Poll 79 brings changes to the escape crystal that could save your life and, with it, your OSRS GP or hardcore Ironman status. Poll 79 took place at the end of March 2023. It included huge updates, such as the points-based combat achievements rewards, but also more subtle changes, like the one regarding the Escape Crystal, which only asked one single question “Should we add a self-casting teleport item that would teleport players to safety if they’ve not interacted with their client for some time? The exact time before teleporting would be customizable by the player”.
Server issues
Ever since November 2022, there have been frequent server issues that generally resulted in hours on end of unexpected game maintenance and the game being offline while the J-mods were working on potential fixes and even game rerolls, which are even more frustrating for the community. While when there are known issues, Jagex generally broadcasts in-game and warns the players to stay away from dangerous activities, other times, it can be very unexpected. A game-crushing bug recently happened in June when anyone seeing or sending a rainbow text would crash. OSRS has also experienced smaller bugs that Jagex patched faster or affected fewer players due to them happening in specific contexts, such as fighting Zebak. However, all bugs that make players crash represent a danger for hardcore Ironman.
Unstable Internet
But even if you don’t take into account all the server issues Old School RuneScape has seen over the last year, your own internet connection can fail at times, or you can get randomly disconnected because of a speed fluctuation, and while in many scenarios this would not represent an issue, for a hardcore Ironman to lose their status because of a disconnect and not able to protect themselves must be one of the most horrific deaths. That’s where the escape crystal brings a solution.
Solution
Players now have the option to set their Escape Crystal to teleport them after a certain period of inactivity, which can be adjusted to personal preference. ‘Inactivity’ is currently categorized as periods when you’re not typing, clicking, or interacting with the screen, although future updates may broaden this to include camera rotation or active cursor movements.
Remember, the teleport function will only work when you’re in areas where teleportation is typically allowed, so that it won’t be applicable in areas like the deep Wilderness or during a teleblock. The Escape Crystal can be worn like a ring and toggled to work like a Ring of Life, teleporting you to safety when your health dips below 10%. But be cautious, as it will mimic a Ring of Life and won’t rescue you from raids or similar situations, even if a regular Escape Crystal might.
Gauntlet
The inactivity teleport will still function for those entering the Gauntlet with an activated Escape Crystal, even though it should’ve been deactivated upon entry. Alterations to this feature are not allowed inside the Gauntlet, so ensure your settings are correct before entering.
Escape Crystals
In short, Escape Crystals, a one-time-use teleport item that fits into the ring slot, can be procured from Rick on the 2nd floor of the Wizards’ Tower or the Mysterious Stranger in Ver Sinhaza for 75,000 coins and further details regarding the Escape Crystal’s functionality in-game can be obtained by speaking to Rick on the 1st Floor of the Wizards’ Tower. If you’re short on gold, you can check the OSRS gold price market to see how much it costs with real money.
Activating these crystals allows players to teleport away from potentially lethal activities for Hardcore group ironmen, such as Barbarian Assault, Chambers of Xeric, The Inferno, Pest Control, Theatre of Blood, TzHaar-Ket-Rak’s Challenges, and Tombs of Amascut.
Group Activities
Players can use their crystal on a group member to aid in group survival, prompting an instant teleportation to safety. This feature is accessed by right-clicking the crystal, selecting “Configure,” and then the first option. Both parties need a crystal for this operation, which will be consumed upon use.
Auto-Activation
You can set the crystal to auto-activate when taking any damage after a specified period of inactivity (from 2 to 300 seconds) using the “Configure” option. ‘Inactivity’ is identified as periods when the player is not interacting with the game. For instance, if set to 30 seconds, the player will be automatically teleported from the above-listed activities after taking damage after 30 seconds of inactivity. This feature remains functional in The Gauntlet if a configured crystal is in the inventory upon entry. When equipped, the crystal can also mimic a ring of life, with a caveat that it will lose its ability to teleport players from the activities mentioned above unless unequipped.
Wilderness
Lastly, in the wilderness, the teleport functionality of the crystal works up to level 30, aligning it with the capabilities of the royal seed pod and dragonstone jewelry.
