MMORPG by Jagex ltd. It's browser based, and [[strike:much]] enough of it to be a hook is free to play. Uncommon in its quests being more elaborate [[FetchQuest fetch quests]] held together by some surprisingly good story lines than the usual "Kill X Of Y", which is instead given a separate skill. Often critiqued for its graphics and considered the laughing stock of {{MMORPG}}s, but excellent for a more casual player, especially considering the low price (with no added costs for sporadically cancelling and re-instating membership), and the quality of the free content.

As a result of this, the game holds the official Guinness world record for largest free MMOG.

Official site: http://www.runescape.com/
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!!Tropes used by RuneScape include:

* AbnormalAmmo: The fixed device, which shoots dyed toads.
**There is also explosive squirrels called Chinchompas, and Lizards that can act as flamethrowers.
* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts
** Only end game items, everything else you can mostly make some coin off of. Only the nice stuff you need to shell out a fortune for.
* AerithAndBob: There is a Bob in the game, if memory serves this troper. And then you have names like Zanik
** [[TeamPet Bob the Jagex Cat]].
*** And Bob's evil twin [[spoiler: also named Bob.]]
** And Bob of Bob's Fabulous Axes.
** [[http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Bob And then some.]] Note there's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Sinclar Bob Sinclair]].
* AirGuitar (an emote)
* AllegedlyFreeGame (many skills, quests and runes are only available to those who pay)
**"Many" would be the [[CaptainObvious understatement of the year]].
**Can't forget the fact that non-members are given a pittance of storage space. Around 1/7th of the space given to members. That's to hold all the cool member stuff, though.
**And smithing pickaxes. A non-member is free to smith nearly all the standard metal weapons and armor available for non-members...except pickaxes. If I remember, members STILL have to complete a quest just to earn that right, but it's still a members-only quest.
*** Yes, it's the {{Anvilicious}} Perils of Ice Mountain Quest. Which just makes it worse...
****Indeed. Then again...by the time you can mine and smith the metal needed to make a given pickaxe, you can already use better types. No wait, that actually makes it even more insulting. It's really such a minor thing, and yet Jagex seems to think it's so special it even needs a quest just to do it. >_>
* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou
* AnimatedArmor
* AntiGrinding (The retired 'dangerous' Random events - most of them now spend their days as common citizens - these were mostly to prevent bots though. The safer Randoms are still at large, but are less likely to appear, with a better reward depending on your skill total.)
* {{Anvilicious}} (Perils of Ice Mountain quest, so very much.)
* APlagueOnBothYourHouses
* ArtificialStupidity: Oh so many examples. Namely, that none of the monsters can seem to figure out to just walk around the table from behind which the player is shooting arrows at them.
* BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad: subverted by Evil Dave.
* BaldOfAwesome: Saradomin.
* BankRobbery: The Wise Old Man.
* BatmanGambit: The entire plot of Hunt for Red Raktuber.
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Lucien, who steals not one, but TWO artifacts of the gods, with the intent of becoming a god himself.]]
** You can't forget about [[spoiler:Zemouregal.]] In the ingame story called The Legend of Arrav, [[spoiler:Zemouregal leads an army of undead against the human capital city, Varrock, and is defeated by Arrav.]] In the game's events, however, [[spoiler:Zemouregal returns to attack the city once more, this time with undead Arrav as his slave. Not to mention that Arrav is aware of what he is doing, but has no power to stop himself, which may qualify as NightmareFuel in itself.]]
* BilingualBonus: The Burthorpe Soldiers, who speak in Latin.
* BlessedWithSuck: Zanik.
* BrokenBridge: See MissingSecret below.
* CapitalCity: Varrock, Falador, and Ardougne.
** Not to mention Lumbridge, capital of newbies.
* CaptureTheFlag: Castle Wars
* ChainedToARailway: Zanik in Another Slice of H.A.M.
** There's even a good storyline reason for it that makes sense. Also [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the fact that trains are a relatively new invention in RuneScape and so Sigmund isn't aware that it's a cliche.
