LOCAL OSRS REFERENCE

Ancient staff

Source revision 15350343 · Saved 2026-09-27 · Sources & credits

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Ancient staff
Released18 April 2005 (Update)
MembersYes
Properties
TradeableYes
EquipableYes
StackableNo
NoteableYes
OptionsWield, Drop
ExamineA magical staff of ancient origin...
Values
Value100,000 coins
High alch60,000 coins
Low alch40,000 coins
Weight2.267 kg
Grand Exchange
Exchange60,993 coins (info)
Buy limit70
Daily volume3,792
View real-time prices
Advanced data
Item ID4675
LinkMOID

The ancient staff is a one-handed magical weapon that can be used to autocast spells from the Ancient spellbook and standard spellbook. It requires 50 Attack and 50 Magic to wield, along with completion of Desert Treasure I. The staff is decorated with the symbol of Zaros.

It is frequently used in high-level player-killing due to its high magical accuracy. It, along with its upgraded versions, are the only items that have negative Prayer bonus.

Similarly to bladed staves, this staff has an attack speed of 4, making it a suitable weapon for melee combat, displaying similar stats as those of the rune scimitar with slightly higher strength bonus and lower attack bonus. It is outclassed in melee combat by the granite hammer, which also requires 50 Attack to wield, with an additional requirement of 50 Strength.

The staff may be bought once from Eblis for 80,000 coins after completing Desert Treasure I. For this reason, Ironmen are not recommended to alch or drop it because it is used in a master clue step, and the only other way the staff can be acquired is either as a rare drop from several boss monsters or as a very rare drop from mummies in the Ancient Pyramid.

Combat stats

 Attack bonuses
StabSlashCrushMagicRanged
+10-1+40+15+0
 Defence bonuses
StabSlashCrushMagicRanged
+2+3+1+15+0
 Other bonusesSlot
StrengthRangedMagic damagePrayerOne-handed slot table
+50+0+0%-1List
Combat styleAttack typeWeapon styleAttack speedRangeExperienceLevel boost
BashCrushAccurate4 ticks (2.4s)1 tileAttack Hitpoints+3 Attack
PoundCrushAggressiveStrength Hitpoints+3 Strength
FocusCrushDefensiveDefence Hitpoints+3 Defence
SpellMagicDefensive Autocast5 ticks (3.0s)10 tilesMagic Hitpoints DefenceNone
SpellMagicAutocastMagic HitpointsNone

Upgrading

The ancient staff can be upgraded to the ancient sceptre by bringing this staff and an ancient icon to Eblis. This process is irreversible and the sceptre becomes untradeable.

The ancient sceptre boasts increased stats, and gains a passive effect that increases the effects of Ancient Magicks by 10% depending on the spell.

ItemAttack BonusesDefence BonusesOther
Stab attackSlash attackCrush attackMagic attackRanged attackStab defenceSlash defenceCrush defenceMagic defenceRanged defenceMelee strengthMagic damageRanged strengthPrayer bonusWeightMembers
Ancient staffAncient staff10-140150231150500%0-12.267Members
Ancient sceptreAncient sceptre20-1502002311506010%0-12.267Members

Products

ItemMembersSkillsXPMaterials
Ancient sceptre
Members
  • None
  • None
  • 1 × Ancient staff
  • 1 × Ancient icon

Item sources

SourceLevelQuantityRarity
Mummy (Ancient Pyramid)103 11/513
Chaos Fanatic202 11/128
Thermonuclear smoke devil301 11/107
Calvar'ion264 13/128

Shop locations

The ancient staff can only be purchased from Eblis a single time after completion of Desert Treasure I.

SellerLocationNumber
in stock
Restock
time
Price
sold at
Price
bought at
Change
Per
Members
Eblis (After quest)South-east of Bandit Camp1N/A 80,000N/A0.0%Members

Treasure Trails

The ancient staff is required for a master clue step requiring the player to have a negative prayer bonus. It is one of six items in the game with a negative prayer bonus—the others being its upgraded form (the ancient sceptre) and the upgrades to the ancient sceptre.

