Deadman mode is a variant of Old School RuneScape, where a separate server is hosted. It features an open PvP environment, see below for exceptions. Players in-game can speak to Nigel in Lumbridge graveyard for information about Deadman mode.
Experience gained in Deadman mode will be 5x more than usual (10x during the first six hours of gameplay); however, experience that is gained from quests will not be multiplied. In addition, experience will not be gained in instanced areas (such as the Nightmare Zone and TzHaar Fight Caves).
Every player begins their adventure at combat level 3, and progress in Old School RuneScape, or any other game (RuneScape 3, RuneScape Classic, etc.), will not be affected. All content is only available to pay-to-play players.
Upon killing a player, they may receive blood money. One is received per kill, and can be used on Nigel to purchase Deadman armour, with the same bonuses as iron armour. Three is required in total to purchase the Deadman's chest, Deadman's legs, and Deadman's cape. These can be reclaimed for free should a player die.
A map showing the safe and multicombat zones in Deadman mode
Deadman worlds
The following worlds are classified as servers for Deadman mode:
| List of Worlds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| World | Location | Members | Activity
|
| 345 |  United States
|
|
Deadman Regular |
Disabled content
- Protect Item
- Grand Exchange (GE enabled for Deadman Season 2-4)
- Looting bag
- Duel Arena
- Castle Wars
- Trouble Brewing
- Fight Pits
- Rat Pits
- Pest Control
- Minigame Teleports
- STASH units
- Bolt pouch
Town protection
Towns and villages are "safe" zones. Players cannot attack other players within the area. However, players who are standing outside of a safe zone are still able to attack players if they are within range of their attacks, whether or not they are standing in a safe zone.
Any player who enters these safe zones when skulled will be attacked on sight by level 1337 guards. These guards can hit in the high 40s through prayer and are able to cast Ice Barrage and Tele Block. In addition, players frozen by guards cannot pick up or telegrab items.
Tutorial Island and the Barbarian Assault minigame area are the only areas in Deadman mode where players are unable to attack others. Safe zones include:
- Barbarian Assault (only within the minigame itself)
- Catherby (only within the bank)
- East Ardougne
- Falador
- Jatizso (only within the town area)
- Lumbridge
- Neitiznot (only within the town area)
- Port Phasmatys
- Rellekka
- Seers' Village (only within the bank)
- Sophanem
- Tree Gnome Stronghold
- Tutorial Island
- Varrock
- Void Knights' Outpost
- Yanille
Skull status
The skulls that appear on a player's head, indicating the amount of bank keys in their possession.
In Deadman mode, being skulled will cause level 1337 guards in low-threat areas to cast Ice Barrage, Tele Block, and attack you, being able to hit through prayer, and are unable to pick up or telegrab items while frozen.
Skulled players will not be able to teleport or log out instantly, and a seven second timer will count down in the chatbox. Players must not move or be in combat for seven seconds. After the timer is depleted, they will automatically teleport or log out.
In addition, if players are in possession of bank keys, the skull will indicate the amount of keys that are in a player's possession. Players who attack other players with a skull will not become skulled themselves.
A skull will last for fifteen minutes, but will not deplete while in an instanced area or when standing in the same place for an extended period of time. The game HUD will have a timer, updating every half minute, to notify skulled players how long they will stay skulled.
Players who obtain a skull will have it last for fifteen minutes, and for every unskulled player they attack, two minutes will be added to the skull timer. However, attacking another player whose combat level is 30 levels lower will result in the timer increasing to 30 minutes.
Death
Dying in Deadman mode varies, depending on how the player died. If killed by another player, 28 of the most valuable items will be taken by the killer in the form of a bank key, in addition to any items that were in the victim's inventory.
When a skulled player is killed by an NPC, the 28 most valuable stack of items from their bank are dropped on the floor instead. These items will appear instantly to everyone. In addition, untradeable items (such as Void Knight equipment or a fire cape) will convert to coins upon death.
However, if a player dies to an NPC without being skulled, it acts as a normal death akin to that of Old School RuneScape.
A player selecting which skills to preserve when they die.
Completed quests and Achievement Diaries will retain completion upon death. Players who lose certain levels may also be unable to access certain post-quest content. For example, if Monkey Madness is completed, and lose the defence experience upon death, players will be unable to travel to Ape Atoll without the proper stats. However, a dragon scimitar can still be equipped, providing the player has an attack level of 60.
Players who die will lose their experience in accordance to the combat level differences, with the experience loss calculated using the formula below:
Players can choose to preserve a maximum of five skills (two combat skills and three non-combat skills) to prevent experience loss. However, a players Herblore level will never be less than 3, provided they have completed Druidic Ritual, and a players Hitpoints level will never be less than 10.
Bank raiding and insurance
A player taking items from another players bank.
Players who are killed by another player or killed by an NPC while skulled will drop a bank key, in which 28 of the most valuable items, based on Grand Exchange value, are removed from your bank. The player that obtained the key can collect the items by opening a chest in a bank within a low-threat area, which means they must wait till their skull expires or risk being killed by the guards. These bank keys cannot be deposited into a bank, and only five bank keys can be in a players possession at any given time.
A deadman chest, which requires a bank key to open.
The Safe Deposit Box, accessed by visiting a Financial Wizard.
If a player kills a player who is in possession of another bank key, they will drop their own bank key in addition to their victim's bank keys, with higher valued keys taking priority. If a skulled player dies to a guard, 28 of their most valuable items from the bank are dropped wherever they die. However, if a player does not have enough inventory space to receive a key, it will be dropped to the floor. This will only happen until the limit of 5 keys is reached. Both keys in a player's inventory and on the floor count towards this limit.
Players can insure up to ten items (ten single items, not 10 stacks of items) by speaking to the Financial Wizard and depositing the items in the safe deposit box. Items in the safe deposit box will not be lost, unlike those found in the bank, and can be collected any time the player visits the Financial Wizard.
Hitpoints insurance
The hitpoints skill can be separately insured by talking to Gelin in the Lumbridge graveyard. In order to get the insurance, a Player must pay a fee. After paying the fee, a players hitpoints level will never fall below it when they die.
- Level 25 - 25,000 coins
- Level 50 - 100,000 coins
- Level 75 - 1,000,000 coins
Rule breaking
The Rules of RuneScape apply to Deadman mode as well. Players may not attempt to use "mule" accounts, which are accounts used solely to store items safely. Mod Mat K has stated during one of the weekly Q&A sessions that Mod Weath has a tool that is able to show him the people with the most expensive items, and if Weath notices a random account with lots of wealth on it, it will most likely be banned.