By: Martuk

Today is the day people have been anticipating for months. Book 11: Defenders of Eriador is now live and with it a slew of new player options including the debut of player housing, new changes for the Minstrel and Lore-master class, a new twelve man raid and the appearance of our Middle-earth's first Balrog.

Lore-master Changes

The Lore-master will be getting a work over in this patch as well. They have received additional skills for the level 40-50 range. Combat efficiency against Undead, Drakes, and Creatures of Nature has been increased. To add a little flavor to the class, Lore-masters have received eight fun pets. These pets can't be used for combat, but rather for fun.

The Lore-master will be receiving one new combat pet and a new skill called "Examine enemy weakness." From the sounds of that skill, Lore-masters may in more demand than ever before.

New skills for the Lore-master include...

• Bane Flare - The Lore-master heaves a glowing orb into the sky that will detonate in an explosion of fireworks. Up to three undead will then be dazed and then mesmerized for a short duration.
• Warding Lore: The Dead - Your knowledge of warding lore enables you to create an area that is the bane of the chosen creature, creating an area where they will take more damage from tactical damage.
• Warding Lore: Creatures of Nature - Your knowledge of warding lore enables you to create an area that is the bane of the chosen creature, creating an area where they will take more damage from tactical damage.
• Warding Lore: Drakes - Your knowledge of warding lore enables you to create an area that is the bane of the chosen creature, creating an area where they will take more damage from tactical damage.
• Ancient Craft - This allows the Lore-master to prepare a concoction of magnetized metal fillings and other obscure materials. This makes wearing armor more difficult and heavily armored creatures irritated thereby rendering their armor ineffective.
• "Air-Lore"- Empowered air swirls around your target, inflicting damage on any who strike it.
• Sticky Tar Knowledge - The Lore-master smashes a vial of foul smelling and sticky tar onto the ground, causing an area that is 50% harder to move through, as well as making enemy creatures 10% more vulnerable to fire.
• Storm-Lore: Lore - The Lore-master can smash his staff upon the ground, causing a thunderclap which mesmerizes creatures around him for 3 seconds and causes weak damage.
• "Lightning Storm" - The Lore-master summons a storm which attracts electrical energy to targets that have already been coated with the mixture of materials from Ancient Craft. This bond of nature is difficult for the mortal races and is very demanding on the Lore-master's morale.
• Lynx-Speech" - Your understanding of the speech of the lynx allows you to call one to assist in your adventures.
• "Back from the Brink" - With some careful thought, the Lore-master can restore a fallen comrade to fighting trim, reviving a defeated ally at a small cost of fragrant herbs.
• Bears will execute flank effects when they perform a critical hit with their bear-specific skills.
• It is now possible to change the appearance of your lore-master pets!
• The Raven skill, "Distraction," now deals damage over time while in the channel state.
• Pets have been made slightly faster.
• Pets have been rebalanced.

The Lore-master class isn't the only one getting a work over. The Minstrel class has also been placed under the microscope and has received quite a few changes itself...

• War-speech – A new stance that concentrates on damage, but reduces healing power.
• Call to the Elder King – Usable only while in War-speech – Deals damage in an AOE and makes enemies more susceptible to Light damage.
• Call of the Second Age – Usable only while in War-speech – Deals damage to enemies near the Minstrel and gives a move speed buff to your fellowship.
• Chant of the Oathbreaker – A chant that summons an Oathbreaker’s blade to harry a foe, dealing damage over time and reducing resistance to Cry and Song attacks. War-speech empowers this skill.
• Tale of Battle – An aura that grants Vitality and Wound resistance. Can only have 1 Tale active.
• Tale of Warding – An aura that grants Hope and Armor. Can only have 1 Tale active.
• Call to Greatness – Grants a class specific buff to a fellowship member.
• Call to the Fellowship – Gives a bonus to your fellowship's next fellowship maneuver.
• Gift of the Hammerhand - You have mastered Lay of the Hammerhand well enough to bestow a lesser benefit upon an ally
• Chord of Salvation – An instant cast heal, costs a lot of power though.
• Irresistible Melody – Out of combat only. Plays a tune so irresistible that nearby free people will break into a dance.
• Stack size has been doubled for Lute Strings!
• The Minstrel's "Song of Soothing" skill can no longer be used out of combat.

There have been several new ares introduced to Middle-earth including a new level 50 Epic 12 man raid encounter known as The Rift of (Nûrz Ghâshu). The new areas can be found in the following areas...

• Tâl Bruinen (in Trollshaws)
• Northern High Pass (in Misty Mountains)
• Southern High Pass (in Misty Mountains)
• Goblin-town (in Misty Mountains)

The Rift can be found deep within the far northeastern section of Angmar. Players willing to lend aid in battle against the Angmarim who have reopened the Rift to mine obsidian should speak with Elf-lord Iorelen in Gath Forthnír. Along with the rift comes seven new class armors and seven new class restricted weapons that can be obtained with key items from the Rift.

Systems:

The new Need vs Greed loot system has now been improved to display the rolls more accurately. Now we can have an actual need vs greed roll. This new version might help comabt those ninja's. Mechanics for pirates still in the works.

A new private chat channel option has been added. This is one thing Middle-earth has long lacked, but now you can create your own custom chat channels and password them for privacy. To create or join one simply do the following...

• /joinchannel <name> [password]' will create a channel (or join, if already existing) in the next free slot
• /leavechannel <name>' will exit a user channel, if already in it
• /userchat# <msg>' or '/uc# <msg>' will send a message to the channel of the slot specified
• /userchat <name> <msg>' or '/uc <name> <msg>' will send a message to the named chat channel if you're already a member of that channel
• You can also use /1, /2, /3, or /4 to talk in your user-defined chat channels.