Thread: Runekeeper Skills

Here are some screenies of the RK skills. Do with them what you wish.

I'm not going to go into detail (yet) about how every skills works (as honestly, I do not fully understand all of them). Maybe that's better left for someone else. But I wanted to give everyone a chance to look at what their RK will be capable of. They are separated as best I could, but I just ended up compiling several of them, mainly for minimum post usage.

For context's sake: My RK is currently level 57.


Okay. Somehow Icefire was convince to help me with this undertaking. Hooray! So we'll get to work on this eventually.

Healing Skills

Mini Explainations:

No Lvl: Every Runekeeper starts out with the healing skill Prelude to Hope. This is your small HOT skill that can be used on the move (like some of the Defiler and Captain healing skills). It is not a huge healing skill, but doesn't hurt to have on you during any fight. It can also help you survive when fleeing in terror from a mob (or ten). Just keeping running and spamming this skill. If luck is on your side, you won't die a painful death in some deep chasm of Moria.

Lvl 4: The Rune of Restoration is your best friend while fighting. In essense, this is like a pet (but with a lot less hitpoints). Your Rune not only heals you over time throughout a fight, but also can draw aggro. For example, if you have two mobs that will pull at the same time, it may help you put your Rune in front of you, and then pull. More than likely, one of the mobs will start attacking your Rune, giving you more time to focus on the one target.

Lvl 10: At level 10, you can train the Mending Verse skill. This is basically just another heal and heal over time skill. The benefit of this skill... is that it stacks. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you have can two of these on a target (or yourself) at a time. (This is the skill shown in the above screenshot.) NOTE: The skill shown here is traited so there is extra healing with it.

Lvl 16: The Writ of Health skill is another HOT. The amount of restoration increases based on which tier of use you are at. Writ of health is one of the RK's most powerful heals when used correctly. There are three tiers to this skill. Used once, you get a nice little HOT. Used twice (before the first one expires), you get a better HOT. Used a third time, you get an even better HOT! There is a trait to have these tier down (instead of just expire).
(Many thanks to my darling Gildhur for explaining this to me.)

Lvl 20: Nothing Truly Ends is the Runekeeper rez skill. Cannot be used in combat. Pretty much self-explanatory.

Lvl 22: Rousing Words isn't a skill that I've used too much, but it is a great skill. It isn't one that will draw healing aggro to you and also help to attunes healing points. It increases the in-combat morale regen of your target (including yourself) basically making it so they aren't getting harmed while fighting. This skill does not work well while soloing, but can be great while duoing or having to focus on a single target in groups.

Lvl 38: Epic for the Ages is the RK's largets heal. It has a decently long induction and a high attunement is needed, but if you are focusing on healing, the skill can be a lifesaver. Not very practical for soloing, but great in groups, especially when you are the main healer (which is possible, but just a little harder than having a minstrel).


Using the healing attunement is great for in fellowships. The Runekeeper in a very adept healer. In solo mode, using the healing attunement isn't as practical, but can save your tail. If you have the Steady Hands legendary skill equipped (which I HIGHLY recommend), you can quickly switch your attunement to neutral. For example, if your are near death, you can bring yourself back to life quickly. A quick use of Shocking Touch, Steady Hands, heal yourself up, and then Self-motivation will set you up very nicely to bring down your attacker. (Pots are also very highly recommended, but not entirely needed.)

Fire Damage Skills

General: The fire-based skills are mainly focused on damaging your opponents.

No Lvl: Fiery Ridicule is another skill that every RK begins their journey with. This skill does initial fire damage as well as additional DoT fire damage. This is another one of the RK skills that will stack and increase damage as it stacks. Fiery Riducule is a skill that you will typically want to use at the beginning of a fight. It will get your enemy's attention and put a DoT on them throughout the fight. A typical combination that I (and many others) use to start off a fight is Fiery Ridicule followed by Chilling Rhetoric (a Frost damage slowing skill explained below) followed by another Fiery Riducule. You can stack your Ridicule without having your induction damaged this way.

