My Journey to 99 Thieving in OSRS: A Unique and Profitable Path
For quite a while now, I’ve been on the path to maxing out my main account in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). It's not been a quick or efficient process, but I've stuck with it for years. The finish line is now in sight, but a few significant obstacles remain. Throughout this journey, I’ve aimed to take unique and interesting approaches to training each skill. The next skill on my list is Thieving, and I’m excited to share my latest idea with you.
At the time of writing, I’m already close to 99 Thieving. Interestingly, one of the best money-making methods in the entire game currently comes from this skill: pickpocketing elves. This method isn't the fastest for reaching 99 Thieving, but it is incredibly profitable. My plan? Use this method exclusively to get the final levels, making a decent chunk of OSRS gold along the way.
Why Pickpocketing Elves?
Pickpocketing elves is considered the best skilling money-maker in OSRS right now, offering over three million gold per hour if done correctly. The main item we're after is the Enhanced Crystal Teleport Seed, which is currently valued at around three million gold. What makes this method even more lucrative is the Rogue’s Outfit—this gear doubles the loot from successful pickpockets, meaning each teleport seed drop gives you two instead of one. That’s a potential six million gold every time you hit that drop.
I’ve been at this since level 85 Thieving, which is the minimum level required to pickpocket elves. Although this method is slower compared to others, it’s insanely profitable and keeps me motivated with each drop.
The Method: Pickpocketing Elves
Let’s dive into the method I’ve been using. A fairly new item, the Ancient Brew, has significantly improved this process. Ancient Brews are a cost-effective way to restore prayer, which is crucial for using the Redemption spell—a lifesaver in this grind. Although Ancient Brews lower your combat stats, this doesn’t matter for thieving, allowing you to benefit from cheap prayer restoration.
Given that I have 99 Prayer, each Ancient Brew restores nearly 100 hitpoints, making it the most cost-effective healing option available. By using this method, I’ve managed to consistently achieve around 130k Thieving experience per hour, which is about 10k more than the traditional Player-Owned House (POH) method where you run back to your house every five minutes.
The Grind Begins: From 93 Thieving Onwards
Starting this grind at 93 Thieving, I’ve been exclusively pickpocketing elves. The first few drops were exhilarating, especially the first Enhanced Crystal Teleport Seed, which brought in 6.4 million gold thanks to the Rogue’s Outfit.
As I continued, I found that using Ancient Brews allowed me to stay at the elves for longer periods, reducing the need to bank frequently. This efficiency led to a steady gain in both experience and gold.
Dealing with the Grind
Pickpocketing elves can get pretty click-intensive, so I decided to take occasional breaks by woodcutting. This not only gave me a mental break from the constant clicking but also helped me make progress in another skill. At one point, I even reached 96 Woodcutting, and with the pace I was going, I might end up getting that 99 before Thieving!
During this time, I also decided to upgrade my Dragon Axe to a Crystal Axe. The upgrade cost a fair bit—requiring a Crystal Tool Seed and around 250 Crystal Shards—but it was worth it. The Crystal Axe offers about a 10% speed increase over the Dragon Axe, and despite its degradation over time, I calculated that it should last me until 99 Woodcutting without needing to be recharged.
Progressing Through the Levels
As the grind continued, I reached 94 Thieving, then 95, and so on. Each level brought with it a new set of Enhanced Crystal Teleport Seeds, which, although not frequent, added significant value to the overall profit. Fun fact: from level 85 to 99, you can expect to get roughly 54 Enhanced Crystal Teleport Seeds, which is a massive windfall in gold.
The Importance of Security
Amidst all this grinding, I also want to take a moment to talk about something often overlooked in the gaming community: online security. Password security is critical, especially in a game like RuneScape where RuneScape accounts are valuable targets for hackers. Over the years, I’ve experienced account breaches firsthand, and it’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
To protect myself, I’ve started using NordPass—a password manager that securely stores my passwords and generates strong, unique ones for each site I use. NordPass uses zero-knowledge encryption, meaning all the encryption and decryption happens locally on your device. This ensures that even NordPass can’t access your master password, making it a highly secure option.
Nearing the End: 98 Thieving
As I reached 98 Thieving, I realized just how close I was to the finish line. The grind had been long, but the frequent drops and the steady stream of gold ke
pt me motivated. In a stroke of luck, I managed to get four teleport seeds in a single inventory, which was an insane 10 million gold in just a few minutes.
To make things even better, I finally got the Rocky Pet on my main account. The chance of getting this pet while pickpocketing elves is extremely low—around 1 in 250k—so getting it felt like a huge win.
The Final Stretch
The grind from 93 to 99 Thieving took me about 45 hours in total, but I’m finally nearing the end. With 98 Thieving under my belt, I’m just one level away from my goal. The journey has been long and sometimes grueling, but the method I chose was not only profitable but also engaging.
Conclusion: A Unique Path to 99 Thieving
Maxing out a skill in OSRS is always a significant milestone, and doing so through a method that’s both unique and profitable makes the journey even more rewarding. Pickpocketing elves might not be the fastest way to 99 Thieving, but it offers a steady flow of gold and a unique challenge for those who don’t mind a click-intensive grind.
As I approach 99 Thieving, I reflect on the journey and the choices I made along the way. Each decision—from using the Rogue’s Outfit to incorporating Ancient Brews—was aimed at maximizing efficiency and profit, and it’s all paid off. Now, with the end in sight, I can’t wait to finally achieve that 99 Thieving cape and move on to the next challenge in my OSRS journey.
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