Crafting question

[EricStratton]

My tailor is proficient at Tier 1. I'm trying to get him to where he can make T3 stuff (required for my armorer). I got all 280 out of 280 XP for T2 but it didn't open T3 for me. I know I've done this before w/ other professions but I can't remember what to do next. Do I have to Master T1 before it'll open T3? Or do I need to find an NPC for a quest to unlock T3?

[DinbinFanfoom]

A quest! Mine sent me to just north of Bree for tailor. That's good. Metalworking sent me all the frickin' way to dorf-ville.

[Pixelkitty]

Both I think. You need a quest to unlock it. And you might need to master the tier before as well. I know you need to master the previous tier for harvesting skills.

[Pixelkitty]

Oh, tailor tier 3? It's a quest into the north downs. Which is intimidating as a little level 18 loremaster. I fear my crafting is on hold for a bit.

[EricStratton]

Where do you get the quest from?

[Pixelkitty]

Got it from a tailor trainer. Probably any tailor trainer.

[Draknor]

I believe Pixel is correct. You need to fill the T1 bar before the trainer will give you the quest. Any novice tailor will do. What I don't remember is if you need to fill it twice (complete mastery).

Pixel, if you're just going to Trestlebridge, you should have no trouble at 18. I ran a toon there at 13. I ended up going all the way to Esteldin too - Guenter escorted me but I really didn't need it. If you're careful and stay on the road it's definitely doable.

[Serani]

You do not need to master a crafting vocation to get to the next level. Theoretically, you could get all the way to finishing the first level of "Master" without mastering ANY levels. However, it's not a good idea. It gets to be a ROYAL pita to collect resources.

Each level of the crafting vocations has a quest, given by most of the NPCs. I think at Expert and Master, you must see the Expert version of the NPC to go further.

[Aananla]

You do not need to master a crafting vocation to get to the next level. Theoretically, you could get all the way to finishing the first level of "Master" without mastering ANY levels. However, it's not a good idea. It gets to be a ROYAL pita to collect resources.

Each level of the crafting vocations has a quest, given by most of the NPCs. I think at Expert and Master, you must see the Expert version of the NPC to go further.

I should know this but, what is "mastering"? I've seen the tab but have never used it.

[DinbinFanfoom]

I should know this but, what is "mastering"? I've seen the tab but have never used it.
It's a bit unintuitive, but from what I can tell, for each level (apprentice, journeyman, artisan) you can "fill the bar again, but moreso" and gain master status for that level, which if when you do so, you can click that tab and see that you have a higher % of a critical success, which I think either yields a better product, more product, or both. I don't actively pursue my masteries, but you end up working towards them gradually anyway because sometimes you have to do lower level combines to make parts for higher level combines. I like LOTRO crafting a lot, but it's a bit confusing at first.

[Raveneye]

On any level of crafting experience, fill the bar once to change the anvil from "empty" to "bronze" (color, nothing to do with materials). You are now proficient in that tier and can create any recipie assigned to that level. Fill the same bar again and it turns from "bronze" to "gold" showing you have mastered that level. Now you have a base 5% chance to "critical" when crafting any item. Crits can result in extra items for things like hides and metal bars, or better stats on actual items like armor and weapons. You also gain access to the Mastery tab, which allows you to plug in a crafting loot (clean barghest tails for example) to bump up the chance for a critical to around 50%.

As Serani mentioned, at certain intervals you will cease to be able to gain xp on a crafting bar even though you have not yet mastered that tier. This is the sign that you need to seek out a quest giver. They are almost always located in the main town crafting centers, usually they're the vendor for your crafting stuff. It does not matter which town, as even if you're a Man the guys in the Dwarf, Elf and Hobbit towns will have the same quest for you, so just get to the nearest town crafting hall and look for the golden ring symbol.

The quest usually requires you to visit a master of your craft. My quest for metalsmithing Journeyman level for example sends me to the Dorf city to visit the guy who runs the Superior Forges there. He then asks me to craft an item (featherweight shield) and gives me the one-off recipie. When I've done this, I return it to him and I'm granted the Journeyman status and can begin using that tier's recipies as well as continue mastering the tier below it.

So basically, to go all the way to the top in any crafting vocation, you're going to need to do a quest each time you're ready to advance from one tier to another. Apprentice - Journeyman - Expert - Artisan - Master: 5 quests in all. Should you choose to gain full mastery of each Tier, you'll need to fill the "xp bar" 10 times in all, twice at each Tier.

