I am one of the low in number women out there who enjoys online gaming. Due to my current financial state, and the fact that I don't always know when I will have free time, I play Lord of the Rings Online. The game is free to play, although you are only allowed access to 4 areas of the game before you have to pay with Turbine Points to access other areas. This blog is going to focus on the fastest and easiest ways to earn Turbine Points, and what to expect if you're a new player.
Having played this game for over 3 years now, I have unlocked most of the game with the Turbine Points, or TPs, as they are called by the players. To earn these points, you have 2 options: you can either go online or to your local gaming store and purchase them in bundles from 500-2000 points, or you can take the slower way and earn them yourself. I did the latter and have unlocked almost every available area, plus a few other bonuses on the side. What I have done to do this takes a lot of time, but I found several ways to earn points that will not take as much time.
The way that points are earned is by deeds. 98% of these deeds immediately pop up to you once they are available. The other 2% are hidden so that you don't earn them unless you find them, such as hidden dungeons or falling down a great big well in Moria (yes, you earn points for that, even though you usually die in the process). The deeds that you can earn are primarily in these categories:
Quests - by completing a certain amount of quests, you are awarded a minimum of 5 TPs. These quest deeds are done in introduction, advanced, and final. Each completion provides and extra 5-10 TPs for which level you finish.
Kills - the amount of mobs you kill. For example, if you kill 30 orcs, you earn 5 TPs. After that deed is completed, you then are given the option to kill double that amounts for 10 TPs. Every area, depending on the level, will have varying numbers that you will have to kill. Depending on which race you select to play, each one will have you as the "enmity of" a certain mob, such as they orcs. By slaying a larger number of these mobs, you will not only earn more TPs, but you also unlock specific racial traits that boost your character. There are also deeds for slaying mob bosses.
Areas - each region of Middle Earth has specific areas you can find. Some of them follow the Fellowship from the books, some are battlefields, some are mob bases, some are places in the wild, and many are ruins. There are other types of areas to locate, but most fall under those categories. All you need to do is find every area in your deed log and you earn 5-10 TPs. Some of these areas, however, will not show up as an attainable deed unless you find it first. In the area of Enedwaith, there is a hidden fishing hole (which also has 2 lootable items there, so checking every few minutes gets you at least a good handful of change and maybe some good crafting items too). When you find it, your deed log automatically pops up, telling you that it has been completed and you have earned 5 TPs. Unless you look it up on the main site, you would not know about this deed.
Specific Items and Drops - in certain areas, usually in dungeons and other fellowship/group instances, the mobs will drop items like old weapons, plans of war, pages of old books and other unique items. When you collect all, you will earn TPs. There are others, like finding objects in specific areas. For example, in the Old Forest, there are 8 flowers that you can locate. By using each flower that you find, you complete the deed and are then automatically awarded the points. These types of deeds are most prevalent in the fellowship instances. The other item drops are items that, when used, earn you anywhere from 30-700 rep points with that faction. You can also craft reputation items, but each craft only benefits one faction.
Reputation - your reputation with the Free Peoples of Middle Earth is one of the best ways to earn TPs. With most peoples, you start at a neutral reputation. As you complete quests for these factions, or locate items that give you rep with that specific group of people, you earn TPs. When neutral changes to acquaintance, you earn 5 TPs. When acquaintance changes to friend, you earn 10. When friend changes to ally, you earn 15. And finally, when you reach the final stage of kindred, you earn 20 TPs. This particular deed, however, does also offer better deeds in the process. If you are able to reach the kindred status of every faction in Eriador, you wind up earning 50 TPs. This is the highest attainable amount of TPs that can be earned, and can usually only be completed after level 65.
Tasks - certain drops from mobs, such as weapons or animal furs, can earn you both reputation and deeds. By turning in 10 of an item, like a broken dagger, you earn 300 reputation with the faction in that area (warning: not all task boards offer rep). You are limited to 5 tasks a day, but every time you reach another 100, you earn 5 TPs, plus an additional task slot. You can have up to 15 task slots. However, if you level up too fast in the area you are in, the tasks will no longer be available, as they are only open to a certain level span.
