This guide breaks down three practical, mid-level RuneScape 3 methods aimed at players around level 60–70 stats: bankstanding Necromancy profit with candles, Smithing profit with bars, and a highly AFK Mining setup at the Living Rock Caverns. You’ll learn the requirements, how each method actually works, how to protect your margins on the Grand Exchange, and which small upgrades make the biggest difference to your hourly income and consistency.

1) Greater Ritual Candles (Necromancy bankstanding profit)

If you want a method that’s simple, repeatable, and doesn’t require leaving a bank, crafting higher-tier candles is a strong mid-game option. It also doubles as steady Necromancy experience while you earn RS3 gold from a skilling loop that’s easy to scale up or down depending on your cash stack.

Requirements

• 60 Necromancy (for the better candle option)
• Access to the Grand Exchange to buy inputs and sell outputs efficiently
• Basic bankstanding space (these materials stack, which is a major quality-of-life perk)

What to make (and what to skip)

You’ll see two common approaches:

• Regular ritual candles: made by combining a standard candle with lesser necroplasm. This is usually low-margin and not the recommended route unless prices spike.
• Greater ritual candles: made by combining a regular ritual candle with greater necroplasm. This is typically where the meaningful profit sits.

How the method works

The loop is straightforward:

• Buy (or prepare) regular ritual candles.
• Buy greater necroplasm.
• Combine them into greater ritual candles in batch actions (commonly in sets like 60 per interaction).
• Sell the finished candles on the GE.

Because both inputs stack and the process is repetitive, this is a good “background” money maker while you do other things on a second monitor. Many players treat it as semi-AFK bank time that still pushes account progression.

Candle crafting lives and dies on your buy/sell spread. To keep it consistently profitable:

• Test the margin first with small quantities before committing your whole stack.
• Slow-buy inputs (especially necroplasm) when the market is volatile; saving even a small amount per unit adds up fast across thousands of crafts.
• Don’t assume mid price is real. Candles can sometimes sell above mid if supply is thin.

If you’re still leveling Necromancy, you can reach 60 quickly with modern experience rates. Training on creatures weak to Necromancy (like undead-themed mobs) can help you reach the requirement without feeling like a detour.

2) Smelting Orichalcum Bars (Smithing profit with passive bonuses)

Smelting is a classic mid-game earner because it’s predictable: you convert two ores into a bar and sell the output. The key is understanding how much extra value you gain from Smithing passives and quality-of-life unlocks. When bar prices rise or ore prices dip, this becomes a very steady RuneScape 3 gold method.

Requirements

• 60 Smithing to smelt orichalcum bars
• Recommended: 68 Smithing for better smelting speed and a chance at extra bars (bigger long-run profit)
• Grand Exchange access for buying ores and selling bars

Inputs you need

To smelt orichalcum bars, you typically combine:

• Orichalcite ore
• Drakolith ore (functions like the “coal-style” component for this tier)

Prices can swing in strange ways: sometimes the ores lag behind the bar price, and that’s where your margin appears. The method becomes much stronger when you buy ores patiently rather than instantly.

Why checking the GE margin is mandatory

Bars can sell meaningfully above their displayed mid price depending on demand. Before you smelt thousands, do this:

• Buy a small test batch of both ores (ideally with conservative offers).
• Smelt a small number of bars.
• Sell a small number of bars to see the real sell price you’re getting.

That quick test often reveals whether you’re looking at a “barely worth it” craft or a strong hourly rate.

Two upgrades are especially impactful for smelting sessions:

• Family Crest gauntlets (smelting-related): allows bars to go directly to the metal bank, reducing inventory management and increasing AFK time.
• Higher Smithing level passives: the chance to produce extra bars is effectively free profit. Over long sessions (hundreds or thousands of bars), this becomes a major boost to total returns.

As a general rule, if you’re just barely able to make a tier of bars, you’ll often earn more overall by doing the tier where you have the best passives unlocked (faster smelts and extra-bar chance). That’s why pushing to 68 Smithing can be a bigger upgrade than it looks on paper.

