it will take until you receive your next clue.

Requirements

There are no specific requirements to complete a treasure trail. However, if you attempt to gain a level 3 clue scroll, you will need to have a high Combat level to obtain a clue scroll from these NPCs. Once you have the clue scroll, it is almost certain that a high level scroll will lead you through areas where you need to carry food that heals a lot of life points.

Recommended Items

There are different types of clue scrolls. Some may require you to use your brain or travel somewhere. Some items are essential when following treasure trails.

Items Needed Obtained from Use on Treasure Trails
[image]Clue Scroll This item is obtained from NPC drops. Needed to find next location of clue or treasure.
[image]Watch To get the watch you need to go to the Clock Tower, south of Ardougne, and talk to Brother Kojo. Used to solve coordinate clues.
[image]Sextant This item is obtained by speaking to Murphy, the Fishing Trawler captain. You will need to speak to the professor north of the Observatory first, so he can tell you this is needed. Used to solve coordinate clues.
[image]Chart When you have the sextant and watch, head back to the professor north of the Observatory and he will give you the chart. Used to solve coordinate clues.


Some clues may require more than solving a puzzle or answering a riddle. For these clues you may need a few extra items (not all the items in the tables below are necessary, but you may find them useful):

Additional Items Obtained from Use on Treasure Trails
[image]Spade This item can be obtained from many gardeners near Farming patches. They may be available from general stores. Required to dig up next clue or retrieve treasure.
[image]Rope This item can be obtained from some general stores or can be made for you (for a price) if you bring wool to Ned in Draynor Village. May be required if your clue takes you to a cave you can only access by rope.
[image]Runes These items can be bought from stores, crafted by players or found as monster drops. May be useful if you have to travel over large distances and require teleporting.
[image]Teleportation jewellery These items can sometimes be player-made or may be a reward from a quest. For more information on teleportation see the Teleportation Spells section of the Manual. Using teleportation jewellery is useful over long distances to save time travelling between clues.
[image]Food This item can be obtained from Fishing, killing animals, made using the Cooking skill or bought from stores or other players. Your clues may require you to travel over dangerous terrain so it is recommended that you carry food, especially when following a level 3 clue scroll.
[image]Weapon Weapons can be obtained from shops, traded with players or from monster drops. Following a high level clue will certainly bring you through dangerous areas, so it is important that you carry a weapon to defend yourself.


Following the Trail

Following clue scrolls can be a very long expedition. It is important that you try to use any shortcuts or transport that you can. This will help reduce the time you spend travelling between each clue. For information on the different types of transportation available through RuneScape, please see the Transportation Guide.

Types of Clues

There are different types of clue scrolls that you may find on your treasure trail:
  • Speak to an NPC
  • Look/Search
  • Riddles
  • Map
  • Puzzle
  • Coordinate
  • Anagrams
  • Emote


Speak to an NPC
Some clues may direct you to buildings or an NPC for further information on your treasure trail. To speak to an NPC you must first find them. The NPCs can be as far as a house in Yanille or Mort Myre swamp in Morytania, so be certain that you know their correct location as this will save you valuable travelling time.

Look/Search
These types of clues require you to go to a location and possibly search a building or an object like a crate to find your next clue.

Riddles
Once you have got to the new location from your last clue, you may find that your next clue requires you to answer a riddle. Riddles simply need an answer, but the question will be put in a clever and amusing way, making you put a bit of thought and effort into the answer. The answer to the example riddle has not been given because you may be given this riddle in your clue scroll.

For example:
46 is my number. My body is the colour of burnt orange and crawls among those with 8. 3 mouths I have, yet I cannot eat. My blinking blue eye hides my grave.

Maps
These clues represent a particular place or area. You need to identify this area using the world map and then travel to that location.

On the map you will see either an 'X' that will show you the place to look or dig, or a crate will be on the map. This means you will have to search crates or boxes in that location to find your next clue or treasure. Some clues contain both indicators.

There are three different levels of difficulties to the maps you may receive: easy, medium and hard.

Puzzles
These clues are quite simple. Once you receive a clue scroll you will be asked to go to a certain NPC. This NPC will give you a puzzle like those below. You need to rearrange the tiles so that the correct picture is formed. Once you have solved the puzzle, speak to the NPC that gave you the puzzle box and, providing you have the completed puzzle in your inventory, you will receive your reward. Below are some solutions to some known puzzle clues.

Puzzle Solution
[image] [image]
[image] [image]
[image] [image]


Coordinates
Location of the Observatory
Your clue might tell you the coordinates of a place where you need to dig.

Navigating to the spot isn't difficult - just visit the Observatory (some distance south-west of Ardougne) and ask the professor to teach you how to navigate.

Coordinate clues need sextants to tell them the coordinates of the place where they're standing. The Observatory professor will help you get one of these. To use the sextant left-click or right-click and select 'Look through Sextant'.

Using the sextant to get your bearings
When you use it, you'll have to use the little arrow buttons on its interface to get the horizon and sun correctly centred in the sextant's viewer. When they're correctly positioned the sextant will tell you your coordinates.

Compare these to the coordinates on your clue, and you'll see whether you need to go north, south, east or west to find your treasure.

Mages
On the trail of a high-level coordinate clue scroll, you may come across a mage that defends the buried treasure. If your clue is in the Wilderness, beware of Zamorak mages. If it is on the 'mainland', be wary of Saradomin mages. Be ready to defend yourself!

Anagrams
Anagram clues require you to rearrange letters to form another word. The word that is formed is the name of an NPC. You then have to travel to that NPC to get your next clue or receive your treasure.

For example: El Ow

Emote
Emote clues are a bit like spy-work. You will be required to go to a specific location wearing certain items to perform an emote.

If you follow the instructions correctly, then Uri will appear and you will be able to claim your reward. Beware, though, that hard clue scrolls may present you with a double agent who you must kill in order to make Uri appear.

The table below shows what items may be useful when following certain clue scrolls. Refer to the Recommended and Additional items tables, earlier in this article, to find out where to get the items and what use they have on the treasure trails.

Clue Type Recommended Items
Speak to [image: law rune] [image]
Look/Search [image: law rune] [image: amulet of glory]
Maps [image: law rune] [image: amulet of glory] [image: apple pie] [image: steel battle axe] [image: spade]
Coordinate [image: law rune] [image: amulet of glory] [image: apple pie] [image: steel battle axe] [image: spade] [image: climbing rope]


Development Team

Developer: Jon S, Tony W
Graphics: Graphics Team
QA: Andy C
Audio: Ian T