Lvl 14: Writ of Fire (or any Writ) is one of the skills which helps deem the RK as an "advanced" class. The skill can be used solely to nuke the mobs, of course. But when used properly, it is one of the RK's most damaging skills. Writ of Fire will stack up to three tiers and will do increased DoT per tier. This skill can also (and should) be used in correlation with the Essence of Fire skill (explained more below).

Lvl 24: The AoE RK damage skill is Scathing Mockery. This still begins out damaging 2 opponents and will increase every 2 battle attunements. This will max out at 6 opponents at the highest battle attunement. It begins out at 2 opponents at the neutral stance and increases whether you are able to use SM (at 6 attunements) or not. When you are first able to use SM, it will be at 5 opponents. So you will be able to damage and put a DoT on 5 or more beasties.

Lvl 36: When used by itself, Essense of Flame does damage (in DoT form), just like any other combat skill. When used in conjunction with Writ of Fire, the DoT of this skill is increase dramatically. Basically, EoF can be used in four different tiers, each increasing in damage. Obviously, it is better to use Essence at the highest tier, but that is only if you are able. It is best to tier up Writ of Fire and then use EoF at that point. The damage dealt will be well worth the induction time. This is best used in group form (when you are focusing on damage). It will work in solo as well, but is not as effective (because you might be dead by the time it tiers up).

Lvl 40: Smouldering Wrath is a channel duration skill. Which basically means during the duration of the 8s induction, you are doing damage. You will not be able to get off any other skills during this skill. So this skill is best used from a distance (in groups) or when you get a stun off on an opponent. For example, if you get a stun off your Shocking Words skill (explained later in the lightning damage skills), that would be a great time to start Smouldering Wrath. Your opponent is stunned and you can get off about 1.2k worth of damage (depending on your level) during that ~5s stun. You must be at the highest Battle Attunement to use Smouldering Wrath though.

Lvl 60: I have not had a chance to use Distracting Flame yet (as it is a level 60 skill and I am only 57), but it seems fairly straight-forword. This skill will put a DoT fire damage on your opponent and reduce your threat generated over time from damage (the RK can do some pretty good damage). I would presume it is best used in groups and you are getting aggro. Don't think it would work too well solo... as there is no one else for the mob to hit besides you. But it is another damage DoT skill though, so there's no real harm in using it. Nuke away!

Frost Damage Skills

General: The frost-based skills are mainly focused on debuffing your opponents.

Lvl 4: Chilling Rhetoric is a basic damage and slowing skill. Initially does damage and slow their movement by 70%. Any damage will stop this slowing movement (so it is best to use your longer induction skills (such as Fiery Ridicule) during this time). As with many of the other RK battle skills, the higher attunement you are at, the greater the damage will be from this skill. With Chilling Rhetoric, it is set at +2% per battle attunement. This means you could increase the damage of Chilling Rhetoric by 18%, when at the highest attunement.

Lvl 12: Writ of Cold is similar to Writ of Fire meaning that it tiers up (and down) to three tiers. Each tier increases the effect. With Writ of Fire, the effect is damage. With Writ of Cold, the effect is a debuff. WoC will slow your opponents' attack duration and induction times. It will also do an initial burst of damage. AoE.

Lvl 18: Essence of Winter works just like Essence of Flame, but with the debuffs instead of damage. EoW will increase the power cost of your opponents skills (especially useful in sparring) and decrease their amount of incoming heals. The higher your tier of Writ of Cold, the longer your debuffs will last. It will also do an initial burst of damage. AoE.

Lvl 32: Frozen Epilogue is a combination of Writ of Cold and Essence of Winter. It will place both debuffs on your opponent. Causing them to not only have increased attack duration and induction time, but also have higher skill power cost and decreased incoming healing. This skill can only be used at the highest attunement and lasts 23 - 32 seconds, but is worth it in a longer fight. The long cooldown does not make it as ideal for solo play. This skill will also do AoE debuffing and damage.

