Prayer points power temporary effects: protection prayers, damage boosts, utility, and preservation effects. The level also sets your maximum prayer-point pool.
✧
COMBAT • F2P + MEMBERS
Prayer
Bank the bones first, then choose between safe, social, or high-risk altar methods.
QUICK WIN
Protection prayers at level 43 transform questing and PvM; make that your first major target.
UNDERSTANDING PRAYER
Learn the system before you optimise the loop.
Prayer is a combat skill with several viable routes. The best method is not automatically the one with the largest experience-rate number: startup time, travel, real input prices, useful outputs, and the amount of attention you can sustain all belong in the decision.
This guide treats levels as unlocks rather than a single uninterrupted race to 99. Use the route below as a strong default, then switch when a quest, diary, equipment upgrade, or account goal makes another method more valuable to you.
Burying bones gives their base experience. Altars, the Ectofuntus, ensouled heads, and other systems multiply or replace that base process.
Equipment prayer bonus slows point drain; it does not strengthen a prayer. Potions and altars restore points through separate formulas.
Grand Exchange bone prices move constantly, so compare coins per XP after choosing the speed, travel, and risk you can tolerate.
LEVEL-BY-LEVEL METHOD FINDER
Set your level. Get the methods that apply now.
This is the working core of the guide: source-backed training sections filtered by current level and account type, with full rates, quantities, requirements, setup notes, and method tables kept beside their revision.
ACCOUNT
4 Prayer sections shown for Members at level 1.
Open a section for its full setup, evidence, and tables.Members • MembersIntroduction
3 detailed notes
Introduction
Despite the high cost to Train Prayer effectively, it is a very important skill due to what it provides in combat utility.
Many quests recommend 43 Prayer, so that all 3 protection prayers are available for use. Important skill milestones include Level 50 for completing all quests, Level 77 for unlocking all prayers and Level 85 for completing all Achievement Diaries. A higher Prayer level also allows the player to restore more prayer points per dose of prayer potion/super restore/sanfew serum.
- Many quests recommend 43 Prayer, so that all 3 protection prayers are available for use. Important skill milestones include Level 50 for completing all quests, Level 77 for unlocking all prayers and Level 85 for completing all Achievement Diaries. A higher Prayer level also allows the player to restore more prayer points per dose of prayer potion/super restore/sanfew serum.
Verify against Pay-to-play Prayer training, revision 15270772. Community reference material is attributed to the OSRS Wiki; this fan guide adds its own planning tools and route framing.
Members • MembersStarting off
3 detailed notes
Starting off
Early levels can be skipped by completing quests that give Prayer experience.
Completing The Restless Ghost, Priest in Peril, Recruitment Drive, and Holy Grail will grant a total of 14,531 Prayer experience, which will get the player from level 1 to 30. Spirits of the Elid has more requirements, but gives another 8,000 Prayer experience.
- Completing The Restless Ghost, Priest in Peril, Recruitment Drive, and Holy Grail will grant a total of 14,531 Prayer experience, which will get the player from level 1 to 30. Spirits of the Elid has more requirements, but gives another 8,000 Prayer experience.
Verify against Pay-to-play Prayer training, revision 15270772. Community reference material is attributed to the OSRS Wiki; this fan guide adds its own planning tools and route framing.
Members • MembersRecommended skills
1 detailed notes
Recommended skills
- 90+ (75 required)
Verify against Pay-to-play Prayer training, revision 15270772. Community reference material is attributed to the OSRS Wiki; this fan guide adds its own planning tools and route framing.
Members • MembersQuests for Prayer experience
17 data rows
Quests for Prayer experience
| Quest | Experience reward | Prayer requirement | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rag and Bone Man I | 500 | — | — |
| Making History | 1,000 | — | — |
| Recruitment Drive | 1,000 | 12 | — |
| The Restless Ghost | 1,125 | — | — |
| Priest in Peril | 1,406 | — | — |
| Mountain Daughter | 2,000 | 20 | — |
| Ghosts Ahoy | 2,400 | 25 , 20 | — |
| Another Slice of H.A.M. | 3,000 | 25 | 15 |
| Rag and Bone Man II | 5,000 | 40 , 20 | — |
| The Great Brain Robbery | 6,000 | 50 | 16 , 30 |
| Rum Deal | 7,000 | 47 | 42 , 50 , 40 , 42 |
| Spirits of the Elid | 8,000 | 37 , 33 , 37 , 37 | — |
| Swan Song | 10,000 | 100 , 66 , 62 , 62 , 45 , 42 , 40 | — |
| Holy Grail | 11,000 | 20 | — |
| His Faithful Servants (miniquest) | 20,000 | — | — |
| Hopespear's Will (miniquest) | 38,750 | 50 | — |
| Total | 118,181 | — | — |
Verify against Pay-to-play Prayer training, revision 15270772. Community reference material is attributed to the OSRS Wiki; this fan guide adds its own planning tools and route framing.
