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

Starting Outfits: Sorting out the Confusion

So far we have looked at the burglar and captain starting outfits.  But we need to pause for a moment, for it doesn't take long to realize that working with multiple classes' starting outfit pieces is confusing because there are:

• pieces with the same name that look nothing alike
• pieces that do not have the same name but do look alike
• pieces with the same name that do look alike

To bring some clarity to this situation, here are pictures of the confusing pieces next to each other along with which class they belong to. As usual, I'll go from head to toe. Throughout the pictures, I have used different races, so sometimes a piece is a bit elongated (particularly for hobbits). Also remember that I do not have access to warden and runekeeper beyond the main character choosing screen, so those images do not have specific names given.

Head, Shoulders, and Back:
Blessedly, there are no confusing pieces in these departments! No class starts with a head piece or a cloak, and starting shoulders are given only to guardians and captains. And Turbine gave them different names. Excellent.

Chest:
There are four styles of starting chest pieces. Below are the three confusing styles. Notice the key difference between each design pair is the length of sleeve.

Hands:
Four classes have gloves, and each seems to be a unique design, although I can't get a good enough look at the runekeeper's gloves to be sure they are different than the burglar's.

Legs:
Legs epitomize the confusion of starting pieces. Notice going down the first column, three different designs are called "Leather Leggings," and across the first row the same design has two different names. I also made a point of including all three skirted leggings (the middle row) because they are notably not the same design. If I had to guess, the runekeeper's leggings, which are not visible under the robe, would be similar to that of the loremaster.

Feet:
Let's keep this simpler by splitting "feet" into boots and shoes. There are two types of starting boots. The captain and warden boots dye all over, so if you like the strappy look on big boots, these are worth keeping. The guardian's boots dye awkwardly in stripes, and the blue cuff cannot be dyed at all; in my opinion they are not worth keeping.

Starting shoes also have two styles. The top row of shoes all dye as one color, and are worth keeping. This style shoe is in my wardrobe dyed in a dozen different colors. In the bottom row, only the cuff dyes; this style is also useful for when you want just a touch of coordinating color.

Low-Level Outfitting: Burglar Starting Outfit

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

Burglar is the first class listed on the character creation screen and is available only to humans and hobbits. Burglars are "tricksy" and apparently not above throwing pepper in enemies' eyes. According to Turbine, the inspiration for this class is none other than dear, old Bilbo Baggins.

Burglars wear light armor, and the burglar starting outfit is black hued, probably to evoke the idea of blending into the night. The outfit consists of four pieces:

1. Quilted Shirt
Only the center "vest" portion dyes; matching leggings can be acquired later. This shirt is worth keeping.
 

Hobbit Burglar

Tip: If you missed this one, keep an eye out for the identical "Enduring Dwarf-Quilted Shirt of Determination", min. level 18.

Note: The Minstrel's starting Quilted Shirt is the same design (dyed blue) but long-sleeved.

2. Cloth Gloves
Basic gloves. They have a yellow strip around the cuff that does not dye, so I wouldn't bother keeping these.

3. Quilted Leggings
These are standard issue on burglars and guardians. Note that the brown "sock" is part of the leggings and does not dye. You will get longer pants from the Introduction, but these are worth hanging onto if you like the style.

4. Padded Shoes
The great thing about this pair of shoes is that all visible surfaces dye. These are in my wardrobe and dyed in a dozen different colors!

This is a versatile outfit, and one should not feel limited to the burglar black palate.  Pictured at right is another take on the same outfit, brightened up for a night on the town (instead of a night on the run!). After the Introduction, add the plumed hat for an irresistably charming look.

Full Details:

Chest: quilted shirt (gold)

starting burglar outfit piece, no min. level required

Legs:quilted leggings (red)

starting burglar outfit piece, no min. level required

Feet: padded shoes (umber)

starting burglar outfit piece, no min. level required