OSRS January 2026 Travel Poll: what’s being proposed?

The January 8, 2026 Old School RuneScape poll is built around a simple theme: reduce travel friction without rewriting established routes. The proposals focus on cutting clicks, shortening awkward animations, and smoothing out transport items that already exist. In other words, it’s mostly quality-of-life, with a couple of long-requested cosmetic flexes that keep existing stats and requirements.

Below is a proposal-by-proposal breakdown of what’s in the poll, how each change works, and the practical impact on day-to-day play (from clue steps and skilling loops to PvM prep and Wilderness routing).

Two headline cosmetics: fun, reversible, and (mostly) harmless

Holy Molies: combine Holy Sandals + Mole Slippers

This proposal allows players to combine Holy sandals and Mole slippers into a single item called Holy Molies.

• Cosmetic-only combination: the goal is purely appearance and convenience, not power.
• Retains Holy Sandals functionality: keeps the +3 Prayer bonus, the Prayer requirement (31), and Saradomin alignment benefits (useful for certain God Wars setups).
• Untradeable while combined: once fused, the item becomes untradeable.
• Fully reversible: you can dismantle it to get both original items back, restoring tradability.
• PvP death behavior: if you die in PvP while wearing Holy Molies, it splits back into Holy sandals and Mole slippers and drops accordingly.
• Not compatible with Devout boots: this is a specific Holy sandals + Mole slippers combo only.
• Likely NPC involvement: the pitch suggests a visit to Watson in Falador Park to do the combining.

Practical impact: this doesn’t change metas, but it does reduce “fashion vs function” friction for players who like the Mole slipper look while still wanting the Prayer bonus and Saradomin tag.

Hooded Slayer Helm: show 99 Slayer while keeping helm function

This one targets a classic OSRS fashion pain point: the moment you equip a Slayer helm, your Slayer cape hood stops being visible. The proposed solution is a hooded Slayer helm cosmetic unlock.

• Requirement: 99 Slayer (boosting won’t count).
• Cost: 1,000 Slayer points to unlock the ability at any Slayer master.
• Combine the Slayer cape hood with a Slayer helm (including imbued variants) to create a hooded version.
• No stat or effect changes: it functions exactly like your current Slayer helm.
• Uses the base Slayer helm appearance: existing recolours are not compatible with the hooded combination as proposed.
• Fully reversible: dismantle to get back the helm and the hood.

Practical impact: it’s a prestige cosmetic that also acts as a Slayer point sink. The only “downside” is the cost and the restriction to the base helm look, which may matter for players who prefer their current recolour.

Player-Owned House: Portal Nexus teleport additions

The Portal Nexus is meant to be the ultimate house teleport hub, but several existing teleports aren’t currently supported. This proposal adds a batch of missing teleports (the poll lists multiple destinations, such as Trollheim, among others).

• How it works: exactly like current Nexus behavior.
• Cost structure stays the same: adding a teleport costs 1,000x the normal rune cost.
• Requirements stay the same: spellbook and level requirements still apply.

Practical impact: this is a direct convenience upgrade for accounts that use POH as their routing backbone. It doesn’t change access to content, but it does consolidate travel into fewer interactions once you’ve invested the runes.

Teleport crystals are extremely useful, but the current recharging rules encourage awkward inventory/bank management: if a crystal has even one charge remaining, you can’t recharge it until it’s fully drained.

The proposal: allow recharging regardless of current charges.

• Recharge to 3 charges by default.
• Recharge to 5 charges if you’ve completed the Western Provinces hard diary.

Practical impact: fewer half-used crystals cluttering your bank and fewer “forced” detours to drain charges. For frequent Lletya/Prif-area routing, this is a straightforward quality-of-life win.

Agility shortcuts: faster, fewer clicks, less waiting

Some agility shortcuts can feel slower than just walking due to extra clicks, long animations, or weird pauses. The poll proposes a general pass on multiple shortcuts (including stepping stones and other common routes) with three core improvements:

• Single-click stepping stones: cross a sequence with one click instead of clicking each stone.
• Shorter animations: less time locked in traversal.
• Remove unnecessary delays: fewer “stand still” moments before/after crossing.

Practical impact: this makes trained Agility feel more rewarding in everyday routing. The biggest benefit is consistency: shortcuts should reliably be shortcuts, not sometimes-shortcuts.

Take a look at: our OSRS essential tips for smoother day-to-day play

Quetzal whistle upgrades: faster Varlamore transport

The Quetzal transport system is designed to help players move around Varlamore, but its current flow forces an extra step: activating the whistle sends you to a hub first, then asks where you want to go.

The proposed improvements aim to remove that loop while keeping the old behavior available for players who prefer it.

• Charged whistle opens the destination interface immediately (for unlocked destinations).
• “Last destination” option for repeat travel.
• Toggle behavior: choose whether the whistle sends you straight to the Hunter Guild or opens the destination menu.

Practical impact: less dialogue friction and faster repeat trips—especially valuable when you’re chaining activities that repeatedly bounce between the same few Varlamore points.

Lost perfected Quetzal whistle: reclaim instead of re-grinding

Building the perfected Quetzal whistle is presented as a multi-step upgrade process that starts with earning the blueprint. Losing the whistle currently means repeating the entire process.

The proposal: if you’ve already obtained the perfected whistle blueprint and you don’t currently have a perfected whistle in your inventory, bank, or storage, you can reclaim one for free from the Hunter Guild.

