A temporary skill boost is anything caused by an item, Summoning familiar, or action that temporarily raises a player's level in one or more skills. It allows the player to do things above their current level. For example, a Crafting potion, which boosts a player's Crafting level by 3, will let the player craft potion flasks with a Crafting level of 86. The skill boost rounds down, for example when stranger plant boosts you from 90 farming by 4.6 levels, it appears as 94 farming.

Temporary boosts do not stack - for example, a dwarven stout provides +1 mining and smithing, and a mature dwarven stout provides +2 to the same skills; using them together will not produce +3, but +2, as that is the highest boost.

Gaining a level while a temporary boost is active will also increase the boosted level by 1.

Boosts decay back to the player's base level at a rate of 1 level per minute. Unlike most other effects, skill changes do decay while banking. The second where the boost decays is based upon the time at which the player logged in.[source needed] The Berserker curse extends this time by 15% (9 seconds).

Overloads and overload variants, and other effects which provide a 'constant' boost, resist decay by periodically re-applying their effect.

Levels which are drained are also restored at 1 level per minute. The Rapid Restore prayer doubles this rate of restoration; restore potions can restore the levels of all combat skills (except Summoning), and a super restore restores the levels of all skills, including Prayer points.

Invisible boosts

These boosts are not visible on the player's statistics screen, and most of them cannot allow a player to perform activities above his or her base level (an exception is the Crystal saw). Most invisible boosts are provided by Summoning familiars. For example, a granite lobster provides an invisible Fishing boost of four levels, but does not allow a player with 72 Fishing to catch sharks, which require 76 Fishing; instead it allows the player to catch fish with the same speed as if he or she were four levels higher. Invisible boosts do stack with visible boosts.

Entering a guild that requires a certain skill level, such as drinking a dwarven stout to enter the Mining Guild. Note: this does not work for the Warriors' Guild.

Doing an action that requires a higher level than the player is currently at, such as using a fishing potion to fish sharks.

Meeting the skill requirements of some quests, such as While Guthix Sleeps. Players should note that temporary boosts do not work on all quests.

Performing most tasks.

Investigating ancient effigies.

Items that give temporary boosts

Potions, such as the hunter potion which boosts a player's Hunter level by three.

Food, such as the garden pie which boosts a player's Farming level by three.

Drinks, such as the wizard's mind bomb which boosts a player's Magic level by two or three depending on the player's Magic level.

Summoning scrolls, such as the Tireless Run scroll which boosts a player's Agility level by two.

Spicy stews - can only be accessed with completion of Evil Dave's section in the quest Recipe for Disaster. These are random and can boost OR lower a skill by up to five.

The crystal saws from The Eyes of Glouphrie and Prifddinas provide an invisible boost of three and five respectively to a player's Construction level. They allow players to build items as if their Construction level was three or five levels higher; this is an invisible boost and so can be used in conjunction with tea or stews.

Capes of Accomplishment boost the corresponding skill level to 100/99 when the cape is equipped or operated. Prayer and Constitution skillcapes have a cool down period of 1 minute.

God banners will allow you to boost one non-combat skill by 2 levels for a period of 30 minutes each day. Completing the exploration set will allow you to boost Agility by 5 levels for 30 minutes a day. Completing the combat set will allow you to boost one combat skill by 5 levels for a period of 30 minutes each day.