Instance

OS

An instance is a special area, typically a quest area, that generates a new copy of the location for each player or group that enters the area. Players cannot see other players in instanced areas unless it is a group instanced area - in which case the group cannot see any other groups.

Instanced areas can take place in entirely new areas that cannot be accessed without the instance or in areas that are normally not instanced. Most non-quest boss instances will require the player to pay a specific sum of money or have an item in their inventory to access the instance.

Examples of instanced areas include:

• Boss areas:
  • Nomad
  • Queen Black Dragon
  • Pest Queen
  • Legiones
  • The Ritual site during the battles of Ritual of the Mahjarrat
  • The Handelmort mansion front garden while battling the Wild jade vine in Back to my Roots
• Many quest areas:
  • The lower levels of the Elemental workshop
  • Nomad's temple
  • Varrock during Defender of Varrock
  • Dream World
• Floors in Dungeoneering
• Some after-quest bosses: Bork, Skeletal Horror, Phoenix Lair
• Some past tutorials: Learning the Ropes and Unstable Foundations

Boss instances

Creating an instance with the King Black Dragon

Most bosses have an instance option (sometimes called "custom session" or "custom encounter"), which may have a setup or entrance cost (coins or an item). Instances also share the requirements of the boss, and "hard mode" instances often have an additional requirement. The cost varies per instance and are shown below.

Most boss instances can be rejoined easily - simply use the "rejoin" option in the instance creation interface to re-enter the instance. If there is no one in the instance, the remaining duration of an instance can be extended by an hour by using the hourglass found in the HUD, costing the same as making a new instance (this is currently only available for God Wars Dungeon bosses). Exiting to the lobby or logging out in an instance will automatically remove you from the instance, placing you either at the entrance to the instance or the grave location, boss dependant.

Most bosses also have a practice mode available, which is toggleable from the instance creation interface. This mode makes all deaths inside the instance safe (including Hardcore Ironmen) - all items retained and no grave spawned - but the boss gives no experience, drops and the kill does not count toward Slayer or Soul Reaper tasks, nor is it added to the counter found in the Hero interface. Gear degrades as normal and consumed food, potions, ammo, runes and any other items are not refunded when leaving. Augmented items will still gain experience.

When the instance time runs out, a message says, "This arena has now expired and no further bosses will spawn." If the player is in the middle of a fight, the boss will not respawn after it is killed. If players wish to renew the instance, simply pay coins or kill count through the HUD on screen. Note that not all instances have this feature.

When beginning a practice session where possible, players do not have to pay to start the instance. However, entering practice mode for Barrows: Rise of the Six does consume a Barrows totem.

An onscreen timer will appear when the boss spawns and will stop upon its death, tracking the player's fastest time killing it. The timer, and consequently their fastest time, will not appear if the maximum number of players allowed in an instance exceeds a certain amount:

• Giant Mole - 1
• Commander Zilyana - 1
• General Graardor - 1
• Kree'arra - 1
• K'ril Tsutsaroth - 1
• Kalphite King - 4
• Nex - 3
• Vorago - 7
• Vindicta & Gorvek - 1
• The Twin Furies - 1
• Helwyr - 1
• Gregorovic - 1

Note that for Telos, the timer does not appear in encounters of 99% or lower enrage.