Lvl 40: Flurry of Words is another damage and debuffing skill with a nice visual FX. You will blind your opponent with flurries of snow (shocker!) decreasing their chance to evade your attacks. It will also do an initial burst of damage. (Personal Opinion: The FX of this skill have been toned up to see the range of the skill, but it totally doesn't work and looks strange. I'll have to get a screenshot of that up eventually.)

Lightning Damage Skills

General: Your lightning damage skills are your main DPS skills. Very basic. They will be your best chance to obliterate your opponent. For all skills: the higher your Battle Attunement level, the higher the damage of your skills.

No Lvl: Scribe's Spark is your first initial Lightning Damage skill. The damage of this skill increases by 4% every Battle Attunement you have. So overall, you can increase the damage by 36%.Very general damage skill.

Lvl 2: Essence of Storm can be very powerful - especially on critical hits. The damage of this skill is increased by 3% every battle Attunement. On critical hits, the damage is increased by 75%. So Devastating Blows can be very useful in a fight!

Lvl 6: Shocking Words is probably one of your more useful of the lightning skills. There is a chance for a 5s stun with this skill which does not negate with damage. Once stunned, your opponent is stunned for the full 5s. As noted in the Fire Damage section, this is a great time to use Smouldering Wrath, if you have your Attunement high enough. The higher your attunement, the higher chance you have to stun.

Lvl 20: Ceaseless Argument is just another DPS skill. The perks with this skill is that it has no cooldown. You can spam this one as much as you want! Just like cake. Have as much cake as you want. But just like Scribe's Spark, this is just another very basic damage skill.

Lvl 26: Epic Conclusion is your highest Attuned lightning damage skill. You can do most of your damage with this final end. One thing to make note of: after using this skill, all of your Battle Attunement skills have their power cost increased for 10s. It would typically be best if this skill is used towards the end of a fight, as per the namesake. So... either use this skills towards the end of your fights, or limit your Battle skill usage for 10s. Or waste your limited power. Totally up to you.

Lvl 56: Vivid Imagery is your AoE Lightning Damage skill and will also stun your opponents. Pretty much self-explanatory. If I need to go into further detail... yell at me or something.

con't...

Buffs (for the most part)

Word of Exaltation: This particular Buff is for someone in your fellowship. It is not a self-buff. It will decrease the amount of damage your fellow receives by 50% for 1 second, everything three Healing Attunements. Since you can use the skill at six Healing Attunements, the buff will last for 2 seconds. BUT the buff is increased by 2 seconds for every tier of Writ of Health on your fellow. Writ of Health will tier up to three, so you can add six seconds on to your length of the buff. Very handy in a tight spot and when know your target is going to get hit hard (such as Helegrod and Rift raids).

Essay of Exaltation: The effects Word of Exaltation are sent to the entire fellowship with this skill. In addition to the WoE buffing effects, the entire fellowship gets a nice HoT. The minor downside to this skill is all of your healing skills' power is increased greatly for 10s. So... either limit your healing for a bit and focus on DPS or run out of power faster.

The Fang Will Not Poison and The Blade Will Not Wound: I have not quite used these skills a lot yet, but my understanding is that they are like the Hunter's remove poison and the LM's remove wound skills, BUT they are more of a foreshadowing type. You apply the skill in anticipation of your fellows being poisoned or wounded. Once your fellow get's their debuff, it will be immediately removed. For example, you can apply the Poison buff while fighting spiders (such as Zaudru in Helegrod) and the Wound buff while fighting wargs and other wound-ers (such as Narnublat in the Rift). Note: Both these skills Attune one level towards neutral stance. These are both AoE fellowship skills that will completely negate the coming attack.

* * The following skills are currently modified with a rune-stone with fire damage. * *
Armour of Xxxx: Using this self-buff will increase your specific armour and damage your attacker (when attacking melee). Doesn't last for very long (long enough for probably a normal or signature mob fight), but can help give the extra damage you need. This skill will Attune three towards neutral stance.

