Acquiring Traits

There are four main categories: Virtue, Race, Class, and Legendary, with a limited number of available slots for each. As you gain levels, more of these slots open. Your current Trait assignments can be accessed at any time by bringing up the Traits interface using Control−J, or with the new Traits icon.

The number of slots you have opened (or not “locked” as indicated above) is based on your Deed completion and character level. A new character lacks slots for Traits. But time and a good dose of adventuring change that, because slots open as you gain levels. For The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, three additional Trait slots have been added: two in Class and one in Legendary.

* Slot added for The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria.

You’ll need some help applying the Traits you gain along the way. In other words, after earning a Trait you’ll find that you cannot “equip” it yourself. You’ll have to seek out a Bard to accomplish that. Not to be confused with a Minstrel, the non-player character Bard can equip (or adjust) your newly-acquired Traits. Bards can be found in major city hubs such as Thorin’s Hall, Rivendell, Michel Delving, and Bree-town. You can also find a Bard in the Twenty-first Hall within Moria.

The Bard's Trait Trainer interface

When your character meets a Bard, you can drag-and-drop your available Traits into corresponding open slots. But there’s a cost! You must pay the Bard to make the assignments permanent—even non-player characters have to earn a living, after all. As long as you can meet the Bard’s fee, there is no limit to the number of times you can rearrange your Traits to achieve different enhancements.

Once you’ve completed several Deed-earning Quests and have attained a higher level, you’ll likely end up with more Traits than you have slots for. Remember, you can always pay a Bard to alter your Traits—they are never lost or disabled. They simply float around your character waiting to be reassigned later.