Template:2007 page Template:RSC page
 |
This article has a money making guide here. Please add tips to the subpage, rather than the article below.
|
 |
This article has a strategy guide. All information on mechanics, setups, and strategy are on the subpage.
|
| File:Black dragon HD.png | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Release date | 27 February 2002 (Update) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Combat level | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| XP per kill | 714 (and 235.6  experience)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Examine text | A fierce dragon with black scales! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slayer info | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slayer level | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slayer XP | 245 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assigned by | Duradel or Lapalok, Kuradal, Morvran | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Black dragons are powerful monsters like all other adult dragons. An anti-dragon shield, a dragonfire shield, or an antifire potion or even both of them is highly recommended when fighting them as it can reduce the maximum hit of their breath from about 5000+ to around 500. They are level 100. They are not as popular as the weaker blue dragons and green dragons, but their chance of dropping the much coveted Draconic visage and their guaranteed drop of black dragonhide makes them worthwhile to kill. Players must kill a black dragon during the Freeing Sir Amik Varze part of Recipe for Disaster. A black dragon slayer task can also be completed by killing baby black dragons, the King Black Dragon or the Queen Black Dragon.
The hide and bones give each black dragon kill a guaranteed drop value of 5,618 coins, in addition to their possible drops of runes and rune equipment.
Locations
Black dragons can only be found in four locations across RuneScape:
- Taverley Dungeon - Requires dusty key or level 70/80 agility for use of shortcuts (There are only two).
- Lava Maze Dungeon in level 55 Wilderness (Two dragons).
- Evil Chicken's Lair after starting the Sir Amik Varze subquest of Recipe for Disaster (Four dragons). (A raw chicken is required to enter the Evil Chicken's lair, but there are two chickens right outside the entrance, and a rope to access the baby black dragon.)
- Daemonheim - Warped floors.
Taverley Dungeon
This location is usually not crowded, because there are only two dragon spawns, and it is also a considerable distance from a bank. However, if a player has yet to complete the Sir Amik Varze subquest of Recipe for Disaster, which is needed for the Evil Chicken's lair, this is the best location. It is highly recommended that players have at least 70 agility (65 if you eat a summer pie) for the shortcut to the blue dragons to save yourself a lot of walking. The other shortcut is the "Taverley dungeon spiked blade shortcut" which requires an agility level of 80 (75 with a summer pie) to overcome the obstacle. Players under approximately 110 combat may want to bring an antipoison in case they get poisoned by a spider. Use the Taverley lodestone for a quick banking method. If players want to hunt these dragons, it's highly advisable that you gain access to the Evil Chicken's lair. If a player has been assigned black dragons as a task and have yet to unlock the Chicken's lair, it's advisable that you kill baby black dragons to finish the task.
It is possible to safespot black dragons, despite their use of a magical attack in addition to their dragonfire; while standing next to the fire obelisk, their magical attacks cannot reach you. Their weakness, crossbows, cannot reach the dragons from the safe spot, but weapons with a farther range, like Shieldbows and the Zaryte bow, can.
Lava Maze
The main problem with this location is not the risk of PKers, but the remote location, as PKers are not often seen in such deep wilderness, especially if in an unpopulated world. Antipoison is recommended in case you are poisoned by spiders. You must get past the Lava Maze above, which makes it undesirable for PKers to kill players. The nearest banking spot would be the Mage Arena, but it is still dangerous. You can use the Wilderness obelisks to teleport to lower levels of the Wilderness, then teleport out with a Home teleport spell.
Evil Chicken's Lair
This location is the best and most recommended area to kill black dragons. The lair is accessible during and after the Sir Amik Varze subquest of Recipe for Disaster and requires a raw chicken to access. There are two chickens near the altar in case you forget to bring a raw chicken. This is the best location to hunt them because Zanaris bank is close by. After the Evolution of Combat update, there is no longer a safespot since dragons can use magical attacks. There are several spawns to satisfy several players. For players who use super-antifire potions, it is recommended to take some before entering the lair, as one of the dragons spawns close to the portal.
Note: If you haven't finished the subquest, you could still kill the black dragons as many times as you wish. However, the drops will be black dragonhide, dragon bones, and the dragon token. If the player picks up a dragon token and keeps it, they would receive normal drops.