Weapon of Xxxx: This skill can be applied to an ally or yourself. It will last for-evah. Applying it to an ally during a fight will give them the small chance to apply a tier of Writ of Fire to an opponent, increasing the tier for you. Less work for you, just keep and eye on your target's debuffs (a very big key for DPS'ing and Healing with the RK). The skill will also cause you to lose a wee bit o' power during the entire fight, but it isn't a very significant amount. This skill will Attune one towards neutral stance.

Fall to Xxxx: Putting this debuff on your target will give you the chance to have them receive an extra bit of Xxxx damage (fire, frost or lightning). Lasts for a minute and the cooldown is a minute. So you can keep it on your opponent for the entire fight, but do remember that you lose 1 Attunement per use. This is a useful skill to use when you are trying to switch your Attunement as well.

Do Not Fall to Xxxx: This skill is similar to your Poison and Wound buffs. You pre-buff your Ally for the next time they are struck by a fire, frost or lightning damage skill. This is an AoE fellowship skill that will completely negate the coming attack.

Note:

Originally Posted by Icefire

Your Foretelling skills: Do Not Fall to Earth's Fury (element), Fang, and Blade are all AoE fellowship-wide skills that absorb/negate the next attack of that element or status effect (poison, wound). The only exception to the Foretelling skills is Do Not Fall This Day, which is single-target. The duration of the effect is 1m and the cooldown is 1m.

Everything Else

Self-Motivation: One of the RK's most useful skills. You'll often find while playing the RK that you run out of power. Self-motivation will give you the extra little power boost you need to destroy all humans!! Or just kill off your opponent. For 30s after using this, all your skills' power cost is decreased by 20%. So when you use it, blast your opponent away (or least yourself until you're at full health, either way). It will also Attune 3 towards neutral stance.

All Fates Entwined: When at the highest Healing Attunement level, you can use this skill. It will aid your fellowship in meaning that you can take 10% of the entire fellowship's incoming damage, but you also will resist 10% of incoming damage. One of the best things about this skill if the lack of interruptions on your skills. Lovely!

Calming Verse: This skill will decrease the chance that you'll get aggro from DPS'ing or Healing by 10%.

Distracting Winds: Similar to Calming Verse, this skill will apply the same buffs to you, but will also apply a debuff to your opponent, slowing their run speed by half. This will be an AoE debuff.

Do Not Fall This Day: DNF is a great RK skill. It is similar to your other preventative skill (such as The Fang Will Not Poison), but this skill will prevent defeat, in a manner. Apply this buff to your Ally when you feel they are near to defeat and you have no other way to save them. One important thing to note: this skill has a 25m range to it. If the Ally you applied the buff to is more than 20m away from you at the time of defeat, the buff will not work.

Abrupt/Final Words: Abrupt Words is the first version of this skill you will get. Final Words is the upgraded version you get later on. This skill is irreplaceable. Being able to stop certain skills of your opponents if incredibly useful. For example: When you are fighting a giant and they are about to stun you, you can stop that skill. When you are fighting a overseer or defiler, you can stop their heals. When sparring with a hunter, you are able to stop their rather annoying Heart-Seeker skill.

Shocking Touch: This is the RK's daze skill. The daze will last for 5-10s and will end when you inflict damage. You must be close to your opponent to use this skill, as it only has a 2.5m range. So pretty much within melee range.

Legendary Skills

Fall to our Wrath: This skill is similar to the Fall to Xxxx skill. Except instead of applying a specific damage type, it applies any damage type damage. It's is a small chance to inflict damage, but you may as well use it. This way, you don't have to keep equipping a different runestone to apply a certain type of damage.

Steady Hands: Love this skill. You can very quickly change your Attunement to neutral stance. Going back to ground zero will let you be able to with Heal up quickly after DPS'ing or DPS after Healing. The after effects of using this skill are also great! For 15s all your skills cost zilch for power and all silencing effects are resisted.

Martial Training: Although your melee skills are not the best (at all), you can increase them slightly by this Legendary trait. So... better melee attacks and faster attacking.

Originally Posted by Icefire

Those are the three Legendary Skills you can receive by lvl 50. We'll get the others up soon. As a teaser, they conform to the 3 Paths: Increase to Vivid Imagery potency; Increase to Distracting Flames potency; Increase to Glorious Foreshadowing potency; etc.

