RuneScape Summoning F2P Guide

RuneScape Summoning F2P Guide by MysticManiac

Despite only being a “Miniskill” for F2P, I believe this one has made the most impact to the F2P game, so I’ve decided to make a guide on this skill. Also, many players new to Summoning ask “How do I start Summoning?”

1. WHAT IS SUMMONING

1.1 Familiars and Special Abilities

Summoning allows you to create your own animal followers, also known as ‘Familiars’ (don’t ask me why, I have no idea). These Familiars also have Special Abilities, which they can use. You need Summoning scrolls to use these abilities. Unfortunately, with the small access of Summoning available to F2P, they only have access to 2 Familiars, the Spirit Wolf and the Dreadfowl

1.2 Summoning Points and Obelisks

Whenever you use Familiars and Scrolls, you use up Summoning Points. When you run out of Summoning Points, you can recharge them at Summoning Obelisks. You have to create Familiar Pouches and scrolls at Charged Summoning Obelisks (Summoning obelisks don’t work) to get xp. The F2P Obelisks are listed below

Obelisks
-Pikkupstix’s House in Taverley (This is the only F2P Charged Summoning Obelisk)
-West of Port Sarim Jail
-Near copper/tin rocks in Dwarven Mine
-South-east of Musa Point Volcano (Karamja)
-Outside entrance to Duel Arena
-South of Draynor Bank
-Edgeville Bridge
-Varrock Sewers (Near Moss giants)
-Stronghold of Security (1st level)

2. TRAINING

2.1 Wolf Whistle

It is recommended to complete Wolf Whistle to get to level 4 Summoning instantly. This quest also awards you with 275 Gold charms which can get you to level 5 Summoning, even higher on P2P

2.2 Items Required

To train Summoning, you need the following items
1) Gold Charm
2) Pouch
3) Spirit Shards
4) Secondary Ingredient

Gold Charms can be obtained in 4 ways on F2P
1) Completing Wolf Whistle which will give you enough charms to get to level 5, even higher on P2P
2) Killing Monsters. However, they only drop if you have less than 5 Summoning on F2P
3) Fire Spirits, which appear while adding logs. Again, this is not 100% but fortunately they are more likely rewards. Unfortunately, Fire Spirits are less common than Monsters
4) 1 Free Gold Charm sample in Pikkupstix’s shop
On P2P, you can also get Green, Crimson and Blue Charms which are all less common (except sometimes Green) but they give more xp. Those charms are also obtainable through the methods above, excluding Wolf Whistle but all 4 are obtainable in other ways on P2P too

You can get Spirit Shards and Pouches by buying them in a Summoning Store or the G.E for 25gp and 1gp respectively. You only need 1 Pouch per Familiar you create and a varied amount of Spirit Shards, depending on the Familiar you make. You also only need 1 Charm per Familiar

2.3 Training with Familiars and Summoning Scrolls

Spirit Wolves – Spirit Wolves require 1 Summoning to create and summon, as does its’ Summoning scroll ‘Howl’. You can make Spirit Wolf Pouches with a Gold Charm, 7 Spirit Shards, a pouch and Wolf Bones giving 4.8xp each. Making the scroll requires a Spirit Wolf Pouch giving 0.1xp.

Dreadfowls – Dreadfowls require 4 Summoning to create and summon, as does its’ Summoning scroll “Dreadfowl Strike”. You can make Dreadfowl Pouches with a Gold Charm, 8 Spirit Shards, a pouch and a Raw Chicken giving 9.3xp each. Making the scroll requires a Dreadfowl Pouch giving 0.1xp

Due to large loss and small xp, it is NOT recommended to train using Spirit Wolves. Dreadfowls do have a loss but it’s about 3 times less than Spirit Wolves and they give almost twice as much xp. But, there’s a free Wolf Bone sample in Pikkupstix’s shop

2.4 Costs

Spirit Wolves
Pouch – 1gp
Spirit Shards – 175gp
Wolf Bones – 1,183gp
Total – 1,359gp

308gp – 1,359gp = -1,051gp

Dreadfowls
Pouch – 1gp
Spirit Shards – 200gp
Raw Chicken – 258gp
Total – 459gp

261gp – 459gp = -398gp

2.5 How?

Here are the steps you need to make a Familiar
1) Obtain the required items (2.2)
2) Choose the Familiar you want to create (2.3)
3) Go to a Summoning Obelisk; a regular Obelisk will not work. There is a list of locations earlier in the guide (1.2)
4) Create your Familiar Pouch on the Obelisk
5) You can sell the pouch for coins (not necessarily for profit), alch it for coins and magic xp (again, not necessarily for profit), create Summoning Scrolls with it (tiny Summoning xp, unprofitable, but usable in combat) or summon it (tiny Summoning xp, unprofitable, but usable in combat)