* ChainOfDeals: "One small favour" (Not small at all), and a shorter version in the Fremmenik Trials.
* ChristmasMode: Special events happen every Halloween, Christmas, and Easter and all give out appropriately-themed costumes, emotes, and items.
* CirclingBirdies: Used when anyone is stunned.
* ControlRoomPuzzle
* ConvectionShmonvection: But actually falling into lava doesn't do much damage either.
* CrystalDragonJesus: Saradomin is the obvious answer. Stained glass, monks, even church organs.
* CoolChair: Thrones in Construction, such as skeleton thrones and demonic thrones.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: "But We Can Fight".
** Also a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, considering that this is unlocked when the city of Dogresh-Kaan is convinced to fight against a god. A GOD! Knowing they'd all die, this music seems really deep. Believe me, this sounds a lot less Narmy if you've played this far.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: Crystal saws, seeds and bows. [[OurElvesAreBetter Made by elves, of course.]]
** Forget the small stuff. How about the enormous WALL around the (currently unaccessable) Elven capital, which is also rumored to be made of crystal?
* DesperationAttack: Dharok the Wretched's armor set effect.
* DramaticWind: While holding a 2-handed weapon
* DogStereotype
* DualWielding: The defenders, Torag's Hammers.
* EasterBunny: Played around with. In 2009 Easter event, it turns out that the Easter Bunny is actually a rabbit wearing a rabbit costume.
* ElementalCrafting
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Someone at Jagex definitely likes penguins too much.
** EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: {{Ninja}} monkeys, even. But subverted, the monkeys (and penguins) want to kill all humans.
** EverythingsBetterWithChickens: A random event had you being attacked by the greatest SuperVillain in all of Runescape...the [[FeatheredFiend Evil Chicken]]. They [[LargeHam milked him for all it's worth]] too, with emotes like "Buk, buk, buk, [[EvilLaugh BWHAHAHAHA!]]" and the like.
** EverythingsBetterWithPlatypus: Pet [[strike:Platypi]] Platypode[[strike:s]], even.
* EvilerThanThou: After seeing the horrible acts the demon Agrith-Nar is capable of in ''Shadow of the Storm'', Evil Dave decides this is too evil even for him.
* FetchQuest: Oh so many! Played with in 2 quests.
* FifteenPuzzle: Actually a 24 puzzle.
* {{Filler}}: Kennith's Concerns quest is considered that by many.
* FishingForSole: Boots and gloves can be caught when fishing with a big net.
* FishingMinigame
* FoxChickenGrainPuzzle: Recruitment Drive Quest.
* GameBreaker: Just... ''Ice Barrage...''
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Often played straight but often subverted to Gameplay And Gameplay Segregation.
** For an example, you have to hunt a few types of creatures instead of killing them which is justified only by a few creatured like chinchompas.
* GasMaskMooks: Mourners.
* GenieInABottle: A random event.
* GoddamnedBats: Wild dogs in Brimhaben dungeon.
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly
* GrandpaGod: Saradomin.
* [[GrapplingHookPistol Grappling Hook Crossbow]]
* GrimUpNorth: "The North" is referenced in several quests.
** Not to mention the Wilderness, formerly the most dangerous area in the game, and still pretty frightening. In the days when Runescape was ''entirely'' free, the instructions to reach the Wilderness were simply "Go North".
* HarmlessFreezing: The God Wars dungeon and combatants inside seem to be perfectly fine after being frozen for thousands of years.
** The Ancient Magic Spellbook's Ice Spells, on the other hand, are certainly NOT harmless.
* {{Hellhound}}
* HeWhoShallNotBeNamed: [[spoiler:Zaros]]
* HighClassGlass: A Tz-haar in a play.
* HornyVikings: The Fremennik.
* HorsemenOfTheApocalypse
* {{Hulkspeak}} - Goblins, trolls, ogres etc.
