You've finished Tutorial Island, stepped into Lumbridge, and now you're staring at the massive world of Old School RuneScape wondering where to begin. The early game can feel overwhelming, but with the right goals, it quickly becomes one of the most rewarding parts of the entire OSRS experience. This guide breaks down the most important early-game objectives to help you progress efficiently while still enjoying the journey.

Unlock Every Skill First

Not every skill is available right away. Two essential skills are locked behind short quests:

Druidic Ritual unlocks Herblore, which is vital for potions later on

Rune Mysteries unlocks Runecrafting

These quests take very little time and immediately open up your full skill tab, setting a solid foundation for future progression.

Prioritize Transportation Early

Walking everywhere is one of the fastest ways to burn out. Transportation isn't just convenience in RuneScape gold—it's progression.

Start training Magic early, as it unlocks key teleports like Varrock, Lumbridge, Falador, Camelot, and eventually Ardougne at level 51. These spells drastically reduce travel time and make questing far smoother.

Fairy Rings are the single most powerful transportation system in the game. To unlock them, you'll need to complete a short quest chain:

Restless Ghost

Priest in Peril

Nature Spirit

Lost City

Fairy Tale Part I and start Part II

Once unlocked, Fairy Rings give you access to over 50 locations across Gielinor.

You should also complete the Ardougne Easy Diary for the Ardougne Cloak 1, which provides unlimited teleports near a Fairy Ring, prayer altar, and Spirit Tree. Picking up a Chronicle from Diango in Draynor Village is another cheap and effective teleport option early on.

Questing Is the Fastest Early Progress

Questing unlocks huge portions of the game while skipping painful low-level grinds. A great early milestone is reaching 50 Quest Points, which happens faster than most players expect.

Two must-do quests are:

Priest in Peril, unlocking Morytania

Children of the Sun, unlocking Varlamore, one of the newest regions with excellent content

Quests also unlock Spirit Trees, Gnome Gliders, jewelry teleports, and major quality-of-life upgrades. If you want structure, the OSRS Optimal Quest Guide is an excellent roadmap, especially for new accounts.

Essential Combat Goals

Combat progression is where many new players struggle, so setting smart milestones helps immensely.

Getting 43 Prayer is one of the most important early-game goals. It unlocks all three protection prayers, which dramatically reduce damage taken and make combat quests and PvM much easier.

Complete Waterfall Quest as soon as possible. It requires no combat and instantly boosts your Attack and Strength to level 30, skipping hours of grinding.

Monkey Madness I is another major milestone. It unlocks the Dragon Scimitar, which remains one of the best melee weapons well into the midgame.

For Ranged training, complete Animal Magnetism to unlock Ava's Accumulator, which saves ammunition and increases accuracy.

Strong Early Gear Progression

Early gear upgrades don't need to be expensive:

Amulet of Glory for balanced stats

Combat Bracelet until Barrows Gloves

Climbing Boots for cheap strength bonus

Once your Attack and Strength total 130, enter the Warriors' Guild and begin working toward a Dragon Defender, one of the best melee off-hand items in the game.

High-Value Early Activities

Some activities are simply too good to skip:

Wintertodt at 50 Firemaking provides massive supplies that scale with your stats

Hunter Rumors unlock strong rewards and lead to Moonlight Moth Mix, a powerful prayer restoration option

Birdhouse Runs on Fossil Island provide passive Hunter XP and valuable nests

Tears of Guthix offers weekly XP in your lowest skill, often Runecrafting

These activities provide consistent progress with minimal effort.

Farming and Passive Gold

Farming may seem intimidating, but it's one of the most efficient skills in OSRS. Regular farm runs generate steady income and experience with very little active playtime. At level 45, the Farming Guild unlocks contracts that provide valuable seed packs.

When it comes to money, early-game methods like herb runs, green dragons, agility pyramid, gem cutting, and thieving all help build a solid gold foundation.

Graceful, Diaries, and Skill Benchmarks

The Graceful Outfit is a long grind but worth starting early. It reduces weight and restores run energy faster, making almost every activity easier.

Achievement Diaries offer powerful rewards even at the easy tier, including teleport items, bonus resources, and quality-of-life improvements. Completing all easy diaries early is highly recommended.

Aim for base 30 stats across all skills. This unlocks most early quests, diaries, and training methods. Pushing toward base 40s or 50s prepares your account for the midgame.

Bridging Into the Midgame

As you grow stronger, consider working toward:

Fighter Torso from Barbarian Assault

Neitiznot Helm from Fremennik quests

Fire Cape from the Fight Caves

Barrows Gloves from Recipe for Disaster

These goals transition your account smoothly into midgame content while teaching core PvM mechanics.

Final Thoughts

Old School RuneScape has no single correct path. These goals aren't a checklist—they're a roadmap. Pick what sounds fun, work on multiple objectives at once, and don't stress about perfect efficiency unless that's what you enjoy.

The early game may feel confusing, but it's also one of the most memorable parts of OSRS gold. Take your time, explore, and enjoy the journey.