The Epic Storyline - the storyline is, in my opinion, the most unique part of the game. It shows players what has been going on since the Fellowship left with the ring, and what you can do to protect Middle Earth, as well as interacting with the Fellowship at certain points. The epic storyline is currently divided into 3 volumes, each containing many book quests. When you finish half of each volume, you earn a minimum of 10 TPs. The storylines, though they take a while to complete, do keep you engrossed the entire time.
So those are the primary ways to complete deeds and earn TPs. Now, how to complete enough to make the game workable?
Believe it or not, the fastest way to earn a buttload of TPs is within the first 20 levels. When starting a new character, you are instantly thrown into the middle of the epic storyline. Once you complete that first part, your character starts out in either Bree-land, Ered Luin, or the Shire. If you choose the race of men, starting out in Bree-land will not do you much good, and I'll get to that reason in a minute.
The best area to start your character out at is Ered Luin. The reason for this is the fact that both elves and dwarves have quests in this area. Since there are two races, there are double the race deeds available. If you use the deed accelerator that you get at level 14 in the right area, you can easily complete all the slayer deeds and earn over 100 TPs in 3-4 hours. What also makes it so convenient is the fact that, despite there being two separate starting points, it is a small area. With the different regions closer together, you do not have to worry about trips that are too long to get from one quest to another. You don't even have to specifically be an elf or dwarf to start there. If you choose to be a man/woman or hobbit, you can complete the intro story and then zip over to Bree or Michel Delving and ride a horse that will take you instantly to either Thorin's Hall or Celondim.
If you choose to play your character in the Shire or Bree-land, that is your choice. However, both of these lands are enormous, and it makes covering territory a longer process, especially if you use your rental mount right away. There is also the fact the Bree-land isn't like Ered Luin or the Shire, in which both areas are for levels 1-15. Bree-land is for levels 1-22. At level 15 for Ered Luin and the Shire, you then transfer to Bree-land where you can start the quest deeds and earn more TPs. By starting in Bree-land, you knock out the quest deeds right away, thereby robbing you of over 100 TPs that you could have earned. Ultimately, it's your choice, as the epic storyline for the race of men is particularly fun, and the quests they have there are fun and pretty intense (LOTS of spiders!). But if you're out to harvest TPs, do not start in Bree-land.
Here is a more thorough synopsis of the free areas:
Ered Luin - area furthest west in Middle Earth, for levels 1-15; starting points for elves at Celondim and dwarves at Thorin's Hall. This area has more location deeds to compensate for having 2 races start here. There is also the Sarnur dungeon for minimum level 45 to return to for rep with Thorin's Hall. There are no reputation item drops outside of Sarnur, and there is only one task board, which is located at Gondamon and provides rep for Thorin's Hall. The dwarf quests will earn you rep with Thorin's Hall, but the elf quests will not earn rep with anyone. Being a smaller area, all of the quests and deeds in this area can be completed within 3-5 hours if you have that amount of free time and use the 24 hour rental steed.
The Shire - east of Ered Luin, west of Bree-land, for levels 5-15, starting point for hobbits. This area covers a lot of ground, and if you complete all the quests, you will be well past level 15 when you finally have to transfer to Bree-land. There are no rep item drops, but you can earn gift mathoms by completing certain quests which will earn you rep with the Mathom Society . There is only one task board located in Hobbiton, and this area is usually a hub of holiday activity when there are festivals going on. If you are out to earn rep right away, the Shire also offers quests that earn rep with the Mathom Society. After completing every quest, you are usually a high ranking acquaintance or friend by the time you go to Bree-land. There is also an unconfirmed rumor that the daily Hobbit presents that you get once a day tend to be better if you finish every Shire quest.
