Lotro High DPS Offensive Hunter Traits/Build

In this guide, I am going to build a Lotro hunter that is purely focused on high dps (damage per second) from a distance. I want to add traits that will cause a ranged hunter to hit for more and last longer during elite battles. This build will not be focused on close combat dps because a hunter is weaker in close combat and I like to hunt in groups where a guardian does the tanking. When fighting solo I like to hunt where there is plenty of room and mobs are nearly dead before they can get close to me.

ICMR = in combat morale regeneration (morale per second gained)
ICPR = in combat power regeneration (power per second gained)
OOCPR = out of combat power regeneration

	Trait Slot 1	Trait Slot 2	Trait Slot 3	Trait Slot 4	Trait Slot 5
Virtue Traits	Determination 24 agility .6 ICMR 46 Morale	Tolerance 9 agility 3% magic defense .5 ICMR	Mercy 6 agility 5.5 OOCPR 2% magic defense	Idealism 21 fate 4% fear 6 will	Honesty 77 power 15 armour 5 fate
Race Traits (elf)	Friend Of Man +20 fate	Tactics and Conviction Fellowship Bonus 5.0% increase on blue/green conjunction choices	Elf Bow-damage Bonus +2% bow damage	One-handed Sword +2% One-handed Sword Damage	Power of the Eldar adds to fellowship power
Class Traits	Barbed Fury +2.0% to Ranged Damage	Swift and True +8.0% to Swift Bow Damage. +2.0% to Ranged Damage	Hail of Arrows +2.0% to Ranged Damage	Deep Concentration + 0.3 ICPR	True Shot +2.0% to Ranged Damage
Legendary	Rain of Thorns root enemies	Bow of the Righteous + power with each successful ranged attack

This Build's Main Strengths for a high dps Hunter:
39 agility
46 fate
77 power
10% bow damage
.3 power per second in combat
Bow of the Righteous (6.0 ICPR)

Agility, Fate, and Power

The basic character stats that a high dps hunter is going to need are agility, fate, and power. Agility is important because it makes a hunter hit for more ranged damage and increases your crit chance. Power is important because you need power for all those hard hitting, high dps hunter skills. Fate is important so that you don't run out of power during a long battle.

Agility

increases hit chance for attacks
increases chance to evade and parry attacks
increases ranged damage
increases critical chance with melee and ranged attacks

75 Agility = 1% Evade
150 Agility = 1% Parry
50 Agility = 1% Ranged / Melee Crit
15 Agility = 1 Ranged Eff

Fate

increases morale and power regeneration while in combat.
increases critical strikes and critical strike damage with tactical abilities, such as spell-like abilities, healing, and non-direct damaging skills such as DOTs.

50 Fate = 1% Tactical Crit
45 Fate = 1 ICMR
55 Fate = 1 ICPR

High Dps Hunter Elf Race Traits

For the race of a hunter, elves offer a nice selection of traits. Elf race traits are geared towards hunters with a 2% boost in bow dps. Elves also get a nice starting bonus of 15 additional agility. Although elves start out with -8 fate, they make up for that loss with the Friend of Man trait at level 13 which adds an additional 20 fate.

Race Trait Name	Level	From Deed	Trait Description
Friend Of Man	13	Enmity of the Orcs (defeat 50 orcs)	Improved Fate. (+20)
Elf Bow-damage Bonus	25	Enmity of the Goblins III (defeat 150 goblins)	Adds 2.0% to Bow Damage
Elf One-handed Sword-damage Bonus	29	Enmity of the Drakes (defeat 100 drakes)	Adds 2.0% to One-handed Sword Damage
Tactics and Conviction Bonus	19	Enmity of the Goblins II (defeat 100 goblins)	Tactics and Conviction Fellowship Bonus (5.0% increase on blue/green conjunction choices)
Power of the Eldar	35	Enmity of the Drakes II (defeat 150 drakes)	Adds a bonus to your fellowships power.