3. ABILITIES

This part of the guide will tell you about the abilities that the skill offers. Unlike other F2P miniskills, this skill continues to award you even after level 5

3.1 The Familiars

At level 1, you can summon Spirit Wolves. They have 2 combat and 50 life points, with a max hit of 40 and you can use the ‘Howl’ summoning scroll with this Familiar. The Howl ability scares your opponents and they retreat. However, this only lasts a couple of seconds and makes very little difference. Summoning Spirit Wolves gives 0.1xp when summoned and using the Howl ability gives 0.1xp

At level 4, you can summon Dreadfowls. They have 26 combat and 160 life points, with a max hit of 40 and you can use the ‘Dreadfowl Strike’ summoning scroll with this Familiar. The ‘Dreadfowl Strike’ ability is a 30hp magic-based damage attack. Dreadfowls give 0.1xp when summoned and using the Dreadfowl Strike ability gives 0.1xp

3.2 Summoning Points

You use them up whenever you summon a familiar. Your max amount of Summoning Points is your Summoning level X 10. The Max amount available on F2P is 50. Ex-members who trained higher than 5 Summoning will not have any higher. You can restore at any obelisk

3.3 Collect Charms

You can continue to collect Gold Charms after 5 Summoning which is useful if you become P2P and it’s probably worth it to pick them up anyway, at least until you have 1-2k charms. They’re not 100% drops, in fact they’re usually less than 50%, but it depends on the monster you’re fighting. You can also get these charms from Fire Spirits which are found sometimes when adding logs to Bonfires. It is currently unknown whether charms are less common drops on F2P (because it’s F2P), or more common (because there are less available drops on F2P), or the same as P2P

After experimenting, I’ve found out that Charms NO LONGER DROP AFTER 5 SUMMONING!! But, you can still get Gold Charms after 5 Summoning by obtaining a free Gold Charm from Pikkupstix’s Summoning Shop. If you have NOT gotten 5 Summoning yet, I’d recommend NOT training to 5 until you get P2P, so you can continue

3.4 Pets

F2P are allowed pets (only dogs) with Summoning. Despite being useless, and a bit of a burden, they can be used to show you’ve gotten to a certain Summoning level, but unfortunately, that’s pretty much meaningless in F2P at level 5. But they do grow into adult dogs after a while which shows you’ve owned this pet for a reasonable amount of time. They do require food (raw meat) though and will run away if not fed. They will not get hungrier if they are in your inventory or your bank, but they won’t grow either. To make your pets follow you, right-click “Walk with” on them. Eek the Spider (previous Hallowe’en event reward) is also a F2P pet but not from the Summoning skill and cannot follow you. Instead you keep her in your inventory. Eek is the only F2P pet on F2P you can understand

3.5 Combat Levels

Summoning rarely effects combat level in F2P except for very low levels or skillers. Skillers should avoid training this skill, as it will increase their combat levels if it’s higher than their Attack, Strength, Magic or Ranged. Defence/Prayer Pures should also avoid it, but Skillers and Defence/Prayer pures will still be able to obtain Spirit Wolf Pouches and Howl summoning scrolls from G.E and use them if needed as they require level 1. Be careful not to level any unwanted combat skills though!

4. USING SUMMONING

4.1 Using Summoning in Combat

This part of the guide will tell you exactly what you have to do to use Summoning in Combat. This is different to using other means of combat e.g Magic, Attack, Strength, Prayer and Herblore because you’re used to using regular combat, prayers, food and potions, whereas Familiars and Summoning scrolls are totally new to a lot of F2Pers.

1. First, put your Familiar in your inventory, along with your Summoning scrolls if you’re using any
2. Next, find an enemy to attack
3. Summon your Familiar
4. Click ‘Follower Details’ on the Summoning icon next to the minimap
5. Click the claw and on an opponent to attack with your familiar
6. Click the summoning button to use your Familiar’s special ability (requires summoning scroll)

4.2 Forbidden Locations

Familiars are not allowed in the places listed below.

You cannot summon them or bring them into these places
*Falador Party Room
*Familiars can’t be summoned at a big Summoning Obelisk, although those that are already summoned can be brought to one.
*Many locations related to quests
*Runespan
*GOP
*Dungeoneering

You can enter these places while familiars are summoned, but they will disappear. They will reappear beside you when you leave
*Grand Exchange
*Varrock Museum

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