critter casual – LOTRO Players

Help – I’m Delving (U34)

For now Delving is meant for level 140 on normal servers and whatever level cap there is for Shadowfax and Treebeard at the time you read this guide. You can add extra difficulty to specifically Before the Shadow missions. As a reward you’ll get delving writs or a chest that can drop a host of armour, junk or very rarely some extra fancy LI or cosmetics etc.

What do you need?

The expansion Before the Shadow and a level capped character. You’ll either get a mail or visit any delving barterer to aquire a Delving Zircon. Then once you start a mission that has a Delving stone inside at the entrance, you’ll be able to pick up a quest from it and then hand it in if you got the correct Delving gem.

Where do you find the missions?

There are 7 locations in Cardolan or Swanfleet. They can be recognized by a duo NPC Delving quartermaster and a named NPC. On every day there are 12 or 13 available missions and you can complete a maximum of 10 Delving enhanced missions. Following maps and screenshots provided by Kinnie.

Rotation schedule Day 1

Name	Location
Aberations of Nature	Clégur
Before They Bond	Lhan Garan
Tharbad Tower Courtyard	Stonecroft Encampment (Tharbad)
Siege-breaking	Herne
The Ruins of Amon Firn	Scurloc Farm
The Tearful Tomb	Scurloc Farm
Caranost Command Post	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Caranost Courtyard	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Crown of Caranost	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Jorthkyn and Hounds	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Siege of Sírlond	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Steps of Caranost	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
The Bridge to Caranost	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
The Ruins of Gaervarad	Ruddymore (south of Sarn Ford)

Source – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yVbJ5quOBuSq49-yH3_YhGbB1PUmQpIBH7HdHXcKYOs/edit?usp=sharing

Rotation schedule Day 2

Secrets and Plans	Lhan Garan
Among the Watch-towers	Lhan Garan
Not As Many Heads	Lhan Garan
Shadows in the Greyflood	Stonecroft Encampment (Tharbad)
Troubled Waters	Stonecroft Encampment (Tharbad)
Bite the Hand	Herne
The Hand, Out!	Herne
A Plague of Men	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Brigands in Nímbarth	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Haunting at Dol Ernil	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
Stirring of Spirits	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
The Tombs of Gond Orchal	Scurloc Farm
Terrible Turtle Trouble	Clégur

Source -https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yVbJ5quOBuSq49-yH3_YhGbB1PUmQpIBH7HdHXcKYOs/edit?usp=sharing

Rotation schedule Day 3

A Day on the Farm	Clégur
Dangerous Deliveries	Clégur
Patrol the Township	Clégur
Into the Pits	Lhan Garan
Mother of Wolves	Lhan Garan
The Jaws of Death	Lhan Garan
Leadership Direction	Herne
Sifting Through Time	Herne
Signs and Sigils	Herne
Down on the Farm	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
The Nettinglade	Gerwyn Convoy (Andrath)
The Accursed Flame	Stonecroft Encampment (Tharbad)
Tharbad Tower Ascent	Stonecroft Encampment (Tharbad)

Source – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yVbJ5quOBuSq49-yH3_YhGbB1PUmQpIBH7HdHXcKYOs/edit?usp=sharing

How to start and upgrade the mission with Delving

The steps are easy enough once done a few times, but there are a few things to watch out for.

If you’re doing it duo. Done pick up a quest before both players are inside the mission. If not, 2nd player won’t get the delving quest and rewards.
Don’t run to far in or the stone will dissappear
Make sure you have the correct stone for your tier. Once a quest is picked up you’ll have to full reset the delving stone (see tips and tricks)

Step 1 – Once you enter mission you see a Delving stone

Step 2 pick up the desired delving tier quest

Step 3 Hand in the correct tier Delving stone.

Step 4 if you handed it in. The stone goes away and mobs look like this.

Delving tips and tricks

Shortcutting the tiers

At the start you can only do a Tier 1 with a delving Zircon. Once you complete it you get a Tier 2 stone. All the way up to Tier 10. If you want to jump straight to a higher tier or skip some on an alt. You can barter a stone with some coin bags from a Delving quartermaster.

