Ten Ton Hammer's All-New Rune-keeper Class Guide for LotRO - Skills Overview

style="width: 640px; height: 213px;"
alt="LotRO Rune-keeper Guide"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/93431">

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/overview">OVERVIEW
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/solo">SOLO
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/group">GROUP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/pvmp">PvMP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS | href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93446/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/skills">SKILLS

Lightning Skills

These skills form the core of the Rune-keeper's damage-dealing
arsenal, particularly at lower levels. These skills are primarily
single-target attacks with no inductions and deal burst DPS. The
Rune-keeper's melee auto attacks will do damage according to the
elemental affinity of his rune-stone. Lightning skills generally fall
under the Fury of Storm category, which is improved by the
traits Tale of the Storm (20% chance to trigger the Charged Runes buff,
increasing critical chance for all Fury of Storm skills by 1-% for 15
seconds) and Winter-Storm (all Fury of Storm skills have a 5% chance to
apply a stun on enemies under the effects of Writ of Cold).

Scribe's Spark - A swift spark
of electricity that does decent damage, which ramps up as the
Rune-keeper gains higher battle attunement. This skill is improved by
the trait Thunderous Words, which gives it a 15% chance to apply the
Thunderous Words buff. This buff allows the Rune-keeper to bypass a
large amount of the target's tactical resistance. Using this skill
increases battle attunement by +1.

Ceaseless Argument - A quick,
rapid-fire lightning zap that is difficult to resist. The trait Harsh
Debate causes this skill to have a 15% chance to apply a buff which
increases all tactical damage for 15% for 20 seconds. Using this skill
increases battle attunement by +1 and requires no pips of healing
attunement.

Shocking Words - A strong
attack that causes a bolt of lighting to streak from the heavens. This
skill has a 5% chance to stun the target for 5 seconds, and this chance
increases by 7% per pip of battle attunement. Holding this skill in
reserve until full attunement means that it has almost 70% chance of
applying a stun when fired. Using this skill requires 3 pips of battle
attunement and increases battle attunement by +1.

Essence of Storm - A strong,
instant attack. This score has a +3% chance per pip of battle
attunement of scoring a critical hit, and a critical hit does +100%
damage. This skill requires 3 pips of battle attunement and increases
battle attunement by +1.

Epic Conclusion - A very
strong attack (capable of doing 11k+ hits at high levels, under the
right circumstances) best suited to ending fights. This skill cannot be
resisted, but drains the Rune-keeper, applying a debuff that causes all
battle-attuned skills to cost 50% more power for 10 seconds. This skill
is improved by the trait Closing Remarks, which causes it to deal +50%
damage for each Thunderous Words and Harsh Debate buff currently active
on the caster, and decreases the cooldown by 1 minute. Requires 9 pips
of battle-attunement and increases battle-attunement by +1. 

Sustaining Bolt- A good attack
that reduces power cost for the next 15 seconds. This skill is modified
by going 4-deep in the Solitary Thunder line, which reduces its
cooldown. This skill requires 6 pips of battle-attunement and increases
battle attunement by +1.

Vivid Imagery - A blast of
lightning that does modest damage but applies a 5 to 10-second stun on
up to 3 targets. This skill is modified by the capstone trait of the
Solitary Thunder line, Perfect Imagery, which increases the duration of
the stun by 5 seconds, deals more damage, increases the critical chance
for all Fury of Storm skills by 30% for 15 seconds and decreases the
cooldown. This skill requires 6 pips of battle-attunement and increases
battle-attunement by +1.

Fire & Ice Skills

These skills are area-effect and damage-over-time attacks, and
most of them have inductions. Fire-based attacks generally have a
damage-over-time component, and cold-based attacks generally apply
debuffs.

Fiery Ridicule - Deliver a
savage BURN! This skill does a good initial burst of fire damage,
followed by a smaller fire DOT, which stacks with consecutive castings.
Does +1% per pip of battle-attunement. This skill is improved by the
trait Conflagration of Runes, which causes the fire DOT to do 40% more
damage if the target is affected by any other Wrath of Fire effect, and
an additional 10% for any further Wrath of Fire effects beyond the
first. It is also improved by traiting 2 deep into the Cleansing Fires
line, which makes it usable at all attunements and reduces the
induction by .5 seconds. This skill requires no pips of
healing-attunement and increases battle-attunement by +1.

