Become a Soul Reaper in today's combat update from the RuneScape Ninja Team. Help Death restore balance to Gielinor by taking down some of its toughest bosses.

Earn reaper points for killing assigned boss targets and earn a range of rewards: powerful jewellery, a permanent reduction in instance-creation costs, aura refresh items, and more.

Read on for more information, or log in and head to Death's office now, via the portal just north of Draynor Village.

Live by the Sword

Once you reach Death's office - somewhat refurbished since the old death tutorial - he'll explain the situation in detail.

First, he'll hand you a grim gem - much like the enchanted gem you'd get from a slayer master.

Then, once per day, he'll offer you a boss-killing assignment that's achievable at your combat level. These range from the Giant Mole, Kalphite Queen and Barrows Brothers, all the way up to Rise of the Six, Araxxi and Vorago.

If you don't like the one he offers you, he'll give you an alternative, as long as you qualify for a different assignment.

Death will give you up to five alternatives per day, but each alternative offered after the first will reduce the reaper points you receive on completion by 25% - down to none on the fifth.

See the full list of assignments and their requirements on the wiki.

Cash In Your Chips

Completing assignments for Death earns you a modest amount of Slayer XP, and a sum of reaper points, which be used to purchase some smashing rewards:

Aura refresh items offer a one-time reset of a combat aura on cooldown. You can use one per day, and they come in a variety of tiers, relating to the tiers of the auras they affect.

items offer a one-time reset of a combat aura on cooldown. You can use one per day, and they come in a variety of tiers, relating to the tiers of the auras they affect. Death's Deal is a consumable item that reduces the degradation of armour and weapons by 50% on your next death.

is a consumable item that reduces the degradation of armour and weapons by 50% on your next death. Permanently decrease instance costs by 25% with the 'instance cost' effect.

with the 'instance cost' effect. Permanently increase bonfire health boost durations by 25% with 'bonfire booster'.

with 'bonfire booster'. Rainbow loot beams allow you to highlight your valuable drops with a cascade of colour.

allow you to highlight your valuable drops with a cascade of colour. Unlock the ability to buy extra Soul Reaper assignments , in exchange for your spare slayer points.

, in exchange for your spare slayer points. Incomplete hydrix is a new gem that can be combined with an onyx, then made into powerful equipment.

Level 79+ crafters among you can create jewellery from the completed hydrix gem. At level 87 Magic, you can use the Level-6 Enchant spell to create the following:

Ring of death - has a chance to heal you for 2.5% of a slain target's maximum life points.

- has a chance to heal you for 2.5% of a slain target's maximum life points. Reaper necklace - grants a stackable 'reaper' buff when you score a critical hit, granting 1% increase to attack bonus in all styles for 10 seconds, up to a maximum of 3% for 3 stacks.

- grants a stackable 'reaper' buff when you score a critical hit, granting 1% increase to attack bonus in all styles for 10 seconds, up to a maximum of 3% for 3 stacks. Deathtouch bracelet - has a chance to reflect 25-50% of damage you receive back to your opponent.

- has a chance to reflect 25-50% of damage you receive back to your opponent. Amulet of souls - gives you a chance to heal 25-50% extra from Soul Split.

These pieces of jewellery are degradable and cannot be repaired. They last for around 10 hours of combat before degrading to dust.

Level 80 Fletchers can also make hydrix bolt tips, which can be added to ascension bolts and - at level 90 Magic - enchanted to create ascendri bolts. This potent ammunition can grant you a 'deathmark' buff when you hit a target, which gives you 1% more adrenaline per hit while active.

See the wiki for full details of rewards.

Finally, there are a bunch of cool cosmetic rewards, granted once you've put down a certain number of the bosses included in Soul Reaper. These include two titles: 'the Reaper' and 'Final Boss' - and a full set of cosmetic overrides: the Vanquisher armour.

Visit the wiki to find out how these unlock. Note that you donít need to be on a Soul Reaper assignment for kills to count. We've been tracking this since the update on 22nd July, so you may have unlocked some already.

Danse Macabre

It's a grim job, but someone's got to do it. Gear up and get reaping, then join the discussion over on the forums.

The RuneScape Ninja Team

In Other News

Solomon's got some splendid new wings and tails in stock. Head over to Solomon's General Store now and take a look.

Wings and capes can now be worn at the same time. Pull up the Wardrobe interface in-game and perfect your high-flying look.

Changes to your loot beam settings are now made by visiting Death in his office. You can get there via the portal just north of Draynor Village.

See the patch notes for further details of today's updates.