Choosing the correct difficulty vs your goal

If you’re looking to upgrade some gear because you havn’t done Gundabad for example. Jumping straight into a Tier 10 won’t end well. Normally a mission plays out as a landscape quest 5 levels below you. So if you have a old raidset from 130 you’ll be able to jump a few tiers. Below you can find an overview what tier you could jump into.

Tier	Equivalent	Loot
1, 2, 3, 4	Landscape quest up to tier 1 instance Drop chance varies 17% to 20%	Yellow armour (ilvl 470) 10 writs per quest
5 and 6	Tier 1/2 instance or skirmish	Purple armour with 1 slot 20 writs per quest
7 and 8	Will need a full set of 140 gear and LI Duo can be done	Teal armour with 2 slots 20/30 writs per quest
9	Hard, but a decent step down from T10 Duo preferred or good gear	Teal armour with 2 slots 40 writs per quest
10	Hard without endgame or capped gear	Teal armour with 2 slots 50 writs per quest

Repeating tiers for free

Once you complete or fail a delving your Delving stone will crack. At every barterer you can repair the cracked stone back into a version you can hand in for the quest.

The tier 10 stone will repair itself. But the others will upgrade to a higher tier. So if for example you want to repeat the tier 7 for the quickest and/or easiest Teal armours.

Complete a tier 7 with your Delving aquamarine.
Visit the barterer next to your upcoming mission NPC and repair the stone before the new mission
Go into your next mission, hand in the Delving 7 quest. Complete or fail the Delving to receive a Cracked aquamarin. Go back to step 1 and repeat.

Resetting the delving stone inside

For whatever reason you need to reset the delving stone. If you don’t have the correct stone, but havn’t made the Delving stone dissappear you can just exit. Fix the stone and re-enter the mission

However, if the stone is gone won’t reset the to a visible state. Neither is cancelling the quest. You’ll have to force the game to think you done another mission or instance.

Either do another mission and come back to the previous one (cancel old quest to be sure)
Start another normal instance or skirmish. Enter it and leave. You can then re-enter your mission (don’t have to cancel the quest). The stone will be back.

Other media resources

This guide is far from the only source of information. This guide provides a general information on What, where and how. Other guides might focus on specific areas such as maximimizing time spend or provide all available gear, cosmetics etc.

Google doc with above location data, Difficulty Duo T10 and solo with general tips.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yVbJ5quOBuSq49-yH3_YhGbB1PUmQpIBH7HdHXcKYOs/edit?usp=sharing

General guide with endgame loot by laurelsden

Delvings System

Lotros own delving introduction and developers diary with more indepth reasons behind the system

https://www.lotro.com/guides/lotro-guide-to-delvings-en

https://www.lotro.com/guides/lotro-deeper-delvings-en

Storytime without traceries

What if your legendary adventure was less complicated? For whatever reason you just don’t want to deal with any of the traceries or runes of the new LI system. How far would you get? Here’s the adventure of the naked LI.

The adventurer – Irondwarf

Originally started as “ironman” dwarf (red guardian) that would not accept any outside help and only use his quest rewards. Occassionally team up to vanquish evil in an instance if they we’re on equal footing. He made his way into Moria where he got his old LI that still sits at level 62. Pondering how far he could get with this precious weapon and belt last year. He got around 75 when update 30.3 was released since he’s stocked up on appraisal belts that are 75. At that point he started to gather dust since getting to 75 with a 62 weapon kinda made it’s point about how easy landscape was. And there were Gundalags to be taken back.

Naked LI adventure time

Gundalag was retaken Hrimli supersaiyan tier 2 could have the Hiddenhoard all for himself. Irondwarf had to retake Rohan. But where would he find some new weapons? He ventured to Rivendell, but since he didn’t like to use other peoples resources he had no ancient script. He scraped some quest rewards together and got himself some LI’s. He couldn’t bring himself to spent any on traceries though. Surely he wouldn’t need them he thought. It was just 10 levels to 86.

His adventure brought him into the Wold, Eastfold, Eastwall and Suthcrofts. Since he hadn’t gotten his wargoat yet or a new bridle he just wanted so skip Broadacres. He was on an Epic adventure from this point onward and slid across Volume 3 into Wildermore.