Writ of Fire - A fire DOT that
can be tiered up by consecutive castings, increasing the fire DOT by
20% with each tier. The trait Writ of Blazing Fire causes this skill to
tier down instead of dispelling when the duration ends, and reduces the
cooldown by 2 seconds. The trait Frost Burn will refresh the duration
of the DOT when the target is struck by a Writ of Cold. This skill
requires 3 pips of battle-attunement and increases battle-attunement by
+1.

Scathing Mockery - An
area-effect burst of flaming insult that can hit up to 5 targets within
8 meters of one another. The intial burst does modest damage, followed
by a small fire DOT that lasts for 30 seconds. This skill requires 6
pips of battle-attunement, and increases battle-attunement by +1.

Essence of Flame - Another
fire DOT. This one does +20% damage for every tier of Writ of Fire
active on the target. This skill is improved by traiting 3 deep into
the Cleansing Fires line, which reduces both the cooldown and iduction.
Requires 6 pips of battle-attunement and increases battle-attunement by
+1.

Smouldering Wrath - A
channeled fire DOT that lasts for 8 seconds, doing good fire damace
every second. Taking damage will not interrupt the channeling. The
trait Scathing Retort improves this skill, causing it to reduce the
target's fire mitigation. Requires 9 pips of battle-attunement and
increases battle-attunement by +1.

Essay of Fire - Applies a tier
3 Writ of Fire after a long, 6-second induction. Somewhat useful during
a boss fight in endgame situations where a scripted event occurs,
wiping all DOTs and debuffs, or as a base for applying Essence of Flame
immediately afterward. Traiting 4 deep into the Cleansing Fires line
will reduce the cooldown by 4.5 seconds. Requires 6 pips of
battle-attunement and increases battle-attunement by +1.

Distracting Flame - This
weirdo of a skill is both a fire DOT and a single-target threat
reducer. Creates a nice fire DOT that lasts for 30 seconds, and reduces
threat over time. This skill is improved by the capstone legendary
trait for the Cleansing Fires line, Mystifying Flame, which increases
the damage, burns away most of the Rune-keeper's threat, reduces the
cooldown and applies a tactical resistance debuff to the target.

Chilling Rhetoric - A modest
cold attack that applies a -70% run speed debuff to the target. This
debuff is broken if the target takes any damage. This skill is improved
by the trait Icy Discourse, which leaves a -30% run speed debuff on the
target if it takes damage before the duration expires. It is further
improved by traiting 2 deep in the Solitary Thunder line, which makes
it usable at all attunements and reduces the cooldown by 10 seconds.
Normally, it requires no pips of healing-attunement and increases
battle-attunement by +1.

Writ of Cold - An area-effect
attack that does good frost damage on up to 3 targets within 5 meters
of one another. Also applies a slowing debuff that increases targets'
skill inductions and attack durations. The debuff effect serves as a
modifier for several other skills. This debuff can be tiered up by
successive castings. Requires 3 pips of battle-attunement and increases
battle-attunement by +1.

Essence of Winter - An
area-effect attack that does strong frost damage on up to 3 targets
within 5 meters of one another. Also applies a debuff that decreases
the targets' incoming healing modifier and increases power costs. This
debuff lasts an additional 5 seconds for every tier of Writ of Cold on
the target. Requires 6 pips of battle-attunement and increases
battle-attunement by +1.

Frozen Epilogue - A strong
area-effect attack that can hit up to 5 targets in an arc in front of
the Rune-keeper. Combines the effects of Writ of Cold and Essence of
Winter into one big attack. Requires 9 pips of battle-attunement and
increases battle-attunement by +1.

Flurry of Words - Creates an
area-effect zone around the
Rune-keeper that does damage over time and saps the evade rating of
foes caught within. This zone stays centered on the Rune-keeper.
Requires 3 pips of battle-attunement and increases battle-attunement by
+1.

Affinity-based Skills

These skills have a variety of effects depending on the
Rune-keeper's current elemental affinity. Equipping an obsidian
runestone will set the Rune-keeper's affinity to Fire, for example, and
changing to a flint rune-stone will set the affinity to Lightning. When
no rune-stone is equipped, the skills default to X
of  Storm.

Fall to Storm - A non-aggroing
single-target debuff that applies a percent chance for the target to
take additional damage from any lightning-based attack. It also lowers
tactical resist rating. Increases neutral attunement by +1. Fall to Flame - does the
same, but for flame damage instead
of lightning. Fall to Winter - does the
same, but for frost damage
instead of lightning.