* HyperactiveMetabolism
* IdeaBulb: An emote.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice
* IncrediblyLamePun: Thisa game has so many puns (especially with hands) that it's often ridiculed.
--> ''I need to make some furniture, could you lend me a HAND?''
---> ''Haha. Very funny.''
* IndyPloy
* InfinityPlusOneSword: Several, the Godsword fitting the trope best.
** Which is 4 swords in 1, so... Infinty Plus Four Sword?
* InstantDeathRadius: [=TzTok=]-Jad.
** Also, the Corporeal Beast. Don't ''ever'' stand under him. You ''will'' be trampled to death.
* ItemCrafting
* JokeItem: Several, specially the Holiday items. (Ironically, some of these are now the most valuable items in the game.)
* JustifiedTutorial
* KarmaMeter: At least two quests let you choose which god to side with.
** Subverted in that whatever you choose has no real impact outside of those quests.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Duradel, Turael, Cyrisus, etc.]]
** And [[spoiler: Sigmund in 'The Chosen Commander'.]]
* KillItWithFire: Without the proper protection, dragonbreath REALLY FRICKEN HURTS.
* KleptomaniacHero: So much that there's even a thieving skill for it.
* LastOfHisKind: Thurgo, [[spoiler:General Graardor]]
** ThereIsAnother: In "Defender Of Varrock" you discover that there is another [[spoiler: Imcando dwarf]].
**There's also and Fairy Dragon.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Goblins have one, H.A.M menbers have one, and many others have one too.
* LethalLavaLand: Inside Karamja Volcano, parts of Wilderness etc.
* LevelGrinding: The game is full of ways to do it.
* LightAndMirrorsPuzzle: One of the hardest quests has quite a sadistic version of this.
**Not just light and mirrors, but COLORED lights and mirrors, which is much worse than it sounds.
**AND you're constantly being attacked by shadows.
* LoadBearingBoss: Bork.
* LordBritishPostulate
* LostMarblesQuest: TropeNamer.
* {{Magick}}
* MilestoneCelebration: "Recipe for disaster".
* MissingSecret: Acts as a form of GameplayAndStorySegregation in that many more cities and civilizations exist in the background than have actually been coded into the game. As a result, an absurd number of major cities and entire nations (Most prominently Prifddidas, Menaphos, and [[spoiler: Arposandra]]) are in isolation, be it mythic or overtly enforced by snooty border guards who will tell you that the place is 'closed to outsiders'. If an update eventually rolls around that lets you in (as with Keldagrim or Meiyerditch) this becomes an example of BrokenBridge: you'll still have to do a quest to get in and the people inside will be fearful or distrustful of outsiders. And the city will ''still'' be full of places you can't access.
* {{Mithril}}
* MobileShrubbery: The Penguin's disguises in Penguin Hide and Seek.
* TheMole: Many: King Lathas and one elf faction. More obviously Sigmund and Stranger in Canifis.
* MoneySink: The entire Construction and especially Summoning skill.
* MonsterIsAMommy: Rocs and dagannoths. In quests.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Some [=TzHaar=].
* NiceHat: The party hats. Their rare status makes them SeriousBusiness.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The ends of 'Spirit of Summer' and 'Enakhra's Lament'.
** Certain parts of various other quests involve the player inadvertantly causing things to get worse before having to make them better. Some, unfortunately, are a result of [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption stupidity being the only option]].
* NoFourthWall: The barkeeper in the Blue Moon Inn in Varrock is aware that Runescape is only a computer game and says as much if the player asks him for advice.
** If you were to ask King Arthur what he is doing here, he will explain that he is no longer needed in "Briton", and so is passing the time in Runescape.
* NoodleIncident: Marion the bartender said that she lost her skill in Archery after an incident involving a [[StuffBlowingUp Chinchompa]] named Fluffy and a butter churn.
* NoPronunciationGuide: While there are official pronunciations for some words, there are weirder ones like "Mahjarrat".
* NothingButSkulls
* OlderThanTheyThink
* OneSteveLimit: Parodied in some cases and simply averted in other cases.