My Skill Setup

Hopefully I will be able to update this soon. With a little more description to the skills, but I wanted to get the pictures out.

Enjoy!


(Note: Looks like I forgot a skill. One that my RK doesn't have yet. Called Glorious Foreshadowing and you get it at level 58. Should get a shot up soon!)
(Another note: I should have done the skill shots in their untraited version... but totally forgot about traits.)

Wow, well done! I love the shot of your dwarf in the middle of each skill set

It's worth noting that some of these skills are the traited versions. Self-motivation's power discount is a trait, as is Epic for the Ages having a 4s induction and no cooldown. Didn't notice any others with a quick glance.

Great job, Hex!

Nicely done man!!



-Mending Verse is traited...untraited it doesn't have the +morale just the base heal.

-Do not fall...has a legacy applied...cooldown is 15m

xD You're enjoying this aren't you, ZC?

Originally Posted by Golledhel

xD You're enjoying this aren't you, ZC?

Should I not I feel that displaying my personal pleasure at people discussing, enjoying or even disagreeing with something I created is a great way to humanize myself in the eyes of players and hopefully further a feeling of inclusiveness in the game. MMO's are all about communities after all!

Originally Posted by Zombie Columbus

Should I not I feel that displaying my personal pleasure at people discussing, enjoying or even disagreeing with something I created is a great way to humanize myself in the eyes of players and hopefully further a feeling of inclusiveness in the game. MMO's are all about communities after all!

That's not what you were saying last week. We know you're just taking notes for next year's rise.

that fire picture has convinced me to troll a dwarf RK lol

WOW.. great work HX.

After reading about all those new skills, I can't wait to test drive him out on Nov 18.

Nice one !

I'll be updating with more information as soon as I get more time.

Priorities and all. >.<


So check back!

So, as of Moria, each of the original 7 classes should have 7 legendary skills (3 books, 1 for the 2 class quests, and 1 each for the trait lines).

Does the Rune-keeper have only 3 total? Or are those just the trait-line legendaries?

Originally Posted by WitchKingNazgul9

So, as of Moria, each of the original 7 classes should have 7 legendary skills (3 books, 1 for the 2 class quests, and 1 each for the trait lines).

Does the Rune-keeper have only 3 total? Or are those just the trait-line legendaries?

Those are the three Legendary Skills you can receive by lvl 50. We'll get the others up soon. As a teaser, they conform to the 3 Paths: Increase to Vivid Imagery potency; Increase to Distracting Flames potency; Increase to Glorious Foreshadowing potency; etc.

Rks and Wardens get 7 as-well. The same way the original classes do.

Those are some very nice offensive spells. I am wanting an RK more and more very day... And it might just convince me to finally make a dwarf character (tried a dwarven guard once, but just didn't feel it).

Alright, very cool. Thanks for all of the pictures, and I am looking forward to seeing more!

Updated the Fire and Frost skills.

What would happen if you used the rez on someone and they jumped off a cliff and died at the bottom?

Originally Posted by Geshki

What would happen if you used the rez on someone and they jumped off a cliff and died at the bottom?

You can only use the rez on someone who is already defeated.

The skill "Do Not Fall This Day" on the other hand can be buffed and once your target dies, they should get the rez pop-up.

Although, I have not tried buffing someone and having them jump off a cliff yet.

EDIT: After speaking with Gildhur, I believe we have concluded that Do Not Fall This Day (DNF) would not work if you jumped off a cliff. The skill has a 25m range. If you are not within 25m of the RK who put the buff on you at the time of your death, it would not work. So... no. But if you put the buff on someone and say, walked in the lava in the Rift (insta-death) that would rez the victim.

With Chilling Rhetoric, it is set at +2% per battle attunement. This means you could increase the damage of Chilling Rhetoric by 20%, when at the highest attunement.

with a max attunement of 9 that would only increase the skills damage by 18%

For the skill "Do Not Fall This Day," what exactly does it mean by giving someone the ability to "stand up again as though it did not happen"? Do they rez with full morale/power, the amount they had when they died (which wouldn't really work), or some predefined portion?