Bree-land - east of the Shire, for levels 1-22, starting point for men and women. The eastern portion of this area is for levels 1-15, while the rest of the area is for levels 16-22. This area provides the dungeons of the Great Barrows. There is one task board in Bree-town, which earns you rep with the Men of Bree. There are rep item drops for both the Men of Bree and Mathom Society, but they are only found in tombs in the Barrow-Downs. In a small area near the Henstader Farm, there are a few quests that earn rep with Thorin's Hall. The northern and southern portions of the Barrow Downs, as well as the Old Forest, are specific regions of Bree-land that hold their own extra deeds, but are rather difficult to do solo. It is usually more logical to start your character off in Ered Luin or the Shire in order to gain more TPs with deeds, as the deeds in this area know no levels. There is also the area of Ost Alagos, which is for a minimum level of 55 and is a little too close to the level 15 area. Be careful venturing too far east!
Lone Lands - east of Bree-land, for levels 22-30, and includes the Garth Agarwen dungeons and the Inn at the Forsaken Instance (which is not free, you need to unlock it). This area provides reputation for the Eglain and Thorin's Hall. There are no item drops in this area (with the exception of mathoms in the Garth Agarwen dungeons), but there are 2 task boards, and there is a reward vendor in Ost Guruth that will offer you crafting quests which will award you with 700 rep points for every crafted item you turn in. Reaching kindred status with the Eglain provides you with an instant guide to Ost Guruth for you to transport to that location. This guide will come in handy if you are not an elf, warden or a hunter (more info on this towards the bottom).
After completing the Lone Lands quests, you will need to start unlocking the other areas of the game to upgrade your character. Your choice of area should be one that will better advance your character in both experience and reputation.
Here is a list of areas that you will need to unlock:
Eriador
North Downs - north of Bree-land, offers quests for levels 20-35, and includes the Fornost dungeons for levels 41+. This area provides reputation for the Men of Bree, Thorin's Hall and the Rangers of Esteldin. There are 4 task boards, and only 2 of them offer rep and each one has rep for a different faction. However, the quests and task boards alone for the Rangers will not earn you enough rep to become kindred. Reputation items are found in the battleground of Dol Dinen or in the minimum level 40 region Angmar to the North, but you will need a fellowship to survive either one. Fornost also offers plenty of rep with the Rangers, but only one level of the dungeon comes with the quest pack, and you will need to unlock the other levels individually. There is also the Stoneheight dungeon, but that is only accessible through the level 65 "In Their Absence" storyline.
Evendim - north of the Shire, offers quests for levels 30-40, and includes the Tomb of Elendil and Anuminas dungeons. This area provides reputation for the Mathom Society and the Wardens of Anuminas. The Mathom society has both quests and rep item drops in this area, but their drops can also be found throughout most of Eriador. There are 3 task boards, but only 2 provide rep, and each one of those is for a different faction. The Wardens of Anuminas are probably the easiest to become kindred with due to the prevalent item drops in this area. It is common to become kindred with them before reaching level 38. The downside is the giant Lake Nenuial that takes forever to swim if you're not a paying VIP who gets swift travel for free, hence this area's nickname of "Everswim." There is also the level 65 dungeon of the Northcotton Farm, which begins the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Trollshaws - east of the Lone-Lands, offers quests for levels 30-45 with no major dungeons, but almost half the area has only elite mobs. This area provides reputation for Thorin's Hall and the Elves of Rivendell, has rep drop items for the Mathom Society and the Elves of Rivendell, and there are 3 task boards. Like the Rangers of Esteldin, the quests alone are not enough to earn kindred reputation and you will need to rely on the item drops for rep. Only 2 types of mobs offer the drops in the area, and this area has relatively fewer quests than other areas. There is only the one dungeon of the Lost Temple, but it can only be accessed through the "In Their Absence" storyline. Since there aren't any open dungeons, there are many areas with mobs that are all elite bosses which you cannot complete on your own. Also, the trip to Rivendell is a major pain in the behind to find. There is a way to get there without the trip by speaking with Gandalf in the Prancing Pony back in Bree-land after you complete the skirmish training. He will automatically transport you there when you accept his quest to learn about the Erebor skirmishes (which you will need to unlock separately).
