Herblore

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For information on training, see Herblore training.

For Herblore in Dungeoneering, see Dungeoneering/Herblore.

Herblore

Also known as	Herblaw
Release date	27 February 2002 (Update)
Members only	Yes
Minimum level for Hiscores	15 as of 12 Dec 2017
Players with 99	160,742 as of 4 Feb 2023
Players with 120	5,102 as of 4 Feb 2023
Players with 200M XP	1,159 as of 4 Feb 2023

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Herblore level-up music

A player mixes a potion using the Herblore skill.

Herblore (Herblaw on RuneScape Classic) is a members-only skill that allows players to make their own potions that serve various uses. Druidic Ritual was formerly needed to be completed to start training the skill, but after an update on 31 January 2012 the quest is no longer necessary. The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 765,861) on the hiscores for Herblore is level 15. As of 04 February 2023, there are 160,742 current members that have achieved level 99 in Herblore.

Herblore appears to have been established by Sarah in Past A, as revealed after finishing the Meeting History quest and then talking to her.

Although Herblore can be trained relatively quickly, it is one of the most expensive skills in the game for players who buy all or most of the needed ingredients. Some players are known to have paid over 300 million coins to get 99. For players who gather the ingredients (most are available from monster drops or farming and some spawn in various locations), it is much less expensive but quite time consuming.

Herbs

Main article: Herb

Grimy herbs

Grimy herbs are herbs that have not yet been cleaned. They can be cleaned by clicking on the herb, which provides a small amount of herblore experience. Herbs are almost always obtained in their grimy state (from farming, monster remains etc.). Although grimy herbs give experience from cleaning, they usually cost less than their cleaned counterparts since players usually do not want to spend time cleaning the herbs. It is also suggested that players collect their own ingredients to reduce training costs. However, this comes at the cost of being very time-consuming. Players can choose to purchase herbs from the Grand Exchange, but this method can be very expensive.

Potions

A player drinking a potion.

See the Potion calculator for coins-per-experience-point analysis of potions using live data from the Grand Exchange Market Watch.

Note: Only certain low-levelled potions are available to free players.

The potion-making process in Herblore takes two steps, each combining separate items. The first step involves adding a primary ingredient (usually a herb) to a vial of water (or a vial of coconut milk for some high-level potions), to produce an unfinished potion. This grants a 1 Herblore experience per unfinished potion. If you are trying to save money while doing herblore it is recommended to purchase vials and fill them with water yourself, as a vial is cheaper than a vial of water.

The second step involves adding a secondary ingredient (see below) to make a complete potion that may be drunk or sold (with the exception of a few potions made as part of a quest). This is the main method of gaining Herblore experience. Both steps can be done in batches, which is when the player's inventory contains several of the required items, one may "make all" or "make x".

The choice of herb and secondary ingredient dictate which potion is made. Each potion has a minimum Herblore level required before it can be made, unless the assist system is used.