* OracularHead: Postie pete.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent
**To give an example, they were apparently [[spoiler: created by a race known as dragonkin, which happen to look like [[TheDarkCrystal Skeksis]]]].
* OurGhostsAreDifferent
* OurGhoulsAreDifferent
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent
* OurHomunculiAreDifferent
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Many villains.
* AllTrollsAreDifferent
* PaperThinDisguise: Both averted and played straight.
**For an example, on one hand, you can wear only a fake beak and feather cape to fool an eagle into think you are its child.
**But on the other hand though, changing sex, skin color, hairstyles etc. won't usually trick other NPCs at all.
*** This is largely because it'd be a nightmare for the Jagex designers to implement NPC reactions to such things.
** The BedsheetGhost in the quest Ghosts Ahoy fools all.
* PhantasySpelling: Vampires and Vampyres ''both'' exist, but the two are fairly different. To be more specific, Vampires are feral monsters, while Vampyres are more civilized. But that wouldn't stop either of them from chowing down on your neck, given the chance.
* PhysicalGod
* PirateParrot
* PlanetOfSteves: Pollnivneach, where everybody's name is Ali.
* PlayerPunch: Players who have become fond of [[spoiler: Hazelmere the ancient gnome mage, Cyrisius the fighter, Ghommal the giant door man, Sloane the Strength master, and the Slayer Masters Duradel and Turael]] may feel like they've been punched in the gut when all of those people [[spoiler: die confronting Lucien during ''While Guthix Sleeps'']].
*PlotInducedStupidity: Several quests involve you being quite gullible. Of course, you ''can'' not be gullible, but you [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption can't finish the quest by not being gullible]].
* PlotlineDeath: Quest NPCs seem to suffer from these. Others, including players, will be perfectly fine.
* PoisonedWeapons: Daggers, spears and ammo for ranged weapons.
* PortTown: Several of them: Phasmatys, Sarim, Rellekka etc.
* PublicDomainCharacter: King Arthur, Romeo and Juliet, Robin Hood, etc...
* PunnyName: White knights, some druids, etc.
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: The cave goblins' questline runs on this trope. Justified somewhat in that the cave goblins' former god falls somewhere between BloodKnight and GodOfEvil, although all of the other gods take a PR drubbing as well.
* RainbowPimpGear: You can equip any combination of clothes you want. ANY. Keep in mind that the equipment in this game ranges from blue armor to magenta robes to mime costumes and everything in between.
* RecurringTraveller: Bob the cat, Elfinlocks.
* RelaxOVision: Parodied
* RetIrony: [[spoiler: Turael]] mentions during ''While Guthix Sleeps'' that he may retire soon. [[spoiler: He dies during the quest]].
* ReverseGrip: The Dragon dagger and the Keris.
* RodentsOfUnusualSize: Giant rats.
* [[RuinedForever Ruined FOREVER!!!]]: Fans are screaming this every update now, and Jagex has begun {{Lampshading}} this with [[TheMerch T-Shirts declaring it]].
* SacrificialLamb: In ''In Search of the Myreque'', you're introduced to several of the resistance group against Morytania's vampires, and all of them are given backstories and motivations for joining the resistance. And then two of them are killed when the villain of the quest shows up.
* SacrificialLion: In ''While Guthix Sleeps'', NPCs that the player has probably spent a lot of time with during previous quests, Slayer tasks, and so forth are killed by the BigBad to let the player know just how serious this situation is.
* SealedEvilInACan: Mother Mallum, mahjarrats.
* SelectiveCondemnation: So prevalent that even LampshadeHanging is done to that.
* SenselessSacrifice: Many characters in While Guthix Sleeps quest.
* ShapeShifting: Mahjarrats can change their forms to whatever they want, which ends badly for Jhallan in 'The Tale of the Muspah'- he has a nightmare while he hibernates and transforms into a Muspah, a mythical beast in Mahjarrat culture, which takes most of his strength.
