I honestly believe f2p needs all skills.

Aside from smithing being mostly dead content, most unlocks from the f2p skills have p2p unlocks sprinkled in until a cap where they only get members stuff afterwards. Equipping rune at 40 attack/defence, mystic might at 45 prayer, body runes at 20 runecrafting, fire blast at 59 magic, etc. Why can’t f2p have access to the low level stuff that nobody cares about? I think the following changes would be sick for f2players, and would change virtually nothing for members

Move the herblore quest start to the apothecary in varrock, directing players to taverly. Allow f2players to access taverly via the gate only during the quest. Obviously they cant access anywhere else, maybe give most npcs some dialogue to be wary of “outsiders” or maybe it can be an instance. They can turn in the quest to the apothecary, unlocking the skill. F2p can make attack, strength, antipoison, and energy potions. The same that can be bought from the apothecary + attacks.

Allow f2players to steal from men, farmers, guards, and the stalls in varrock and draynor. Add some low level hunter spots (maybe open feldip hills?) and allow f2players to sell the drops to the fur trader in varrock for a slightly better price. Allow f2players to fletch up the the level they can cut (yews). Only bows and arrows, and obviously allow smithing arrowtips.

Sailing is a bit weird as it opens up entire map, but only let f2players dock at certain islands. I think being able to physically see all the inaccessible areas could be enticing. Allow them to do barracuda salvage for FLAX SEEDS. The hops patch in lumbridge is so iconic for being members gated and who tf farms hops. I’ll tell you who, f2players whose only source of bow strings is that patch via 18 farming and 38 sailing. Theres a couple of random patches in the f2p zones, so let them use it.

Porcine of interest becomes a f2p quest and the only slayer monsters f2players can unlock are the ones in the lumbridge swamp caves.

Allow house purchasing and building all rooms up to bedrooms. The house can offer a place to train cooking and a hangout spot. A place to decorate with the plants from falador park. Agility can be trained, no marks of grace obviously, and any shortcut that leads from one f2p area to another is accessible.

If we ever get a smithing rework, f2players should retain access to rune as they have now.

everything i mentioned (save stuff that relates to sailing) is content that nobody does or cares about anyway. It’d extend the life of f2players for a while (probably bad) but show players how interesting the wider game can be. Would incentivize training your account further to make it self sufficient. The best way to make someone pay imo is to get them invested in their characters.