Black mask OSRS — Stats, Price & How to Get It

Q: What does the Black mask do?

While you're fighting a monster on your assigned Slayer task, it boosts your melee accuracy and damage by 16.67% (one sixth). Off task it gives no combat bonus, so it's an always-on helmet while you're slaying and a swap-out otherwise. The base mask is melee only — the imbued black mask (i) also boosts Ranged and Magic.

Q: What level do you need to wear a Black mask?

You need 20 Strength, 10 Defence and 40 Combat to equip it. There's no Slayer requirement to wear it — the on-task bonus works on whatever monster you've been assigned.

Q: Does the Black mask boost Ranged and Magic?

The base Black mask only boosts melee on task. To get the bonus on Ranged and Magic you need the imbued version — the black mask (i) — which adds a 15% boost to Ranged and Magic accuracy and damage on top of the melee bonus.

Q: How do you get a Black mask?

It's a 1/512 drop from cave horrors in the Mos Le'Harmless Cave. Reaching them needs 58 Slayer, completion of the Cabin Fever quest, a witchwood icon and a light source. Because it's tradeable, most players just buy one off the Grand Exchange.

Q: What are the Black mask's charges?

The dropped mask comes charged with 10 charges. While charged it has a chance to lower an attacking monster's Defence (by 2 + 7%, rounded down) at a 1/10 chance per hit. Once all 10 charges are used up there's no way to recharge it — but the on-task accuracy and damage boost stays exactly the same. The spent, uncharged mask is the plain Black mask (item 8921).

Q: How do you use a Black mask to make a Slayer helmet?

Once you've unlocked Malevolent masquerade (400 Slayer reward points) and have 55 Crafting, combine the Black mask with a facemask, earmuffs, nose peg, spiny helmet and an enchanted gem. Combining it into the helmet uses up all of its charges, but the on-task bonus carries over to the finished Slayer helmet.

Q: Does the Black mask stack with the Salve amulet?

No — the Black mask's on-task bonus does not stack with the Salve amulet's undead bonus. On an undead monster that's also your task, the game uses whichever of the two is higher, not both.

The Black mask is a head slot item best known for its on-task combat bonus: while you're fighting a monster on your assigned Slayer task, it boosts your melee accuracy and damage by 16.67% (one sixth). To equip it you need 20 Strength, 10 Defence and 40 Combat. It's a rare drop from cave horrors in the Mos Le'Harmless Cave, and it's the core component used to build the Slayer helmet. Its imbued upgrade, the black mask (i), extends the on-task bonus to Ranged and Magic too.

Equipment bonuses

The Black mask's worn defensive bonuses are modest — its real value is the on-task combat passive below, not the stat table. That boost is conditional (it only applies while you're on the right task), so it shows up as a percentage in the fight rather than a flat number on the mask.

Attack bonuses

−3

−1

Defence bonuses

+10

−1

Other bonuses

+0%

Head

Head slot · members · tradeable · requires 20 Strength, 10 Defence and 40 Combat to equip. There is no Slayer-level requirement to wear it — the combat passive applies on any assigned task.

Grand Exchange price history

Current guide price Live

1,348K

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Live Grand Exchange history, refreshed every few minutes (source: prices.runescape.wiki) · tap the chart for any day’s price.

The on-task bonus, charges & the imbued version

What the Black mask does on task

+16.67%melee acc & damage

While you're fighting a monster that's on your assigned Slayer task, the Black mask boosts your melee accuracy and damage by 16.67% (one sixth). Off task it gives no combat bonus, so it's an always-on helmet while you're slaying and a swap-out otherwise.

The base mask's bonus is melee only. The imbued version — the black mask (i) — keeps the melee bonus and adds a 15% boost to Ranged and Magic accuracy and damage on task. Here's exactly what each version gives:

Black mask bonus by version (on assigned task only)

Version	Melee acc / dmg	Ranged acc / dmg	Magic acc / dmg
Black mask	16.67%	—	—
Black mask (i)	16.67%	15%	15%

"(i)" = imbued (also boosts Ranged & Magic). Every bonus applies only against monsters on your assigned Slayer task. Source: OSRS Wiki.

