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**Death rune**
Release date	17 March 2001 (Update)
Members?	No
Quest item?	No
Tradeable?	Yes
Equipable?	No
Stackable?	Yes
High Alch	62 coins
Low Alch	41 coins
Destroy	Drop
Store price	310 coins;
Exchange price	167 coins (info)
Buy limit	25,000
Examine	A medium level catalytic rune.
Weight	0 kg
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Death runes are used in great demand with mages that cast Ancient Magicks, as they are used in high level Ancient Magicks combat spells. The value of 1 Death rune in Investment Credits in Mobilising Armies is 94 Investment Credits.

These are also the most powerful rune stocked in any store in free-to-play even though they can only be used for one free-to-play spell requiring 85 Magic Teleport Block and can only be crafted by members after completing the quest Mourning's Ends Part II. However, before the Evolution of Combat update was released, non-members needed death runes to cast blast spells. However free players can craft it with 65 Runecrafting in dungeons of Daemonheim (members do not need to complete the quest to craft them in Daemonheim), making it the highest requirement rune to be crafted in Daemonheim for free players. However crafting them in Daemonheim as a free player is pointless because the only spell that they can use with Death runes is not available inside dungeons. Crafting them gives 10 experience per essence(or 0.2 experience per essence in Daemonheim). Prior to the update which gave most stores in RuneScape an infinite stock of their goods and a fixed price, death runes were often bought from magic stores until they ran out of stock because there was high demand and the store price was slightly under the street price. After the update, the store price was raised above the street price. However, due to the new update in which all stores are different for each player, players can only purchase a limited number of death runes in game each day, creating a lack of death rune and making it much harder to purchase large quantities quickly on the Grand Exchange. Members can create death runes using the Runecrafting skill at level 65 at the Death altar in the Temple of Light. In Runespan, Death Runes are worth 2.5 points each once siphoned.

Price / Experience comparison
Grand Exchange price		GP / Exp (per essence)
Nature rune	115	12.8
Law rune	190	20
Death rune	167	16.7
Blood rune	278	26.5
Soul rune	124	11.3

Adult cats can be exchanged for 100 death runes with a Civilian in West Ardougne (or 200 death runes while possessing the Ardougne cloak 1 or better. Please note that you don't have to wear or carry it).

250 Death runes (along with 750 Air runes) can also be obtained from any Slayer Master for 35 Slayer reward points after completing the Smoking Kills quest.

SpellsEdit

Free-to-play spellsEdit

With the Evolution of Combat update, the only use for death runes in free-to-play worlds is in casting Teleport Block.

Pay-to-play spellsEdit

These spells can only be cast in pay-to-play:

Enchant Crossbow Bolt (Onyx)
Slayer Dart (requires level 55 Slayer and a Slayer staff or Staff of light)

* Part of the Ancient Magicks spellbook and can only be cast by players who have completed the Desert Treasure quest and have switched their spellbook to Ancient Magicks.

** Part of the Lunar spellbook and can only be cast by players who have completed the Lunar Diplomacy quest and have switched their spellbook to Lunar Spells.

SpawnsEdit

For members there is a Death rune spawn in the Feldip Hills. It respawns 1 minute and 45 seconds after picking it up (see map for location).

Store locationsEdit

This item can also be bought or sold at:

Betty's Magic Emporium in Port Sarim (10)
Aubury's Rune Shop in Varrock (10)
The Mage of Zamorak north of Varrock, in the Wilderness (30-100 after completing the Abyss miniquest)
Baba Yaga in the chicken leg house on Lunar Isle (300)
The Wizards' Guild in Yanille (1000)
Ali Morrisane in Al Kharid (100)
Void Knight Outpost (100)
Lundail's arena-side rune shop (mage arena shop) (300)

Dropping MonstersEdit

Levels 1-99Edit

Monster	Combat level	Quantity	Rarity
Brine rat	70	7	2Common
Ankou	88,90	10/11	2Common
Cockroach soldier	52	1–15	3Uncommon
Ice giant	74	2–4	4Rare
Revenant dragon	93	125	4Rare

Levels 100-199Edit

Monster	Combat level	Quantity	Rarity
Infernal mage	104	7	2Common
King Black Dragon	120	7–45	2Common
Nechryael	138	5–10	2Common
Vyrelord	140	6–27	2Common
Vyrelady	140	5–24	2Common
Ganodermic beast	166	10–15	2Common
Lesser demon	100	3	3Uncommon
Saradomin wizard	108,140	45	3Uncommon
Guthix wizard	110,190	45	3Uncommon
Greater demon	118	5	3Uncommon
Chaos dworge	132	6	3Uncommon
Jungle strykewyrm	134	10	3Uncommon
Desert strykewyrm	148	15	3Uncommon
Grifolapine	148	9–13	3Uncommon
Ice strykewyrm	152	20	3Uncommon
Grifolaroo	164	5–10	3Uncommon
Ganodermic runt	166	5–6	3Uncommon
Revenant dark beast	130	120	4Rare
Iron dragon	148	15	4Rare

Levels 200+Edit

Monster	Combat level	Quantity	Rarity
K'ril Tsutsaroth	210	120–124	2Common
Corporal Beast	210	300	2Common
Queen Black Dragon	220	500	3Uncommon
Nex	220	5000	4Rare

Other sourcesEdit

Monster	Combat level	Quantity	Rarity
Barrows chest	N/A	1–174	3Uncommon
Rare drop table	N/A	45,50	4Rare

TriviaEdit

The most death runes required for a spell are 2, for the Gale, Rock, Bloodfire and Ice Burst spells.
The picture on a Death Rune shows a skull & X, which is most likely meant to imitate the jolly roger or more commonly known as the skull & crossbones.
The Grim Reaper was rolling a Death Rune with his fingers in 2009 Hallowe'en event.
The shop respawn time is about 10 seconds.
Prior to the Evolution of Combat update, death runes were used in Blast spells, Surge spells, Blitz spells and Barrage spells. The removal of their usage in these spells caused a dramatic fall in their Grand Exchange price.
When strykewyrms were released, the price of death runes gradually rose, due to the effectiveness of using these runes with high-level standard spellbook spells to kill them. This was negated with the Evolution of Combat update, as covered above.
Despite the fact that death runes are rendered useless during free-to-play Dungeoneering, they are still allocated at the start of simple dungeons.