First real test

You were expecting it to be Wildermore he? You’d be wrong. The latter parts of a region were a bit sluggish when he was still rocking an LI that wasn’t reforged yet. Undergeared because you skipped some areas, having to fight a mounted enemy without a mount or venturing into Entwade without the stat jump there is there at 85-86 was the largest hurdle. Once you’d reach the any reforge the kills became quick enough that any gear-handicap was remedied. Once i was 86 around Forlaw the orcs, wolfs and ice-trolls fell quick enough that you’d take on multiple again.

The expected chokepoint in Wildermore of Byre-Tor was quickly dispatched by the reforged LI. Nurzum was dealt with and Irondwarf made it’s way to Helms Deep. However his friend had recently freed Deadly-Helms Deep so he just wandered around and made it’s way to Gondor. Since you can’t easily jump questcamps in Helms Deep and he was’nt that Stoked for Broadacres.

Skipping tests and Gondor onto Mordor

The destroyed village of Marton might have been a nice challenge, but with too few levels and too many mounted orcs between him and there he storied his way through Helms Deep and went looking for a challenge in Gondor.

No traceries, undergeared, but not challenged Irondwarf ponders if he should venture into Mordor sooner rather later

Thats where Irondwarf currently resides. Pondering in Tadrent which path to take. Too many quests between him and Mordor. Reluctant to put on a tortoise stone with this being mostly a landscape/LI test character. Irondwarf will probably Epic along and reach Mordor a few levels below 105.

Appendix – Naked LI and landscape

There isn’t much to write about lotro’s landscape difficulty at this time. Geting into the 75’s with quest gear and a 62 weapon. The largest hurdle in Rohan being the lack of a warsteed and autoattacking 3 goblins riders in Wildermore to dead. Occasionally getting a lucky Hammer Down off if they got too close. The refusal to bring the landscape difficulty to servers that arn’t Treebeard of barren makes questing mostly mute.

How far can you get with a Naked LI with not a single tracery in it? Far enough. Some other classes might struggle a bit more since a guardian can simply outlast some mobs. A runekeeper or loremaster might die a few more times.

It’s not the damage that i’m missing. It’s the cooldown or extra umph some skills get. The healing from Catch a breath or Warriors heart would make it much more convenient to push through some large groups.

CComunity highlight 2 – scavenger hunt

With the Anniversary festival on the way and all the free goodies that come along with it. We can’t forget the main attraction that is at the Party Tree. The 10 years worth of Scavenger hunt from the 10 year anniversary.

An 11 step programme where you follow 11 characters from lotro, 11 themes and 11 sets of places from the Shire to Mordor (or Angmar for the level 50 version). While lotrowiki has their usual quest and walkthrough. The highlight is about a different old blog that’s still up (not actively updated though.

Full scavenger hunt

Follow the links to each years guide complete with overview maps of each quest chain with locations.

Year one – Frodo, High buildings, Old enemies

Year two – Sam, Taverns Eriador, Reflecting pool part 1

Year three – Boromir, Heights and depths, Instance emotes

Year four – Aragorn, Orcs, Skirmishes

Year five – Merry, Water, Reflecting pool part 2

Year six – Pippin, Rohan taverns, Pet emote

Year seven – Legolas, Battles, Instance emote part 2

Year eight – Gimli, Tombs, Reflecting pool part 3

Year nine – Gandalf, Eastereggs, Enemies

Year ten – Bilbo, Gondor taverns, Large beast

Year eleven – Gollum, Ruins, Ents friends

Eriador Scavenger hunt

For lower level characters there is a version available that only includes areas in Eriador. A lot shorter, but will only award 1 item instead of the full 2-3 rewards per year. No full guide with maps available, but two good ones.

https://fibrojedi.me.uk/lotro/eriador-scavenger-hunt/

https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Quest:The_Eriador_Anniversary_Scavenger_Hunt_–_Year_One

[CC] LI faq sept-21

A rudimentary FAQ about the new LI system. While plenty is still unclear or not definitive below are some questions that get asked often.

The most important part is that the new system won’t come online it’s entirety at the same time. Neither will the old system go away on day 1.

What is the new LI system and how does it work?

Instead of the version 1 (level 50 to 100) and version 2 (imbuement) we’ll now get a combination of both. You will use 1 weapon that you can upgrade to the nearest “expansion”. The brunt of the work will remain with you. You just have to visit a Reforger.

The system itself is a giant lego set. Every weapon has different sockets in which you put legacies, relics and other new items.