The dropped mask also comes charged with 10 charges. While charged, it has a 1/10 chance on an incoming hit to lower the attacking monster's Defence by 2 + 7% (rounded down). The charges are one-time only — once all 10 are gone there's no way to recharge it, but the on-task accuracy and damage boost is unaffected and stays for good. The spent mask is the plain Black mask.

It is the core of the Slayer helmet. Combine the Black mask with a facemask, earmuffs, nose peg, spiny helmet and an enchanted gem to build a Slayer helmet, which carries this same on-task bonus into one head slot piece (an imbued black mask makes the slayer helmet (i)). The bonus also does not stack with the Salve amulet — on an undead task monster the game uses whichever bonus is higher, not both.

How to get the Black mask

The Black mask is a rare drop from cave horrors in the Mos Le'Harmless Cave. Reaching them isn't trivial: you need 58 Slayer, completion of the Cabin Fever quest, a witchwood icon (to survive the cave's cutscene horrors) and a light source. Because the mask is tradeable, most players buy one straight off the Grand Exchange instead of grinding for the drop.

Cave horror drop rate

Drop	Rate per kill
Black mask (charged)	1 in 512

Cave horrors drop the charged mask; it becomes the plain Black mask once its 10 charges are spent. Requires 58 Slayer, Cabin Fever, a witchwood icon and a light source. Source: OSRS Wiki.

The Black mask is the component you need to build a Slayer helmet — that's the main reason most players want one. Combining it into the helmet uses up its charges but keeps the on-task combat bonus.

Black mask FAQ

What does the Black mask do?

While you're fighting a monster on your assigned Slayer task, it boosts your melee accuracy and damage by 16.67% (one sixth). Off task it gives no combat bonus, so it's an always-on helmet while you're slaying and a swap-out otherwise. The base mask is melee only — the imbued black mask (i) also boosts Ranged and Magic.

What level do you need to wear a Black mask?

You need 20 Strength, 10 Defence and 40 Combat to equip it. There's no Slayer requirement to wear it — the on-task bonus works on whatever monster you've been assigned.

Does the Black mask boost Ranged and Magic?

The base Black mask only boosts melee on task. To get the bonus on Ranged and Magic you need the imbued version — the black mask (i) — which adds a 15% boost to Ranged and Magic accuracy and damage on top of the melee bonus.

How do you get a Black mask?

It's a 1/512 drop from cave horrors in the Mos Le'Harmless Cave. Reaching them needs 58 Slayer, completion of the Cabin Fever quest, a witchwood icon and a light source. Because it's tradeable, most players just buy one off the Grand Exchange.

What are the Black mask's charges?

The dropped mask comes charged with 10 charges. While charged it has a chance to lower an attacking monster's Defence (by 2 + 7%, rounded down) at a 1/10 chance per hit. Once all 10 charges are used up there's no way to recharge it — but the on-task accuracy and damage boost stays exactly the same. The spent, uncharged mask is the plain Black mask (item 8921).

How do you use a Black mask to make a Slayer helmet?

Once you've unlocked Malevolent masquerade (400 Slayer reward points) and have 55 Crafting, combine the Black mask with a facemask, earmuffs, nose peg, spiny helmet and an enchanted gem. Combining it into the helmet uses up all of its charges, but the on-task bonus carries over to the finished Slayer helmet.

Does the Black mask stack with the Salve amulet?

No — the Black mask's on-task bonus does not stack with the Salve amulet's undead bonus. On an undead monster that's also your task, the game uses whichever of the two is higher, not both.

How much is a Black mask worth?

See the live price and history chart above. The price drifts with cave-horror supply and demand from players building Slayer helmets.

Update history

14 Apr 2016An "Uncharge" option was added to the mask.

26 Sep 2013Black masks could now be imbued, granting combat bonuses with Magic or Ranged against your Slayer target and slightly improving their stats.

Source: OSRS Wiki — Black mask (Changes).

Black mask