Armour of Storm - Increases
lightning defense and adds a reactive buff that has a 30% chance of
stunning attackers upon taking melee damage. Increases neutral
attunement by +3. Armour of Flame -
Increases fire defense, and the reactive buff has a chance of
reflecting fire damage. Armour of Winter -
Increases frost defense, and the reactive buff has a chance of
 reflecting a slowing debuff.

Weapon of Storm - A toggled
skill that imbues an ally's weapon with the power of lightning, which
reduces the lightning resistance of any foe it strikes - the guy your
affected friend hits with an imbued weapon will take more damage from
your lightning attacks. Increases neutral attunement by +1. This skill
is upgraded to Armaments of Storm at
level 64, which has the same
effect plus increases ranged and tactical damage dealt by that ally. Weapon of Flame - As
above, but reduces the ally's target's fire mitigation. Weapon of Winter - As
above, but reduces the ally's target's frost mitigation.

Do Not Fall to Storm -
Prevents the next lightning-damage attack from harming the recipient.
Once lightning damage has been "thwarted," the effect ends. Increases
neutral attunement by +1. Do Not Fall to Flame - As
above, but affects fire damage. Do Not Fall to Winter - As
above, but affects frost damage.

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/overview">OVERVIEW
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/solo">SOLO
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/group">GROUP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/pvmp">PvMP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS | href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93446/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/skills">SKILLS

style="width: 640px; height: 213px;"
alt="LotRO Rune-keeper Guide"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/93431">

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/overview">OVERVIEW
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/solo">SOLO
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/group">GROUP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/pvmp">PvMP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS | href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93446/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/skills">SKILLS

Utility Skills

These are mostly buffs, debuffs, crowd-control, interrupts,
etc. that attune the Rune-keeper to neutral, or do not affect
attunement at all. The skills in the Middle Path mostly do not have
inductions, but some of  the Visions and Foretellings (The X
Will Not Y) do.

Shocking Touch - A fast,
short-range daze attack that lasts for 5-10 seconds. This is similar to
a mez, and can be broken if the target takes damage. The trait
Confounding Principles increases the duration of the stun and bypasses
some of the target's tactical resistance. Increases neutral attunement
by +2.

Self-Motivation - Restores
some of the Rune-keeper's power. The trait Overflowing Confidence
improves this skill, applyng the Motivated buff which reduces all skill
costs by 20%. Increases neutral attunement by +3.

Calming Verse - Reduces threat
generation from healing and damage skills for 30 seconds. This does not
lower perceived threat, but lowers the amount of threat subsequent
skills might generate. The trait Linnod of Subtlety increases the
duration, further reduces the threat and increases skill damage with
this skill. The trait Linnod of Peace causes the skill to be
instant-cast, further reduces the threat and increases healing power.
The effects of these 2 traits stack, making Calming Verse a very potent
self-buff.
Increases neutral attunement by +2.

Distracting Winds - An
instant-cast area-effect threat-down that lowers the Rune-keeper's
perceived threat on up to 5 targets within 5 meters of the caster, and
applies a -50% run speed debuff. Increases neutral attunement by +3.

Abrupt Words - A quick shout
that interrupts an enemy's inductions. This skill is upgraded to Final
Words at level 52, causing it to also remove up to 3
corruptions.Increases neutral attunement by +1.

Master of Writs - This handy
skill allows the Runekeeper to use any writs regardless of attunement.
For example, while fully-battle-attuned, the Rune-keeper can throw out
a Writ of Health, which normally requires 3 pips of healing-attunement.
Writs will cost more power to use. Increases neutral attunement by +1.

The Blade Will Not Wound -
Functions in a similar fashion to Do Not Fall to Storm, but affects
wounds. Also adds a group-wide wound resistance buff, which lasts until
the next wound is negated. This will not stack with the effect from The
Fang Will Not Poison. Increases neutral attunement by 1.

The Fang Will Not Poison -
Identical to The Blade Will Not Wound, but affects poison.

Nothing Truly Ends - A
non-combat revive, which brings the
target back at 30% morale and 0% power. This skill does not affect
attunement.