• Blueprint still required: the original progression gate remains intact.
• Removes repeat grind: focuses on reducing frustration rather than changing power.

Practical impact: this is particularly relevant for players who risk items, reorganize storage frequently, or play restricted modes where re-obtaining multi-step upgrades is disproportionately painful.

River canoe expansion: a new route along the River Doug

Canoes are one of OSRS’s earliest travel systems, but the current network covers a limited stretch. This poll proposes a new, separate canoe route along the River Doug, adding five new stations to connect parts of Kandarin more conveniently while keeping the classic canoe rules intact.

Key rules and notes:

• Separate network: you can’t canoe between the existing River Lum network and the new River Doug stations.
• Canoe types and Woodcutting requirements remain unchanged.
• Usable even without an axe (as proposed), reducing “oops, forgot tool” friction.

The proposed stations include:

• Near Castle Wars: synergizes with Ring of dueling access and helps with clue routing.
• Close to the Ardougne farming patch: smoother access for farming loops and early-to-mid accounts.
• South of the Ardougne Zoo: easier access into central Kandarin routing.
• East of the Chaos Druids’ Tower: improves travel toward the Fishing Guild area.
• North of the Combat Training Camp: better access toward agility/questing routes.

Practical impact: this is a “low-power, high-convenience” change that helps clue steps, farm runs, and questing routes—especially for accounts without a deep teleport unlock list.

Spirit trees currently unlock in big jumps: first at 83 Farming, second at 91, then unlimited at 99. The poll proposes spreading the progression more evenly to better match how much the network has expanded since its early design.

Proposed progression:

• Level 83: 1 spirit tree
• Level 88: 2 spirit trees
• Level 93: 3 spirit trees
• Level 96: 4 spirit trees
• Level 99: unlimited spirit trees

Temporary boosts (such as Garden pie) would still allow planting at lower levels, consistent with current mechanics.

Practical impact: more meaningful milestones during the 80s and 90s Farming grind, and more flexibility to integrate spirit trees into your personal travel network before maxing.

Trouble Brewing rum teleports: make them tradable

Red and blue rum from Trouble Brewing can be used as teleports to the Trouble Brewing minigame, but currently you must earn them yourself. The proposal makes both rums tradable, allowing players to buy them on the Grand Exchange and allowing regular Trouble Brewing players to sell excess rum from the reward shop.

• Quest gating remains: if you haven’t completed Cabin Fever, the rum teleport won’t work and will prompt you to finish the quest.
• Convenience + economy: easier first-time access to the minigame and a potential profit outlet for dedicated players.

Practical impact: lowers the barrier to entry for trying Trouble Brewing and adds a small, sensible market for a niche teleport item.

Revenant Caves teleport: choose your entrance (with a safe default)

The Revenant cave teleport scroll currently takes you only to the northern entrance, which isn’t always ideal depending on where you want to start inside the caves.

The proposal adds flexibility without forcing behavior changes:

• Default left-click remains the same: still teleports to the northern entrance.
• Add a configure option: choose a preferred entrance or set it to your last used entrance.
• Applies to Master scroll book: configuration carries over when using the scroll via the book.

Practical impact: better routing for different risk profiles (including players who prefer the southern end), while keeping the current muscle memory intact for everyone else.

Take a look at: this Revenant Caves PKing guide for safer cave routing

Unpolled travel tweaks: smaller changes that cut menus and repeated clicks

Alongside the poll, Jagex also mentions several smaller travel tweaks that are not being polled because they’re framed as trimming steps from actions you can already do, rather than adding access or shifting balance. The stated goal is fewer menus, fewer repeated clicks, and less setup repetition.

One example called out is fairy ring favourites, suggesting improvements to how frequently used fairy ring codes are selected. Exact implementation details aren’t fully covered in the source excerpt, but the intent is consistent: reduce friction while preserving existing travel systems.

What these changes mean for everyday play

Most of this poll is “small wins” that add up over time. The biggest practical improvements tend to fall into three categories:

• Routing consistency: agility shortcuts and whistle changes reduce moments where the “fast option” is inexplicably slow.
• Bank/inventory cleanliness: partial teleport crystal recharging and reclaimable whistles reduce clutter and rework.
• Network flexibility: Portal Nexus additions, spirit tree progression, and selectable Revenant entrances expand how you tailor travel to your account.

None of these proposals are pitched as meta-shifting power creep. Instead, they aim to make the same activities feel smoother: farm runs, clue scrolls, Slayer task preparation, and hopping between hubs for skilling or PvM.

Are Holy Molies a stat upgrade over Holy sandals?

No. The combination is proposed as cosmetic-only and keeps the existing Holy sandals properties (including the Prayer bonus and requirements) without adding power.

Does the hooded Slayer helm change Slayer helm effects or imbues?

No. It’s proposed as a cosmetic variant that functions exactly like your current Slayer helm, including imbued variants, with no additional effects.

Will I be able to recharge teleport crystals even if they have charges left?

That’s the proposal: recharge regardless of current charges, up to 3 by default or 5 with Western Provinces hard diary completed.

Can I still left-click Revenant cave teleport scrolls to the north entrance?

Yes. The default behavior is intended to remain unchanged; the entrance selection is added via a configure option.

No. The proposal describes it as a separate route from the River Lum canoe system, with no travel between the two networks.