Low-Level Outfitting: Lore-Master Starting Outfit

For an introduction/explanation of this Starting Outfit series, check out this post.

In the Lord of the Rings, Elrond has always fascinated me. He has lived for ages (literally); his memory is long and his understanding deep. It is fitting then that the lore-master class was created with Elrond in mind. Lore-masters use ancient knowledge to unleash nature against their enemies. Animal companions are an interesting component of this class; both the bear and lynx are just so cute! Apparently the elves trust some men and women to learn the ancient wisdom, for both races can be lore-masters.

The lore-master starting outfit consists of three pieces, two of which are complicated by other classes' starting pieces with similar names or designs.  Please see the post on Sorting out the Confusion for clarification.

1. Chest: Robe (green with yellow accents)
The lore-master's starting robe is a beautiful elven robe in green and yellow with an orange sash. This design will appear countless times in the lower levels as quest rewards, but you might as well put this one in the wardrobe and start dyeing it for various occasions. Just be aware this design is not unique to lore-masters. My guardian found it quite smart for the 2011 Summer Festival Horse.

2. Legs: Quilted Leggings (brown)
Interestingly, you might never realize that your lore-master has these because they're completely hidden from view when the robe is equipped (See picture at right; the shirt there is the male undershirt that cannot be removed, which conveniently prevents streaking in Middle Earth). If you want to deviate quickly from the robe look, these are a basic set of leggings that will serve for a while.

3. Feet: Padded Shoes (brown)
This is a basic shoe that is definitely worth keeping. I have a pair of these in my wardrobe in a dozen colors.

The trick to dyeing robes is figuring out which portions do not dye and what their colors are. Sometimes, only a tiny amount is dyeable and thus the piece has little potential for variety. In this case, the robe will continue to have an orange sash and yellow trim, but the overall impact color can be changed. By the way, sashes are notorious for having odd shades that don't seem to go well with anything! Here I've dyed the robe black, which simultaneously looks elegant and allows the bright trim and sash to pop. Black shoes finish the outfit.

Full Details:

Chest: robe (black)

starting lore-master outfit piece, no min. level required
Legs: quilted leggings (default)

starting lore-master outfit piece, no min. level required

Feet: padded shoes (black)

starting lore-master outfit piece, no min. level required

Low-Level Outfitting: Hunter Starting Outfit

For an introduction/explanation of this Starting Outfit series, check out this post.

Like guardian, hunter is an equal opportunity class. Any race can be a hunter. Hunters are excellent archers and are most effective fighters at a distance; they do have a melee weapon as well if needed. Turbine's model representative for this class is Legolas, whose kill record in Helm's Deep kept pace with that of Gimli the axe-wielding dwarf..

Hunters receive a starting outfit of light armor in green and brown tones. The outfit consists of three pieces, one of which is complicated by other classes' starting pieces with similar names or designs.  Please see the post on Sorting out the Confusion for clarification.

1. Chest: Cloth Vest (green and brown)
The green portions of this sleeveless chest piece dye well. The same shirt with sleeves can be found later in-game. If you like the sleeveless look, this is a good piece to keep.

2. Legs: Cloth Pants (green and brown)
These "pants" are skirted leggings whose green portions dye well. There is a crimson stripe around the lower leg that does not dye, and the green belt also stays regardless of dyeing.

3. Feet: Padded Shoes (brown)
These are great, basic shoes. I have a copy of these in my wardrobe in a dozen colors.

This outfit is quite versatile and adapts to many different looks. My take on it here ties in the crimson of the leggings and matches the leggings and shoes to the brown of the vest; it borders on Christmasy but hopefully stops just short!

Full Details:

Chest: cloth vest (crimson)

starting hunter outfit piece, no min. level required
Legs: cloth pants (sienna)

starting hunter outfit piece, no min. level required

Feet: padded shoes (sienna)

starting hunter outfit piece, no min. level required

Return from Vacation

In real life, I've been on vacation. My original plan was to use some of that time to write a bunch of posts, but I quickly realized that I needed a complete vacation from every aspect of "normal" life, including Lotro and the blog. Although our vacation spot did not have the gorgeous views of Evendim, my husband and I had a wonderful time, and  I came back refreshed!

Misty Mountains

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming (i.e. the starting outfit series) for a short break. Gelmirian has started questing in the Misty Mountains and has been enjoying the frosty weather. I managed to catch this moody night shot in between snowbeast attacks.

Does anyone else find it strange that the clouds seem to be behind the stars?