Misty Mountains - north of the Trollshaws, offers quests for levels 38-50, and includes the 12-person Helegrod dungeons and Goblin-Town. This area provides quest and task reputation for Thorin's Hall, but the rep drops found in Goblin-Town and outside Helegrod provide rep for Rivendell. There are two tasks boards, and while you can earn the rep for Thorin's Hall here, a better area would be Sarnur, mentioned in the blurb about Ered Luin. There is also only one area you can travel to if you're a VIP. Travel time takes long, and there are lots of mobs in the way; not the least of which is the semi-rare elite master dragon, Kindle-maw, who tends to pop up at inopportune times right in the one path that will take you from the western area to the eastern and bake you if you get too close. There are also only a little over 70 quests available in the pack.
Eregion - south of the Trollshaws, offers quests for levels 45-50, and includes the Tham Mirdain dungeons, plus the Walls of Moria instance to start volume 2 of the epic storyline. This area offers no rep for any faction in the quests, tasks or drops (except maybe a mathom here and there), although there are 3 task boards. The only way to earn rep is by completing the slayer and area deeds, which will earn you 700 rep with Rivendell each time you complete one. Tham Mirdain has fun dungeons, and those deeds will earn you Rivendell rep as well. The main bonus to this area is with the crafting materials. If your crafting options including farming, prospecting or woodworking, you will find tons of those materials around here, plus plenty of animals to get hides from if you are into leather working.
Forochel - north of Evendim, offers quests for levels 44-50 with no major dungeons, but several public battlegrounds. This area provides reputation for the Lossoth of Forochel and Thorin's Hall. However, when you start with the Lossoth, instead of starting at neutral standing with them as you start with everyone else, you start as an outsider and have to work your way to neutral before earning TPs as an acquaintance. The rep items for the Lossoth are prevalent in the mobs, but the Thorin's Hall quests and rep items are solely in the Zigilgund cave. The downside in this area is, again, a giant lake. Unlike Lake Nenuial in Evendim, the Bay of Forochel will freeze your tush off if you try to swim it and will eventually kill you if you don't get out. Travel works out better for VIPs due to the size of this area. There is also the closed, hidden dungeon of Sari-Surma for players doing the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Angmar - north of the North Downs, offers quests for levels 40-52 with a ton of dungeons; the Carn Dum dungeons are the most popular. This enormous area provides reputation for the Council of the North and the Eldgang. There are also rep drops for the the Rangers of Esteldin and the Mathom Society. This area is filled with over 200 quests, both individual and dungeon. Like the Trollshaws, there are also many areas that are filled with elite mobs that you cannot complete on your own. This area also has 4 different task boards for your to turn in your daily tasks. One of the perks to this area is if you find yourself in the level 50-52 zone near the Circle of Despair, there is the possibility that you can loot a legendary weapon that you can stash before completing the quest that teaches you how to equip and use them. Even if the item isn't usable by your class, you can deconstruct it for the relics to add to your own weapon. The Eldgang are furthest east and there is no way you can make it to their camp on your own unless someone summons you or you can sneak in with your stealth skill. All the quests there match you with elite masters, so you will need a fellowship to earn anything in that area.
Enedwaith - south of Eregion, for levels 65-70, with the 12-player Ost Dunhoth raid. This area provides quest rep only for the Grey Company and Algraig. Since there are no rep item drops or task boards in this area, you need to complete every quest to get yourself to at least ally status. There are, however, several repeatable quests that will provide a decent amount of reputation, but you can only do them once every 6 or so hours. When kindred with Algraig, you can purchase a guide to Lhanuch, which will prove useful. There are also several hidden deeds and quests in this area that can be a little tricky to find. Ost Dunhoth is an open dungeon, but is also the final chapter for the "In Their Absence" storyline.
