Is there a way to bypass Moria?

[KouklaGirl]

I don't know what it is, but every time I get a character into Moria, I hate it. I love everything pre-Moria, and love Lothlorien and Mirkwood, but there's something about Moria that makes me dread leveling a character through there. Maybe I'm claustrophobic, I don't know...

Will there be a way in the future to use alternate routes of leveling, ie. other 52-60 areas, instead of being forced into the Mines? I mean, we can level 20-30+ in either the North Downs or the Lone Lands, we can level 40+ in either Forochel or Angmar, but we're forced to go through Moria to get to 60.

[arthorian]

Skirmishes?

[geoboy]

There's more than enough to keep you going up to level 52 ish if you do group content. You can head out to The dale at 57 ish. That leaves 52-57.

One option - skirmishes. Note that you need to get rep with the Guards to get your legendary so make sure to buy lots of the rep items.

Also to get your other legendary, you need to complete Volume 2 up to book 6, so you'll want to do that in there too.

[KouklaGirl]

Skirmishes?

One option - skirmishes. Note that you need to get rep with the Guards to get your legendary so make sure to buy lots of the rep items.

Unfortunately, on-level skirmishes only give out about 4k of XP, where as quests in Moria give out about 6k of XP.

Although one thing I just though of was deeds. They give over 7k of XP. However, I'd have to do about 20-30 deeds per level to level up, and I don't think there's enough out there to get me to 60, plus I'd have to do the ones in Moria to get there anyway.

Maybe a mix of deeds and skirmishes would work.

/petitions Turbine to bring +25% skirmish XP bonus back

[lf2536]

I managed to reach level 55 (on the RK I'm leveling) so far and all I've done in Moria are volume 2 books 1, 2 and part of 3 and a few random quests the Durin's Threshold and a couple around Dolven. I could probably get to 56 by going back and finishing deeds in in Eregion or questing some up in East Angmar or High Pass.

[Silverangel]

When Moria released, I was able to hit L55 in Eregion by doing all quests and some deeds, including at least 3 (iirc) full slayer deeds, with rest bonus. I'd imagine if you hit Angmar and Forochel hard even up to L51-52, then Eregion and Moria Vol 2 prologue, then skirmishes, then on towards Lothlorien, Moria is skippable as it is. You'd be skipping earning some class traits though, which depending on your class might be important.

[KouklaGirl]

I managed to reach level 55 so far and all I've done in Moria are volume 2 books 1, 2 and part of 3 and a few random quests the Durin's Threshold and a couple around Dolven. I could probably get to 56 by going back and finishing deeds in in Eregion or questing some up in East Angmar or High Pass.

Yeah, I've actually started clearing up old/undone quests in East Angmar and Forochel as I still need some of my book pages, but they only give out about 1,200 XP. Will have to see about completing deeds in those areas as well.

[henry316]

I'm at level 57 with one character has has done nothing in Moria except the start of Vol II to gain access and get his LI. (I prefer Pre-Moria LOTRO to Moria LOTRO, so am staying out of the Mines as long as possible)

Yes, you can bypass Moria if you like. No, you will not run out of things to do. No, you do not have to skirmish until your eyes bleed to keep leveling.

[TanisWhisperwind]

After taking the first 2 or 3 alts through Moria, I quickly got tired of it, so I would do just enough to get my toon(s) to lvl 55 (didn't have to do many quests once I got to Dovlen View by that point). Once I hit 55, I had friends who would summon me to the First Hall using their captains or summoning horns from Loth and I was good to go

[Yula_the_Mighty]

Several of my characters were 54 when they finally entered Moria. Two left by the east exit at 55. You can start doing quests in the Lothlorien area at 55.

Depending on class your mileage may vary. My captain was able to do all four of elf reputation quests at 55. The repeatables are every two hours. It was not long before Eal got her visa stamp was past the one shots. There is lots of quests inside that are easy to do at 55. Soon you can get your city permit. Lots of quests like flet runner that are no combat.

I did not do a lot of Moria quests with my captain. She is back inside at 65 working on her deeds. All she got is slow goat everywhere.

[Happyfish]

Unfortunately, on-level skirmishes only give out about 4k of XP, where as quests in Moria give out about 6k of XP.

/petitions Turbine to bring +25% skirmish XP bonus back

They dropped the crazy XP bonus from skirmishes? When I was leveling my warden I could get half a level doing a couple skirmishes in my 30s. That would be a shame if they dropped that bonus.

[Yula_the_Mighty]

They dropped the crazy XP bonus from skirmishes? When I was leveling my warden I could get half a level doing a couple skirmishes in my 30s. That would be a shame if they dropped that bonus.

Gone. Turbine decided people were grinding skirmishes for levels. It went away with Volume 3, Book 1. The daily quest is the same xp reward for all levels. The 4k daily is a sweet supplement for a 30.

