Steel in the Fellhollow update of RuneScape: DragonWilds is a large component; it serves as a bridge between weaker and stronger items when combined with other materials to deliver stronger gear, and marks the start for all types of stone construction. However, if you’re unsure where to begin, or how the different systems introduced in this update work, then this article will help you with everything you need to know to get started with steel, build the Stonecutter, and learn how to craft stone blocks efficiently.
Reaching the Fell Lands
Following your conversation with the Wizard, a quest marker will appear indicating that you should visit the mysterious door at the northern section of the map. Before continuing, make sure that you have finished all previous quest objectives as it will not allow you access to the Fell Lands otherwise. Once you enter this new zone, there will be a brief tutorial that teaches you how to explore.
Finding Coal and Unlocking the Blast Furnace
One of the primary resources you’re going to be looking for in the Fell Lands is coal. This is a brand-new resource in the game and is not the same type of resource as charcoal. Once you successfully mine your first coal node, you will gain access to the Blast Furnace recipe.
At this point of the game, you should also have accessed the mining spell, so make sure you use this spell whenever you encounter a coal node that’s stuck or located at an elevated location, although you’ll still find plenty of coal nodes that can be mined directly from the ground.
Crafting the Blast Furnace
Head back to your base and place the Blast Furnace. You’ll need the following materials:
- Granite (which you’ve likely gathered plenty of by now)
- Iron bars (iron nodes are common in the Fell zone)
- Fire Runes
- Vault Cores
Most of these are straightforward at this point. The tricky part is the new material required for the furnace: Draconic Leather.
How to Get Draconic Leather
While exploring the Fell Lands, you’ll encounter Dragon Wolves. Defeating them drops two key items, Dragon Wolf Hide and Dragon Blood. You have two ways to turn these into Dragon Leather:
- Place Dragon Wolf Hide directly into the tannery
- Combine Dragon Blood with Hard Leather to produce Dragon Leather
To make Draconic Leather specifically, combine one Dragon Blood with three pieces of Hard Leather. Hard Leather itself can be obtained in a few ways:
- Four Hard Leather Scraps (dropped by undead cows) can be combined into one piece
- Regular leather and adhesive can also be crafted into Hard Leather
If these recipes aren’t showing up, double-check that you’ve built the Tanning Kit, which unlocks additional tanning options.
Making Steel Bars
Once the Blast Furnace is built, you can start producing steel. There are two ways to do this:
- Three Iron Ore + Three Coal = One Steel Bar
- One Iron Ingot + Three Coal = One Steel Bar
If you still have iron ore available, using it is more resource-efficient than converting ingots first.
Fuel Bricks (Important)
Steel production also requires a new fuel type: Fuel Bricks. These are crafted at a regular crafting bench using:
- One Charcoal
- One Adhesive
- One Fur Scrap
Each Fuel Brick allows you to produce two steel bars, making them essential if you’re planning to craft steel gear in bulk.
Steel is heavily used in new weapons and armor, particularly for Paladin-style equipment.
Unlocking and Building the Stonecutter
As soon as you craft your first steel bar, the Stonecutter becomes available. To build it, you’ll need:
- 18 Oak Logs
- 4 Steel Bars
- 8 Fine Thread
- 1 Vault Core
With the Stonecutter placed, you can begin turning stone into building materials:
Two Stone = One Stone Block
This unlocks a wide range of stone-based structures, including walls, foundations, beams, and roofs. Compared to earlier building pieces, stone foundations feature larger brickwork and a cleaner surface, while the beams are darker and provide visual contrast. The stone roofs also introduce a shingle-style look that feels more solid and refined.
Note: Fine Thread is made from Corpse Cotton, which grows throughout the swamps in the Fell Lands. When harvested, the plant bursts open and drops cotton (usually without dealing damage). There’s also a chance to collect seeds, letting you grow it later once the appropriate crop plot is unlocked.