Do Not Fall This Day - An
interesting and rather complicated in-combat revive. Proper use of this
skill relies on accurately predicting when a group member will be
defeated with a 60-second margin of error. If cast in time, the
defeated player will automatically receive an opportunity to accept a
revive, and will come back into the fight at 50% morale and 25% power.
It takes some practice to get the timing on this skill down, and if the
affected character doesn't suffer a defeat within 60 seconds of the
skill being used, the skill is wasted. The improved version at level
62, Shall Not Fall This Day, requires
even more careful timing, as it
increases melee, ranged and tactical defense for the duration of the
effect, which may actually be enough to prevent a defeat from
happening. Additionally, the improved version prevents item wear
penalties from being applied in the event of a defeat. Increases
neutral attunement by +4.

Steady Hands -
A legendary skill attainable at
level 39 by collecting book pages. This gear-shifter skill wipes
current attunement and sets the attunement meter to pure neutral
(technically increasing neutral attunement by +9). Additionally, the
Rune-keeper is immune to silence effects and pays no power cost for
skill use for 15 seconds. Dedicated heal-spec Rune-keepers may not find
this skill terribly useful, but solo- and DPS-spec players probably
will. 

Fall to Our Wrath - A
legendary skill attainable at level
39 by collecting book pages. This skill applies a debuff to the target
that lowers tactical resist rating, and a conditional debuff that has a
10% chance of landing a savage injury when the target takes damage from
any other source. Increases neutral attunement by +1.

Martial Training - A legendary
trait attainable at level 39
by collecting book pages. This is not a skill, but a trait. Equipping
this trait increases melee damage from auto-attacks by 20%, base melee
critical rating by +520, maximum morale by +300, maximum power
by +10%, and in-combat power regeneration by +46.8.

Healing Skills

These skills restore the morale of the Rune-keeper or his
fellows. Most have inductions.

Prelude to Hope - A quick,
small HOT that can be used on the run and at any attunement. Healing
from this skill is increased by 2% for each pip of healing-attunement.
Increases healing-attunement by +1.

Rune of Restoration - Plants a
rune-carved rock with a large healing-over-time aura. Planting a second
rock destroys one planted previously, and the new rock will stay in
place for 60 seconds. The healing aura from the rune generates
a small amount of threat, and enemies may veer away from the
Rune-keeper to attack the rock instead if left un-challenged -
essentially, the rock can act as a passive, short-term tank that cannot
be healed. The trait Rune of Endurance makes the rock 30% sturdier and
generates 30% more healing per pulse. Requires no pips of
battle-attunement and increases healing-attunement by +1.

Mending Verse - The main heal
of the Rune-keeper's arsenal. A modest burst initially, followed by a
small, brief HOT. The HOT stacks with subsequent castings, and the
skill costs -1% power per pip of healing-attunement. The trait
Memorable Prose improves this skill, reducing the power cost by 5% and
increasing the target's maximum morale for 15 seconds. Requires no pips
of battle-attunement and increases healing-attunement by +1.

Writ of Health - Another HOT
skill. This one can be tiered up like all other Writ skills, doing an
additional +20% healing per tier. The trait Writ of Well-Being improves
this skill, causing it to tier down rather than dispell when the
duration ends, and decreasing the cooldown. Requires 3 pips of
healing-attunement and increases healing-attunement by +1.

Rousing Words - A channeled
group-HOT that generates no threat and increases healing-attunement by
+2 while being channeled. This is generally only really useful when the
whole group is taking light area-effect damage - for 6.5 seconds, you
are only putting out this small heal-over-time and doing nothing else.
Generally better to stick with Mending Verse. Requires 3 pips of
healing-attunement and increases healing-attunement by +1 upon expiry.

Epic for the Ages - A medium
heal with a long induction that is largely inferior to Mending Verse in
terms of healing power - it has steep requirements, takes an
embarrassingly long time to cast and has no HOT component. The trait
Terse Narrative removes the cooldown and knocks half a second off the
induction - but 4 seconds rather than 4.5 is still too long for this
skill to be particularly great. Requires 6 pips of healing-attunement
and increases healing-attunement by +1.

Word of Exaltation - The
Rune-keeper's bubble. This skill envelops the target in a glowing
coccoon of safety, reducing incoming damage by 40%. The very brief
3-seconds duration is increased by 2 seconds for every tier of Writ of
Health on the target. The trait Author of Exaltation increases the
duration by 5 seconds and the damage mitigation by 10%. Requires 6 pips
of healing-attunement, and increases healing-attunement by +1.

