TruthScape.com  9  TruthScape Skill Secrets       9  TruthScape Skill Secrets - Herblore            9  TruthScape Skill Secrets - Herblore - Techniques for Obtaining Vials, Secondary Ingredients and Special Items                 9  Special Methods for Getting Essential Secondary Ingredients

Red Spiders’ Eggs Unicorn Horns and Unicorn Horn Dust

Snape grass is best known as the secondary ingredient for prayer potions; it is also used in fishing potions. Because prayer potions are one of the most important in the game, snape grass is an essential RuneScape commodity, frequently bought and sold in large quantities. It can be obtained in small numbers as drops from monsters, but is mainly collected from ground spawns in two locations: the “hobgoblin peninsula” west of the Crafting Guild, and Waterbirth Island.

The most common, “default” spot for collecting snape grass is a peninsula, located west of the Crafting Guild, that juts out into the ocean separating Kandarin and Asgarnia. It has a lot of level 28 hobgoblins milling about on it; for that reason, and because it has no formal name, it is often called the hobgoblin peninsula. It is the only snape grass spawn near a major town and several forms of transportation, which makes it convenient—but it also means there can be a lot of other players competing with you.

At one time, the only way to access this peninsula was via a long run from Falador, but there are now two new options: using a skills necklace, or the house portal in Rimmington. To begin, put on weight-reducing gear such as boots of lightness and a spottier cape, wear a ring of duelling for teleporting purposes, and empty your inventory. Take out unfinished prayer potions if using the “magic” technique, then get to the peninsula as follows:

• From Falador: Teleport to Falador, then run to the bridge and bend southwest, going along the western edge of the moat. Go past the gem shop and take the Agility shortcut under the wall. Continue running due south, then bend southwest and then west along the wall of the Crafting Guild.
  
  
• Using the Rimmington House Portal: If your house is located in Rimmington, cast the Teleport to House spell, then click the portal in your house to exit it. Run northwest, then go north, passing between Melzar’s Maze and the vegetable field. Turn to the west and continue to the peninsula.
  
  
• Via a Skills Necklace: Rub or operate the necklace and teleport to the Crafting Guild. Run east, then south and then west around the perimeter of the guild, and you’re there.

The peninsula has a total of three snape grass spawns: one near the southern end where it connects to the mainland, and two more near its northern tip. Those two are too far away from the third to bother going back and forth between the two spots, so most people just stick to the double spawn. (I sometimes will grab one snape grass from the third spot at the base of the peninsula as I pass by going to the tip.)

Once you have a full load of snape grass, rub the duelling ring to teleport to Castle Wars, bank the snape grass and repeat. It takes 3:30 to get a full load of 28 snape grass if you take the long route from Falador (480 per hour), 3:15 if using Rimmington (515 per hour), and 3:30 if using a skills necklace (560 per hour). Of course, you also need to consider rune costs for the first two methods, versus the cost of skills necklaces and time to recharge them for the third. You’ll also need energy potions to top up run energy every run or two.

Finally, remember that this area may be problematic for lower-level players (combat 56 or below), as they will get attacked by the hobgoblins.

The alternate location for snape grass is Waterbirth Island, best known as the location of Waterbirth Dungeon, home of the famous Dagannoth Kings. For us, though, the attraction is much more tame: snape grass, and lots of it. There are over a dozen grass spawns on the island, including six in close proximity. The only caveat is to watch out for the rock crabs in the area, which will “activate” when you walk over them.

The best way of getting snape grass from Waterbirth is to turn on Lunar Magicks and then use the Waterbirth Teleport spell. Equip yourself with weight-reducing gear and a water staff, take out two astral runes and one law rune from the bank, and cast the teleport spell—you’ll find yourself right near where the boat lands when taking the ferry ride from Rellekka. Ignore the two sets of 3 snape grass near the boat and run west. On the far northwest coast of the island—which isn’t that far away—you’ll see six snape grass spawns arranged roughly in a row from north to south. Grab the northernmost one and then continue down the line (Figure 226)—by the time you have all six, the first one will have respawned. Keep picking up the grass until your inventory is full. Teleport to Castle Wars, bank the grass and repeat. You may get harrassed by rock crabs—just ignore them.

If you don’t have access to this spell or do not want to turn on Lunar Magicks, you have a couple of alternatives. The first is similar to the trick with the Rimmington house portal for the peninsula, but this time it works if your house is in Rellekka. Just teleport home, exit your house and run to the docks in Rellekka. Right-click Jarvald and select “Travel” to go to Waterbirth Island, go to the northwest coast, pick up your snape grass and continue as before.

Failing that, your third option is much less optimal, but may still be worthwhile: using the bank in Jatizso (requires completion of the quest Fremennik Isles). After banking, run to the dock and right-click Mord Gunnars to travel to Rellekka. Run southwest to Jarvald and select “Travel” to go to Waterbirth. Get your snape grass, but this time don’t teleport off the island: backtrack by taking the ship from Waterbirth back to Rellekka, then running back to Mord Gunnars to return to Jatizso.

The Waterbirth Teleport method is obviously the fastest; in fact, this is the best way of getting snape grass, period. You can get a load of 28 in only 1:40, which comes to about 1,000 per hour—over 50% faster than the quickest method at the hobgoblin peninsula. Using the house teleport to Rellekka takes 2:20 per load (720 per hour), while the Jatizso method is slower at 3:10 per trip (530 per hour).

Snape grass is occasionally dropped by the following monsters (with levels shown in parentheses): cave bugs (6), chaos druids (13), cave crawlers (23), tribesmen (32), chaos druid warriors (37), werewolves (88) and waterfiends (115). Of these, the only monsters that drops snape grass in any reasonable quantity are the tribesmen; even then, you won’t get many, though you’ll also get limpwurt roots from them.

Oh, I guess I should also say that the sergeants Bree, Growler and Starlight in the Saradomin boss room of the God Wars Dungeon also drop 5 noted snape grass sometimes. Isn’t that helpful? J

If you only want to get a small amount of snape grass, just make one or two quick runs to the hobgoblin peninsula. For larger quantities, Waterbirth Island with the Lunar Magicks teleport is the only way to go. This method is even efficient enough to use as a general money-making scheme (if you can deal with the tedium and lack of XP other than a few teleports.)

Note that in addition to the regular Waterbirth Teleport spell, there’s also a group version of the spell that can teleport several players along with the caster. This can be a good way for friends to all collect snape grass together, with only one person having to turn on lunars.

Red Spiders’ Eggs Unicorn Horns and Unicorn Horn Dust