List of potions

Potion	Image	Level	XP	Effect	Primary Ingredient	Secondary Ingredient	Notes
Attack potion		1	25	Temporarily boosts Attack by 8% plus 1			This potion is available to non-members. Can be mixed by F2P through Herblore.
Ranging potion		3	30	Temporarily boosts Ranged by 8% plus 1			This potion is available to non-members. Can be mixed by F2P through Herblore.
Magic potion		5	35	Temporarily boosts Magic by 8% plus 1			This potion is available to non-members. Can be mixed by F2P through Herblore.
Strength potion		7	40	Temporarily boosts Strength by 8% plus 1			This potion is available to non-members. Cannot be mixed by F2P through Herblore. However, F2P can instead obtain this potion through the Apothecary, requiring Red spider's eggs, a Limpwurt Root and 5 coins for each potion. (Produces 4 doses instead of 3.)
Relicym's balm		8	40	No useful effect.			Must have at least started Zogre Flesh Eaters. Can be used on orange Broodoo victims to damage them.
Defence potion		9	45	Temporarily raises Defence level by 8% plus 1			This potion is available to non-members. Cannot be mixed by F2P through Herblore.
Antipoison		13	50	Cures poison and provides immunity for 3 minutes
Serum 207		15	50	Temporarily cures Afflicted NPCs in Mort'ton			Learned and required in Shades of Mort'ton; Can be sanctified to produce Serum 208
Guthix rest		18	59.5	Cures poison, restores some run energy, and boosts max life points by 50 if at full health			Made during One Small Favour
Guam tar		19	30	Ammunition and bait for Swamp lizard
Restore potion		22	62.5	Restores Attack, Strength, Defence, Magic, and Ranged by 30% of level plus 10			Does not restore Constitution, Prayer, or Summoning.
Guthix balance		22	50	Used against Vampire Juvinates and Vampire Juveniles, particularly in the Temple Trekking minigame.			Players receive partial experience (25 xp) for each of the secondary ingredients. Requires In Aid of the Myreque.
Blamish oil		25	80	Used to make oily fishing rods during the Heroes Quest
Energy potion		26	67.5	Restores 20% run energy
Marrentill tar		31	42.5	Ammo for Orange salamander
Super Fishing Explosive		31	55	Can be used as a Fishing Explosive			Super Fishing Explosives can only be made after Kennith's concerns. Rubium is non-tradeable.
Agility potion		34	80	Temporarily boosts Agility by 3
Combat potion		36	84	Effect of both Attack potion and Strength potion
Goblin potion		37		The potion transforms the player into a goblin during the Land of the Goblins quest			The potion will wear off if the player wears something that isn't goblin related, if the player attacks something, or if the player approaches direct sunlight. Pharmakos berries are obtained by talking to the makeover mage, after the quest. They are free.
Prayer potion		38	87.5	Restores 2.5 times the player's Prayer level plus 70, resulting in a total restoration of 72-317 Prayer points.			Effect increased by holy wrench. A lifeline when fighting TzTok-Jad. Used often in Barrows.
Tarromin tar		39	55	Ammo for Red salamander
Summoning potion		40	92	Restores 25% of player's Summoning level plus 7
Crafting potion		42	95	Temporarily boosts Crafting by 3
Harralander tar		44	72.5	Ammo for Black salamander
Super attack		45	100	Temporarily boosts Attack by 12% plus 2
Vial of stench		46		After activation, allows players to sell goods stolen from stalls to the stall owners immediately			Talk to Chief Thief Robin in the Thieves' Guild to activate it (after A Guild of Our Own). It only needs to be in inventory to work. The potion is not tradeable.
Super antipoison		48	106.3	Cures poison and provides immunity for 6 minutes
Fishing potion		50	112.5	Temporarily boosts Fishing by 3			Can be used to get into the Fishing Guild if you are a few levels short.
Super energy		52	117.5	Restores 40% run energy
Shrink-me-quick		52	6	Reduce player size during Grim Tales Quest
Hunter potion		53	120	Temporarily boosts Hunter by 3			Kebbit teeth are found from deadfalling Sabre-Toothed Kebbit.
Super strength		55	125	Temporarily boosts Strength level by 12% plus 2
