5 Answers2025-11-04 16:26:23
I get excited talking about this because the thieving grind in Old School has such distinct flavors depending on how sweaty or chill you want to be. If you want the raw fastest XP per hour and you have the skill to pull it off, 'Blackjacking' in Pollnivneach is the go-to. It unlocks around level 45 thieving and demands constant attention: you stun the bandits with a blackjack, wait for them to slump, then pickpocket while they’re out. When you nail the rhythm you can easily outpace almost every other method.
That said, it’s click-heavy and unforgiving if you miss timings. If you prefer something still very fast but slightly less punishing, 'Pyramid Plunder' is fantastic — it scales nicely as your level rises and gives good XP alongside some loot. For early levels, stalls and pickpocketing NPCs are simple and cheap, and master farmers/stalls remain great for bank-friendly training. Personally I mix methods: fast sessions with blackjacking when I’m focused, and PP when I want bursts of high XP without dying to misclicks. It keeps the grind enjoyable rather than brutal, which I prefer.
5 Answers2025-11-04 18:58:22
For raw, sustained XP you can't ignore Pyramid Plunder — it pretty much eats thieving levels if you run it smart. The minigame rewards you for clearing rooms quickly and looting the golden chest when you're high enough to safely attempt the last room, so it's a top pick for grind sessions. Earlier levels still benefit from stalls and pickpocketing NPCs to bridge the gap: stalls are low-risk and cheap to chain, while pickpocket spots like city NPCs give steady experience and useful loot for money or supplies.
If I'm pacing a long session, I alternate between Master Farmers (for semi-AFK seed income and steady XP) and Pyramid Plunder runs. The change of pace keeps me from getting bored and helps with bank management — seeds sell or feed farming, and PP gives the fastest pure thieving XP once you know the rooms and timings. I love the rhythm of PP, even when I fail a few locks; it's a satisfying, high-skill way to climb to 99 and beyond, and it always feels worth it after a good streak.
5 Answers2025-11-04 06:26:20
Totally hooked on efficiency, I treat thieving like a scavenger hunt that fuels my whole ironman progression.
Early on I spam stalls and low-level pickpockets to build a baseline — baker's stalls, tea stalls, men and women around cities are great for getting your hands on coins and basic loot without much risk. I always pocket whatever seeds and herbs I can from master farmers once I can safely pickpocket them; those seeds are gold for an ironman because they feed Farming and Herblore without any trading. I balance XP and loot: if I need herbs, I grind farmers; if I need XP fast, I mix in better XP methods.
Mid-game I pivot to methods that give both fast XP and useful items. 'Pyramid Plunder' is a must when you can get decent success there — it’s click-dense but gives excellent XP and occasional unique drops that help with banked resources. I also learned blackjack timing to chain pickpockets without being stunned, which skyrockets my XP/hr and keeps supplies flowing. I always bring decent food and lock my inventory around essentials; being an ironman means every seed and gem saved matters. Feels satisfying turning thieving into a self-sustaining pipeline for my account.
5 Answers2026-01-31 10:38:50
On long skilling sessions I got obsessed with the little geometry of maps, and the way the thieving guide for 'Old School RuneScape' lays out safe-spot methods really scratches that itch. It starts by explaining the fundamentals: NPCs move on a tile grid and have collision masks, so if you can put an unwalkable object between you and them — like a fence, door, or a piece of scenery — you can interact (pickpocket or steal from a stall) without them pathing through to smack you. The guide emphasizes understanding which tiles are blocked and which are just visually impassable, because the game’s pathfinder ignores decorations but respects true collision.
Then it gives concrete steps: spot a candidate NPC, look for nearby obstacles or corners, position yourself where their path would be blocked, and test with a few interactions. It also warns about exceptions — some NPCs have ranged attacks or special behaviors, and guards or town scripts might react. I loved that it pairs screenshots with small diagrams, so I could look at a bank chest or market stall and instantly know where to stand; after trying it out, I felt way smug every time I pulled off a flawless pickpocket, so I keep coming back for more practice.
5 Answers2025-11-04 11:37:01
I get a lot of questions about GP rates, so here's a practical breakdown from my own experience and what I've seen in the community.
At very low levels (20–50 Thieving) you’re mostly stealing stalls and pickpocketing NPCs that don’t drop much tradable loot. Expect something like 0–80k gp/hour if you sell random junk and the odd gem. Once you hit about 50–70 Thieving and start hitting silk, fur, and food stalls more reliably, that climbs to roughly 100–250k gp/hour depending on how many stalls you can run per hour and current market prices.
Once you reach mid-to-high levels and can reliably pickpocket Master Farmers or run certain stalls/minigames, GP/hour becomes much better. Picking Master Farmers for seeds often averages around 200–500k gp/hour for many players — the range is wide because it depends heavily on RNG and seed prices. Pyramid Plunder and similar activities can push you into the 200–400k/hour neighborhood if you’re efficient, and the absolute high end (rare loot, elite seed streaks, or very optimized stall routes) might nudge 600k–1M gp/hour but that’s not typical. Blackjacking is incredible for XP but barely a GP-maker; treat it as an XP lane with almost negligible cash. My takeaway: Thieving is usually an XP-first skill with decent side profit once you reach higher tiers, so plan around what you value more — cash or levels — and enjoy the ride.