Dunland - south of Enedwaith, for levels 65-70, also includes Isengard and the Gap of Rohan. The dungeons in this area are completely separate from the quest pack. This area provides reputation for the Men of Dunland and Theodred's Riders. Like Enedwaith, there are no rep item drops, but there are some task boards and repeatable quests. The downside to the task boards is that, if you follow volume 2 of the epic storyline, you may be well past the maximum level for the task boards by the time you get here and you won't be able to turn in anything. Dunland is unlike the other areas in Eriador, where there are different areas that offer only 1 level of quest deeds to complete; however, if you complete them in every area of Dunland, you earn 10 TPs. This area is also unique, as some of the quests offer multiple outcomes based on a choice you have make, or by the number of quests you completed in that specific region. Guides to the main city of Galtrev are purchasable by players who make kindred status with the Men of Dunland.
Rhovanion
Moria - east of Eregion, offers quests for levels 50-60, which has many dungeons, although only the Grand Stair and Filikul are included in the main quest pack. The other dungeons, which also include a ton of deeds and awesome rewards, are completely separate; but when purchased, will throw in the 2 advanced classes of Rune Keeper and Warden (which is cheaper than getting each separately), plus two additional character slots per server. The factions to gain rep with are the Iron Garrison Minors and Iron Garrison Guards, and there are drops everywhere. You can become kindred to both these factions as easily as the Wardens of Anuminas. Moria, as mentioned above with Dunland, has several different areas that only offer 1 level of quests deeds per area. There are also many hidden quests, shortcuts, and a buttload of deeds you can complete. There are task boards in every major region, although once you reach level 61 you can no longer turn in deeds. You cannot use horses or ponies as mounts, so you will need to get a goat from Thorin's Hall, which you can only buy if you are kindred with them. Some of the holiday festivals offer goats as steeds in exchange for festival tokens, but they usually require a high number of these tokens. In addition, this area is full of mazes, deep crevices that will kill you, and very dark nooks that you can get trapped in. Too much time spent in Moria can take its toll on you, but the titles you earn in there are way cool, and if you earn enough Moria tokens to purchase them, you can get armor that will last you through to Dunland.
Lothlorien - east of Moria, for levels 60-65, with only 3 dungeons that will earn you rep, but they are located in Moria; even if you have unlocked Moria, these Lothlorien dungeons will only be open to you if you have unlocked the area itself. This area provides rep for the Iron Garrison Guards and Miners, and the Galadhrim. There are only rep drops for the Iron Garrisons, and no task boards. Like Enedwaith, there are repeatable quests, only there is a wider variety and more in number in Lothlorien. The main city of Caras Galadham is only accessible if you reach friend standing with the Galadhrim. This area offers a low number of quests, requiring you to take on the repeatable quests and/or dungeons to reach kindred status.
Mirkwood - east of Lothlorien, for levels 60-65, with the Dol Guldar dungeons. This area provides rep for the Elves of Mirkwood. There are no item drops and no task boards, but like Angmar, this area is enormous. Travelling, however, is much easier, as there are many sites you can travel to without having to be a VIP. This area does offer a few repeatable quests, but if you manage to complete every quest in this area, you should be able to reach kindred status; the downside is that there are so many quests here that it's rather time consuming. The Dol Guldar dungeons are best to do in the epilogue of volume 2 of the epic storyline, as they will provide you with not only deeds, but a large number of skirmish marks that you can trade in for great armor.
