Welcome back to another Right Click Examine (RCE)!
In this blog format, we open the floor to our J-Mods as they look to involve you in their development - whether that's content already in production, potential concepts for the future or anything in between. Whenever you see Right Click Examine (or RCE for short), prepare to share your thoughts and help us shape the future of RuneScape together!
What is this Update?
We’re continuing to expand our skilling content beyond level 99, with Runecrafting next in line for an update. Why focus on Runecrafting? With previous skill expansions to level 110, we introduced new Masterwork weapons for Ranged and Melee, and now we want to complete the set with a Masterwork Magic weapon.
Currently, Crafting is involved in some Magic weapons, but it’s often limited to attaching parts to create basic staves. Meanwhile, Runes are already at the core of Magic’s identity, and many players have asked for the ability to imbue weapons with runic power so we’re embracing this approach and building out a system for creating high-tier Magic weapons through Runecrafting itself!
Please keep in mind that this update is focused on the 100-110 level range, so we won’t be retrofitting this weapon-crafting mechanic to lower levels upon launch.
More Than Just Runes
We all know that feeling of picking up a long stick while hiking, suddenly imagining ourselves as an arcane spell slinger on a quest in a vast forest…or is that just me? Anyway, the point is, that the tools of a Mage help set the tone and feel of magic, and one thing players have been discussing for years is the ability to craft their magical weapons. Good news—soon, you’ll be able to do just that while crafting runes!
Starting at level 100 Runecrafting, you’ll gain access to crafting inert magic weapons that you can bring with you to your preferred altar. As you craft runes, some of these runes will be sacrificed to imbue the weapon, earning you additional Runecrafting XP each time. Once the weapon is fully imbued, it’ll become a tier 85 Magic weapon. Want to go further? Continue the imbuing process to upgrade it to a tier 90 weapon by channelling even more runes. This method is perfect for players seeking maximum Runecrafting XP without needing every rune crafted.
As you level up to 110, your imbuing efficiency will increase, and you’ll unlock options to sacrifice more runes for even greater XP gains. We’re also considering a feature to allow players to sacrifice a completed weapon for a final XP boost, with a chance to recover some of the runes invested.
We’d love to hear your thoughts—would sacrificing these weapons for extra XP be something you’d use? Should sacrificing refund some of the invested runes? Let us know!
A Wizard does not find his Masterwork Staff
Now that we have a system for crafting your weapons, it’s time to create something truly spectacular! Get ready for a tier 100 weapon that blends the mastery of previous items with our new process for magic weapon creation.
You’ll follow a similar approach to that of Masterwork items, adding essences from legendary weapons and other rare, carefully selected materials. The result? A formidable, top-tier 100 weapon crafted from your hard-earned skills and resources.
Can't Escape the Runes
Now you may have noticed that this update isn't called 110 Runecrafting and Magic - this means we aren't looking to update magic right now, and as such any rune additions we add (what's a Runecrafting update without runes? "Crafting" Says Mod Azanna from the back of the auditorium before being booed by everyone) would have to expand magic horizontally, rather than vertically.
To that end, we settled on addressing a combination of problems: combination rune creation and combination rune usage.
We aim to retroactively apply combination runes to a handful of spells to improve their usage outside of current functionality and make them more desirable to be crafted. Most notably, we would look to change high-level spells such as level 5 enchant and above to use their respective combination runes.
If you have suggestions of other spells that could do with the treatment let us know.
As demand for combination runes increases, we expect their market value to rise, so we’re also introducing some improvements. We are planning to remove the chance to fail when making combination runes, unlockable as you level your Runecrafting, and also to change the binding necklace to double any combination runes you make!
On top of this, we’re introducing the ultimate combination rune: the Elemental Rune. This all-in-one rune will be usable as air, water, earth, and fire or as any other elemental combination rune too.
This rune already exists in some minigames so it felt fitting as an indication of your Runecrafting skills improving. Utilizing and creating this rune will require level 100 Runecrafting and would be required for some new spells.
New Spells
The main focus of these new spells would be to have desirable effects without dipping too far into combat scenarios, we've had a few ideas such as new teleports, utility spells and skilling-focused spells but we would like to open the floor to what kind of non-combat spells would you like to see?
And wow that you have crafted all those runes, do ya know what you need?
A Really, Really Big Pouch
A new essence pouch has been one of the most consistently requested things we've seen whilst researching Runecrafting; with the skill expanding to 110, it only seems fitting that now is the time we release it.
Whilst a lot of parallels to Old School's Colossal Pouch have been mentioned, we wanted to introduce a really big pouch in our own way, with a process worthy of such an item.
The new pouch - which we are currently dubbing the Expansive Pouch - will require a collection of steps and a Runecrafting level beyond 99 to be made, taking inspiration from the Masterwork and Blessed Flask processes (don't worry, it won't be as complicated as those).
Completing your Expansive Pouch will award you with a sweet achievement and a single-slot pouch capable of storing at least 44 essence - with the final size to be determined. This pouch won't work alongside other pouches but will require one of each existing essence pouch as part of the creation process.
Do you have an idea for a step or material that could be used for this pouch? Let us know!
Get Involved
Now you're up to speed with these concepts, we want your feedback! We'll be paying attention to conversations across the community as always, but for the most direct line to the team, we encourage you to join our Official Discord.
Head on over to #rce-chat to see what is being discussed and #rce-dev-questions to add your thoughts to ongoing questions from the development team. Click the button below to join today!
Thanks for reading this Right Click Examine blog! We're super excited to be opening up our development for your feedback and we hope you'll get involved. See you in Gielinor.
- The RuneScape Team
Mods Astar, Alex, Azanna, Bak, Balkan, Bam, Blkwitch, Boko, Brat, Breezy, Brig, Camel, Colibri, Chaose, Dark, Daze, Desert, Dorn, Dragon, Drew, Drewid, Easty, Echo, Fallen, Forza, Fowl, Fox, Frosch, Grace, Gunner, Helen, Hooli, Ink, Jack, Keyser, Kitsune, Kristy, Luma, Lunatear, Lykos, Lynx, Makkari, MIC, Mickey, Morty, Muse, Nemo, Neong, Nixon, Noms, Pearce, Pebble, Phoenix, Pigeon, Rain, Raiwtch, Ramen, Rowley, Rsguy, Ryan, Samy, Sakura, Shrew, Shrike, Skyefall, Soul, Sponge, Spyro, Stead, Stu, Sukotto, Taelae, Tiger, Timbo, Titus, Toebeans, Tri, Vegard, Volta, Who, Wov, Yuey & Zura