RankMethod
2Pay-to-play Prayer training (High Magic defence)
4Slayer training (Magic (Barrage))
5Maniacal monkey/Strategies (Magic - Ice Burst)
5Maniacal monkey/Strategies (Magic - Ice Barrage)
5Ultimate Ironman Guide/Equipment
5Ultimate Ironman Guide/Slayer
4Smoke devil/Strategies
4Slayer task/Dust devils (Magic (Barrage))
4Slayer task/Abyssal demons (Magic)
4Slayer task/Jellies (Magic)
5Slayer task/Skeletons (Magic)
2Slayer task/Trolls (Magic)
5Slayer task/Trolls (Magic)
4Slayer task/Nechryael (Magic)
5Royal Titans/Strategies (Magic weapon)
5Hespori/Strategies (Mage)
4Slayer task/Custodian stalker (Magic)
2Chaos Temple (church)/Strategies (High Magic defence)

Comparison between other magic weapons

Magic weapons comparison table [
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Name Level(s) required Magic attack Magic damage Price Notes
Tumeken's shadow

Magic 85

+35 N/A 789,606,420
  • Requires 5Chaos 2Soul per charge of the built-in spell.
  • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level and can hit up to 34 at Magic 99 without any magic damage bonus.
  • Has a passive effect which triples magic attack bonus and magic damage from the player's worn equipment. The magic damage increase is capped at a total of 100%.
  • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
Eye of Ayak