Strategy
Drops
100% drops
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dragon bones | 1 | Always | 2,136 |
 | Black dragonhide | 1 | Always | 3,482 |
Charms
| No charm |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56–57% | 8–9% | 26–27% | 7% | 1% |
| Represents a 90% confidence range based on a sample of 29,053 kills. 3 charms are dropped at a time. Add data to the log (requires JavaScript). | ||||
Weapons and armour
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mithril hatchet | 1 | Uncommon | 5,242 |
 | Mithril battleaxe | 1 | Uncommon | 3,550 |
 | Mithril 2h sword | 1 | Uncommon | 3,569 |
 | Adamant platebody | 1 | Rare | 8,975 |
 | Rune longsword | 1 | Rare | 17,883 |
Ammunition
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Adamant dart | 16 | Common | 704 |
 | Adamant javelin | 30 | Common | 1,950 |
 | Rune knife | 2 | Uncommon | 790 |
Runes/Talismans
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fire rune | 50 | Common | 7,950 |
 | Law rune | 10–12; 20; 45 | Common | 5,700–25,650 |
 | Air rune | 75 | Uncommon | 6,750 |
 | Blood rune | 5; 8; 9; 15 | Uncommon | 3,390–10,170 |
 | Nature rune | 67–79 | Very rare | 27,135–31,995 |
 | Death rune | 5–50 | Very rare | 1,160–11,600 |
Other Items
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Coins | 196; 330; 690 | Common | 196–690 |
 | Perfect black dragon scale | 1 | Common[1] | Not sold |
 | Clue scroll (hard) | 1 | Uncommon | Not sold |
 | Chocolate cake | 1 | Uncommon | 890 |
 | Adamant bar | 1–2 | Uncommon | 1,761–3,522 |
 | Black dragon tail-bone | 1 | Uncommon[2] | Not sold |
 | Anagogic ort | 20; 40 | Uncommon[3] | Not sold |
 | Black dragon egg | 1 | Rare[4] | Not sold |
 | Court summons | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Starved ancient effigy | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Draconic visage | 1 | Very rare[5] | 1,187,911 |
- ^ Only while on a Slayer challenge from Vannaka.
- ^ Only during the Fur 'n' Seek wish list.
- ^ Only with RDT drops.
- ^ Must be 99 Summoning.
- ^ Estimated at 1/13,099 using gathered Adventurer's Log data as of 18 September 2012
Rare drop table drops
- This monster has access to the rare drop table.
Luck-enhancing items such as a ring of wealth or luck of the dwarves are not required to access the table.
| Show/hide rare drop table | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
| Coins | 250–500 | Common | 250–500 |
 | Uncut sapphire | 1 | Common | 809 |
 | Uncut emerald | 1 | Common | 2,555 |
 | Uncut ruby | 1 | Common | 1,842 |
 | Uncut diamond | 1 | Common | 4,843 |
| Uncut diamond | 45–55 (noted) | Rare | 217,935–266,365 |
 | Loop half of a key | 1 | Common | 11,053 |
 | Tooth half of a key | 1 | Common | 11,538 |
 | Uncut dragonstone | 1 | Uncommon | 12,077 |
| Uncut dragonstone | 45–55 (noted) | Rare | 543,465–664,235 |
 | Dragon longsword | 1 | Common | 56,212 |
 | Dragon spear | 1 | Rare | 35,861 |
 | Battlestaff | 180–220 (noted) | Rare | 542,160–662,640 |
 | Rune javelin | 5 | Rare | 905 |
 | Rune platebody | 1 | Uncommon | 37,480 |
| Rune platebody | 15–25 (noted) | Rare | 562,200–937,000 |
 | Shield left half | 1 | Rare | 64,399 |
 | Dragon helm | 1 | Uncommon | 58,601 |
 | Rune arrowheads | 113–137 | Common | 14,916–18,084 |
 | Onyx bolts | 135–165 | Very rare | 1,003,725–1,226,775 |
 | Chaos talisman | 1 | Rare | 1,923 |
 | Nature talisman | 1 | Rare | 1,473 |
 | Water talisman | 65–82 (noted) | Rare | 164,320–207,296 |
 | Earth talisman | 65–82 (noted) | Rare | 12,025–15,170 |
 | Fire talisman | 25–35 (noted) | Rare | 5,225–7,315 |
 | Raw lobster | 135–165 (noted) | Common | 47,655–58,245 |
 | Raw shark | 225–275 (noted) | Uncommon | 321,075–392,425 |
 | Big bones | 68–82 (noted) | Uncommon | 13,804–16,646 |
| Dragon bones | 180–220 (noted) | Rare | 384,480–469,920 |
 | Coal | 200–1,100 (noted) | Uncommon | 22,400–123,200 |
 | Gold ore | 90–110 (noted) | Common | 52,830–64,570 |
 | Adamantite ore | 180–220 (noted) | Uncommon | 40,860–49,940 |
| Adamant bar | 14–16 (noted) | Common | 24,654–28,176 |
| Adamant bar | 135–165 (noted) | Rare | 237,735–290,565 |