The Great River - south of Lothlorien, for levels 70-75, with the Limlight Gorge battle ground. This area provides rep for the Riders of Stangard and the Heroes of Limlight Gorge. This is another location that has several areas that only offer 1 level of quests deeds per area, but when every area is completed, you earn more TPs. There are no item drops, but there are 5 task boards that cut off at level 80. You earn rep with the Riders of Stangard by completing deeds as well, and it is very easy to become kindred in this area. The Heroes of Limlight Gorge take place in an extremely difficult area like eastern Angmar's Eldgang region, but if you can get a fellowship together, it provides a lot of deeds and separate rep for the Heroes. However, while the Heroes do offer repeatable quests, you cannot do them on your own, and the rep you are earning will probably take time. A plus in the area is that when you become kindred with Stangard, you can purchase a guide for this city and add it as a transport area, saving time and cash in travelling.
Eastern Rohan - south of the Great River, for levels 75-85, with the following areas: the Wold, East Wall, Norcrofts, Sutcrofts, Entwash Vale and the Eaves of Fangorn. Each area has different cities and encampments that will earn you TPs if you complete all the quests for that location; each area is also its own faction for rep. The basic quest pack will offer enough quests for you to reach at least friend status with each faction; the expansion pack, which also includes dungeons, includes extra quests that will eventually open up opportunities to become kindred to each faction. There is also the city of Hytbold that you can rebuild by doing repeatable quests in each of the aforementioned areas, but you are limited to 5 per day, and they alternate between 11-13 different quests in each area; whichever area do complete these quests in will provide you with a minimum of 1000 rep points for the faction in that area. There are no rep item drops in Rohan, but there are many task boards that stay open to you until level 85. You also are required to earn the mounted combat steed in this area, which is getting mixed reviews on its quality. If you opt for combat on foot, you will not earn as much experience as you will while mounted on your war steed. Finally, there are also bosses that patrol certain areas that you can earn a bounty on if you cross their path. Not all of these bosses can be slain solo, but the rewards are excellent.
Wildermore - west of the Wold area of Rohan, for level 85, with no major dungeons but the arch-nemesis frost giant Nurzum patrolling the area. This area provides rep for the People of Wildermore and the Survivors of Wildermore. There are no item drops in this area; only task boards are available. The geography of this particular area is rather harsh and difficult to maneuver around mobs without them attacking you. What makes this particular area unique is that every quests follows Nurzum's story line. After every quest is completed, other repeatable and alternating quests open up for the Survivors of Wildermore rep. Some of these require raids and take a long time to complete.
Western Rohan - self explanatory location for levels 85-95. This area went live on 11/18/13, and all the information on this area is available on the website. I will most likely not be able to play this for a while, but I can definitely earn the 4300 TPs to get it!
Getting Started
When first starting the game, you have the choice of the four races already mentioned, and 7 classes. There are 9 classes altogether, but the rune keeper and warden are not included in the free to play package. See the Moria blurb for details. Some of the classes are limited to which race can play them, such as burglars only playable by men and hobbits, and rune keepers playable by elves and dwarves.
Each race has its pros and cons, but I prefer the elves, unless you choose the hunter or warden class. Wardens are an advanced level class, and hunters are basic and not that impressive. However, both have the ability to transport to the major cities or encampments in Middle-Earth, which saves time and coins. If you opt to go with another class, elves provide a bonus: the ability to transport to Rivendell.
Each race is the enmity of a certain mob. For example, the men and women of Middle Earth are enmities of wargs. If you complete the second tier of slaying wargs, men and women will automatically gain a transport ability to Bree-land. The same goes for hobbits and dwarves; when they complete the second tier of their enmity deeds, they automatically gain transport abilities to Michel Delving and Thorin's Hall. However, these three towns are all in the western region of Eriador, and each town has a travel destination that will take you instantly to those other towns. When elves complete the second tier of orc slaying and earn the Rivendell transport, they have better access to the eastern regions of Eriador. If you choose not to play an elf, hunter or warden, focus instead on reputation with the Eglain to get the transport to Ost Guruth. It will still save travel time.