For a full written breakdown i’d recommend https://dadislotroguides.com/new-legendary-system-possibly-u30-3/

For a video focussed on explaining all parts known i’d recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0knhu9dnpoU

What about my current LI?

Whatever LI you’re using currently will remain to exist when LI3 goes live. Nothing will vanish that currently exists. However some legacies may be nerfed/upgraded according to LI3 standards.

However, eventually LI3 will become better than your current one. LI1 and 2 won’t get any more increments.

Can I deconstruct/turn in my old LI/materials for new?

Not on launch day. On day 1 the new system will become active. Reforging will become unavailable for LI1/2. But the trade-in/compensation won’t be ready yet. “Valuable resources” will get a barter option. What does this mean? Crystal, scrolls probably. Random tier 1 relic not.

Do I need to grind day 1 to be able to do any grouping?

No, if you’re reasonably up to date with your LI. You will firstly have to build a new LI that may or may not be better than your current one. In a few months with gundabad probably. How fast and how quick a better then current LI will be in your possession is unclear. With limited testing the new legacies drop in quite abundant quantity, but upgrades a bit less.

When will LI3 become active?

The first phase will come with U30.3. This will include the new system and (most) quest/instance rewards active. You can start to build your new LI in time for gundabad or moria. What won’t be included is the conversion of current materials or a full overhaul of new/outdated legacies.

Currently this release date is expected to hit the first week of october.

[CC] What about 2nd playthrough

Ever sat on your 130 hobbit during farmers faire and pondered i’d like to see the Shire one more time? or your stout-axe dwarf that would like to see the mountains of Mordor again?

Tough luck. Once you’ve completed a quest it’s gone forever on that character. But what if it’s not? Lotro’s sister game Dungeons and Dragons online (DDO) has a system called reincarnation. It allows you to restart a character to an earlier stage and redo/replay quests, instances etc.

Why would you want to?

Reincarnation without naked gandalf preferred. It’s PG13 still.

In DDO this provides your character with extra trait points which are hard capped to a much lower standard then the nearly enough points for 2 full traitlines in lotro. In lotro I would like to play a new character through Middle-earth, but it would have to be a different class. Since another hunter doesn’t do much for you.

Being able to enjoy Middle-Earth again or continue a journey started years earlier without losing any title, achievements or friends sure sounds like a nice idea.

It’s sort of your personal server already

Your own legendary server

You probably have your normal server you play on. All your characters, kinmates and friends are on that server. That’s what prevents me from restarting that journey on whatever version of Legendary server there might be. I’ll finish Anor, but have mostly given up on Treebeard and Shadowfax because they fix other issues in ways that defeat my own reasons I’d play there. They have their spot for other players, but I’d want my own Legendary Evernight without having to leave my kin or create a throw-away character for a cap-kin.

Legendary settings for reincarnation

In what way you’d restart your journey can be a plethora of variations. Each would have it’s own benefits, perks and time needed. But also have their (technical) issues. Ranging from losing access to your 130 for raiding if you start as level 1 or have people reset the Shire for infinite Lotropoints.

New opportunities

Reset everything and start over as a level 1. Enjoy the regions with a new difficulty setting. As you journey forward you’ll earn extra trait points, virtue xp or the new season pass xp. In the end you won’t be more powerful than what you could have achieved before your reset. But you’ll have experienced the game in a new light.

Having your new character linked to your 130 would allow you to share discoveries, stablemasters and other deeds. Earn titles you missed by going a different route on Bing Boffin. Perhaps it could be the start of an updated Deed system which could be searchable, readable and account wide.

Crazier options like a time-jump back and forth to Moria or Rohan to enjoy or skip the instances for a few weeks with your kingroup on a Tuesday evening. With most gear and soon LI’s having access to scaled item levels you could have a special Moria weekend where you’d be back underground for a trip down memory lane and earn those Challenges again.

Alting your main

All in all it would give you a choice and opportunity to enjoy (part) of the world again. Utilizing previously built tech like the race-change token it would allow you to (re)create an alt that’s connected to your main. Earn additional titles, Virtue xp or Deadly difficulty without having to lose time with your friends on a distant server. I’d figure it would work with an actual fresh character that’s linked by logging in and out again so that you could transfer over the earned rewards and still have access to a raiding character while you “reincarnate”.