FOUR EDITORIAL STARTING POINTS
Shortlisted routes with executable instructions.
Use the finder above for the complete method library. These four routes are the fan-guide shortlist: each includes its setup, repeatable sequence, realistic rate band, and most important failure point.
01Milestone route
1–43 • MEDIUM ATTENTION
Quest rewards and scattered bones
BEST FOR
Fresh accounts
ECONOMY
Low initial cost
LOCATION
Quest areas and convenient bone spawns
REQUIREMENTS
Restless Ghost and account-appropriate quests
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Quest items, food, teleports; bank useful bones
EXECUTION
- Complete The Restless Ghost and other safe Prayer rewards.
- Bank valuable bones during combat instead of burying them one by one.
- Purchase or use a multiplier method to finish level 43.
02250k–700k XP/hr
1–99 • HIGH ATTENTION
Player-owned gilded altar
BEST FOR
Safe, fast banked training
ECONOMY
Full bone cost
LOCATION
Hosted player house, commonly on a house-party world
REQUIREMENTS
Bones, noted-bone unnoting route or frequent banking
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Unnoted bones, house teleport method, coins/notes if using nearby unnoting
EXECUTION
- Join a host with both incense burners lit.
- Offer bones directly to the altar rather than burying them.
- Use a consistent bank or unnote loop and verify the burners remain active.
03200k–700k XP/hr
1–99 • HIGH ATTENTION
Chaos Altar
BEST FOR
Material efficiency with PvP risk
ECONOMY
About half the bones on average before losses
LOCATION
Level 38 Wilderness
REQUIREMENTS
Acceptance of player-killer risk and a fast resupply plan
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
One small bone inventory, burning amulet/teleport route, no unnecessary valuables
EXECUTION
- Travel with only the bones and transport you accept losing.
- Offer manually when threatened to use as much inventory as possible.
- Die or escape according to the route, then resupply without risking a large stack.
0480k–350k XP/hr
16–99 • MEDIUM ATTENTION
Ensouled heads
BEST FOR
Prayer plus combat experience
ECONOMY
Often lower cost per XP
LOCATION
Dark Altar area or reanimation-compatible locations
REQUIREMENTS
Arceuus spellbook access and Magic level for the chosen head
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Ensouled heads, reanimation runes, combat gear, prayer/food
EXECUTION
- Select the head tier by current coins per Prayer XP.
- Reanimate and kill each creature with a compact combat setup.
- Use nearby transport and rune storage to reduce banking overhead.
PRAYER CALCULATOR
Turn a level goal into hours and materials.
Select a method for its realistic experience-rate band. Add XP and GP per action when you want an exact resource estimate for your chosen item.
The level formula is exact. Time and budget are planning estimates: your equipment, banking, failures, attention, and live Grand Exchange prices determine the real result.
SETUP PROGRESSION
Upgrade the part that actually controls the rate.
| Stage | Setup | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Banked training | Teleport and banking items; no combat gear | Minimise time between inventories. |
| Chaos Altar | Disposable clothing and one-click escape where usable | Risk less, bank more often, know Wilderness teleport levels. |
| Ensouled heads | Rune pouch and efficient damage gear | Kill speed and rune organisation determine real rate. |
| PvM use | Prayer bonus gear, restoration, protection item | Prayer bonus slows drain; it does not strengthen prayers. |
THE ROUTE
From level 1 to cape
1
1–43
Reach protection prayers
Quest rewards help, then use the best bones your budget comfortably supports.The opening objective is access, not perfect efficiency. Use quests and inexpensive equipment to compress levels where possible, and avoid over-investing in a method you will outgrow quickly.2
43–70
Use a player-owned gilded altar
House-party worlds offer a safer, repeatable route with noted bones nearby.This is where the skill settles into a repeatable loop. Upgrade the parts of the setup that affect every action, measure a representative session, and keep travel or banking from becoming the hidden bottleneck.3
70–77
Work toward Piety and Augury
These unlocks matter more than chasing round-number levels.At the mid-game checkpoint, compare the fastest route with account progress, useful outputs, and attention. A slightly slower method can be more efficient overall when it also supplies quests, diaries, or another skill.4
77–99
Pick budget or risk
Gilded altars are steady; the Wilderness Chaos Altar saves bones but invites PvP risk.Late-game training is a sustainability problem. Recheck prices and unlocks, alternate high-focus sessions with calmer ones, and choose a route you can repeat without turning the cape into a chore.LOWER-INTENSITY ALTERNATIVE
Ensouled heads trade speed for lower cost and combat experience.