Now if you choose to start a character in Ered Luin or the Shire for the extra TPs, you will accumulate a large amount before reaching the Lone Lands. At that point, you can start planning for other areas of Middle Earth to unlock. What I would suggest doing first is purchasing the riding ability and unlocking the bank. When you first start out, you are given a rental horse that only lasts 24 hours, but riding a horse or goat gives you a +62 or +68 speed and cuts travel time in half. The basic riding ability only costs 90 TPs, and you can either buy a mount or earn one with festival tokens. Then, unlocking the bank is a prudent idea. Without unlocking the bank, your coins are limited to accessing a maximum of 2 gold pieces. For the first 30 levels, it's not that big of a deal, but once you level above 30, you will need to use more coins for better items. Unlocking the bank does not take very many TPs and is definitely worth doing.
Choosing Your Class
Like every MMO, LOTRO has different variations of popular classes, so if you're a complete newbie to the online gaming experience, you should be careful with which class to start with first. If you're planning on having multiple characters, start out with an easier class so you can get used to handling them.
Champion - this all-offense tank is one of the most basic classes. Champions have the ability to dual-wield or use a two-handed weapon. They may be basic, but pack a lot of punch when it comes to tanking in raids. Playable by dwarves, elves, and men.
Similar to: warrior class
Guardian - another tank with strong defensive capabilities. This class is also pretty basic in terms of playing, but guardians can take a lot of damage. They have use of heavy shields and one handed weapons, or two handed weapons. Every race can play this class.
Similar to: knight class
Captain - a moderate experience jack of all trades. The captain can be a tank, DPS, or healer. They also have a soldier-at-arms that assists them in battle with both combat and performance enhancing abilities, and can make another player a "shield brother/sister" to share their defenses with. They can use two handed weapons (halberds are the best), shields and one handed weapons, or dual wield, and have the ability to revive fallen comrades both in and outside of battle. Only playable by men.
Similar to: warlord class
Hunter - another basic class that is perfect for new players. Hunters dual wield and can use bows or crossbows. Unfortunately, the melee combat lacks and they can be easily defeated. They do, however, have the transport ability which can easily spoil you when it comes to quick trips across the map. Playable by every race.
Similar to: ranger class
Minstrel - the healer class. After the "Riders of Rohan" reboot, minstrels became powerhouses. They can heal, battle, or do both at once with a little less effect. Minstrels can deal a ton of damage but do generate a lot of threat, causing them to be attacked more often, particularly in raids. They can use a variety of instruments and battle with shields and a few types of one-handed weapons. Playable by every race.
Similar to: monk and bard classes
Lore Masters - one of the more advanced classes, lore masters are more DPS oriented and have the ability to summon animals and use them in battle. Their defense kind of sucks, which is probably why they have the animals to assist them. However, once they get past level 50, their abilities become much more powerful and they become forces to be reckoned with. They hone the powers of nature and the elements in power play, and in melee use a quarter staff, although you can dual-wield with a sword after level 50 if you unlock the trait slot. They can also provide minor healing powers at the expense of their own health. Playable by men and elves only.
Similar to: druid class
Burglars - another advanced class that focuses on stealth attacks and dealing additional damage in the forms of tricks and gambles. Their reliance on stealth cuts into their defense, and there are many times in questing that a burglar will need assistance from another player, as they can only attack one mob at a time. Their tricks are fun, but they often need lots of healing potions to survive more brutal battles. They are dual wielding fighters, and if you chose the weapon crafting trade, you can make throwing axes and caltrops to use against your enemies to debuff them. Playable by men and hobbits only.
Similar to: rogue class
Rune Keepers - not included in basic game and needs to be purchased separately or with the Moria expansion pack. Rune Keepers only use rune-stones to deal damage in the form of ice, fire, and lightning. They are primarily healers, but like the minstrels, are also powerhouses when it comes to damage. However, when doing raids, you will have to switch traits to deal healing instead of damage. Playable by elves and dwarves only.
