Analysis, Discussion and Tips for Success

General Discussion

Super-strength weapon poison is the strongest type available in RuneScape. Its poison starts 68 points on melee weapons like daggers, or 48 points on ranged ammunition like darts, arrows or bolts. It is a very useful potion, and constantly in demand.

Like other high-level poison and weapon poison potions, these pots use coconut milk as a base instead of water. But these potions have a twist that makes them much more difficult to make:

The "herb" used for them is in fact deadly nightshade, a quest item that is untradeable. It can be grown using the Farming skill, but this is extremely slow. The only other alternative is to pick the item up from a ground spawn in a cave in the ogre city of Gu'Tanoth. There is only a single spawn, and it takes 30 seconds for each nightshade to appear on a full world, meaning the maximum you can get is 120 per hour. In practice, you can actually get fewer than this, because of the need for travel time, and the fact that usually there is only one full world, so respawns take longer. I assumed 35 seconds in my calculations.

You have two choices for this activity: either multitask "in real life" by grabbing the nightshade and then doing something on another window for 30 or so seconds, or multitask within RuneScape. I assumed the latter, and chose fletching broad-tipped bolts as something to do while waiting for respawns. I like this because I find it really boring anyway, and when I am done I can put the finished bolts in my quiver to free up an inventory space. Another popular choice is high-alching noted items; it's really up to you.

Location and Access

You can make potions at any bank, but a one-click bank like Castle Wars is preferred.

Required and Recommended Equipment

You need the skavid map you obtained during the Watchtower quest. If you don't have the map, you must get it from a level 83 ogre guard in Gu'Tanoth; consult a quest guide if you need assistance.

You also need a light source; I recommend using the headband from the Seer's Village Achievement Diary, since it saves you from losing an inventory slot.

Required and Recommended Supplies

You only need the supplies necessary for the Herblore and Fletching activities you are doing, as specified in the input item list.

Familiar Suggestions

Nightshade is untradeable and so cannot be held in a beast of burden, but the finished potions can. To maximize the number of potions you make per hour, use a beast of burden to carry coconut milk and poison ivy berries to the cave; you can then make some of the potions there, store them in the familiar, and carry extra nightshade to the bank to use it as well.

At lower levels use a spirit terrorbird; at higher levels, switch to a pack yak. You can use a war tortoise (at level 67 Summoning) if you want, but the high cost of that pouch and small benefit it provides over a terrorbird makes it a poor choice in my opinion.

Technique and Tips

Teleport to the Watchtower (or Yanille) and head to the bank. Take out and put on your Seer's headband and also take out the skavid map. Summon the beast of burden of your choice. If using a spirit terrorbird, take out of the bank 9,500 unfinished broad bolts and 9,500 feathers (I use stripy feathers as they are cheapest). Also take out 10 vials of coconut milk and 10 poison ivy berries. Store 6 of each in the terrorbird, then take out 8 more of each. You'll have one inventory slot left. If using a pack yak, take out of the bank 14,000 unfinished broad bolts and 14,000 feathers. Also take out 10 vials of coconut milk and 15 poison ivy berries; store these in the yak. Take out 17 more vials of coconut milk and store 5 in the yak; finally, take out 12 more poison ivy berries; again, you should have one slot left.

Run around the eastern wall of Yanille and then south until you find the path leading into Gu'Tanoth. Continue south, go west over a bridge and enter the cave there; you'll find a single cave nightshade on the ground. Pick it up and use it to make your first potion; this will free up space so you can start making bolts. You should be able to make about 250 between spawns; start fletching, being sure to be ready to grab the next nightshade when it appears -- that's your primary reason for being here!

As your inventory empties, you'll be able to make more potions at once. When you need to, take more vials and berries from your familiar, and continue until all the potions are made. If you have a terrorbird, store 12 in it; if a pack yak, you'll have 27. Then continue fletching and picking up nightshade until your inventory is full -- remembers to store the bolts in your quiver. When done, go through the hole to the east and you'll magically be back in Yanille. Head to the bank and make more potions using the nightshade you carried home. Summon a new familiar for each trip.