Picking a good base site is one of the most important choices you make in RuneScape: Dragonwilds 1.0. Your home base is where you farm crops, craft gear, store supplies and prepare for fights. A poorly chosen spot can waste hours of your playtime, while a great location supports you from early starter gameplay all the way through endgame. This guide breaks down the key rules for Dragonwilds base selection and reviews top building spots for every stage of your run, with clear pros for each site.
RuneScape Dragonwilds 1.0 Best Base Building Locations
Before looking at specific zones, learn the four core factors to judge any potential base location.
Close access to water. Water is almost mandatory for any permanent base. If you build far away from a lake or pond, farming crops becomes a constant chore. You will keep running back and forth to fill buckets, which slows progress heavily. A good base sits right beside usable water for farming and fishing.
Safety and raid mechanics. The zone level sets the difficulty of raids that target your base. When a raid starts, you will hear a horn warning that enemies are coming.A critical tip: raiding enemies will only attack and damage your base if you stay inside the building. When you hear the horn, step outside your house immediately. Fight the raiders at your doorway or lure them a short distance away from walls. Never stay indoors during a raid, or your structures will break.
Long-term resource availability. Think about resources you will use through the whole game, not just early RuneScape Dragonwilds items. Red berries lose value once you unlock better alternatives, but law runes stay important from start to finish. Law runes power fast travel, so nearby access to rune spawns is a big plus.
Kebbit burrows. A Kebbit burrow near your base is a huge advantage. These tunnels let you travel across long distances on the map with no law rune cost. You only need a shovel to dig out both ends of the burrow to unlock the two-way travel route.
1. Temple Woods/Bramblemead Valley Edge - Best early starter base
Where to find: This starter spot sits on the border between Temple Woods and Bramblemead Valley, near the temple. Avoid building right next to the wizard NPC; this nearby spot is far better.
Why it works: This is the top overall starting base. It sits at a natural midpoint for your early exploration. At this stage you have no fast travel yet, so the waterfront position saves you endless trips. There is plenty of flat building space, direct access to water for farming, and fishing spots right behind your base. Many basic resources spawn nearby for early crafting and gathering.
2. Lake North of Temple Woods Church - Best low-risk mid-game transition base
Where to find: Move here once you unlock some fast travel options. This site is on the lake just north of the church inside Temple Woods. It counts as a tier two zone.
Why it works: This area has much larger flat ground than the starter border spot. Oak trees and a dense forest cluster grow right behind your base for easy wood farming. The lake provides unlimited water, plus multiple fishing locations including net fishing spots. A small group of Lavernius spawn nearby so you can farm them conveniently. Raids here are very manageable: only one wave of level 1 goblins, usually five enemies total. Two or three waves can trigger occasionally, but these low-level goblins are simple to defeat.
3. Fractured Plains Plateau Site — Best for scenic mid-game builds with minor threats
Where to find: This plateau location is in Fractured Plains, the third major zone you unlock. Reach it by travelling through Whispering Swamps.
Why it works: This high plateau meets nearly all of the base requirements, with only minor enemy threats. It has a reliable water source with two net fishing points and two regular fishing spots. A vault sits very close to your build area, and natural stone bridges already exist in the landscape that you can integrate into your building design. There is plenty of flat land for construction. A small wolf spawn can appear here, but encounters are rare. A rock wall nearby marks the spawn zone for three local Garou enemies: one bone archer and two sword fighters. Build a wall across this gap to block their path. If the Garou cannot see you, they will not aggro. The view from this plateau is spectacular; you can overlook highlands, waterfalls, the starting zone castle and a nearby encampment.
4. Chasm Overlook Site - Best single-player aesthetic endgame base
Where to find: This build spot overlooks a massive misty chasm with cliffs and a distant tower. It sits on high ground with a nearby water source and fishing spot.
Why it works: The scenery is breathtaking, with mixed coloured trees framing the chasm and tower view. Garu patrol near the rock bridge, and death birds plus wolves wander the rock edges. Simple walls along the rock ridge will stop these creatures from entering your base. Wide flat ground leaves lots of room for large builds.This location shines brightest in single-player mode. The 1.0 update added a new zone entrance close by. The water inside the chasm itself cannot be used, but you can build rain reservoirs to collect fresh water. On multiplayer servers building here may not be allowed because your structures could block other players. No enemies spawn on the ruined high ground at the top, and you can place foundations once you find valid snap points. This spot is a strong candidate for an endgame single-player base, thanks to its visual appeal and direct access to the new region.
5. Northern Bleakfields Valley Site - Best low-threat mid-game base
Where to find: Head north on the map to Bleakfields Valley, an undead region. Follow the path past zombie spawns until you reach an NPC, with a nearby waypoint marker.
Why it works: Large flat building space is available here. A fishing spot and one net fishing location sit close by. Natural berry bushes grow in this area; berries are useful for late-game infusions. Rune spawns can also be found on the rear side of the zone.Zombies are the only regular threat. They spawn and roam around the edges, so build a few boundary walls to stop them wandering into your base. Overall, this is a calm, low-risk zone with solid basic resources.
6. Witchwillow Range Base - Best for permanent resource base, mid to endgame
Where to find: This base sits beside a pond on the left side of Witchwillow Range. A Kebbit burrow is very close to this location.
Why it works: This spot checks almost every box for a perfect base. No enemies spawn directly at the pond build site. The nearby Kebbit burrow grants free long-distance fast travel. The pond offers two net fishing spots plus a standard fishing area, rune spawns, coal and iron deposits, berry bushes and willow trees. There is a huge flat area for building.A cave nearby holds a treasure chest you can farm repeatedly for soul essence. A short walk uphill leads to a nether cave packed with iron ore, plus wolves that drop dragon hide. The only real danger comes from raids, as this zone has higher difficulty. With proper preparation against raids, you can use this base from mid-game all the way to endgame.
7. Library Courtyard Base - Best for large-scale endgame builds
Where to find: This large courtyard site unlocks later in story progression. It is surrounded by ancient primate architecture.
Why it works: No enemies spawn or patrol inside the courtyard itself. All local water is usable, and four separate net fishing spots are available. A repeatable loot chest sits just outside your build boundary. The open flat area supports huge, detailed base builds.Watch out for explosive enemies in the surrounding area. They will not come into the courtyard unless provoked, so the site remains safe most of the time.