Similar to: runepriest class
Wardens - also not included in the basic game. Wardens are the most unique class, as they are tanks that can also provide DPS and some minor healing. They have what are called "gambits," in which they do a certain tactic of attack, defense, or taunt, where doing certain combinations will create stronger or special attacks, greater defenses, or single kill blows. They use shields, javelins, and one handed weapons, but the spear is a better weapon for the one hand. They also have transport abilities. Playable by men, hobbits and elves.
Similar to: knight and warlord class
Choosing Your Craft
Once you become an expert in your field of crafting, you are eligible for guilds, which open up better recipes for weapons, armor, potions, and even legendary items. However, keep in mind that legendary items are available after level 51 and have the ability to gain experience, thereby taking up any weapon crafting skills if you are free to play and don't unlock your crafting guild. In this case, you should take a look at the following trades and see which one best suits which class.
Cooking - basic cooking and baking skills. Usually requires farming abilities, but certain ingredients can be purchased through a supplier or the auction house, or even by basic fishing skills. The items you cook can boost healing and power generation, remove wounds and other infirmities, or give you a boost to one of your skills or stats. Some recipes can also cook up items to assist the pets summoned by lore masters.
Faction you can earn rep with using cooking skills: the Mathom Society
Best classes to pair with: Lore Masters
Jeweler - creating jewelry, pocket items, and rune stones. Must be paired with prospecting abilities. Jewelers can create lovely pieces of bling that will boost your stats and sometimes even promote armor. Jewelers also have the ability to create books of lore that can summon a different variation of an animal by a lore master, or a pocket book that can boost a lore master's stats, or create rune stones for rune keepers to use in battle.
Faction you can earn rep with using jeweler skills: Thorin's Hall
Best classes to pair with: Lore Masters and Rune Keepers
Scholar - creates scrolls to buff you and your allies, healing and power potions, dyes, housing paints, and special crafting journals so that any tradesman can achieve critical success in rare single use recipes that create extremely powerful items. They also have the ability to create potions that boost captain skills, and chants, journals and oils for hunters. Most mobs drop scholar items, but searching for them can be difficult, as they are usually only in areas with ruins in them. If you're in a hurry to level up your scholar skills, then using the auction house saves time but is often costly.
Faction you can earn rep with using scholar skills: the Elves of Rivendell
Best classes to pair with: Captains and Hunters
Weapon Crafting - create your own weapons, even some with special damage. Weapon crafters can also make throwing axes, caltrops and traps to deal ranged damages. Once you get your legendary weapon, weapon crafting becomes obsolete unless you unlock the weapon crafter guild or dual wield.
Faction you can earn rep with using weapon crafting skills: the Wardens of Anuminas
Best classes to pair with: Burglers and Hunters
Metal Smithing - forging heavy armor and shields. Metalsmiths can also make crafting gear for any vocation if you don't come across a universal toolkit.
Faction you can earn rep with using metal smith skills: Council of the North
Best classes to pair with: Wardens, Champions, Guardians and Captains
Woodworking - woodworkers are able to create a wide variety of weapons, instruments, chisels and carvings to assist different classes. They tend to have more to offer in terms of crafting abilities, but some areas are notoriously devoid of wood.
Faction you can earn rep with using woodworking skills: Men of Bree
Best classes to pair with: Minstrels, Hunters, Wardens and Rune Keepers
Tailor - working leather to create light to medium armor, and signals for fellowship maneuvers. Tailors can also make men-at-arms clothing for the Captain's allies, but they can also be purchased by the trainers and are a waste of skills for that class. Some areas don't have as many animals as others to recover the hides from, so it's best to hunt as many animals as possible, particularly aurochs and mammoths as they can give you more than one hide to loot.
Faction you can earn rep with using tailor skills: Rangers of the North
Best classes to pair with: Burglars, Lore-Masters, Rune Keepers, Hunters, Wardens and Minstrels
So this is the introduction to playing free in Middle Earth! And now that this is completed, I think I'll delve into Dunland with my Burglar and kick some goblin booty!
