OSRS quest XP rewards: best quests for each skill and biggest XP drops

The biggest quest XP rewards in OSRS

Quests are the most efficient way to train skills in OSRS. Some quests provide tens of thousands of XP in a single skill, equivalent to hours of training. Here are the biggest quest XP rewards in the game:

Dragon Slayer II is the single largest XP quest in OSRS. It rewards 40,000 XP each in Magic, Smithing, Mining, and Hitpoints (160,000 total XP). It also requires 200 quest points and 75 Smithing to start, making it a mid-to-late game goal.

The Grand Tree rewards 18,400 Attack XP and 2,150 Magic XP. It requires 25 Agility and is one of the earliest quests in the optimal order. The combined Attack XP across its quest series is unmatched.

Monkey Madness II rewards 40,000 Defence XP + 40,000 Ranged XP. It also unlocks the Heavy Ballista and the ability to craft Ballista limbs. It requires MM1 completion and 70 Defence.

While Guthix Sleeps rewards 40,000 Attack XP, 40,000 Strength XP, and 40,000 Defence XP. It also gives Slayer XP equal to 15x the player's level. This is one of the most rewarding quests in the game.

Other notable large XP rewards: Recipe for Disaster (multiple subquests, ~100K+ total XP across all skills), Sins of the Father (16,000 Defence XP + 16,000 Attack XP + 8,000 HP XP), and A Kingdom Divided (10,000 Farming XP + 10,000 Herblore XP + 10,000 Thieving XP).

Best early-game quest XP rewards

For new accounts, early quest rewards are the fastest path to skipping low-level training. These quests have minimal requirements but provide massive XP:

Waterfall Quest (no requirements, 10 minutes): 13,750 Attack + 13,750 Strength. This is the single best early-game quest, taking you from level 1 to 30+ in both Attack and Strength.

The Knight's Sword (10 Mining): 12,725 Smithing XP. Jumps from level 1 to 29 Smithing. This is one of the most efficient XP-to-time ratios in the game.

Tree Gnome Village (no requirements): 11,450 Attack XP. Combined with Waterfall Quest, this pushes Attack towards 40.

Fight Arena (no requirements): 12,150 Attack XP. With the three Attack quests above, you reach 40+ Attack without any combat training.

The Grand Tree (25 Agility): 18,400 Attack XP + 2,150 Magic XP. The single largest Attack XP reward in the early game.

Dwarf Cannon (no requirements): 4,000 Slayer XP. This is the only early-game way to get Slayer XP, unlocking the cannon for later tasks.

Skill choice lamps: how to use them wisely

Many quests offer skill choice lamps — XP that can be assigned to any skill of your choice. These are most valuable when used on slow-to-train skills. The best skills for lamps are: Runecraft (slowest skill in the game), Agility (slow and tedious), and Prayer (expensive).

Avoid using lamps on fast skills like Cooking, Firemaking, or Fletching. These can be trained to 99 in under 40 hours and are better trained through normal methods. Similarly, combat skills gain XP quickly through Slayer and should not be lamped.

Key quests offering skill choice lamps include: Recipe for Disaster (multiple subquests offer 2,500-5,000 XP lamps), The Eyes of Glouphrie (5,000 XP), and Dragon Slayer II (the final reward can be used on any skill, in addition to the fixed rewards).

The 'best' use of quest lamps is subjective, but the consensus is: prioritize Runecraft for lamps, then Agility, then Prayer. These three skills are the most time-consuming or expensive to train through normal methods.

Quest XP by skill: the biggest rewards for each

Attack: The Grand Tree (18,400), Waterfall Quest (13,750), Fight Arena (12,150), Tree Gnome Village (11,450), Dragon Slayer II (40,000), While Guthix Sleeps (40,000).

Strength: Waterfall Quest (13,750), While Guthix Sleeps (40,000), Dragon Slayer II (40,000), The Depths of Despair (10,000), The Fremennik Trials (2,812).

Defence: Monkey Madness II (40,000), While Guthix Sleeps (40,000), Dragon Slayer II (40,000), Sins of the Father (16,000).

Magic: Dragon Slayer II (40,000), Desert Treasure (20,000), The Grand Tree (2,150), The Fremennik Trials (3,000).

Smithing: Dragon Slayer II (40,000), The Knight's Sword (12,725), Defender of Varrock (15,000), Song of the Elves (15,000).

Slayer: While Guthix Sleeps (15× player level), Dwarf Cannon (4,000), A Kingdom Divided (5,000).

Prayer: The Holy Grail (11,000), Rag and Bone Man (varies), The Great Brain Robbery (10,000).

Runecraft: The Eyes of Glouphrie (10,000), The Slug Menace (6,000), What Lies Below (5,000).