Choose a method you can sustain
For your next upgrade, start by selling surplus gathering products; consider combat loot or Thieving when those activities are open, and process materials when the extra return justifies the preparation. Choose the route that leaves you with spendable GP after replacing its supplies.
The sale values below cover Demo build 26316041. Demo skills are capped at level 60, while Astrology, Herblore and Agility are unavailable. Keep those limits in mind when choosing an activity for your current character.
Check access and reserve upgrade materials
- Check your skill access before planning a production chain. Woodcutting level 2 opens Fishing and Mining, Mining level 2 opens Smithing, and Woodcutting level 5 opens Crafting.
- For combat, make a Stone Sword and cook 10 Shrimp to meet the unlock conditions. The sword requires Smithing level 1 and 2 Stone. Keep food available before testing a loot route.
- For Thieving, meet its Cooking level 10 requirement. Citizen is a level 1 Thieving target, so it provides a starting option once you have opened the skill.
- Reserve the materials your purchase needs before selling surplus stock. A Copper Axe costs 2,000 GP and 25 Copper Bar at Woodcutting level 5. Selling those bars would leave another requirement to replace.
Match your resources to a demo money route
| Option | Requirements, output and tradeoff |
|---|---|
| Woodcutting: sell surplus logs | Cut Oak Tree at Woodcutting level 5 for Oak Log, selling for 6 GP each. Willow Tree opens at level 25, and Willow Log sells for 17 GP. Compare your actual output before switching trees. |
| Fishing: sell spare raw catches | Quiet Bend requires Fishing level 12 and yields Raw Herring worth 15 GP. Pier Walk requires level 32 and yields Raw Pike worth 65 GP. Consider how much catch you want to retain for Cooking. |
| Combat: defeat Golbin for loot | Golbin drops 10–40 GP, Bone and occasional Stone equipment. Test your defeat rate and food use with your equipped loadout. Count replacement ammunition and runes when using a style that needs them. |
| Thieving: pickpocket Citizen | Citizen is available at Thieving level 1 and offers Stone, Bread, Lemon and Silver Topaz Ring loot. A Silver Topaz Ring sells for 97 GP. Judge the target by the loot you actually receive. |
| Smithing: process spare Copper Ore | Copper Ore requires Mining level 5 and sells for 3 GP. At Smithing level 5, smelt it into Copper Bar worth 7 GP, or forge a Copper Dagger from 1 bar to sell for 15 GP. Include processing time. |
| Crafting: spin spare Flax | Harvest Flax Bush at Woodcutting level 5, then use the level 1 Crafting Bowstring recipe. Flax sells for 1 GP and Bowstring for 3 GP. Include harvesting and spinning in your comparison. |
Compare equal amounts of total time, including gathering, preparation and the activity itself. Subtract purchased inputs, food, ammunition, runes and any applicable entry cost from the proceeds. For materials you gathered yourself, also consider what selling them directly would have earned.
Turn spare Flax into Bowstring to sell
- Train Woodcutting to level 5 to open Crafting and gain access to Flax Bush.
- Harvest Flax Bush to collect the Flax you will use for spinning.
- Select the Bowstring recipe in Crafting; it is available at Crafting level 1 and uses Flax.
- Set a stop condition that leaves the ingredients you want to retain, so your batch matches your selling plan.
- Press Create to start the selected recipe and turn your available Flax into Bowstring.
- Sell surplus Bowstring for 3 GP each to put the proceeds toward your chosen upgrade.
Use this route when you have spare Flax and want a straightforward production option. Compare the whole chain with selling your current gathering output directly. Avoid buying a workshop upgrade solely for a selling session unless its cost makes sense for your longer plans.
When the money route falls short
- Combat uses too many supplies: compare the loot retained after replacing food, ammunition and runes. A target with valuable drops can perform poorly when your defeat rate is low or your food runs out.
- Crafting stops unexpectedly: check both ingredients and currency. Artisan recipes require the full item and currency costs on hand for each step, and crafting stops when you cannot meet them.
- Offline earnings disappoint: inspect the Welcome Back summary for materials used and inactivity. Offline actions consume their supplies and respect stop conditions, so an absence cannot extend a batch after its ingredients run out.
- A Thieving target looks valuable but pays poorly: compare its success chance and attempt interval alongside the loot. Keep skill XP separate from GP when deciding whether to continue.
- A reported chicken rate seems out of reach: treat Giant Chicken farming in Corrupted Farmlands as a player-tested option. Player-reported chicken and Thieving rates depend on gear, survival, patch version and supplies.
Recheck your method when Early Access arrives
Early Access is planned for November 17, 2026. The developer has announced GP buffs for selected early-game skills, so demo rankings may change. Read the launch patch notes before committing your supplies to a familiar route.
Astrology, Herblore and Agility are announced additions for Early Access. Their bonuses are intended to help with Ranged ammunition and rune production, among other areas. Recalculate your supply costs after those changes reach your game.