Magic essence potion	File:Magic essence potion.png	57	130	Temporarily boosts Magic by 3 to 8			Made during A Fairy Tale Part II quest. Components are only available via the Fairy rings. The potion and the components are not tradeable.
Fletching potion		58	132	Temporarily boosts Fletching by 3
Weapon poison		60	137.5	Makes the player poisonous for 1 minute.
Super restore		63	142.5	Restores all stats by 25% plus 8. Prayer points are restored by 25% of the maximum plus 80.
Sanfew serum		65	96,	Sanfew Serum combines the properties of super restore and cure poison.			Nail Beast Nails are from Temple Trekking. Players receive partial experience (47.5, 52.5, and 60 xp for the 3-dose, e.g.) for each of the secondary ingredients. Experience varies based on the dosage.
Super defence		66	150	Temporarily boosts Defence by 12% plus 2
Antipoison+		68	155	Cures and gives immunity to poison for 9 minutes			Requires coconut milk in place of water.
Antifire		69	157.5	Provides resistance to Dragonfire for 6 minutes			Can be used with an Anti-dragon shield or Dragonfire shield to completely prevent dragonfire damage. Each dose lasts for 6 minutes (you will get a 15 second warning before it runs out).
Super ranging potion		72	162.5	Temporarily boosts Ranged by 12% plus 2
Weapon poison+		73	165	Makes the player poisonous for 5 minutes.			Requires coconut milk in place of water.
Super magic potion		76	172.5	Temporarily boosts Magic by 12% plus 2
Zamorak brew		78	175	Temporarily boosts Attack and Strength by 8% plus 1, and restores Prayer points by 8% of the maximum plus 20, but lowers Defence by 8% plus 1 and removes 12% of lifepoints			Torstol can only be obtained from the Yanille Agility dungeon herb chest, or grown using the Farming skill, obtained as a drop from Nex, or as a rare reward from red reward tokens if herbs are chosen.
Antipoison++		79	177.5	Cures poison and provides immunity for 12 minutes			Requires coconut milk in place of water.
Saradomin brew		81	180	Temporarily boosts Defence by 8% plus 1 and heals 1000 life points but lowers Attack, Strength, Ranged and Magic by ?%.			See above for Toadflax locations.
Weapon poison++		82	190	Makes the player poisonous for 7 minutes.			Requires coconut milk in place of water.
Adrenaline potion		84	200	Recovers Adrenaline bar by 25%. Can only be used every 120 seconds.			This potion cannot be traded. Only the 3-dose Super energy potion can be used as an ingredient. See Zahur.
Super antifire		85	210	Provides immunity to Dragonfire for 6 minutes even if anti-dragon shield is not equipped			This potion cannot be traded.
Extreme attack		88	220	Temporarily boosts Attack by 15% plus 3.			This potion cannot be traded.
Extreme strength		89	230	Temporarily boosts Strength by 15% plus 3.			This potion cannot be traded.
Extreme defence		90	240	Temporarily boosts Defence by 15% plus 3.			This potion cannot be traded.
Extreme magic		91	250	Temporarily boosts Magic by 15% plus 3.			This potion cannot be traded.
Extreme ranging		92	260	Temporarily boosts Ranged by 15% plus 3.			This potion cannot be traded.
Super saradomin brew		93	180	Restores 1300 lifepoints. Temporarily boosts Defence by ?% plus ?, and drains Attack, Strength, Magic and Ranged by ?% plus ?.
Super zamorak brew		93	180	Temporarily boosts Attack, Strength, Magic and Ranged by 10% plus 2. Drains Defence by ?% plus ? and removes ?% of lifepoints.
Super guthix rest		93	59.5	Cures poison. Reduces poison damage by 20 lifepoints, restores 500 lifepoints and restores 15% run energy. Boosts your maximum lifepoints by 500.
Super prayer		94	270	Restores Prayer points by 35% plus 70.			This potion cannot be traded.
Prayer renewal		94	190	Restores 4 times the player's Prayer level plus 120, resulting in a total restoration of 124-516 Prayer points, over a period of 5 minutes.
Overload		96	1000	Grants the effect of all five extreme stat-boosting potions for five minutes, and reapplies their buffs every fifteen seconds.			This potion cannot be traded.