* ShiftingSandLand: Kharidian desert.
* ShoutOut: Star Sprites look ''suspiciously'' like Teletubbies, no?
** Oh, they are. The terminology for when a star is mined through completely is 'tubbied'.
** There's also a few dozen MontyPython references, although not usually in the form of a character.
* SinisterScythe: A holiday item.
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: "Myths of the White Lands", and Trollweiss.
* SpaceCompression: Cities, towns and other settlements take almost as much space as forests, even though largest cities have the size of a medium-sized village. It takes only less than half an hour for a player to walk from one end of the mainland to another. Yet the manual, NPC stories and historic tales might leave the impression of large cities and vast lands.
**Very notable example is Burgh De Rott. Vampyres think that town is deserted, but it's less than 100 meters from the capital of Morytania where town should clearly be seen, especially for the fact that flying vyrewatch approaches very close to the settlement.
* StalkedByTheBell
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler: Zamorak]] is a successful version of this to [[spoiler: Zaros]]. [[spoiler: Lucien also serves as Zamorak's Starscream.]]
* StupidSacrifice: Why won't friendly NPCs send players to investigate things first since players come back to life all the time?!
* SummonMagic: Subverted since summoning is not part of the magic skill.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial
* TacticalRockPaperScissors: Melee->Ranged->Magic->Melee
** In theory. Depending on who is complaining, melee users either slap on dragonhide armor and slaughter mages, rangers use one magic spell to lock melee users in place and can kill them at their leisure, or mages just rape everybody because they are OP. Plus people whine about prayer all the time.
* TakeYourTime
* TapOnTheHead: Citizens of Pollnivneach can be easily knocked out with blackjacks.
** Bizarrely, attempting to knock someone out with your bare fist gives the same message as trying to use any weapon besides a blackjack: "You need to find a different weapon. You want to knock him out, not kill him." Apparently, bare fists are deadlier than wooden clubs.
*** Could be plausible depending on the Strength level - someone with 99 Strength could probably kill someone by hitting them.
* TheGodsMustBeLazy: Guthix is the most powerful being in the universe, perfectly capable of solving every problem in the world in two minutes, but instead of doing so, he chooses to take several-thousand-year-long naps.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The 12-10-07 updates.
* ThisPageWillSelfDestruct
* ThisTropeIsBleep: Though changes of late have made this more of a ScunthorpeProblem, since definite "cuss words" are permitted more often, but certain others are not. (Example: "Phone") Of course, this may have been resolved, also.
** This has been mostly resolved.
* TitleDrop: Quite commonly in quests.
* TooMuchInformation
* TrainingDummy
* TurnsRed: Some of the quest bosses.
* UrbanSegregation: Varrock, Ardougne and Keldagrim.
* VaderBreath: Mi-Gor, who coughs when he speaks.
* VideoGameStealing: The Thieving skill.
* VigilanteExecution: Zanik in "The Chosen Commander".
* VisibleSilence: Parodied in one quest.
* WarForFunAndProfit: Most of 'Royal Trouble'.
* WalkItOff: But you'll be doing that for a long while, directly proportionate to your max HitPoints.
* WallMaster: Wall beasts.
* WhoYouGonnaCall: "Big High War God!"
* WingedHumanoid: The Icyene, Vyrewatch, and Aviantese
* {{Whatevermancy}}: The Culinaromancer, a mage who draws his power from food.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman:
* WhenTreesAttack: Ents and undead trees.
** There's also the Jade Vine, which will turn "wild" if it goes too long without being trimmed. Much unlike its real-world counterpart. Ironically, they were almost driven to extinction because of the amount of slayer experience they give upon death.
* WhipItGood: The Abyssal whip.
* {{Whoring}}
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Anyone scared of spiders, stay the hell away from the 2009 Halloween Event. Seriously.
* WizardNeedsFoodBadly
* WorthlessYellowRocks: Trolls discard some valuable stuff.
* YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere: The Tz-haar caves, Tai Bwo Wannai village, etc.
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