[willwheels]

Several of my characters were 54 when they finally entered Moria.

My most recent alt entered the Mines at about 54 and a half, with a number of Eregion (and probably Forochel and Angmar quests) uncompleted--I just got the quest deeds in each area. I did finish all of the Volume I Epic though. It's not a terribly efficient way to level but there's a lot of XP there.

(And note that some of the quests are still a pain.)

[JeanCarlo]

You can "easily" get to L56 Before entering Moria (you can probably do the last 2 or so just doing V2B1 lol) by doing a Lot of quests in the Pre-Mom "end" game area - NE MM (Goblin Town), Eastern Angmar, Eregion, Forochel, and pretty much V1Book 8 - B15 which, IIRC are level 48+. At 56, just by-pass Moria itself (multiple ways) and start doing quests in Nimrodel(?) tho you might have some issues fighting L58-60 mobs depending on class (i've seen L55 LMs fighting them and I was L57 at the earliest on my Hunter). If you're not in too much of a rush, there's a couple of quests there that can be done (solo) earlier and all of them can be done if you have friends helping you (l54 Is the lowest i think).

[Happyfish]

Gone. Turbine decided people were grinding skirmishes for levels. It went away with Volume 3, Book 1. The daily quest is the same xp reward for all levels. The 4k daily is a sweet supplement for a 30.

So people were leveling too fast even for Lotro standards? I know there's a punchline here but I just cant find it right now.

[Yula_the_Mighty]

My most recent alt entered the Mines at about 54 and a half, with a number of Eregion (and probably Forochel and Angmar quests) uncompleted--I just got the quest deeds in each area. I did finish all of the Volume I Epic though. It's not a terribly efficient way to level but there's a lot of XP there.

I only had Eregion and Book 15 to work with. Everybody was level capped at 50 when Moria opened. I got four levels in Eregion 50-54 with my hunter by doing the quests and all the kill deeds.

The two newest characters were 50 and early in Volume 1. Once Moria opened nobody was doing books like 7, 8 and 10.

[auximenes]

I read that the bonus was added as incentive to get people to play them. After deciding that boon was not needed, it was removed.

[Herohtar]

I have a friend in my kin who is level 58 and hasn't been into Moria and doesn't play skirmishes, so it is possible to "bypass" Moria in that way.

[b.e.wilson]

Kill 2.4 million boars.

[lf2536]

Kill 2.4 million boars.

I'd be boared after killing that many of them.

[twittfounder]

Yes -- the last toon i leveled up spend about 20 minutes in moria -- purely a run through to get from erigion to lothlorien! if you are pursuing doing quests and content -- there are more than enough between angmar, forochol, and erigion to get you to 54-55 range without thinking. Add a few skirmishes for some extra juice and you'll have no problem skipping the hole altogether.

[erikthe10man]

I can understand your apprehension about Moria. It's by design a dark and depressing area - very well designed, too. I also like Lothlorien way better as well.

BUT...try to grit your teeth and do Moria anyway, if you can. The Waterworks and Durin's Way are pretty cool for getting grouped quests and getting them done efficiently without dealing with much of the "dark expanse". Plus, the older areas (outside of Forochel) have just awful accessibility. It takes just entirely too long to get from place to place. Moria also has better virtue grinds than anywhere else (imo). If the grind requirement on Angmar deeds were lower (I'm looking at you, 400+ Angmarim ), it would be a great alternative for virtue buffing.

Don't forget the great quest rewards in Moria, too!

[Sapience]

I don't know what it is, but every time I get a character into Moria, I hate it. I love everything pre-Moria, and love Lothlorien and Mirkwood, but there's something about Moria that makes me dread leveling a character through there. Maybe I'm claustrophobic, I don't know...

Will there be a way in the future to use alternate routes of leveling, ie. other 52-60 areas, instead of being forced into the Mines? I mean, we can level 20-30+ in either the North Downs or the Lone Lands, we can level 40+ in either Forochel or Angmar, but we're forced to go through Moria to get to 60.

Gandalf tried it. I don't recommend his method.

[lf2536]

Gandalf tried it. I don't recommend his method.

I don't know, all in all he came out ahead after that falling of the bridge thing.

[Killien]

I don't know, all in all he came out ahead after that falling of the bridge thing.

There should be rails on that bridge... unbelievable. Occupational Saftey and Health would have had a field day in Moria.

To the OP, you really only have to spend 2-3 levels in Moria if you don't like it that much, doesn't have to be something to dread. My Guard is my 3rd toon through there and he basically picked the 'easiest' quests that resolved within short distances of the quest givers and quickly moved between zones. Only spent one night in the FoS this time round... man I hate that place *shudder*. Even the ambient music (if you can call it that) gives me the creeps!

Out into Lothlorien at 56 and enjoy the sunshine.