• Serum 207, all types of Tar, and Guthix balance potion (unlike its Saradomin and Zamorak brew counterparts) cannot be consumed, and are to be used for special purposes.
• Potions from "Recover Special" to "Overload", which came out with 7 October 2009's "High-level Herblore Potions" update, do NOT work with the Lunar spells "Stat Restore Pot Share" and "Boost Potion Share", and CANNOT be made through the assist system as they are untradeable.

Barbarian potions

See the barbarian mix calculator for coins-per-experience-point analysis of barbarian mixes using live data from the Grand Exchange Market Watch.

In order to be able to make Barbarian mixes, Otto Godblessed must be talked to, located at Otto's Grotto (West of Baxtorian Falls). He will teach the basic Barbarian Skills needed to get the special ingredients for these mixes. He also teaches the decanting of 4 dose potions into two 2-dose potions by using any 4-dose potion on an empty vial.

Enhanced potion requirements:

• Herblore level required
• 2-dose potion (or a 4-dose and an empty vial)
• Roe (for Attack mix, Anti-poison mix, Relicym's balm mix, Strength mix and Restore mix)
• Caviar (for all other mixes).

All mixes that only require roe will heal 30 life points per dose. All mixes that require caviar heal 60 life points per dose. Using caviar on potions that can be made from roe will not make the potion heal 60 lifepoints per dose, the potion will still heal the usual 30 lifepoints. Apart from healing, all potions have the same effect as their corresponding normal potion seen in the table above. Although being able to restore life points, Barbarian potions are not recommended for PKing.

List of barbarian potions

Mix	Image	Add	Level	XP
Attack mix		Roe or Caviar	4	8
Anti-poison mix		Roe or Caviar	6	12
Relicym's balm mix		Roe or Caviar	9	14
Strength mix		Roe or Caviar	14	17
Stat restore mix		Roe or Caviar	24	21
Energy mix		Caviar	29	23
Defence mix		Caviar	33	25
Agility mix		Caviar	37	27
Combat mix		Caviar	40	28
Prayer mix		Caviar	42	29
Super attack mix		Caviar	47	33
Super anti-poison mix		Caviar	51	35
Fishing mix		Caviar	53	38
Super energy mix		Caviar	56	39
Hunting mix		Caviar	58	40
Super strength mix		Caviar	59	42
Magic essence mix		Caviar	61	43
Super restore mix		Caviar	67	48
Super defence mix		Caviar	71	50
Extra strong anti-poison mix		Caviar	74	52
Antifire mix		Caviar	75	53
Super ranging mix		Caviar	80	54
Super magic mix		Caviar	83	57
Zamorak mix		Caviar	85	58

Obtaining secondary ingredients

When training Herblore it is useful to have ample supplies of secondary ingredients.

Secondary Ingredient	Price *	Collection methods	Potions
Eye of newt	10 coins (update)	Can be bought in Port Sarim magic shop or in Herblore stores for 3 coins Use Newtroost Creature Creation.	Attack potion, Super attack
Unicorn horn	3,404 coins (update)	Kill unicorns or use Unicow Creature Creation.	Anti-poison potion, Super anti-poison potion
Snake weed	Untradeable	Can be found on Karamja - requires Jungle Potion.	Relicym's balm
Limpwurt root	5,190 coins (update)	From Farming or from hill giant, cockatrice and hobgoblin drops. They also respawn in the hidden resource dungeon located in the Edgville Dungeon (requires level 20 dungeoneering).	Strength potion, Super strength potion
Swamp tar	115 coins (update)	Cave Slime drops, Warped tortoise drops or collected in Lumbridge swamp.	Guam tar, Marrentill tar, Tarromin tar, Harralander tar
Red spiders' eggs	1,405 coins (update)	Use SpidineCreature Creation. 2 respawns in the Varrock Sewers. The Edgeville Dungeon has 6 respawns in low level Wilderness. Also, those with level 10 Summoning can use the Egg Spawn scroll using a Spirit Spider. One respawns inside Karamja Volcano.	Stat restore potion, Super restore potion, Guthix balance potion, Extra strong weapon poison
Chocolate dust	490 coins (update)	Use pestle and mortar on chocolate bars. Chocolate bars or chocolate dust can be bought from Culinaromancer's chest, Port Sarim food store, or Grand Tree food supply stores for 20 coins and respawn in the Cooks Guild and Zanaris. Players can also buy chocolate bars from the bakers in the Ardougne market place.	Energy potion
White berries	4,019 coins (update)	From Farming, respawn at Red dragon isle (in wilderness) or use Elf teleport crystal and the respawn in Elven area.	Super defence potion
Rubium	Untradeable	From Mining, Mined under Witchaven, Kennith's Concerns is required.	Super Fishing Explosive
Toad's legs	595 coins (update)	Respawns west of the Grand Tree in the Swamp.	Agility potion
Snape grass	134 coins (update)	Respawns on Waterbirth Island and on peninsula west of Crafting Guild. Dropped by Chaos Druids, and Waterfiends.	Prayer potion, Fishing potion
Mort Myre fungi	3,433 coins (update)	Cast bloom with silver sickle on logs in Mort Myre Swamp in Morytania.	Super energy potion
Crushed gorak claw	Untradeable	Kill Goraks.	Magic essence potion
Dragon scale dust	625 coins (update)	Taverley Dungeon, Blue Dragon area.	Anti-fire potion Weapon poison
Yew roots	1,001 coins (update)	Only from Farming Yew trees.	Extra strong anti-poison potion
Wine of Zamorak	15,400 coins (update)	Telegrab from table at the Captured Temple.	Super ranging potion
Potato cactus	5,249 coins (update)	A few respawns in the Kalphite Lair. Combine with slayer assignments. Potato cactus can also be grown from a potato cactus seed in the cactus patch in Al Kharid.	Super magic potion
Jangerberries	866 coins (update)	Several respawns at Ogre Island (between Castle wars and Yanille). Bring a rope. Also from farming(48)	Zamorak potion
Magic roots	4,002 coins (update)	Growing, cutting down, and digging up Magic trees. (lvl 75 farming)	Super strong anti-poison potion
Bird nest	6,833 coins (update)	From Woodcutting, Miscellania, or for exchanging mole claws or mole skins.	Saradomin brew
Poison ivy berries	3,263 coins (update)	From bush Farming(70)	Super strong weapon poison
Shrunk ogleroot	83 coins (update)	Taverley witch's house.	Shrinking potion
Ashes	95 coins (update)	From any log fire when it stops burning. It can also be obtained by picking the White lily.	Serum 207
Papaya	5,562 coins (update)	Picked from a Papaya tree, grown with the Farming skill, or by using a Fruitfall scroll with the Fruit bat familiar.	Adrenaline potion
Phoenix feather	Untradeable	Grabbed from a Desert phoenix near the clay mine in the Northeastern Kharidian Desert.	Super antifire
Ground mud runes	Untradeable	Created by using Pestle and mortar on a Mud rune.	Extreme magic
Grenwall spikes	994 coins (update)	Obtained by trapping Grenwall using the Hunter(77) skill.	Extreme ranging
Wyvern bonemeal	Untradeable	Obtained by grinding Wyvern bones in the Ectofuntus grinder.	Super prayer
Bear fur		From stealing from fur stalls (Ardougne and Varrock) and dropped by bears	Defence potion