 | Runite ore | 90–110 (noted) | Rare | 127,710–156,090 |
 | Rune bar | 3 (noted) | Common | 8,955 |
| Rune bar | 45–55 (noted) | Rare | 134,325–164,175 |
 | Grimy torstol | 90–110 (noted) | Uncommon | 485,010–592,790 |
 | Grimy snapdragon | 90–110 (noted) | Uncommon | 161,010–196,790 |
 | Super restore (4) | 45–55 (noted) | Uncommon | 125,910–153,890 |
 | Prayer potion (4) | 45–55 (noted) | Uncommon | 130,950–160,050 |
 | Lantadyme seed | 14–16 | Uncommon | 10,164–11,616 |
 | Dwarf weed seed | 14–16 | Uncommon | 11,508–13,152 |
 | Magic seed | 4 | Uncommon | 209,856 |
 | Palm tree seed | 10 | Rare | 396,000 |
 | Flax | 450–550 (noted) | Common | 43,200–52,800 |
 | Molten glass | 45–55 (noted) | Common | 27,585–33,715 |
 | Soft clay | 450–550 (noted) | Uncommon | 188,550–230,450 |
 | Yew logs | 68–82 (noted) | Uncommon | 11,356–13,694 |
| Yew logs | 675–825 (noted) | Rare | 112,725–137,775 |
 | Teak plank | 45–55 (noted) | Uncommon | 16,740–20,460 |
 | Mahogany plank | 270–330 (noted) | Rare | 356,670–435,930 |
 | Blurberry Special | 1 | Uncommon | 12,008 |
 | Vecna skull | 1 | Very rare* | 124,871 |
 | Hazelmere's signet ring | 1 | Very rare* | 1,432,268,388 |
 | Brawling gloves (Melee) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Magic) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Ranged) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Agility) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Cooking) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (FM) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Fishing) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Hunter) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Mining) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Prayer) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Smithing) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (Thieving) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Brawling gloves (WC) | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Crystal triskelion fragment 1 | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Crystal triskelion fragment 2 | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
 | Crystal triskelion fragment 3 | 1 | Very rare | Not sold |
Universal drops
- Universal drops are dropped by nearly every monster outside of Daemonheim.
- These drops are dropped alongside main drops.
| Item | Quantity | Rarity | GE price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Key token | 1 | Rare | Not sold |
 | Mimic kill token | 1 | Very rare | 5,575 |
Trivia
- In RuneScape Classic black dragons were the strongest monsters in RuneScape until the release of the King Black Dragon.
- They are the only chromatic dragon to drop the draconic visage.
- Like all other dragons in RuneScape, besides the King Black Dragon, the black dragons received a graphical update on July 5, 2010.
- Black dragons are the rarest of the chromatic dragons: there are 4 in the Evil Chicken's lair, 2 in the Wilderness, and 2 in Taverley dungeon.
- They were, for a long time, regarded as the weakest monsters in the game that drop the draconic visage, due to the difficulty in killing Iron dragons and Skeletal Wyverns. Although Frost dragons are easier to kill, they require 85 Dungeoneering and a reasonably higher combat level to fight than Black dragons. Frost dragons use all three types of combat and dragonfire, as opposed to the black dragon's regular attack and dragonfire, therefore making them quite an easy target for Draconic visages.
- For some time, black dragons had a higher combat level than the King Black Dragon
- Prior to 17 June 2013, these monsters were weak to arrows. The update changed their weakness, along with those of other Chromatic dragons, to bolts, enabling players to exploit their weakness without need for super antifire potions or the Protect from Magic prayer.
| Preceded by | Title | Succeeded by |
| Jungle demon | Strongest quest monster in RuneScape (March 15, 2006 - May 15, 2007) | The Inadequacy |
| Preceded by | Title | Succeeded by |
| Elvarg | Strongest monster in RuneScape | King Black Dragon |
