Lord of the Rings Online

When my WAR sub ends on the 18th (I prefer PvE over PvP/RvR and WAR lacks PvE) I'm thinking over going over to LotRO. I enjoy playing a hybrid healer, Druid in WoW and the Disciple of Khaine in WAR.

Does LotRO have a hybrid healer type class, one were I can melee when needed and stepp back and pop a few heals off to keep people when needed? I'm not soemonme who feels a need to top damage or healing charts I just like the utility of being able to fill a slot thats needed and potential move in and out of different roles whenever required during an encounter. I also enjoy the ability of being able to heal myself during solo play.

Any classes like that in lord of the Rings?  Thanks!!

Ahh, perfect timing for you.

It sounds like the new Rune Keeper class is exactly what you're looking for!  It apparently will have above average healing and dps. Cool. I can't wait to try one out myself.  I do miss my shadow priest on WoW.

Well i just started the game and ive noticed that the captain is a little bit of a healer. I may be wrong though im only level 10 lol

Captain is the melee/healer/buffer.  His healing abilities are pretty good when traited properly.  With Mines of Moria he will also be able to specialize more heavily between healing or dps.  I have a 50 cpt and recommend giving him a try.  Currently he has a direct heal with 3 second cooldown and some HOT afterward, a HOT activated by a melee attack, and a group heal that he can activate after an enemy is defeated.  I've played the warrior priest in WAR which i understand is similar to DoK.  Compared the the WP, the captain is much tougher (he uses heavy armor, and has a crapload of health) but probably has less healing output overall.  The captain has no annoying induction skills like the WP, but is unable to heal himself like a WP can (his direct heal and HOT can only be used on a companion).

I will also try a rune-keeper to at least a low level to see what he is like.

Thanks, I'll try both to see which I prefer...

Captain and Rune-Keeper will probably the better choices, but another option might be the Minstrel. Though they are the primarily healers, they still do some pretty good damage.

Though minstrel is NOT a hybrid. Minstrel is the main healing class that got some love during the early balancing period and was blessed with powerful solo-capabilities at the expense of 50% of his heal power.

So a minstrel could be played as a hybrid dps/heal-character, BUT 98% of the cases people expect the minstrel to mainheal, as there is no other fully capable main healer in LotRO.

I'd roll a runekeeper with MoM if I was you, if you want to start now, captain is a tank/heal-hybrid, not a dps/heal hybrid.

M

Originally posted by Meridion

Though minstrel is NOT a hybrid. Minstrel is the main healing class that got some love during the early balancing period and was blessed with powerful solo-capabilities at the expense of 50% of his heal power.

So a minstrel could be played as a hybrid dps/heal-character, BUT 98% of the cases people expect the minstrel to mainheal, as there is no other fully capable main healer in LotRO.

I'd roll a runekeeper with MoM if I was you, if you want to start now, captain is a tank/heal-hybrid, not a dps/heal hybrid.

M

x2. If in a group a minstrel should be healing , not DPS'ing. I have been in PUGs where there were 2 or even 3 minstrels and on occasion one  or even two would use the Tale of Battle skill ( solo DPS stance) and function as DPS'ers and even tanks, but that is the exception and not the rule. Normally in group a minstrel should be in full healing mode and using Tale of Warding or Tale of Heroism so he/she will have 100% healing output and be buffing the group. As Meridon pointed out when you activate Tale of Battle it will increase DPS but cuts your healing by 50%.

I would recommend Captain over Rune keeper even. Rune keepers will not be able to switch mid battle very easily from what I have read. They will need to plan ahead on each fight on whetehr they will be DPSing or healing that fight. I was not in beta so I cannot speak from experiance though.

Originally posted by Jackdog

Originally posted by Meridion

Though minstrel is NOT a hybrid. Minstrel is the main healing class that got some love during the early balancing period and was blessed with powerful solo-capabilities at the expense of 50% of his heal power.

So a minstrel could be played as a hybrid dps/heal-character, BUT 98% of the cases people expect the minstrel to mainheal, as there is no other fully capable main healer in LotRO.

I'd roll a runekeeper with MoM if I was you, if you want to start now, captain is a tank/heal-hybrid, not a dps/heal hybrid.

M

x2. If in a group a minstrel should be healing , not DPS'ing. I have been in PUGs where there were 2 or even 3 minstrels and on occasion one  or even two would use the Tale of Battle skill ( solo DPS stance) and function as DPS'ers and even tanks, but that is the exception and not the rule. Normally in group a minstrel should be in full healing mode and using Tale of Warding or Tale of Heroism so he/she will have 100% healing output and be buffing the group. As Meridon pointed out when you activate Tale of Battle it will increase DPS but cuts your healing by 50%.

I would recommend Captain over Rune keeper even. Rune keepers will not be able to switch mid battle very easily from what I have read. They will need to plan ahead on each fight on whetehr they will be DPSing or healing that fight. I was not in beta so I cannot speak from experiance though.

They mean war-speech instead of tale of battle to debuff healing 50% and increases dmg skills available in case you hunt for the skill to read up on it before making your class choice.

Here's my breakdown for ya.

Always considered the main healer -

Minstrel - instant attacks-in dmg mode aoe, cast time on heals-has single target,group,and emergency heals, uses a tiered ballad system to buff- use 1 tier, tier tier open up for use etc. up to 4 when an athem can be used and reset the tiers to 1, can stun and fear, can wear up to med armor, has a built in feign death

Has been used as main healer in confident groups -

Captain - instant single target attacks, can pick a buddy to protect, armored about as well as a tank, can have a pet or banner, no cc

Loremaster - one heal for others that can be traited down to 20s cooldown but its large, most skills have cast times, pets for dmg and buffs - each type of cc skill- roots- stun- mez, has 2 self heals with pet alive, strong percentage debuffs to enemies, light armor

Unknown if they fit main yet -

Runekeeper - some instant, some casted attacks, heal over time instead of chunk healing, short term cc, has an attunement system that increases healing or dmg depending on which are used more during each fight, light armor

The thing about lotro is that there is a group feature that comes into play, fellowship maneuvers aka conjunctions. These are randomly gained or popped by a class like burglar. You can either get dmg, healing, power out of them and more. With a good amount of "fm"s - you may never need a healer since you can all choose green and get healing from the fm. So technically, the burglar ( who pops them often) could fill in for a healer yet they have no healing skills for other players. FMs are freakin awesome to help in good groups but must be set off quickly so they take practice. FMs are a big selling point in lotro to me - I like to get small groups together and try crazy things and these make it possible, other games lack this.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Mechanics:Fellowship_Maneuvers