Boss	Access location	Cost (reduced cost)	Grave location	Notes
Vorago	Attempt to enter the Borehole	1,000,000 (750,000)	Inside the Borehole graveyard	Hard mode only available in instance (no additional cost), but requires having mauled all 6 weeks in normal mode. Spawn speed selection not available. After a kill in the instance, all participants in the battle will end up in the regular room, not instanced.
Nex	Interact with the Prison Barrier	800,000 (600,000)	Inside the Ancient Prison's lobby (requires 40 Zarosian kills or a set of ancient ceremonial robes)	Ashuelot Reis is present in the lobby inside the instance for using the bank. Lobbying in an instance will result in the player having to re-enter the room to use the barrier again. Nex will always start off with the Deflect Magic curse in an instance.
Nex: Angel of Death	Enter the hidden door on the south wall of the Ancient Prison's lobby	Free	Inside the Ancient Prison's lobby (requires 40 Zarosian kills or a set of ancient ceremonial robes)	Each instance persists for one attempt.
Kree'arra	Interact with the big door to the boss, inside the lobby within each faction's section (requires 40 killcount or a charged soulstone)	200,000 (150,000)	Inside the lobby within each faction's section (requires 40 killcount, or a charged soulstone)	Hard mode only available in instance (no additional cost)
K'ril Tsutsaroth
Commander Zilyana
General Graardor
Vindicta and Gorvek	Interact with the portal to the southwest of the Heart of Gielinor	40 Zarosian killcount (20 with 4500 reputation)	Outside the entrance to the lobby within each faction's section	Challenge mode also available (no additional cost)
Twin Furies	Interact with the portal to the Northwest of the Heart of Gielinor	40 Zamorakian killcount (20 with 4500 reputation)	Outside the entrance to the lobby within each faction's section	Challenge mode also available (no additional cost)
Helwyr	Interact with the portal to southeast of the Heart of Gielinor	40 Serenist killcount (20 with 4500 reputation)	Outside the entrance to the lobby within each faction's section	Challenge mode also available (no additional cost)
Gregorovic	Interact with the portal to the northeast of the Heart of Gielinor	40 Sliskean killcount (20 with 4500 reputation)	Outside the entrance to the lobby within each faction's section	Challenge mode also available (no additional cost)
Telos, the Warden	Interact with the vines in his chambers at the center of the Heart of Gielinor.	Free	In a separate area in the Heart of Gielinor ("graveyard" option on the door leading to his chambers)	Spawn speed selection not available.
The Magister	Interact with the First Gate	Crossing Key	Outside the First Gate	Requires 115 Slayer. One key required per fight. No practice mode available. Standard interface not used.
Araxxor/Araxxi	Interact with the webbing covering the entrance to the arena	200,000 (150,000)	Inside the Araxyte Hive graveyard	100% chance of Araxxor spawning in the style it is weak to based on mainhand weapon regardless if pheromone is in inventory or not. Spawn speed selection not available.
Legiones	Interact with the door to the respective Legio's laboratory	One Ascension keystone of the respective type ( Primus,  Secundus,  Tertius,  Quartus,  Quintus,  Sextus) per fight	Outside the Legio's door or outside the Monastery, near Ocellus	Requires 95 Slayer. One keystone is required per fight. No practice mode available. Standard interface not used.
King Black Dragon	Interact with the artefact north of Edgeville monastery or go down the ladder at the Lava Maze entrance and interact with the artefact	50,000 (37,500)	Next to the artefact inside the non-instanced King Black Dragon lair	Aggressive poison spiders reside at the Lava Maze artefact. Climbing over the low wall prevents them from attacking.
Kalphite Queen	Interact with the hole down to the Queen inside the Kalphite Hive	100,000 (75,000)	Next to the rope inside the non-instanced Kalphite Queen lair	Aggressive Kalphite Guardians reside at the instance creation location, making an instance difficult unless they're killed
Exiled Kalphite Queen	Interact with the hole down to the Queen inside the Exiled Kalphite Hive	100,000 (75,000)	Next to the entrance inside the non-instanced Exiled Kalphite Queen lair	Aggressive exiled kalphite guardians and marauders reside at the instance creation location, making an instance difficult unless they're killed
Corporeal Beast	Select Custom-session from the right-click menu of the final passage to the Beast	300,000 (225,000)		The instance has no lobby area - you enter directly to the arena. The Beast spawns in the centre of the arena (rather than the east side).
Dagannoth Kings	Interact with the hole at the end of the Waterbirth Island Dungeon	150,000 (112,500)	Next to the entrance inside the non-instanced Dagannoth Kings lair	Aggressive dagannoth and wallasalki near the entrance. Climbing over the low wall prevents them from attacking.
Barrows: Rise of the Six	Interact with the well just north of the Barrows	1  Barrows totem per fight	Inside the graveyard accessed from the well	Spawn speed selection not available.
Giant Mole	Interact with the plant in Falador Park	Free	Near the plant in the park	No non-instanced version available. Spawn speed selection not available. Hard mode available.
Kalphite King	Interact with the hole inside the Exiled Kalphite Hive	Free	Inside the Exiled Kalphite Hive, north of the entrance in the "graveyard"	If players leave instance and attempt to enter in a short period of time, they will be unable to interact with the hole for a while.
Queen Black Dragon	Interact with the portal in the deepest part of the Grotworm Lair	Free	Outside the portal	Requires 60 Summoning. No non-instanced version available. Use the Investigate option on the portal and proceed through the dialogue to access the interface (for practice mode); using the Pass-through option gives no interface and goes straight to the fight.

Notes

Instance shard worlds

Main article: Instance shard world

Instance shard worlds are special worlds (or servers) that have been sharded off from the rest of the servers. They cannot be accessed via the world select screen. Currently, only the TzHaar Fight Pit, Flash Powder Factory, Crucible, Burthorpe Games Room, Big Chinchompa, Cabbage Facepunch Bonanza and all Clan Citadels are located on instance shard worlds.