High Dps Hunter Class Traits

Level	Trait Name	Requirement	Benefits
1	Barbed Fury	use Barbed Arrow x750	Wounds caused by your Barbed Arrow bleed more profusely. Adds 2.0% to Ranged Damage
1	Swift and True	use Swift Bow x1000	Your Swift Bow inflicts greater damage to your enemies. Adds 8.0% to Swift Bow Damage. Adds 2.0% to Ranged Damage
10	Hail of Arrows	use Rain of Arrows x500	You have a greater chance of landing Critical Hits with your Rain of Arrows. Adds 25.0% to Critical Chance for Rain of Arrows. Adds 2.0% to Ranged Damage. Adds 25.0% to Critical Damage Multiplier for Rain of Arrows.
20	Deep Concentration	use Intent Concentration x150	Your Intent Concentration also restores some power, in addition to its normal effects. Power Regeneration in Combat increased by 0.3 per second.
20	True Shot	use Penetrating Shot x1000	The Hunter's Penetrating Shot pierces more deeply through an enemy's armour, ignoring more of the armour's damage mitigation. Subtracts 8.0% from Target's mitigation to this attack. Ranged Offense Damage increased 2.0%

Legendary Hunter Traits

Rain of Thorns
You rain 5 thorn arrows down upon your enemies, allowing you to pin multiple targets

You earn this trait by gathering 8 pages for the book Furthest Charge. The pages drop from humanoids of level 39+. You can buy Furthest Charge and its pages at the auction house if they are up for sale.

Bow of the Righteous
The righteousness of your cause allows you to recover power with each successful ranged attack.

BOTR gives 10.9 to 15.9 power per bow skill that is successful. Keep in mind that regular shots do not count towards BOTR. The lower your inductions and the faster you build focus, the more power per minute you can gain. Taking into consideration a hunter can perform one skill every 3 seconds, a hunter can gain about 6.0 ICPR per second (that's about 300-360 ICPR per minute as it would appear in your character journal)

You can earn the trait Bow of the Righteous by completing a series of hunter quests.

Quest Name	Level	Quest Giver	Start Location	Destination Location	Action Required
The Hunter's Path	15	hunter trainer		Gytha Lainey, is in Breeland at Adso's Camp on the road between Bree and Buckland.	talk to Gytha Lainey then kill Old Yellowfang
A Hunter's Charge	30	hunter trainer		Gytha Lainey, is in Breeland at Adso's Camp on the road between Bree and Buckland.	talk to Gytha Lainey then travel into the Shire to intercept the hunting-party of Wargs
The Swiftest Arrow is Learning	50	hunter trainer		Fenton Marshley is by the Hunting Lodge east of the town of Archet in Bree-land.	speak to Fenton Marshley
Articles of Discovery	50	Fenton Marshley	Archet hunting lodge	Angmar	a series of collection quests. see below
Implements of the Hunt	50	Fenton Marshley	Archet hunting lodge	Angmar	a series of collection quests. see below
A Lesson From Legolas	50	Fenton Marshley	Archet hunting lodge	Rivendell	speak with Legolas

Quest: Articles of Discovery

Zorrgolug's Matted Hide (Zorrgolug roams NW Fasach-Falroid)
Brimstone tinged Torkrip helmets x 5 (drops from the goblins in Malenhad, Angmar)

Take back to Fenton then he'll tell you to collect:

Glossy cave claw skins x 10 (drops from cave claws that roam around NE Angmar)
Corroded Neeker breeker horns x 15 (drops from Neeker Breekers in Malenhad, Angmar)

Take back to Fenton then he'll tell you to collect:

Rune of Winged Dominance (from Mormoz in Carn Dum, Angmar)
The Insignia of Battle (from Sorkrank or Burzfil in Carn Dum, Angmar)

Quest: Implements of the Hunt:

Driftclaw's razor sharp claw (Driftclaw is is near Giant's Needle in Giant Halls - Misty Mountains)
Corrroded iron crown staves (Iron Crown camp on the western side of Malenhad, Angmar)

Take back to Fenton then he'll tell you to collect: