Learning LOTRO: Lesson Twenty-Three - Burglar Class Quests

In this series, I talk about various aspects of The Lord of the Rings Online. This series is meant for newcomers, but may also help veteran players find more to love about the game.

It's time for us to check back in with our fourth character, the diminutive Ducras. Our stealthy little hobbit has grown up a bit and has had to face the Burglar Class Quests. These quests rely on the unique talents of the Burglar Class and put every Burglar to the test!


Okay, so maybe she hasn't "grown up" very much... (But everyone should mock Harry Goatleaf!)

Since writing about Ducras seven weeks ago, she's been leveled up to 50 so that I can cover a variety of other basics in this series. In this entry, we're going to talk about the first three Burglar Class Quests that are auto-bestowed at level 15, level 25, and level 30. There are others, but they're a bit more advanced and complicated -- and thus will end up in a future entry.

Class Trainer

The first thing I'll ask you to remember is that I specifically said that the Trainers are NOT obsolete even though we no longer have to visit them to learn our class skills. When you reach level 15, you're going to get some mail called "Pressing Matters." This mail is going to send you to one of the many Burglar trainers scattered throughout Middle-earth, because they want to send you to help someone and learn a lesson.

And as I mentioned in previous Class entries, Trainers have a variety of goods to purchase. In the case of Burglar Trainers, they offer items for Burglars as well as crafting recipes for Tailors and Weaponsmiths (the results of which are for Burglars).

Level 15: A Thief in the Night

The first class-specific quest is going to send you West of Bree to Adso's Camp, just like the first Hunter class quest. There's a hobbit kneeling between a pair of tents, and that's who you want to talk to. Don't worry, he's not about to send you into the Old Forest.

Atherol Took

Of course it's a Took a burglar has to go to -- they're always in trouble! It should come as no surprise that he wants you to undertake a common practice of a young Frodo Baggins: stealing mushrooms from Farmer Maggot's farm, Bamfurlong.

To ante up, the cover for getting some mushrooms is to dispatch some brigands that are planning to do the same thing. Don't worry about having to hoof it all the way back across the Brandywine -- the quest comes with a built-in travel to an instance.

Marauders & Mushrooms

You'll start the instance behind a fence-line, seeing some brigands in the field ahead of you. This is a very easy instance, and this is exactly what you should do:

1. First, stealth. Take out the two brigands standing in the field directly in front of you, and the wandering brigand as well. Still moving forward, stealth again and take out the brigand on the other side of the field.
2. Second, stealth again. Take a left and follow the edge of the farmstead. You'll encounter two more pairs of brigands. Position yourself behind the first one before you attack so you can maximize your attack damage -- which in turn minimizes how much damage you'll take from the second brigand as he'll have less time to inflict damage if you're quick to eliminate his buddy.
3. Third, with the brigands disposed of, you can freely run off to the mushroom tents and pick up 3 (1 per tent).
4. Return to Atherol for a funny snippet of dialogue and a trip back to Adso's Camp.

Pretty simple, right? You'll be rewarded with a head item and the tell-tale "Thief in the Night" title.

Level 25: A Secret Club

Bonus class quest! This one is extra simple. You'll be directed to find a Ponto Oats in Oatbarton: a place you probably have not visited yet since Evendim is 30+ in level. But don't stress about it being difficult, because this is another instanced quest.

Oatbarton is just north of the Shire. Head to Brockenborings (the place with the giant statue honoring Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took after the defeat of goblin chief Golfimbul). There's a path next to the statue that heads north through the Greenfields. Take that path and go up the hill on the other side into Bullroarer's Sward. You'll arrive in Oatbarton in the south of Evendim. You'll find Ponto easily in the center area of the town, looking back and forth nervously.

Ponto Oats

Ponto explains that "Ponto Oats" isn't his name, he's just trying to fit in and be inconspicuous. He dubs you as someone worthy to be in the Secret Treasure Hunter's club, and wants you to help relieve a ruffian leader of his club further north in Dwaling. On top of that, you're to take it without fighting anyone!

Don't worry -- this is probably THE easiest class quest of the three.

Finders Keepers

1. As you move down the hill from Ponto in the instance, do not be tempted to take the left-most path.
2. Head to the right, but walk along the slope on the right.
3. At the big tree where a path comes into Dwaling from the east, hit your stealth. Walk around it on the right side to avoid the nearby ruffian.
4. Cross the path to walk along the right-most slope again to avoid awake ruffians by the barricades on the town's path.
5. You'll walk past the right side of another tree and see the above picture if you've followed my directions.
6. Staying stealthed, walk just close enough that your interaction cursor turns yellow and you can pick up the club.
7. Back up, and once you're out of range you can simply run back the way you came back to Ponto. Don't worry about stealthing as long as you keep your distance.

It's really that easy. Your reward is the club -- and you earn the ability to use clubs as well.

Level 30: A Burglar's Errand

At level 30, you'll be directed to a familiar place. You've probably been here already for a fair amount of questing. You're heading for The Forsaken Inn in the Lone-lands, to meet up with one Palma Brownlock. You won't find her outside or in the main area inside. Instead, you'll need to head down the stairs and past the sleeping person. Pay no attention to the creepy noises.

Palma Brownlock

Palma has another very simple task for you. If you've quested through the Lone-lands by this point, you'll know the exact layout of the place you're going to travel to: Naerost (that place crawling with half-orcs on the east side of Weathertop.

It seems the half-orcs have taken a famous sword that is important to the locals as having belonged to a great hero. Time to burgle it back!

Sword-Saving

You and Palma start at the ridge south of Naerost, closest to the road. The best part of this instance is that you don't have to defeat anyone. That isn't a burglar's job. Your job is simply to find the sword and take it back. So:

1. Walk along the middle area of the slope to the left and walk right past all of the patrolling half-orcs. Head towards the wooden gate at the back of the ruins and head up the stairs. Unlike the open-world version of Naerost, there are no enemies here at all so you don't have to be stealthed unless you feel like it.
2. Once at the top of the stairs, there's only one half-orc that might be in your way. The sword is laying on a stone slab in the top alcove where the big baddie normally is in the open-world version, so you need only stealth past the moving half-orc or wait for him to be near his campfire buddy.
3. Return to Palma the way you came, bypassing the ruins and camp full of half-orcs.
4. Pat yourself on the back for a job well-done.

You're rewarded with the choice between a cloak and a knife (I tend to pick the knife), and the "Trickster" title.

Other Class Quests

As I mentioned before, there is a class-specific set of quests that will send you back to your Trainer at level 39, and all of the classes have the same format, so I'll be talking about that set all at the same time in a future entry.

There is also a bigger set of quests at level 50 (available at level 45) that all of the classes get, but they are wildly different and more complicated. You can expect those quests to be in a much further entry in the future after we cover more of the basics. And there are a LOT of basics left to cover!

Was this entry helpful? Let me know! The series continues next Monday!

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