LEVEL REFERENCE
Milestones worth planning around
These are decision points, not instructions to stop. Boostable requirements and quest gates can change when an unlock becomes usable.
| Level | Unlock | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Protect Item | Keeps one additional item in eligible deaths. |
| 37 | Protect from Magic | The first overhead protection prayer. |
| 40 | Protect from Missiles | Critical for ranged quest and boss mechanics. |
| 43 | Protect from Melee | Completes the basic protection-prayer set. |
| 70 | Piety | A major melee damage and defence upgrade after its quest. |
| 74 / 77 | Rigour / Augury | Powerful Ranged and Magic prayers after unlocking their scrolls. |
QUEST ROUTING
Let account progress do part of the grind.
Quest experience is most valuable when it skips slow early methods or opens a training system you will keep using.
The Restless Ghost
A quick early Prayer reward and prerequisite for later content.
Priest in Peril
Opens Morytania and its altar, quest, and training routes.
King's Ransom
With Knight Waves training, unlocks Chivalry and Piety.
CHOOSE YOUR ACCOUNT
The route changes with the rules you play by.
Spend for the time you value
For most mains, level 43 is urgent, level 70 is transformative, and 74/77 are tied to expensive but powerful unlocks. Train in funded chunks rather than buying 99 before the rest of the account can use it.
Optimise the whole supply chain
Bank every useful bone, ensouled head, and Prayer reward. The Wilderness altar is material-efficient but risky; safe altars and ectofuntus routes trade more preparation for less loss exposure.
Know the edge of the map
Free-to-play Prayer is much slower and is largely based on burying bones, including big bones. Members gain multiplying altars, ensouled heads, more quests, and far more meaningful prayer unlocks.
REVISION-PINNED REFERENCE
The detailed tables behind the recommendations.
Pulled in one batch from the Old School RuneScape Wiki on August 2, 2026. Every table keeps its source page and revision so you can verify requirements or spot a later game update.
Experience rates7 reference rows
| Approximate XP/h | Prayer level range | Optimal prayer recharge trips | Seconds per inventory (recharging at Shrine of Ralos) | Jug of blessed wine | Jug of sunfire wine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prayer level range | Optimal prayer recharge trips | Seconds per inventory (recharging at Shrine of Ralos) | Jug of blessed wine | Jug of sunfire wine | — |
| 30-32 | 7 | ~277 | ~670,000 | ~809,000 | — |
| 34-38 | 6 | ~252 | ~740,000 | ~889,000 | — |
| 40-46 | 5 | ~227 | ~820,000 | ~980,000 | — |
| 48-60 | 4 | ~202 | ~923,000 | ~1,100,000 | — |
| 62-86 | 3 | ~172 | ~1,050,000 | ~1,124,000 | — |
| 88-99 | 2 | ~147 | ~1,110,000 - 1,118,000 | ~1,320,000 - 1,420,000 | — |
Experience rates6 reference rows
| Item | Shards per hour | Seconds to prepare inventory worth of shards |
|---|---|---|
| Blessed babydragon bones | ~96,000 | ~375 |
| Blessed dragon bones | ~232,000 | ~155 |
| Blessed lava dragon bones | ~272,000 | ~132 |
| Blessed hydra bones | ~372,000 | ~97 |
| Blessed dagannoth bones | ~400,000 | ~90 |
| Blessed superior dragon bones | ~484,000 | ~74 |
Reanimating ensouled heads12 reference rows
| Level | Ensouled head | Required runes | Total cost | XP | XP/hr | GP/XP | Head | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | Price | Runes | Price | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Ensouled goblin head | 161 | 4 2 | 360 | 521 | 130 | 28,600 | −4.01 |
| 16 | Ensouled monkey head | 571 | 4 2 | 360 | 931 | 182 | 40,040 | −5.12 |
| 16 | Ensouled imp head | 1,200 | 4 2 | 360 | 1,560 | 286 | 62,920 | −5.45 |
| 16 | Ensouled minotaur head | 467 | 4 2 | 360 | 827 | 364 | 80,080 | −2.27 |
| 16 | Ensouled scorpion head | 556 | 4 2 | 360 | 916 | 454 | 99,880 | −2.02 |
| 16 | Ensouled bear head | 716 | 4 2 | 360 | 1,076 | 480 | 105,600 | −2.24 |
| 16 | Ensouled unicorn head | 788 | 4 2 | 360 | 1,148 | 494 | 108,680 | −2.32 |
| 41 | Ensouled dog head | 1,013 | 4 3 1 | 902 | 1,915 | 520 | 114,400 | −3.36 |
| 41 | Ensouled chaos druid head | 335 | 4 3 1 | 902 | 1,237 | 584 | 128,480 | −1.83 |
| 41 | Ensouled giant head | 504 | 4 3 1 | 902 | 1,406 | 650 | 143,000 | −1.90 |
| 41 | Ensouled ogre head | 745 | 4 3 1 | 902 | 1,647 | 716 | 157,520 | −2.06 |
Sinister Offering12 reference rows
| Bones | Bury XP | Spell XP | GP/XP | XP/Hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bones | 4.5 | 13.5 | −19.88 | 24,300 |
| Monkey bones | 5 | 15 | −36.42 | 27,000 |
| Bat bones | 5.3 | 15.9 | −39.33 | 28,620 |
| Big bones | 15 | 45 | −10.83 | 81,000 |
| Jogre bones | 15 | 45 | −22.81 | 81,000 |
| Zogre bones | 22.5 | 67.5 | −13.90 | 121,500 |
| Shaikahan bones | 25 | 75 | −101.76 | 135,000 |
| Babydragon bones | 30 | 90 | −13.09 | 162,000 |
| Wyrm bones | 50 | 150 | −14.81 | 270,000 |
| Strykewyrm bones | 60 | 180 | −17.15 | 324,000 |
| Dragon bones | 72 | 216 | −16.32 | 388,800 |
| Wyvern bones | 72 | 216 | −16.47 | 388,800 |
Camdozaal4 reference rows
| Fish | Fishing | Cooking | Prayer | Level | Exp | Level | Exp | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Exp | Level | Exp | Level | Exp | — | — | — |
| Guppy | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 4 | — | — |
| Cavefish | 20 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 1 | 7 | — | — |
| Tetra | 33 | 24 | 33 | 31 | 1 | 10 | — | — |
Power-burying and scattering6 reference rows
| Ash/bone type | Experience | XP/hr | Hours to 99 | # for 99 | Cost | Cost for 99 | GP/XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bones | 4.5 | 13,050 | ~1000 | 2,896,541 | 31 | 89,792,771 | −6.89 |
| Burnt bones | 4.5 | 13,050 | ~1000 | 2,896,541 | 331 | 958,755,071 | −73.56 |
| Monkey bones | 5 | 14,500 | ~900 | 2,606,887 | 309 | 805,528,083 | −61.80 |
| Fiendish ashes | 10 | 29,000 | ~450 | 1,303,444 | 52 | 67,779,088 | −5.20 |
| Big bones | 15 | 43,500 | ~300 | 868,962 | 250 | 217,240,500 | −16.67 |
| Vile ashes | 25 | 72,500 | ~180 | 521,378 | 133 | 69,343,274 | −5.32 |
SOURCE PAGES
- Pay-to-play Prayer training ↗revision 15270772
- Free-to-play Prayer training ↗revision 15272962
- Ironman Guide/Prayer ↗revision 15272922
- Prayer ↗revision 15270762
- Prayer/Level up table ↗revision 15285661
Reference tables are adapted with attribution from the community-maintained OSRS Wiki. Editorial recommendations, method walkthroughs, warnings, and calculators are original fan-guide material.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Prayer FAQ
Is the Chaos Altar always best?
It uses bones very efficiently on average, but deaths, banking friction, and player stress are real costs. A gilded altar is often the better sustainable choice.
Why is level 43 so important?
It unlocks Protect from Melee, completing the three basic overhead protections that define many quest and PvM strategies.
KEEP RESEARCHING
Read the OSRS Wiki training reference ↗Game updates can change rates, requirements, and best methods. Check the community reference before a large purchase.
Ready to price the route?