Originally Posted by Hxlgg

EDIT: After speaking with Gildhur, I believe we have concluded that Do Not Fall This Day (DNF) would not work if you jumped off a cliff. The skill has a 25m range. If you are not within 25m of the RK who put the buff on you at the time of your death, it would not work. So... no. But if you put the buff on someone and say, walked in the lava in the Rift (insta-death) that would rez the victim.

I tested this out a few nights ago, after they die from the fall they will rez at the location of where the skill was casted.

Wow ... awesome post!

I say this deserves some recognition. The honor of the first sticky "guide" thread in the RK forums?

.... and maybe a cookie

Okay. Finally finished updating the skills.

Lemme know if there are any mistakes.

Thanks!

I'd appreciate a clarification on the "Do not fall to xxx" skill: Does it completely negate the next attack of a certain damage type, or does it just reduce the damage from it? Is it AOE or single target? If it's single target, can you cast it on yourself? Also, are the Fang will not poison and Blade will not wound skills AOE?

Originally Posted by Telcharan

I'd appreciate a clarification on the "Do not fall to xxx" skill: Does it completely negate the next attack of a certain damage type, or does it just reduce the damage from it? Is it AOE or single target? If it's single target, can you cast it on yourself? Also, are the Fang will not poison and Blade will not wound skills AOE?

Your Foretelling skills: Do Not Fall to Earth's Fury (element), Fang, and Blade are all AoE fellowship-wide skills that absorb/negate the next attack of that element or status effect (poison, wound). The only exception to the Foretelling skills is Do Not Fall This Day, which is single-target. The duration of the effect is 1m and the cooldown is 1m.

Originally Posted by Icefire

Your Foretelling skills: Do Not Fall to Earth's Fury (element), Fang, and Blade are all AoE fellowship-wide skills that absorb/negate the next attack of that element or status effect (poison, wound). The only exception to the Foretelling skills is Do Not Fall This Day, which is single-target. The duration of the effect is 1m and the cooldown is 1m.

Neat! So, has anyone tried it to see if Do not fall to flame could completely negate Udunion's burn attack in the event that the person with the horn got himself killed? It is after all a single fire attack.

Originally Posted by Telcharan

Neat! So, has anyone tried it to see if Do not fall to flame could completely negate Udunion's burn attack in the event that the person with the horn got himself killed? It is after all a single fire attack.

If the only component to the attack is fire, that might be the case. I don't think anyone has expressly tried that tactic... Hmmm.... /runs off.

Originally Posted by Hxlgg

Lvl 22: Rousing Words isn't a skill that I've used too much, but it is a great skill. It isn't one that will draw healing aggro to you and also help to attunes healing points. It increases the in-combat morale regen of your target (including yourself) basically making it so they aren't getting harmed while fighting. This skill does not work well while soloing, but can be great while duoing or having to focus on a single target in groups.

[[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]

this is epic in combat regen, i love it

also like to add that this is an awsome thread :]

Originally Posted by Belwin

also like to add that this is an awsome thread :]

Yah... Hex rocks.

I've heard some lightning skills can be cast on the move, this true? If so can you add that to the descriptions?

Originally Posted by Geshki

I've heard some lightning skills can be cast on the move, this true? If so can you add that to the descriptions?

All of the no-induction skills can be used while moving. This is all of the Fury of Storm skills, and - I believe - Frozen Epilogue, as well as Prelude to Hope (I think Exaltation is also no-induction...).

Originally Posted by Icefire

All of the no-induction skills can be used while moving. This is all of the Fury of Storm skills, and - I believe - Frozen Epilogue, as well as Prelude to Hope (I think Exaltation is also no-induction...).

Ha! I needed to adjust my gamma to read the Induction info.

This is a great thread and should be stickied! You have sold me on the RK class, and this is from someone who hated the idea!

