Getting Started with Legendary Items

Updated for Update 2

Legendary items (LIs) are an important “alternative advancement” system in LOTRO, but the LI system is complex and can be difficult to understand. Plus the system is undergoing a major revamp in Update 2 (coming soon). So, what do you need to know to get started? Read on!

What’s a Legendary Item?

Each player can equip two legendary items, usually a main hand weapon and a class item. Your legendary items level with you and gain special class abilities (legacies) and strength as you go.

LIs can be customized by adding relics (stats), titles (damage or defence type) and various scrolls to create legendary items that are both powerful and uniquely yours. You can even name them!

Unlocking the Legendary Item Feature

You can unlock the ability to use a legendary weapon (javelin for Warden) as early as level 45 by completing Volume II, Book 1, Chapter 9 of the Epic Story. You don’t have to finish Volume I first. The Volume II Prologue is optional (starts outside the Last Homely House in Rivendell) - if you skip it you can start Book 1 at Rathwald near Echad Dunann in Eregion.

Chapter 14 (level 46+) awards a second legendary item: a class slot item for most classes, a one-handed weapon for Hunter and a spear for Warden. Be sure to check the rewards from the expedition quests before completing Book 1 and entering Moria. There's no going back once you've passed these up.

Completing Volume II, Book 1 challenging at this level, but rewarding! If it is simply too hard, come back in a couple of levels.

Managing Your Legendary Items

There are several actions your can perform on your legendary items, often at a forge-master or relic-master. These special NPCs are usually found together at quest hubs in Moria, Lothlorien, Mirkwood and Enedwaith, plus Echad Mirobel in Eregion, Rivendell and Thorin’s Hall.

The life cycle of every legendary item always starts with identification and eventually ends with deconstruction. If you decide to use the LI, you will need to equip, level and reforge it. These tasks are described below.

Identifying a Legendary Item

Legendary items must be identified before they can be equipped. To identify a new legendary item, visit a forge-master. On the Identify tab, highlight the item to ID and click Identify Item.

Each item you ID will have a default legacy and 3 major legacies, chosen at random from the pool for that item type (i.e., minstrel songbook). After ID, you can equip the item (if for your class and level), deconstruct it for relics, trade it to another player or sell it on the AH. Legendary items can’t be sold to a vendor.

Equipping a Legendary Item

To equip a legendary item, right-click it in your inventory or drag it to your Character Sheet (C), just like regular gear. However, unlike regular gear, you must have an available slot in your Legendary Item Panel (Shift-I). If all the slots in your LI Panel are full, you'll need to deconstruct one of the slotted LIs to make space for a new one or purchase a Legendary Slot Unlock from the LOTRO Store.

Leveling Your Legendary Items

Your legendary items gain levels via item experience points (IXP). All the items in your LI Panel earn IXP, so in general it's helpful to keep these slots filled. The exception are the starter LIs you get from the Volume II, Book 1 quest - these must be equipped on your character sheet to earn IXP.

IXP comes from many sources, including:

• Killing non-trivial mobs (the mobs can’t be grey to you).
• Level 51+ quest rewards. Repeatable daily quests in Moria, Lothlorien, Mirkwood and Enedwaith are an excellent source of IXP.
• IXP Runes. These are items that drop from mobs and chests, are rewarded for completing quests and deeds or a by-product of deconstructing a legendary item.

Reforging a Legendary Item

Every ten levels, your legendary item must be reforged before it will earn more IXP.

To reforge a legendary item, visit a forge-master. On the Reforge tab choose the item and double-check the settings. Now's the time to name your item and refund your legacy points if you choose. When ready, click Reforge Item.

When reforging at IXP levels 10, 20 and 30, you'll get to choose from two new legacies to add. These usually come from the item's minor legacy category, although there is a small chance of getting a major legacy. At IXP levels 40+, you'll get to choose from two existing legacies to upgrade.

Deconstructing a Legendary Item

To free up slots in your LI Panel, you deconstruct or “decon” legendary items you no longer need. The item will be destroyed and in return, you may receive relics, shards, an IXP rune, a scroll of renewal and legendary shards or fragments (used to craft LIs). If the LI is IXP level 30+, you'll also be prompted to choose a legacy from the item to convert into a Legacy Replacement Scroll.

To deconstruct a legendary item, visit a relic-master. On the Deconstruct tab carefully choose the item to decon. If you don't see it, make sure it's not equipped and the Show Locked box is checked. Caution! You no longer get back your slotted relics if you decon an item at max IXP level. You must use a Scroll of Removal (purchased from the LOTRO Store) to remove the relics before decon. When ready, click Deconstruct.

Customizing Your Legendary Items

Customization is what makes an LI truly unique to you. The LI is the foundation you build upon, through your choices of legacies, relics, title and IXP cap.

Legacies

Legacies come in two flavors: special class abilities and stats. Try to start with an LI that has class legacies you like. As your legendary item levels, you receive legacy points you can spend to upgrade or “rank up” the particular legacies on that item.

To spend points, open the LI Panel (Shift-I), select the item, select the legacy to rank up and click the Rank Up button.

You can replace unwanted legacies using legacy replacement scrolls. See Managing Your Legacies for more info.

Relics

Relics add stats to your legendary items - higher tier relics give bigger bonuses.

To slot a relic, open the LI Panel (Shift-I) and select the item you want to add relics to. Click the Settings tab, choose a relic and click Slot Relic. Repeat for Gems, Runes and Crafted (if you have them).

Although it’s possible to slot over an already slot relic, the old one is destroyed. The only way to recover slotted relics is by using a Scroll of Removal purchased from the LOTRO Store.

You can create higher tier relics through relic forging and transmutation at a relic-master. We'll cover this in greater detail in a future article.

Titles

Titles let you set the damage type of legendary weapons and the damage or defense type of class items.

To apply a title, right-click the title and choose the target item from the pop-up list of slotted LIs. Only items that can accept the title will be shown. Applying another title will replace the current one.

IXP Cap

Although the maximum IXP level for LIs is capped at 60 by default, it can be raised to IXP level 70 by applying a Scroll of Delving (or Scroll of Lesser Delving for LIs equip level 60 and below). This gives you more legacy points to spend.

To apply a scroll, right-click the scroll and choose the target item from the pop-up list of slotted LIs. Only items that can accept the scroll will be shown.

Related Articles

Choosing Your Legendary Items

Managing Your Legacies

Legendary Items by Class & Default Legacy

Legacies by Class

LI Spender Tool