OSRS Plank Make vs String Jewelry Profit Training

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

Magic is the only OSRS skill that can be trained profitably while you do almost anything else—running, questing, training Agility, or even slaying. The classic progression is Low Alchemy into High Alchemy, but once you unlock the Lunar spellbook, two utility spells—Plank Make and String Jewelry—offer a different balance of profit, XP, and attention. This guide uses the official Pay-to-play Magic training page and the Magic page as its fact base, then shows you how to evaluate Lunar profit methods without relying on stale prices.

We won't invent Grand Exchange values or XP rates that change daily. Instead, you'll get a decision framework: what to unlock, which methods to use at each level, how to compare profit per hour, and when buying gold or a training service is the honest shortcut.

Who This Is For and Requirements

This guide is aimed at main accounts that want to train Magic while making money, not at ironman accounts (though many principles apply). You need a reasonable starting cash stack for supplies, because profit methods require buying inputs in bulk. The Lunar spells Plank Make and String Jewelry are locked behind the Lunar spellbook, which itself requires the Lunar Diplomacy quest and a Magic level high enough to cast them. The wiki's individual spell pages list exact level and rune requirements; always check those live pages before investing.

The Early Levels: Questing to 34

You can skip the earliest grind almost entirely with quests. Completing Witch's Potion and Imp Catcher gives a combined 1,200 Magic experience, enough to go from level 1 to 10. Both quests are short and have no requirements, so do them immediately. To reach level 34 purely through questing, complete Fairytale I - Growing Pains or The Grand Tree, which unlocks Watchtower. Finishing all three along with the Lumbridge Guide subquest of Recipe for Disaster grants an additional 20,900 Magic XP, putting you at level 34 without casting a single training spell.

Enchanting Bolts: Fast, Mobile, and Expensive

From level 4 onwards, Enchant Crossbow Bolt can be one of the fastest training methods in the game, and because bolts and runes are stackable, you can cast while running, doing Agility, or questing. Each cast enchants 10 bolts automatically every 3 ticks, but with careful manual clicking you can cast every game tick, dramatically increasing XP rates. The downside is cost: this method is often very expensive and should only be used by players willing to spend large amounts of GP to rush early levels.

If you're after profit or minimal loss, switch to Low Level Alchemy at level 21, or wait until 55 for High Level Alchemy. The bolt enchantment table on the wiki shows that some tiers have extreme losses per cast: Topaz bolts, for example, currently show a GP/XP of -65.65, while Onyx bolts have the lowest loss at -9.08 (prices fluctuate). Always check the current margin before bulk-buying enchanted bolt materials.

Bolt Enchantment Levels and Notes

• Opal bolts: level 4, low XP, moderate loss.
• Sapphire bolts: level 7, slightly better XP.
• Pearl bolts: level 24, higher XP.
• Emerald bolts: level 27, higher XP but costly.
• Topaz bolts: level 29, worst GP/XP typically.
• Ruby bolts: level 49, high XP but volatile prices.
• Diamond bolts: level 57, high XP.
• Dragonstone bolts: level 68, very high XP.
• Onyx bolts: level 87, best GP/XP among bolt enchants but huge upfront cost.

For most players, enchanting bolts is a burst method for skipping low levels or a passive method while doing other tasks—not a profit strategy.

Low Alchemy vs High Alchemy: The Classic Profit Baseline

Low Level Alchemy unlocks at level 21 and gives 31 XP per cast, with a 3-tick cast interval. Standing still, you can reach around 60,000 XP per hour, and it takes 5,214 casts to go from 21 to 55. The spell converts items into coins at a reduced rate compared to High Alchemy, so you'll typically incur a small loss unless you pick extremely cheap items like rune arrows. Low Alch is best done while running or training Agility, since the loss is minimal and the XP adds up passively.

High Level Alchemy unlocks at 55 and is the classic profit method. It gives higher XP per cast and, more importantly, can be profitable if you alch items whose High Alchemy value exceeds their Grand Exchange price plus the cost of a nature rune. Many players alch noted items like rune arrows, d'hide bodies, or certain jewellery while walking between skilling spots. The training page recommends switching to High Alchemy at 55 because it's both more XP and more profitable than Low Alchemy.