Magic 83

+30 N/A 39,848,949
  • Requires either 1Chaos 2Death or 1 per charge of the built-in spell.
  • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level and can hit up to 27 at Magic 99 without any magic damage bonus.
  • Is the fastest Magic weapon in the game with an attack speed of 3 ticks.
  • Has a special attack which consumes 50% of the player's special attack energy and drains the target's Magic defence bonus.
  • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
Harmonised Nightmare staff Magic 82
Hitpoints 50
+16 +15% 542,177,636
Volatile Nightmare staff Magic 82
Hitpoints 50
+16 +15% 60,440,670
  • Can autocast both Ancient Magicks and standard spells.
  • Has a special attack which consumes 55% of the player's special attack energy and deals a high amount of damage with 50% increased accuracy. This attack does not consume runes.
  • Otherwise possesses identical bonuses and benefits to the Nightmare staff.
Eldritch Nightmare staff Magic 82
Hitpoints 50
+16 +15% 135,332,923
  • Can autocast both Ancient Magicks and standard spells.
  • Has a special attack which consumes 55% of the player's special attack energy and deals a high amount of damage, restoring the player's prayer points by 50% of the damage dealt. This attack does not consume runes.
  • Otherwise possesses identical bonuses and benefits to the Nightmare staff.
Sanguinesti staff Magic 82 +25 N/A 17,101,663
  • Slightly stronger than the trident of the swamp, with the same stats but able to hit two damage higher.
  • Requires 2Blood per charge of the built-in spell.
  • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level and can hit up to 33 at Magic 99 .
  • Has a 1 in 5 chance to deal 8 additional damage and heal the wielder by half the damage dealt.
  • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
Holy Sanguinesti staff
Kodai wand Magic 80 +28 +15% 55,851,116
  • Can autocast Ancient Magicks, Arceuus spells, and standard spells.
  • Provides unlimited water runes while equipped.
  • When a combat spell is cast with the wand, there is a 15% chance that the wand will negate the rune cost for that spell.
Trident of the Swamp Magic 78 +25 N/A 3,113,831
  • Has the same benefits as the Trident of the seas, but with +10 more magic attack bonus.
  • Requires 5Fire 1Chaos 1Death and 1 Zulrah scale (instead of coins) per charge of the built-in spell, and can hold up to 2,500 charges. The enhanced version can hold up to 20,000 charges, but requires 10 kraken tentacles to create.
  • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level and can hit up to 31 at Magic 99 .
  • Has 25% chance to inflict venom on the target.
  • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
Trident of the Swamp (e) 5,389,295
Purging staff Magic 77 Attack 50 +37 +10% 39,382,649[n 1]
  • Can autocast Arceuus spells and standard spells.
  • Untradeable; created from a tormented synapse, iron bar, and battlestaff with 74 Crafting.
  • Has a passive effect that doubles the bonuses of demonbane spells and extends the duration of Mark of Darkness.
  • Currently offers the highest magic attack bonus and magic defence of any magic weapon.
Toxic Staff of the Dead Magic 75 Attack +25 +15% 7,798,449
  • Can autocast Flames of Zamorak, Magic Dart, Crumble Undead, Arceuus spells, and standard spells.
  • Has the same benefits as the Staff of the Dead, but with +8 more magic attack bonus.
  • Requires Zulrah's scales to recharge (up to 11,000).
  • Has 25% chance to inflict venom on an opponent.
Staff of Light Magic 75 Attack +17 +15% 4,833,084
  • Can autocast Saradomin Strike, Magic Dart, Crumble Undead, and standard spells.
  • Counts as both a Saradomin AND Zamorak item in God Wars.
  • Otherwise possesses identical bonuses and benefits to the Staff of the Dead excluding ability to autocast Flames of Zamorak or Arceuus spells.
Staff of Balance Magic 75 Attack +17 +15% 24,236,215
  • Can autocast Claws of Guthix, Magic Dart, Crumble Undead, and standard spells.
  • Otherwise possesses identical bonuses and benefits to the Staff of the Dead excluding ability to autocast Flames of Zamorak or Arceuus spells.
Staff of the Dead Magic 75 Attack +17 +15% 4,729,311
  • Can autocast Flames of Zamorak, Magic Dart, Crumble Undead, Arceuus spells, and standard spells.
  • Has a special attack that halves all melee damage the player takes for one minute, which stacks with the PvP damage reduction effect of the Protect from Melee prayer. This consumes 100% of the player's special attack.
  • When a combat spell is cast with the staff, there is a 1/8 (12.5%) chance that the staff will negate the rune cost for that spell.
  • Currently the strongest staff when used as a melee weapon, surpassing the Ancient staff and Iban's staff, and provides +17 magic defence.
  • Counts as a Zamorakian item in God Wars.
Trident of the Seas Magic 75 +15 N/A 40,034
  • Has its own built-in spell, requiring charges which cost 5Fire 1Chaos 1Death runes and 10 coins per cast. Can hold up to 2,500 charges. The enhanced version can hold up to 20,000 charges, but requires 10 kraken tentacles to create.
  • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level and can hit up to 28 at Magic 99 .
  • Has a weapon speed of 4 (same as scimitars/whip), while all other forms of combat magic only have 5 (same as longswords).
  • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
Trident of the Seas (e) 2,614,071
Slayer's staff (e) Magic 75
Slayer 55
+12 N/A 24,989[n 2]
  • Can autocast Magic Dart, Crumble Undead, Arceuus spells, and the Wave and Surge spells.
  • Has 2,500 charges and is recharged with a Slayer's enchantment.
  • If used to cast Magic Dart on the player's Slayer task, max hit is 13 + (player's magic level / 6), rounded down, and uses 1 charge from the staff on a hit.
  • Otherwise provides the same benefits as the Slayer's staff.
Blue Moon spear Magic 75
Attack 70
+30 +5% 336,745
Nightmare staff Magic 72
Hitpoints 50
+16 +15% 29,843,093
Ahrim's staff Magic 70
Attack 70
+15 +5% 132,862
Ancient sceptre Magic 70
Strength 60
Attack 50
+20 +10% 60,993
Accursed sceptre Magic 70 +22 N/A 2,781,383
  • While charged, an additional 50% magic accuracy and damage boost is applied when attacking any NPC in the Wilderness. This effect will stack with a Slayer helmet or a Salve amulet and their variants, but not both simultaneously.
  • Has a special attack which consumes 50% of the player's special attack energy and deals an attack with 50% increased damage and accuracy. Upon a successful hit, drains the target's Defence and Magic by 15%.
  • Standard version:
    • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level.
    • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
  • Autocast version:
Accursed sceptre (a)
Dragon hunter wand Magic 65 +16 +10% 10,289,010
  • Can autocast Ancient Magicks and standard spells.
  • The wand has a passive effect that increases accuracy by 75% and damage by 40% when fighting dragons (excluding Elvarg and revenant dragons) and other draconic creatures, such as wyrms, wyverns, and hydras.
Warped sceptre