* Prices are approximate for buying item on the Grand Exchange

Note: Another way to obtain Eye of Newt, Unicorn Horn, or Red spider's eggs would be Creature Creation, which is available only after completing the Tower of Life quest. By defeating the appropriate creature, 2-10 of the item in question are dropped.

Money

With the introduction of grimy herbs, these herbs now reveal their identity. Hence, the price of grimy herbs depends on what level herbs they are. Chaos druids (as well as Aberrant spectres and Flesh crawlers) drop grimy herbs often, and on occasion may drop two. Aberrant Spectres may also drop three.

Many combat-related potions sell for high prices (prices are for 3 dose potions):

Potion	Current GE price
Antifire potions	7,571 coins (update)
Super energy potions	4,003 coins (update)
Fishing potions	399 coins (update)
Super antipoisons	6,681 coins (update)
Prayer potions	2,208 coins (update)
Summoning potions	23,173 coins (update)
Super restore potions	2,095 coins (update)
Weapon poison+	1,089 coins (update)
Weapon poison++	16,758 coins (update)
Set of all three super potions (super attack, super strength, and super defence)	28,435 coins (update)
Super attacks	5,392 coins (update)
Super strength potions	15,217 coins (update)
Super defence potions	7,826 coins (update)

Some of these prices are under pressure as the number of herbalists that can make those potions increases. Prices of potions have fallen since the release of the Grand Exchange because of the ability to quickly sell potions in bulk.

Potion production costs

For a full overview of profits/losses training Herblore; see Herblore/Production costs.

Temporary boosts

A player wearing a Herblore cape (t) and performing the Skillcape emote.

• A Greenman's ale will temporarily boost Herblore by 1 level. Greenman's ale can be bought in the Yanille pub or brewed using the Cooking skill. 26 Construction is required to build a beverage barrel of Greenman's ale in the kitchen of a player-owned house. A Greenman's ale does not stack with a spicy stew.
• A Mature Greenman's ale will temporarily boost Herblore by 2 levels. This can only be made by brewing using the Cooking skill. A Mature Greenman's ale boost does not stack with a spicy stew.
• A god banner can boost Herblore by 2 levels for thirty minutes, if you've done the relevant tasks. Because this is an extended boost, it is ideal for making a large quantity of potions above your level (such as for training); however, the boost does tick down from +2 to +1, and then refresh when it would tick down to +0. Thus it is best if you only need to boost one level, instead of two, or you will be periodically interrupted.
• Brown Spicy stews can be made after Freeing Evil Dave in Recipe for Disaster. These may randomly boost or lower Herblore by up to 5 levels, depending on the amount of brown spice used.
• Using the 'Boost' option on the Herblore cape will temporarily increase your level by 1, up to 100/99.