5 Answers2025-11-04 15:43:49
My most reliable setup for cranking out thieving XP mixes items that either increase pickpocket/stall success or cut down on downtime. I usually wear the Graceful pieces whenever I'm moving between stalls — keeping run energy up with Graceful and a few stamina potions means I spend more time actually thieving instead of jogging back and forth. That alone raises my XP/hour because I don't have to stop and recharge.
I also stack thieving-specific bonuses: the Rogue's outfit for better loot from stalls and pickpockets, and an Ardougne cloak from diary rewards for smoother pickpocket runs around the city. I carry basic utilities in my inventory — food for the occasional stun, a few stamina/super energy potions, and teleport tabs so I can reset or bank quickly. If I'm doing pyramid plunder or other minigames I swap in the minigame gear that speeds up room clears. Overall, I focus on success-rate gear plus mobility items: more successful steals and less wasted time = higher XP, and that strategy has consistently felt the fastest for me.
4 Answers2026-01-31 02:11:59
I geek out over little efficiency tricks, and for thieving in 'Old School RuneScape' the guide's core idea is always the same: pick the fastest method you can consistently do without dying or wasting time. Early on I spam stalls and low-level pickpockets to get secure levels and cash—it's mindless, cheap, and keeps you moving. Once you hit the next bracket the guide suggests switching to a minigame or method that gives much higher XP/hr even if it's click-heavy.
For me that meant mixing things: do a bunch of stall runs to buy a teleport item and supplies, then rotate into the 'Pyramid Plunder' rooms for concentrated XP sessions, and when I wanted pure speed I practiced 'Blackjacking' because it’s brutal but rewards consistency. The real trick the guide pushes is swapping methods at the right breakpoints, bringing the right gear and teleports to cut downtime, and using quests or diaries that give thieving boosts when possible. I like to end sessions with a few easy pickpockets to top up cash — feels like a tidy, efficient loop.
4 Answers2026-01-31 14:44:41
I get excited talking about thieving because it’s such a satisfying skill to level — sneaky, efficient, and a bit cheeky. If you’re just starting in 'Old School RuneScape', my go-to progression is simple: begin with pickpocketing low-level NPCs to learn the mechanic, then switch to stall thieving for steady coin and inventory-free xp, and later dip into minigames like 'Pyramid Plunder' when you can. Early on I always carry a bit of food and a teleport method; failing a pickpocket or getting stunned is part of the learning curve, and you’ll want to escape quickly to regroup.
Once you hit higher teens to mid-levels, move to better stalls and pickpocket targets in busier hubs — those spots usually pay better GP and let you train without constant banking. When you’re comfortable, explore alternative methods like blackjacking or rogues' den activities; they’re more click-intense but reward higher xp per hour. I also consult the 'OSRS Wiki' for up-to-date xp tables and exact level requirements; it keeps me from wasting time. Honestly, the best part is the variety: thieving feels like a mini-game buffet, and I always come away with a pocketful of coins and a goofy grin.
8 Answers2025-11-24 04:39:40
I've learned to treat the dwarf cannon like a temperamental roommate: give it space, line it up with the traffic, and it will do all the heavy lifting. For straight AFK XP I usually go for Ammonite Crabs on Fossil Island first — they're high-HP, low-defense, and they shuffle around in predictable paths, which means the cannon will chew through them while I scroll through a book or queue up a show. The trick is to find the spawn patch and place the cannon so its barrels cover the path the crabs take when they move from one rock to another; aim for a spot near a wall or rock so they pass through the cannon's arc instead of skirting around it.
If I can't make it to Fossil Island, Sand Crabs on the Hosidius/Kourend coasts are my backup. They're equally AFK-friendly and easy to teleport to if you need to bank or refill cannonballs. I always bring a good stack of cannonballs, a teleport method ready, and a little patience — set up, test for a minute, then leave it running while I do other chores. Ended sessions usually leave me pleasantly surprised by how many levels I picked up without babysitting, which I love.
11 Answers2025-11-07 01:53:55
Hands down, the fastest way I’ve found to squeeze the most Farming XP out of the Tithe Farm is to treat it like a conveyor belt: set up everything beforehand, then run continuous, surgical runs where every second matters.
First, prep your inventory and movement—empty inventory space, quick teleports to and from Great Kourend, and a stamina potion if you plan to sprint between patches. Learn one tight route that hits planting, harvesting, and the deposit box without backtracking. I keep my actions consistent: plant everything I can, then immediately harvest mature plots as they become available and dump produce straight in the chest so the next cycle starts clean. That loop minimizes downtime and makes ticks work for you instead of against you.
Second, practice the micro: shift-click pick-ups, hotkey teleports, and a stable camera angle so you don’t lose time clicking. Timing your re-entry to the minigame so crops are ready when you return multiplies XP per hour way beyond casual runs. It’s repetitive but the XP gains are noticeable once your rhythm clicks—feels like a satisfying, oddly zen grind.