Stranger

Stranger
Released								18 April 2005 (Update)
Members								Yes
Combat level								95
Size								1x1
Examine								Very mysterious looking...
Combat info
XP bonus								+5%
Max hit								115% of targeted player's max hit[1]
Aggressive								Yes
Poisonous								Yes
Attack style								Slash
Attack speed								4 ticks (2.4 seconds)
Combat stats
80				90				80				80				1				1
Aggressive stats
+0				+40				+1				+0				+0				+0
Melee defence
+81								+93								+98
Magic defence
+1												No elemental weakness
Ranged defence
+82								+82								+82
Immunities
Poison								0% resistance
Venom								0% resistance
Cannons								Not immune
Thralls								Not immune
Open in DPS calculator
Advanced data
Monster ID								685
Link								MOID

The stranger is a mysterious assassin who sometimes appears and attacks players when they have one or more diamonds of Azzanadra in their inventory. He wields a poisoned dragon dagger.

Notably, the stranger is capable of using the dragon dagger's special attack repeatedly, and more often than a player can. He may potentially land two special attacks in successive ticks - players unable to use Protect from Melee should avoid him at all costs. He does not seem to be limited to a special attack bar like a player is, and his attack speed varies throughout the fight. The maximum hit of the stranger is equal to 115% of the player's own maximum hit.^[2] The mirrored value is the player's base damage, meaning that Strength bonuses from Prayers, potions, and equipment stats are taken into account, but not any special bonuses provided by items like the salve amulet or the Dharok's set.

He has an unusual behaviour in which he will follow (but not attack) the player closest to him if he has lost sight of his target; this may also happen while he is in combat with the target player.^[3] However, he cannot be attacked by players not doing the Desert Treasure I quest. Attempting to do so will yield a message, stating: "He has no interest in fighting you." Casting any form of magic on him will lead to a similar message to appear, which says: "He's not after you...".

When a stranger appears, he will reproach the player with a specific line depending on the diamond they are holding, accusing them of theft or of being unworthy. After being killed, a dialogue box will pop up with the player asking themselves: "I wonder what that was all about?".

A timer with a randomised delay is set at various points during Desert Treasure I, which determines when the stranger can appear. These predefined moments are tied to the four diamonds of Azzanadra, and the range of the randomised delay also varies between them: an attempt is made to spawn the stranger between 1.5 and 2 minutes after killing Dessous, and likewise for Fareed; 5 to 10 minutes after either receiving an ice diamond from the troll child, reobtaining a lost blood diamond from Malak, or using one of the mystical mirrors near Eblis; and finally 10 to 15 minutes after killing Kamil.^[4]

An effort to spawn the stranger is made for each of the four diamonds, unless some conditions are met that prevent the assassin from striking. The stranger will not appear if the player has already killed him, has no diamonds in their inventory, or is in a location where the stranger is restricted from spawning (such as the boss areas of the Desert Treasure I quest; underground areas; or areas elevated above the ground level).^[5] If the stranger is prevented from spawning due to any of the above conditions, he will not spawn at all for that diamond at any point in the future.

Note that spawn timers will continue ticking down if duplicate diamonds are kept after placing the four of them into the obelisks around the Ancient Pyramid, as reobtained diamonds will also attempt to spawn a stranger, provided he has not been killed at a prior point in time.^[6]

As the player can be assaulted by the stranger soon after receiving one of the diamonds, it is recommended to bank the diamonds immediately.

• 
  The stranger attacking a player using the dragon dagger's special attack.
• 
  A second stranger spawning whilst the first is still around.

• During a Reddit AMA, the original developer for Desert Treasure I claimed that the stranger was meant to foreshadow future things that he never got around to exploring and that the stranger was actually an assassin sent by Sir Tiffy to prevent the release of Azzanadra.^[7] Whether or not he was serious is unknown, as Sir Tiffy was not added to the game until over two months after Desert Treasure I's release.
• A comment left by the developer in the game's source files explains the intention of the stranger's addition to be "so players will be randomly attacked by a ninja NPC foreshadowing future quests I was thinking of".^[8]