This fall's Rise of Isengard expansion for the

Lord of the Rings Online is pretty much all about
the endgame. So far, Turbine has shown us images of the Gap of
Rohan, the tower of Orthanc and the swamps and forests of
Dunland - all of which is endgame material from the current cap
of level 65 to the raised cap of 75. So what, if anything, is in
the works for lower-level players?

The answer, of course, is the ability to play a level-capped
monster character, lovingly referred-to as a Creep.
Player-versus-Monster-Player (PvMP) will be opened up to Premium
players with Isengard. Currently, access to the Ettenmoors is
restricted to VIP players of level 40 or higher (though you have
to be somewhat masochistic to go there before level 65), and
monster characters are available to VIP players who have at
least one regular ("Freep") character at level 10.

With Rise of Isengard, Creep characters will be advanced to
level 75. Premium players will be able to join the Free Peoples
with any of their level-appropriate toons, likely by buying
access to the Ettenmoors with a quest pack. There has been no
announcement yet as to whether or not they will raise the
minimum level to access the Ettenmoors - level 40 has been the
minimum level since before Moria was launched, and the cap (and,
thus, the level of the Creeps) has been raised 15 levels since
then. Currently, a level 40 character in the Ettenmoors is
little more than a momentary diversion (and quick snack) for the
Creeps. If the minimum level isn't raised for RoI, they will be
more like those bunnies you find hopping around the Shire.

Premium players will also be able to play Creep-side, but only
as an orc Reaver. Other Creep classes will be unlockable with
Turbine Points. Reavers are a fairly tough but relatively simple
melee class, known for their ability to charge headlong into a
Freep raid, smack a few elves and hobbits around, and then
withdraw before the Freeps have time to react. And there's going
to be loads of them around this fall.

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A
den of Weavers. The colourful ones may LOOK pretty, but they're
dangerous.

A
pack of Warg Stalkers, probably planning a stealthy gank-fest:
"I'll Throat Rip the minnie, you Pounce the guard, you Pounce
the RK... but if they have stun immunity, we Sprint across
STAB!"

Even

wargs are impressed by Orc Defilers' fashionable millinery.

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"We're

creatures of the night! We -- wait, what do you mean the KISS
Army isn't a real army!?"

Rise of Isengard goes live on September 27. What are you most
looking forward to in this expansion? Share your thoughts in the
Comments section!