Successful hit

A successful hit occurs during combat when an attack overcomes its target's Defence. It is possible to produce a 0 as a successful hit.

This can be better explained by considering the following:

For every attack, there are two stages.

• Stage 1: Roll the attacker's offensive bonuses against the target's defensive bonuses. If true, proceed to stage 2. If false, produce a 0 (splash for player Magic attacks). This is not a successful hit.
• Stage 2: Roll a hit ranging from 0 to the attacker's maximum hit (some monster special attacks, such as General Graardor's ranged attack, have a damage floor; it deals a minimum of 15 damage). This is a successful hit, even if a 0 is rolled.

A damaging spell cast by a player that hits a 0 which does not visibly splash is always a successful hit, and if it has additional effects (such as freezing for ice spells or chance to lower the target's Strength if Ahrim's equipment is worn) they will occur as usual.

Some passive effects only occur during successful hits - such as Guthan's and Karil's equipment set effects, as well as the serpentine helm where there is a chance to envenom the target.

The Saradomin godsword's special attack will only replenish the user's Hitpoints and Prayer points on a successful hit; likewise, the Zamorak godsword's special attack will only freeze a target on a successful hit. However, the dragon and statius's warhammer special attacks have to deal damage in order to lower the target's Defence level: if a successful hit results in 0 damage dealt, defence will not be lowered.

List of equipment that inflicts successful hits

Special attacks

• Bone dagger (if the player wasn't the previous entity to hit the opponent)
• Dark bow
• Dorgeshuun crossbow (if the player wasn't the previous entity to hit the opponent)
• Granite hammer
• Magic comp bow
• Magic longbow
• Seercull
• Voidwaker

Passive effects

• Diamond bolts (e)/Diamond dragon bolts (e)
• Verac the Defiled's equipment

List of monsters that always inflict successful hits

• Kalphite Queen (Ranged and Magic)
• The Nightmare/Phosani's Nightmare (Melee)
• Thrower troll

Barbarian Assault

In the Barbarian Assault minigame, there is an Attacker role. Players who level up this role will always deal an extra amount of damage equal to the level of their role against monsters when assigned the Attacker role, making it impossible to hit 0.