Essay of Exaltation - This
applies a Word of Exaltation to all members of the group, plus a
delicious HOT. After using this skill, the Rune-keeper is drained, and
all further healing-attunement skills cost 50% more for 10 seconds.
Requires 9 pips of healing-attunement and increases healing-attunement
by +1.

Our Fates Entwined - A noble
act of self-sacrifice. The Rune-keeper takes 10% of the fellowship's
damage onto himself, and damage cannot interrupt inductions while the
skill is toggled. This skill is upgraded at level 54 to All Fates
Entwined, which does the same thing but reduces incoming damage by 10%.
As useful as all this sounds, both of these skills cost 5 power per
second to maintain, so keeping it up for a long fight can seriously
deplete the Rune-keeper's power pool. Requires 9 pips of
healing-attunement and increases healing-attunement by +1. 

Glorious Foreshadowing - An
ominous name for a benificent skill. This buff increases the target's
incoming healing modifier by 5% for 30 seconds. The capstone
legendary trait for the Benedictions of Peace line, Wondrous
Foreshadowing, causes this skill to affect the entire fellowship,
reduces the cooldown by 60 seconds and increases the Rune-keeper's
outgoing healing by 5% for 30 seconds. Requires 6 pips of
healing-attunement and increases healing-attunement by +1.

That Which Does Not Kill Us -
A legendary skill attainable
at level 45 by completing both class quests. This interesting reactive
skill  causes allies to receive a powerful heal and a HOT the
next time they are struck. Requires 9 pips of healing-attunement and
increases healing-attunement by +1.

Class Tools

Rune-keepers have the most unique tools and toys of any class.

Rune-stones and Satchels - In
lieu of traditional weapons, the Rune-keeper carries bits of stone
carved with ancient dwarven or elven runes. These stones come in a wide
variety of flavours, and change the Rune-keeper's elemental affinity
according to the materials of which they are crafted. Rune-stones,
including legendary ones at higher levels, can be crafted by jewellers.
Rune-satchels also come in a variety of flavors, described as Dagor
(battle-attuned), Nestad (healing-attuned) and Thalas (neutral or
steady-attuned). These go in the class item slot and are visible on
the character as a belt pouch hanging from the left hip. Generally,
they make their attunement-specific skills cheaper to use, power-wise.
These items, and their legendary counterparts, can be crafted by
tailors. More in-depth discussion about legendary versions of these
tools can be found on the Legendary Items page. Recipes for some
satchels can be purchased from the class trainer. Recipes for
rune-stones can be found as loot drops.

Chisels and Rifflers - These go in the
ranged weapon slot. Chisels have a variety of different effects and
bonuses, but generally serve to increase offensive power. Rifflers
bolster healing power. These items are not mandatory - the Runekeeper
can function just fine without them - but they do make skills more
effective and are handy to have. These items can be crafted by
metalsmiths, and are available at all crafting tiers. Recipes can be
purchased from the class trainer.

Inlays and Enamels - These are
consumables crafted by scholars. Both are instant-use, the same as
potions or scrolls, etc. Inlays reduce power costs for a few seconds
and make the next induction after they are applied uninterruptible.
Enamels instantly increase attunement by 3 steps - if the Rune-keeper
is at 1 pip of battle-attunement and uses an enamel, he will instantly
be at 4 pips of battle-attunement. If he is at 6 pips and drops a pip
by using a Middle Path skill, he can bump back up to 8 pips with an
enamel. Enamels always cause a shift towards the outer ends of the
attunement bar, never towards the middle. Enamels become necessary for
endgame content when the Rune-keeper may need to swiftly shift from DPS
mode to full healing quickly. However, only the top-tier enamels are
really useful; Artisan and lower tier enamels have too long of a
cooldown to be really worthwhile. Recipes for these items can be
purchased from the class trainer.

Parchments - These are new
additions. Parchments are
crafted by woodworkers and come in either Dagor (battle-attuned) or
Nestad (healing-attuned) varieties. Dagor parchements allow the
Rune-keeper to penetrate target resistance better and remove the
attunement requirements of Scathing Mockery. Nestad
parchments increase outgoing healing rating and remove the
requirements for Epic for the Ages. Recipes can be purchased from the
class trainer.

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/overview">OVERVIEW
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/solo">SOLO
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/group">GROUP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/pvmp">PvMP
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS | href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93446/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
| href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/skills">SKILLS