How to understand and use PID in OSRS PvP

This guide explains Player Identification Number (PID), how to spot who is "on PID" vs "off PID", and what that means for eating, specs, and stacking damage. Primary reference: OSRS Wiki — Player identification number.

Two players fighting; one player is on PID
What is PID?
Quick definition and why it matters in PvP.

PID (Player Identification Number) determines which player’s damage is processed at the beginning of a game tick and which is processed at the end. The player with PID will have their hit-splat appear at the beginning of the tick; the other player’s hit will appear at the end. This timing difference is what makes certain combos (specs + arrows, venge + spec, etc.) either eatable or not.

Explainer video
Short walkthrough (embedded) — useful for visualizing hit-splat timing and tick examples.
How to identify PID in a fight
Look at hit-splat timing vs animations.
  • When both players hit at the exact same time, the on-PID hit-splat appears just before the other.
  • If you’re not hitting simultaneously, compare your hit-splat to your animation: an early hit-splat (before or early in the animation) means you are on PID; a late hit-splat (end of animation) means off PID.
  • Watch examples: range arrows that disappear before a hit-splat indicate off-PID; an arrow that is still visible when your hit-splat appears indicates on-PID.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions players search for about PID (matches structured data).

Common combat scenarios
Summaries of examples and what to do on/off PID.

1) Eating reflected/veng damage

If you are off PID, you must play defensively — your opponent’s venge or reflected damage will process before your eat if they have PID. When on PID you can often land damage early in the tick and still eat the incoming reflected damage before it processes.

2) G-maul (spec) usage

Using a G-maul spec while off PID tends to stack in a way that the opponent can eat; when on PID the spec stacks with other damage and can produce instant KOs. Be cautious with specing when off PID.

3) Vengeance timing

Speccing when off PID is risky because the opponent can venge before your damage processes — causing you to take extra damage and possibly die. High-level PKers often use misc clicks or ring swaps to avoid hitting in that dangerous window.

4) Range damage stacking

MSB style PKing stacks arrow damage with spec damage when on PID. If your opponent is off PID there will be a larger gap and you may have time to eat before the spec processes.

5) PID swaps

PID can change every ~24–36s. A PID swap can make previously eatable damage become uneatable by shifting one source of damage to the beginning of the tick. Recognizing swaps is a high-skill observation that allows capitalization or proper eating.

Practical tips
  • When off PID: favor defensive play, delay risky specs, and prioritize eating before the opponent’s damage processes.
  • When on PID: you can be more aggressive — landing early damage lets you often eat afterwards or stack specs.
  • Use small tactical clicks (ground clicks, ring swaps) to avoid hitting at the wrong time window.
  • Practice watching the tick metronome and hit-splat timing in low-stakes fights to learn the visual cues.
References & further reading
Original resources
Transcript (source video)
PID or player
PID Explained & Identifying
identification number is essentially who
will get the first hit when two people
are fighting the player who has PID will
have their hit Splat appear at the
beginning of a tick where the person who
is off pit or doesn't have pit will have
their hit Splat appear at the end of a
tick pit is really easy to identify when
two people are hitting the exact same
time as one hit Splat will appear just
before the other ...

[transcript shortened for readability — full transcript available in video]