The Rune-keeper in The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) is a powerful and flexible class capable of both high burst damage and efficient healing, depending on the attunement chosen. One of the key elements that can significantly influence a Rune-keeper’s performance is the Tracery system. Traceries are enhancements slotted into Legendary Items, and knowing how to choose the right ones for your Rune-keeper build is essential for maximizing your potential in either DPS or healing roles. Understanding the right Rune-keeper Tracery choices and their synergy with your playstyle can elevate your gameplay in every raid, skirmish, or solo adventure.
Understanding Traceries in LOTRO
Traceries are customizable upgrades used in the Legendary Item (LI) system. They come in various types and serve different functions depending on your class and role. For Rune-keepers, Traceries are mainly used to enhance skills, stats, and class traits that align with Fire (DPS), Lightning (burst DPS), or Healing (Rune-keeper’s healing attunement).
Types of Traceries
Traceries fall into several categories, each providing specific kinds of bonuses:
- Word of Power: Enhances group utility and AOE effects
- Word of Mastery: Boosts core class abilities and damage
- Word of Craft: Improves stats such as vitality, morale, or finesse
- Heraldric Traceries: Increases primary and secondary stats
- Skill Traceries: Directly modifies specific Rune-keeper skills, adding effects or increasing damage/healing output
Rune-keeper DPS Tracery Loadout
For players focused on dealing damage, especially in the Fire or Lightning attunements, choosing the correct combination of Traceries will enhance your output significantly. Below are some recommended Traceries for each DPS path.
Fire Rune-keeper Traceries
- Searing Words Tracery: Increases the damage of Fire-based DoTs like Fiery Ridicule and Writ of Fire.
- Smouldering Wrath Tracery: Enhances your Smouldering Wrath ability, which deals massive burst damage.
- Fire Skills Critical Multiplier: Increases the critical hit damage of all Fire-based abilities.
- Fire Damage Tracery: Adds raw percentage boosts to Fire damage across the board.
Lightning Rune-keeper Traceries
- Epic Conclusion Tracery: Boosts one of the hardest-hitting Lightning skills for strong finishers.
- Essence of Storm Tracery: Increases the effectiveness of Essence of Storm, a core ability for burst damage.
- Lightning Damage Tracery: Provides a general damage increase for all Lightning-based skills.
- Storm-lore Tracery: Enhances your utility and adds sustained damage through debuffs.
Utility Traceries for DPS Builds
- Finesse Tracery: Helps you bypass enemy resistances, vital for maximizing DPS.
- Critical Rating Tracery: Improves your chance to land critical hits, important for both Fire and Lightning builds.
- Outgoing Damage Tracery: Increases your overall damage output, regardless of attunement.
Rune-keeper Healing Tracery Loadout
The Rune-keeper is a surprisingly potent healer with the right tracery choices. If you enjoy supporting your fellowship or raid group, the following Traceries will improve your effectiveness as a healer.
Core Healing Traceries
- Writ of Health Tracery: Enhances one of your main healing-over-time skills.
- Rune of Restoration Tracery: Boosts the healing done by your rune pet, which can sustain allies even while you reposition.
- Essay of Exaltation Tracery: Improves this emergency AoE healing ability, giving you more control during chaotic fights.
- Healing Skills Critical Rating: Increases your chance to crit on heals, essential for keeping your group alive.
Supportive Traceries for Healers
- Incoming Healing Tracery: Boosts the amount of healing your group receives overall.
- Vitality Tracery: Helps with survivability, especially in content with frequent AoE damage.
- Power Regen Tracery: Keeps your power pool stable during long fights.
Balancing Your Loadout
In practice, many Rune-keeper players prefer to have multiple Legendary Items with specialized Traceries one set for DPS and another for healing. However, it’s also possible to maintain a hybrid build for solo play or casual content.
Hybrid Tracery Suggestions
If you wish to balance both healing and damage capabilities for general questing or skirmishes:
- Include a few skill-specific Traceries from each attunement
- Prioritize utility stats like Finesse, Vitality, and Outgoing Healing
- Use Heraldric Traceries that boost both Will and Fate to maintain versatility
How to Obtain and Upgrade Traceries
Traceries can be obtained from mission barter vendors, raid rewards, skirmish camps, and seasonal events. You can upgrade them using Enhancement Runes, which are available through crafting, quest rewards, or direct barter.
Upgrading Tips
- Focus upgrades on your core Traceries first those that impact your key skills
- Use lower-tier enhancement runes on secondary or situational Traceries
- Don’t forget to balance your Word of Mastery and Word of Power slots for maximum benefit
Best Practices for Rune-keeper Tracery Management
To ensure your Rune-keeper remains optimized for all situations, follow these best practices when managing your Traceries:
- Keep at least two Legendary Item setups one for healing and one for damage
- Upgrade your highest-impact Traceries first
- Test different Traceries in various content types like dungeons, raids, and solo missions
- Monitor changes with each patch, as class balance and Tracery values can be adjusted
Mastering the Tracery system is essential for any serious Rune-keeper player in LOTRO. Whether you focus on fiery destruction, lightning speed, or steady healing, there are optimal Traceries that enhance your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. Investing time in the right Traceries and upgrades not only improves your character’s performance but also allows you to better support your fellowship, win difficult fights, and enjoy Middle-earth to the fullest. With so many options available, every Rune-keeper can tailor their playstyle through careful Tracery selection and thoughtful planning.