[DinbinFanfoom]

You also gain access to the Mastery tab, which allows you to plug in a crafting loot (clean barghest tails for example) to bump up the chance for a critical to around 50%.I did not know that last bit. I'm gonna check that out tonight!
My quest for metalsmithing Journeyman level for example sends me to the Dorf city to visit the guy who runs the Superior Forges there. He then asks me to craft an item (featherweight shield) and gives me the one-off recipie.Really? I was sent to Dorf city, but I can't recall him asking me to make anything... though I can't remember if I'm journeyman yet or not... I don't think I've finished that bar, but I can make the iron stuff, so I think I'm mid-bar on the Journeyman level. Were you sent to Dorf city before, at the end of the Apprentice bar?

[Raveneye]

Really? I was sent to Dorf city, but I can't recall him asking me to make anything... though I can't remember if I'm journeyman yet or not... I don't think I've finished that bar, but I can make the iron stuff, so I think I'm mid-bar on the Journeyman level. Were you sent to Dorf city before, at the end of the Apprentice bar?

Yes, you go there at the end of the 1st Apprentice bar and simply speak with him. That opens up the Journeyman tier and all the recipies for iron stuff. When you fill the first bar making iron junk, you get sent BACK to him and get the "Featherweight Shield" making quest. Finish that one, and all the Expert recipies will be open to you and you'll be able to continue towards mastrery on the Journeyman Tier.

By the way, mastery craft loot for metalsmiths at the Apprentice level is "Clean Barghest Tails". Stick one of those in the slot on the mastery tab when creating any bronze armor item and there's a 50% chance you'll crit and get a nice "purple" item out of it. The purple items tend to sell well on the vendor, as thy're pretty much the best stuff you can use/wear/weild for their levels. Most of the armor Rubi crafted for us many levels back was purple "mastery" armor.

[DinbinFanfoom]

Yes, you go there at the end of the 1st "Novice" bar and simply speak with him. That opens up the Apprentice tier and all the recipies for iron stuff. When you fill the first bar making iron junk, you get sent BACK to him and get the "Featherweight Shield" making quest. Finish that one, and all the Jouneyman recipies will be open to you and you'll be able to continue towards mastrery on the Apprentice Tier.OK, that's what I thought. Good thing I stopped/registered at a lot of stables on the way last time...
By the way, mastery craft loot for metalsmiths at the Novice level is "Clean Barghest Tails". Stick one of those in the slot on the mastery tab when creating any bronze armor item and there's a 50% chance you'll crit and get a nice "purple" item out of it. The purple items tend to sell well on the vendor, as thy're pretty much the best stuff you can use/wear/weild for their levels. Most of the armor Rubi crafted for us many levels back was purple "mastery" armor.This is good to know. We'll be back in the Barrows soon, to do all those Great Barrow quests, so that might work out well. Any idea what the component is for Journeyman level?

[EricStratton]

Glad I asked, good info in here. Thanks, gang.

[Raveneye]

***I messed up the Tier names in the posts above doing it from memory, so I went back and editied them to correct the mistakes***

For metalsmiths, the mastery items I know so far are:

Apprentice (Bronze) - Clean Barghest Tail (armor), Dirty Bat Claw (Shields), Dirty Shrew Claw (tools)

Journeyman (Iron) - Blackend Huron Root (armor & tools), Dusky Lynx Claw (shields), Ruby Shard (Forge Crafted Stuff)

Expert (Steel) - Large Warg Tail (steel armor, some shields, tools), Decrepit Wight Skull (Gondorian armor, some shields), also various other items are used to make each piece of Strong Gondorian Armor

Beyond that I haven't a clue.

[Raveneye]

Also, one thing I DON'T know is how the heck to turn a gem into a gem shard. I assume you need a jeweler for this?

[Aananla]

Also, one thing I DON'T know is how the heck to turn a gem into a gem shard. I assume you need a jeweler for this?
Nope. Jewelers can't do this either. Shards are just rare drops.

[DinbinFanfoom]

Also, one thing I DON'T know is how the heck to turn a gem into a gem shard. I assume you need a jeweler for this?It makes sense. If that be the case, maybe Sera's jeweller-alt can mail me back the pieces of the ruby I sent her. :lowrazz:

[Serani]

Unfortunately, no. Gems and gem shards are two separate types of items.

Sorry. :P

I'll post more later, my brain hurts right now.

[DinbinFanfoom]

/me puts the ruby on the anvil, takes out her smithing hammer, and winds up...

