Jagex’s Old School RuneScape team released a ton of ambitious plans for the game in 2023. Some of these plans include new quests, a brand new skill, and revamps to existing skills. One such revamp is Forestry: Way of the Forester, an expansion which significantly reorganizes the Woodcutting skill. While Jagex gave a basic overview of the Woodcutting update at the 2022 Winter Summit, Jagex recently released more Old School RuneScape Forestry details.
Starting forestry
Of course, a brand new quest serves as an introduction to Forestry. This quest showcases the expansions’ mechanics to players, just like previous skill expansion quests Temple of the Eye and Sleeping Giants. While it’s not yet in the game, you can start the quest by reading a leafy note. The note drops from a tree during your next Woodcutting session once it’s in the game. Completing the quest grants a Forestry Kit, an imperative item for participating in Forestry activities.
Forestry woodcutting changes
Jagex emphasized it wants to make Woodcutting a more social activity with this update. Currently, the optimal way to Woodcut requires players to chop trees alone and compete for resources. To reduce this competition and encourage more group play, Jagex plans the following changes to trees currently in the game:
- Trees despawn on a timer that starts when a player cuts and regenerates when the player stops cutting.
- The tier of a tree determines the timer length
- Players chopping the same tree get an invisible Woodcutting boost based on the number of players chopping, up to +10.
Of course, these changes will be polled to the community, and Jagex is planning to offer an alternative. If players reject these changes, Jagex is proposing Mighty tree variants. Mighty trees work similarly to Superior Slayer monsters, offering more resources, longer despawn timers, and better chances for special events.
Image via Jagex
Forestry Kit Details
According to the official page, additional Old School RuneScape Forestry details include the Forestry Kit and related items. As mentioned above, the Forestry Kit is rewarded at the end of the introductory quest and is essential for participating in Forestry. The Kit is upgradeable, and the upgrades require existing resources like metal bars and new items sold in a new shop run by the Freaky Forester. The Freaky Forester shop only takes a brand new untradeable currency: Anima Infused Bark. This bark is obtained by cutting down trees and participating in Forestry events.
Additionally, several new items related to Forestry are being introduced, including:
- Clothes Pouch
- Forester’s Ration
- Forester’s Scone
- Secateurs Attachment
- Forester’s Lucky Charm
- Petal Circlet
- Wind Chimes
- Bee Smoker
- Sturdy Harness
- Slingshot Ammo
- Bee on a Stick
- Nature Offering
- Squirrel Treats
Forestry Event Details
Jagex also teased various special events that occur when participating in Forestry. These events spawn one at a time, and the chance of one spawning increases with the number of players in an area. These events occur either during the chopping of a tree, or when a tree is chopped and the resources granted. They scale in experience, rewards, and difficulty with the number of players as well. Some of the events include spawning bee hives, pheasants, and ents during chopping, or spawning leprechauns, dryads, or poachers when a tree is chopped.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Forestry tea details
Tree leaves provide a new resource for players to obtain in Forestry, and they brew into various teas. These teas have a variety of effects, depending on the leaves used to brew them. These effects include boosts to:
- Combat
- Production
- Gathering
- Power of other leaves effects
- Duration of leaf boosts
Campfires
Players start campfires where they brew these teas and take advantage of the leaves. You start a campfire, then add 15 leaves to upgrade it to a Forester’s Campfire. You and anyone joining you get buffs and boosts based on the leaves used. Players also brew the teas mentioned above at these campfires. When brewing teas, each leaf type has its own benefits. Players mix and match these buffs to brew their own teas, and a higher Herblore level provides additional benefits to tea brewing.
Forestry rewards details
Some more Old School RuneScape Forestry details include rewards. As mentioned above, Jagex plans to add a Forestry shop run by the Freaky Forester. You purchase various rewards from this shop using logs and anima-infused bark. Some of these rewards include:
- Log Basket
- Forestry Outfit and Alternate colors
- Bee Box for Player Owned Houses
- 2-handed Axes
- the Lumberjack Outfit (already exists, new location)
- Arborist’s Gloves
- Seed Packs
- Sawmill Voucher
- Funky-Shaped Log
Of course, Jagex wants Forestry to revamp the Woodcutting skill while maintaining game balance. The studio says it provides more experience than regularly chopping trees but less than tick manipulation methods. There’s a survey on the official Forestry blog post where you can give feedback and thoughts on these changes.
You can play Old School RuneScape for free at oldschool.runescape.com.