Magic 62

+12 N/A 89,322
  • Requires 5Earth 2Chaos per charge of the built-in spell.
  • Built-in spell damage scales with the player's Magic level and can hit up to 24 at Magic 99 without any magic damage bonus.
  • Because the spell is built-in, the player does not need to carry its runes in their inventory and can use Arceuus spellbook, Lunar spells, or Ancient Magicks while wielding this staff.
Master wand Magic 60 +20 +10% 5,664,485
  • Can autocast Ancient Magicks, Arceuus spells, and standard spells.
  • Requires 240 Telekinetic, 240 Alchemist, 2400 Enchantment and 240 Graveyard points, and a teacher wand equipped or in the player's inventory, to purchase from the Mage Training Arena. Thus it does not cost much besides the time and runes spent in the Mage Training Arena.
Thammaron's sceptre Magic 60 +15 N/A 2,682,586
Thammaron's sceptre (a)
Twinflame staff Magic 60 +12 +10%[n 3] 9,486,730
  • Can autocast standard spells, but at a slightly slower rate than other staves (6 ticks/3.6 seconds instead of 5 ticks/3.0 seconds).
  • Provides unlimited fire and water runes.
  • Grants a 10% accuracy and damage boost for combat spells on the standard spellbook.
  • Will automatically cast the appropriate elemental spell for an NPC with a different elemental weakness that what the player is currently autocasting, assuming they have the runes and Magic level to do so.
  • All Bolt, Blast, and Wave spells casted fire a second spell that deals 40% of the damage dealt by the first, rounded down.
God staves Magic 60 +6 N/A 80,000
  • Required to cast god spells, but cannot be used to autocast them.
  • Those who have Magic 80 and the respective God cape can use the Charge spell, which increases the God spell's damage by 50%.
Iban's staff Magic 50 Attack +10 N/A 200,000[n 4]
  • Only staff able to cast Iban Blast.
  • Can autocast Iban Blast and standard spells.
  • Has 120 charges (2,500 if upgraded). One charge is used when casting Iban Blast on an NPC and two are used when casting it on another player.
  • Iban Blast has a max hit of 25.
Iban's staff (u) 400,000[n 5]
Ancient staff Magic 50 Attack +15 N/A 60,993
Slayer's staff Magic 50
Slayer 55
+12 N/A 23,874
  • Can autocast Magic Dart, Crumble Undead, Arceuus spells, and the Wave and Surge spells.
  • Runes required to cast Magic Dart are very cheap compared to spells of a similar level.
  • Maximum hit of Magic Dart is 10 + (player's magic level / 10), rounded down.
Void knight mace Attack Strength Defence Hitpoints Ranged Magic 42
Prayer 22
+8 N/A Untradeable[n 6]
  • Can autocast Claws of Guthix, Crumble Undead, and the Wave and Surge spells.
Mystic smoke staff Magic 40 Attack +14 +10%[n 3] 1,962,993
Smoke battlestaff Magic 30 Attack +12 1,905,086


Salamanders Attack Ranged Magic 30
(Green)
N/A N/A 102
  • Unique and versatile two-handed weapons that facilitate the use of all three combat styles.
  • Cannot autocast spells, but instead have their own unique magic attack, similar to how powered staves have built-in spells.
  • Damage done by salamanders is calculated by a unique formula using a hidden "magic damage bonus" unique to each lizard type.
Attack Ranged Magic 50
(Orange)
156
Attack Ranged Magic 60
(Red)
40
Attack Ranged Magic 70
(Black)
330
Attack Ranged Magic 80
(Tecu)
393,893


Croziers Prayer 60 +10 N/A 3,598
Skull sceptre Magic 1 +10 N/A Untradeable
Skull sceptre (i)

Elemental staves Magic 1
(Basic)
+10 N/A 912
  • Can autocast standard spells.
  • Provide unlimited runes of their respective elements.
    • Elemental staves (air, water, earth and fire) provide one type of rune.
    • Combination staves (lava, mud, mist, dust, steam and smoke) provide two types of runes.
Magic 30 Attack
(Battlestaff)
+12 8,857
Magic 40 Attack
(Mystic staff)
+14 24,890
  1. ^ Untradeable; price is of the tormented synapse, iron bar, and battlestaff used to create the staff.
  2. ^ Reverts to standard Slayer's staff when it runs out of charges, and needs to have a Slayer's enchantment reapplied.
  3. ^ 3.0 3.1 Is not shown on Equipment Stats, and applies only to the standard spellbook.
  4. ^ Cost to repair the broken staff.
  5. ^ Cost to repair the broken staff and upgrade it to Iban's staff (u), which holds 2,500 charges instead of 120.
  6. ^ Costs 250 Void Knight commendation points.

Sources & credits

“Ancient staff” by Old School RuneScape Wiki contributors, revision 15350343. Text adapted under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; adapted text is shared under the same license. Formatting and navigation changed; Wiki scripts and editing controls omitted. Game imagery © Jagex Ltd. Imported image-file descriptions retain their own credits and licensing statements.

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