While both alchemy spells require clicking every cast, they are completely safe and can be done anywhere, making them the baseline for comparing Lunar spells.

Lunar Spellbook: Plank Make and String Jewelry Overview

Once you complete Lunar Diplomacy and unlock the Lunar spellbook, Plank Make and String Jewelry become available as utility spells that can be spammed for Magic XP while generating profit. The OSRS Wiki's main Magic training page does not provide detailed rates for these spells; their individual pages contain live tables with XP per cast, rune costs, and profit calculations. Because GE prices change constantly, we won't copy numbers here. Instead, here's how to compare them yourself:

Both spells are low-attention but not fully AFK; you must click for every cast. Many players prefer them over High Alchemy when the profit per hour is higher, especially if they have the bankroll to buy thousands of inputs at once. However, High Alchemy at 55+ remains the simplest profit method, and Lunar spells only become attractive at higher Magic levels when their XP rates exceed alching.

Time vs Cost: Efficient vs AFK Training

Magic can be trained passively while doing other skills, but the most efficient methods are often expensive. Bursting or barraging on Ancient Magicks from level 62+ is the fastest way to train Magic, especially on Slayer tasks like dust devils and greater Nechryael, but it consumes a huge amount of runes. On the other hand, defensive casting (using the defensive attack style) gives 1 Defence XP and 1.33 Magic XP instead of 2 Magic XP, which is macro-efficient if you need Defence XP anyway—for example, while melee training prioritises Strength and Attack to enter the Warriors' Guild.

For profit-focused players, alching and Lunar spells are the AFK-friendly middle ground: they are slower than bursting but generate income. The tradeoff is time: reaching 99 Magic via High Alchemy might take hundreds of hours, while bursting could be done in a fraction of that but cost tens of millions in runes. Your choice depends on whether your time or your GP is the scarcer resource.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Enchanting bolts without checking margins: You can lose millions fast if you buy bolt tips and runes at bad prices. Always calculate the GP/XP before committing.
• Low alching expensive items: Low Alchemy only returns a fraction of an item's value. Using rune armour pieces for Low Alch is a guaranteed loss because their price is tied to High Alchemy value.
• Ignoring quest XP: Skipping the early quests means wasting time and money on low-level spells when you could jump to 34 for free.
• Using standard casting when you need Defence XP: If your goal is overall account efficiency, defensive casting may be better than pure Magic XP, even if it feels slower.
• Assuming Lunar spells are always better than High Alchemy: Profit margins can vanish overnight. Re-evaluate prices every session.
• Not factoring rune costs into alching: A nature rune is not free unless you have a staff that provides unlimited fire runes; the nature rune cost still applies.

When Buying Gold or a Service Is the Honest Shortcut

Magic training for profit often requires a large upfront bankroll to buy bulk logs, amulets, or bolt tips. If you're short on GP, buying gold can let you start the profitable methods immediately instead of grinding low-level money-makers for hours. Similarly, if you value your time more than the XP journey, a Magic training service can handle the repetitive clicking while you focus on other things. There's no shame in using the marketplace to fund supplies or skip the grind—as long as you stay within the game's rules and your own budget.

Check live gold rates if you want to see current prices, or read our guide on Ironman Magic: MTA Infinity vs Barrows Runes for a different perspective on Magic training.

Practical Next Steps

1. Complete Witch's Potion and Imp Catcher immediately.
2. Decide your budget for fast training: if you have spare GP, use Enchanting Bolts while doing Agility or questing to skip to 55 quickly.
3. At 55, switch to High Alchemy and find a profitable item using the wiki's alchemy calculator.
4. Start Lunar Diplomacy as soon as you meet the requirements if you want access to Plank Make and String Jewelry.
5. Before investing in Lunar spells, check the individual spell pages on the OSRS Wiki for current XP/cast and profit/cast, and compare against High Alchemy.
6. Track your GP/XP and GP/hour over a session; if profit is low, adjust inputs or revert to alching.
7. If your time is more valuable than GP, consider buying gold for supplies or a boosting service.

Sources

• Pay-to-play Magic training - OSRS Wiki
• Magic - OSRS Wiki