Awesome stuff and thanks much for taking the time. It is fascinating to look at what the interactions of the skills can buy you, both from a solo perspective and how your role can change in a fellowship. I have three questions and I apologise if the questions have been asked in a previous thread. I only recently started looking at this board.

1) I am curious how the Rune Keeper stacks from a DPS perspective versus the Hunter and Champ. I am not a epeen kind of person, just trying to get an idea in my head about relativistic damage.
2) When in a fellowship, how practical is it to switch Attunements? I saw various skills and I have read about specific skill usage/rotations that would take you from one end to the other, but I am looking at things from a practical perspective.
Answered in a different thread, thank you:

Originally Posted by Zombie Columbus

Hybrids are indeed a tricky class to make.
If they are too potent at a role, they can disenfranchise classes who perceive they have only that role. If they are not good enough at any of their roles, they are useless.
If they can swap between rolls quickly, they can have too much utility. If they switch too slowly (or not at all without a town trip), why even make a hybrid?
All of these issues need to be addressed and balanced against other classes in the game. For LOTRO and the Rune-keeper, the solution I used was Attunement. Utility/Support skills are usable at all attunements, DPS and healing skills are segregated by what is essentialy a time gate. This is contrasted by the other hybrid classes in LOTRO who have no such gate between roles.

One effect of this is that a DPS RK will have a very hard time saving anyone (himself included) from going down. 9 battle attunement points will need to be shed, then multiple HoT's must be layerd on the target. Anyone who heals as a RK will tell you how hard it is for them to dig out of a healing ditch without tier3 Writ of Health already pulsing. The total time required for this is significant, and the healing per second won't really get to Minstrel levels till around 6 healing attunement is reached.

The other effect, is that a healing attuned RK has lower DPS capabilities then a Minstrel healer. Only 1 nuke (2 if traited properly) can be used while healing, and both deal much more damage when battle attuned.

In conclusion, I am fairly confident that the RK is in no real danger of being under-powered, while not overly stepping on the toes of other classes. His ability to fill the DPS or healing role is significant, but not better then the existing masters of these roles. In return for this, he gains the ability to choose which role he will fill.

3) Every thread that has talked about the RK in any details has mentioned power issues. What kind of builds have you folks tried? Is it pure will/fate or trying more for a vit mix...

Thanks again for the information, really awesome and thought provoking.

Originally Posted by fenwe

1) I am curious how the Rune Keeper stacks from a DPS perspective versus the Hunter and Champ. I am not a epeen kind of person, just trying to get an idea in my head about relativistic damage.
2) When in a fellowship, how practical is it to switch Attunements? I saw various skills and I have read about specific skill usage/rotations that would take you from one end to the other, but I am looking at things from a practical perspective.
3) Every thread that has talked about the RK in any details has mentioned power issues. What kind of builds have you folks tried? Is it pure will/fate or trying more for a vit mix...

1. They're primarily single-target DPS, but do have a few AOEs (mostly Frost skills). In single-target DPS they probably fall between Hunters and Champions. No one touches properly traited Hunters now, but you'll still be doing tons of damage, especially if you keep your DoTs refreshed and tiered up.

2. It's not quick unless you have the Steady Hands legendary skill, which puts you at neutral instantly. If not, you need to either use several neutral skills that will push you back toward the middle usually 1-2 points at a time, or spam the small HoT that will push you one point at a time back toward Heal side.

3. Severe power issues. You have one skill that is essentially a power pot every 90s. But if you don't build and use skills properly, you're still going to run out in long fights. Even with a high Will/Fate build and very low morale, i still ran out of power. I think ICPR items are going to be much better in that sense, and I didn't have many in Beta.

Originally Posted by fenwe

A
1) I am curious how the Rune Keeper stacks from a DPS perspective versus the Hunter and Champ. I am not a epeen kind of person, just trying to get an idea in my head about relativistic damage.

http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?t=170847

I have a feeling this class will ruin captains.

Originally Posted by mordok

I have a feeling this class will ruin captains.

No chance in hell. Captains wear better armor, and they are still the best at buffing. RK has maybe two buffs, the damage mitigation and icmr.