[Raveneye]

/me puts the ruby on the anvil, takes out her smithing hammer, and winds up...

Haha! Beat me to it. I was going to say, "I can make a smithing hammer, and I have a ruby...here's an anvil..."

The shards must either be super rare drops or they drop at player/mob levels above those where the item can be crafted, because I've never come across a gem shard of any kind in loot so far.

[Sir Rubi]

And shards, from the scuttlebutt, seem to be the latest farmed item for the gold sellers. Especially beryl shards, so be warned ;)

[EricStratton]

I think it sucks that shards are rare drops. I've got around 60-70 combined levels w/ all my toons and I've never seen one drop but I've got a ton of recipes for them.

Here's a site I found w/ a list of all the mastery items.

http://www.lotrolife.com/lotro_crafting_mastery_items/

[Draknor]

I got two ruby shards the whole time I was playing, within 10 minutes of each other, by killing a named bog-lurker in the lone lands.

[Sir Rubi]

I'd say out of all the shards I've seen, all but two were obtained in a group (either by myself or someone else, who then passed it on to me). One I got because I killed a "tier 1" elite master and the other was from a chest.

[Asharad]

I did the tailor expert quest at 18 yesterday.

You have to run all the way up to the middle of north downs (past tresslebridge by a lot) to the ranger encampment. Then you have to hunt down a level 20 named.

it's difficult, but not impossible. So now I am an expert tailor. fear my sewing skills!

[DinbinFanfoom]

You're gonna make someone a wonderful war-bride some day, Ash.

[Asharad]

You're gonna make someone a wonderful war-bride some day, Ash.

I really am.

[Sir Rubi]

/em sighs at his Tailor's tools

Now if only we could repair our own gear...

[EricStratton]

Where do you get the quest from?
For those that might need the info in the future, the quest is called Thickest of Skins II and you get it from a Novice Tailor. Of course there are no Novice Tailors in North Downs so you'll have to go to some place else like Trestlebridge or Bree.

[Erudite]

Gathering resources...

I made my little hobbit an explorer, since I figured he could tailor himself armor upgrades at some point. Rowan wood, and copper and tin, are essentially ground spawns around the Shire, and I have decent supplies of all. After completing tier 1 in prospecting and forestry, for a day or so, I wasn't finding any of these tier 1 spawns - they all had seemed to switch to tier 2 (ash, barrow iron, and silver). They've since reverted to tier 1. Is there something that determines what you find? I have plenty of tier 1 resources and would like to find more tier 2 stuff, but I've been unable to figure this out.

[Serani]

Gathering resources...

I made my little hobbit an explorer, since I figured he could tailor himself armor upgrades at some point. Rowan wood, and copper and tin, are essentially ground spawns around the Shire, and I have decent supplies of all. After completing tier 1 in prospecting and forestry, for a day or so, I wasn't finding any of these tier 1 spawns - they all had seemed to switch to tier 2 (ash, barrow iron, and silver). They've since reverted to tier 1. Is there something that determines what you find? I have plenty of tier 1 resources and would like to find more tier 2 stuff, but I've been unable to figure this out.
No, actually, it sounds like a possible bug.

Tier 1 spawns tend to stay closest to the major cities (Michel Delving, Thorin's Hall, um...I'm trying to do this before my first cup of coffee is in my system) and starter areas. The tiers go up as the level of the area you're adventuring in goes up. Resources outside of Bree, for instance are tier 3 (I think).

There ARE some mixed together. It's not purely a single tier, but for the most part, that's how you'll see it. I mean, you're not going to find Rowan in the bowels of Moria...

[Caranthir]

Resources outside of Bree, for instance are tier 3 (I think).

Hey,

Resources around Archet, Combe, and Staddle are Tier 1 (I think they're Tier 1 out into the Midgewater Marshes too, but don't quote me on that). West of Bree they turn into Tier 2 (barrow-iron, silver, ash, whatever the scholar goodies are). Tier 3 doesn't start, IIRC, until you get into the North Downs to the west of Esteldin and the Lone-lands around Ost Guruth.

But yeah, no way should there be barrow-iron and the like in the Shire, unless maybe you were all the way up near Oatbarton.

[Erudite]

Answering my own question...

There are tier 2 crafting components in the Shire in Greenfields, north of Scary. I'd been up there for some quests earlier, and just didn't make the connection since all I'd seen were tier 1 and had just finished the apprentice harvesting skills. So yeah, some tier 2 there, but not much.