Cost planning: why this method pairs well with upgrades

Smelting profit is also a good “funding engine” for mid-game goals: gear improvements, skilling tools, and general supplies. If you’re trying to avoid stalling out your progression due to costs, many players keep a small reserve of RS3 GP for ore buy-ins and then restock supplies after each selling cycle.

3) AFK Concentrated Coal (Living Rock Caverns, level 70 Mining)

If you want a low-effort money maker with a surprisingly strong return for the requirements, concentrated coal is a standout. With the right synergy, it can become a true “hands-off” Mining session where you barely interact for long stretches while still generating valuable ore.

Requirements

• 70 Mining for concentrated coal at the Living Rock Caverns
• Perfect juju mining potion (or Perfect plus variant that covers it)
• Coal stone spirits (to double ore gains and enable the AFK loop)
• Recommended: an ore box and/or porters to reduce banking friction

How the 15-minute AFK loop works

This method’s “secret sauce” is the interaction between stone spirits and the juju effect:

• Stone spirits can double the ore you receive when mining.
• The perfect juju mining potion can interact with stone spirit consumption to help keep your stamina in a favorable state.

In practice, this means you maintain a far smoother mining rhythm, and you can often stay on the rock for extended periods without constant clicking. When everything is set up correctly, it’s one of the most relaxed mid-level earners available.

The Living Rock Caverns can be annoying if you’re taking hits while mining. There are two common solutions:

• Wear the golem mining set to reduce or prevent aggression from Living Rock creatures.
• If you don’t have the set, use safer coal spots in the cavern layout where you’re less likely to be attacked while mining.

If you’re getting interrupted, your effective ore per hour drops sharply, so it’s worth prioritizing a comfortable spot even if it’s slightly less convenient.

Profit and training value

Coal pricing can spike due to demand across Smithing and other supply chains. When prices are high, concentrated coal often outperforms other “similar effort” Mining options. It’s also a clean way to train Mining while building up gold and resources for your next upgrades.

Scaling the concept to other ores

The same general idea applies to other Mining tiers: if you have the matching stone spirits and a juju potion, you can convert many Mining spots into a more AFK-friendly routine. Coal is simply a strong mid-level target because the requirements are reasonable and the market demand is often healthy.

Making these methods more consistent (without chasing perfect prices)

All three methods share the same core truth: your hourly rate comes from consistency, not from one lucky flip. To keep profits stable:

• Always price-check with small test trades before committing to large buy-ins.
• Slow-buy inputs when possible; saving a little per unit is often more reliable than trying to sell high.
• Pick methods that match your attention level: candles for bankstanding, bars for semi-AFK smelting, coal for longer AFK Mining sessions.

If you’re funding bigger upgrades (tools, supplies, or gear), having a dependable baseline income helps. Some players also choose to supplement their bankroll through external options like buy RS3 gold planning for major purchases, but the methods above are solid for building up your stack through gameplay.

Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll want around 60 Necromancy for greater ritual candles, 60 Smithing (ideally 68) for orichalcum bars, and 70 Mining for concentrated coal in the Living Rock Caverns.

Why do my profits look lower than expected?

The most common reason is the Grand Exchange spread. If you instant-buy ores or necroplasm and instant-sell outputs, the margin can vanish. Test small quantities and slow-buy to protect your RS3 gold per hour.

Do I need Family Crest gauntlets for smelting to be worth it?

No, but they improve AFK time and reduce inventory hassle. The bigger profit boost usually comes from higher Smithing passives and getting extra bars over long sessions.

How do I make concentrated coal truly AFK?

Bring coal stone spirits and a perfect juju mining potion, then choose a spot where you won’t be constantly interrupted. An ore box or porters also helps reduce banking breaks.

Which method is best if I’m short on starting cash?

Concentrated coal is often friendlier because you can start with smaller supply costs and scale up. Candle crafting and bar smelting can be excellent too, but they’re more sensitive to buying inputs at the wrong price.