NPC assistance

Bob Barter at the Grand Exchange will decant potions for free. Decanting results in potions of the same kind being consolidated into 4-dose potions as much as possible (though Bob will also decant into 1, 2 and 3 dose potions, charging for any extra vials). For example, Bob Barter will decant six 3-dose strength potions into four 4-dose and one 2-dose potion. Noted potions may also be decanted; noted and unnoted potions in your inventory will be treated independently. This is a quick and easy way to free up vials for reuse, by consolidating into 4 dose potions.

Zahur in Nardah will clean grimy herbs for 200 coins per herb. This ability is typically only used by players who grew the herbs and cannot clean them, as the ability to make potions with the cleaned herb requires the herblore level to clean the herb. Even then it usually makes more sense to sell the grimy herb, as clean herbs are rarely much more than the grimy version, and often less.

Zahur will also decant 4-dose potions into 3-dose potions, for a fee of 11 coins per vial supplied. If you supply all vials required the service is free. Inventory space for the resulting potions is required, or Zahur will refuse to decant them. Zahur will now also decant noted potions with noted vials as well.

Minigames

Herblore Habitat

Main article: Herblore Habitat

In the Herblore Habitat minigame, there are ten potions that can be made using herbs grown there, and secondary ingredients found by hunting Jadinkos. All of these potions must be made in special juju vials bought from Papa Mambo, and some of them can be stored with tool leprechauns. These potions have special effects.

Flash Powder Factory

Main article: Flash Powder Factory

In Flash Powder Factory, requiring 50 Herblore and other certain skills, players make Flash Powder from two reagents in 15 minute games. The game is not focused on Herblore, so the bulk of experience doesn't go to a player's Herblore skill.

Scroll of cleansing

Main article: Scroll of cleansing

The Scroll of Cleansing is a Dungeoneering reward, and can be purchased for 20,000 Dungeoneering reward tokens. It requires a Herblore level of 49 and a Dungeoneering level of 49. Once used, the scroll will disappear, giving the player the following permanent effects:

• A 1 in 8 chance that the player will make a potion twice as fast as usual.
• A 1 in 10 chance that when adding a herb to a vial of water or coconut milk, or a secondary ingredient to an unfinished potion, the herb or secondary, respectively, will not be used, leaving the player an extra ingredient.

Almost every potion in the game is affected by this scroll. However there are some exceptions. Guthix rest tea, Guam tar, Marrentill tar, Tarromin tar, Harralander tar, and Barbarian mix potions are not affected by the scroll.

Herbicide

Main article: Herbicide

The Herbicide is a Dungeoneering reward. It stays with the player at all times. When in the inventory, it will grind the herb and give the player bonus xp. It will not grind any herbs that the player cannot clean, and will not work on noted herbs.

Solomon's General Store

A player mixing a potion with the alternative animation.

Upon the release of Solomon's General Store on 17 July 2012, players can purchase an alternative animation for herblore that plays whenever a player mixes a potion. This animation costs 176 runecoins.

Trivia

• In the game's fictional history, the skill owes its name to a temporal paradox. In 'Meeting History, Again' (one of the Medium Difficulty Ardougne Tasks) the player travels back in time again and talks to the creator of the art where they mention Herblore and she replies by saying that that is the perfect name for the art. This is a paradox as the player only mentioned this because they knew it from their own time but it appears they were the original inspiration.
• Originally, herbs were identified rather than cleaned. All unidentified herbs or "unids" looked the same. The Grand Exchange was also released shortly after this change, so that may also have been a contributing factor.

See also

• Herblore training, a guide to training Herblore
• Quest experience rewards - Herblore
• Herblore items at the Grand Exchange Market Watch
• Making money with herblore
• Herb
• Herblore Level up table
• Herblore Calculators
• Druidic Ritual
• Sarah (Meeting History)
• Dungeoneering/Herblore

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