Helm's Deep - Revitalize Your Role

After the expansion Helm's Deep was announced, the new website section https://www.lotro.com/en/helmsdeep was launched. This Helm's Deep pre-purchase page linked to several sub sections, one of which was called "Revitalize Your Role". This page contains the original texts and images of that sub section. It features the class specific trait tree system that was introduced with the Helm's Deep expansion, a system that raised many questions from the playerbase.

Revitalize Your Role Shape your class with greater insight and control using Trait Trees. The skills you select, like the choices you make, are more clear and meaningful than ever before. TRAIT TREES Beginning at level 6, Trait Trees offer a selection of powerful Specializations (Specs) that enhance your character. You gain more Trait Points by leveling-up and completing Deeds, and higher levels unlock additional builds to switch between when outside combat. Each class has unique Specs that embody a clear combat style, whether it's the Minstrel healing Spec or the Champion Morale tank Spec. As you allocate points you'll receive several bonuses, like enhanced passives, new powerful Skills, and significant Skill upgrades. BURGLAR Inspired by Bilbo Baggins and his famous adventures with Thorin and Company to the Lonely Mountain, the Burglar uses stealth and confusion to weaken their opponents. THE QUIET KNIFE Slip past your enemies as The Quiet Knife and stalk enemies with composed cunning. The Quiet Knife relies on Critical Attack skill-chains, ready to escape into shadow at a moment’s notice. Skill Highlight: "Coup de Grâce" is a powerful melee attack with bonus critical damage. If the target is defeated soon after the skill, the Burglar enters Stealth. THE MISCHIEF-MAKER Become a master of debuffs and disables as The Mischief-maker. Fight multiple targets and support your fellowship by trading burst damage for an arsenal of Trick and Trick-removal buffs. Skill Highlight: "Trickster" makes the next Trick an area-of-effect that stacks with a pre-existing Trick. THE GAMBLER Put everything on the line in battle using skills with a random element that demands you and your enemies to react. Quick wits combined with buffs and debuffs make or break victory. Skill Highlight: "All In" gives The Gambler a potent buff to both defence and offence. If the Burglar doesn't defeat an enemy before the effect expires, he Busts, suffering an equal debuff for the length of the original buff. CAPTAIN Inspired by Eärnur, the last King of Gondor, the Captain is able to lead the charge with elements of tank, healer, or damage dealer. LEADER OF MEN Safeguard your fellows while drawing the ire of enemies as the Leader of Men. Skill Highlight: "Strength in Numbers" gives a stacking heal-over-time for each nearby ally. Can also block with two-handed weapons. HANDS OF HEALING Empower and heal your fellows while fiercely fighting enemies, but use caution. Many of the Hands of Healing skills cost Morale, a risky fact when your self-heals are limited. Skill Highlight: "Reform the Lines!" trades a portion of the Captain's maximum Morale for a potent fellowship-wide heal-over-time. LEAD THE CHARGE Strengthen your fellowship’s melee damage and augment your own single-target damage as you Lead the Charge. Skill Highlight: Auras provide increased damage and armour penetration to your fellows. "Blade-brother's Call" briefly strengthens your Blade-brother bond: with successful attacks by one, the other receives a Physical Mastery buff. CHAMPION Inspired by Gimli son of Glóin, whose skill at arms was matched only by the bow-skill of Legolas, the Champion specializes in melee damage-dealing but can also lend a hand in the defense. THE BERSERKER High-burst specialists, Berserkers use critical chance to single out a target and shred their Morale with ferocious speed. Skill Highlight: "Ferocious Strikes" delivers a devastating 3-strike attack that enemies cannot block or parry. DEADLY STORM Like a metal tornado of destruction, the Deadly Storm specializes in sustained area-of-effect damage. Skill Highlight: "Fury of Blades" costs no specific fervour and instead cashes-out all pips to attack enemies in a cone, delivering higher damage for each consumed fervour pip. MARTIAL CHAMPION Seemingly unstoppable, the Martial Champion prefers weaponry and vitality over any shield. Enemy attacks give them strength they gladly use to stand defiant between allies and enemies. Skill Highlight: The "Unbreakable" buff gives a Martial Champion Morale and Physical Mastery each time they're hit or damaged. At max buff stacks, the Champion may lash out for severe Area-of-Effect damage. GUARDIAN Inspired by Samwise Gamgee, a Hobbit whose loyalty to Frodo Baggins knew no bounds, the Guardian embodies an iconic defensive style but can sacrifice durability for harrowing damage. THE KEEN BLADE Specializing in high base-damage attacks and the stacking of bleeds, The Keen Blade emphasizes two-handed weapons and parries. Skill Highlight: "Overwhelm" stuns and interrupts on a critical hit, but also gains increased damage for every bleed it removes from an enemy. THE FIGHTER OF SHADOW Performing well in most situations, The Fighter of Shadow battles using self-buffs and enemy debuffs. This line opens up a means of two-handed tanking, and also uses a unique marking mechanic for additional damage to enemies. Skill Highlight: "Cataclysmic Shout" consumes all Guardian marks on enemies to damage and briefly stun them. DEFENDER OF THE FREE A stout and determined survivor, The Defender of the Free uses single-target and area-of-effect taunts with effective block-based skills, but also has parry-response skills for increased damage. Skill Highlight: "Juggernaut" is a brief self-buff that blocks all attacks and crowd control while reflecting damage at enemies. HUNTER Inspired by Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, a mighty hunter and companion of Aragorn, the Hunter is the master of ranged damage with additional skills in crowd control and support. BOWMASTER A stationary but high-impact damage line, the Bowmaster can down an enemy as they're running to attack. Skill Highlight: The induction skill "Upshot" consumes all Focus to deal massive damage from afar, with damaged boosted by each Focus pip consumed. THE TRAPPER OF FOES Controlling the flow of battle while employing buffs to gain leverage on their opponent, The Trapper of Foes is a potent support and solo line. Skill Highlight: Deployed at a distance, the "Deadly Decoy" trap taunts enemies before exploding for heavy damage. HUNTSMAN A mid-range harasser that excels at sustained damage, the Huntsman unleashes volleys of rapid attacks while navigating the battlefield. Skill Highlight: "Barrage" deals moderate damage even while on the move. Consuming three Focus pips, it can deal a steady stream of shots that each deal greater damage, but also cost more power. LORE-MASTER Inspired by Elrond Halfelven, Elf-lord and Master of Rivendell, the Lore-master can specialize in crowd control, healing and support, or damage dealing. THE MASTER OF NATURE’S FURY The Master of Nature’s Fury deals significant ranged damage, using skill interactions to maximize damage to one or multiple targets. Skill Highlight: Lightning Storm calls down lighting to damage several foes at once, consuming any Burning Embers for substantial bonus damage. THE KEEPER OF ANIMALS The Keeper of Animals reinforces Lore-master animal mastery, allowing higher survival and improved pet interactions. Skill Highlight: A channeled skill, Inner Flame heals you and your pet while building a growing Fire Damage buff on yourself. THE ANCIENT MASTER Offering strong crowd control, a variety of debuffs, and Power restoration for a Fellowship, The Ancient Master uses effect-chains to enhance and modify debuffs. Skill Highlight: "Fire-lore" decreases enemy Physical Mitigation and, with upgrades, spreads to other targets. MINSTREL Inspired by Lúthien Tinúviel, whose Elven voice beguiled friend and foe alike, the Minstrel strums songs that can support, heal, or damage. THE WATCHER OF RESOLVE A healing line that performs powerful buffs, The Watcher of Resolve restores Morale with great frequency and potency. Skill Highlight: "Legend of Helm Hammerhand" applies a Morale bubble to all nearby allies. If the bubble is broken, no bonus is given, but if the bubble expires without breaking it grants a small fellowship heal. THE PROTECTOR OF SONG Proactive in guarding their fellows, The Protector of Song casts forth powerful buffs and upgraded Anthems to provide combat versatility. Skill Highlight: "Inspire Fellows," one of their many buffs, further reduces incoming damage and increases this fellowship heal. THE WARRIOR-SKALD The Warrior-Skald delivers raw and potent damage, can circumvent enemy defences, and employ deadly Minstrel skills more frequently. Skill Highlight: "Call of Orome" deals significant Light damage and decreases an enemy's Light Mitigation. RUNE-KEEPER Inspired by Master Elf-smith Celebrimbor, whose skill with runes of power was unparalleled, the Rune-keeper wields powerful lost language to blaze a path of destruction or restore their allies' strength. SOLITARY THUNDER Based on mobility burst damage, Solitary Thunder skills have less range but most are instant-cast. With a chance to boost damage, skill awareness and timing are crucial to high damage output. Skill Highlight: ”Epic Conclusion” can be cast on the move, and unleashes a bolt of lightning that consumes battle attunement to deal even greater damage. CLEANSING FLAME Capable of long range induction-based attacks, the Cleansing Flame Rune-keeper relies on damage-over-time skills for reliable and sustained damage and can unlock area-of-effect attacks. Skill Highlight: "Combustion" causes a target to burst alit with flame and instantly damages nearby enemies. Trait upgrades causes Writ of Fire to spread from the attack, burning enemies for extra damage-over-time. BENEDICTION OF PEACE Relying on heal-over-time skills over burst heals, Benediction of Peace also provides ways to absorb, re-direct, or mitigate damage their allies might otherwise suffer. Skill Highlight: The heal-over-time buff "Bombastic Inspiration" ends with a burst heal and can be stacked. Each additional stack increases both heals. WARDEN Inspired by the Marchwarden of Lothlórien, Haldir, and his brothers Rúmil and Orophin, the Warden wields their iconic spear and shield to defend or deal damage. RECKLESSNESS A damage specialization that stacks bleeds on a target, Recklessness uses a cash-out skill for additional area-of-effect and utility. Careful planning of gambit-chains and layering of effects maximizes damage. Skill Highlight: “No Respite for the Wicked” causes Offensive Strike line Gambits to apply an Incoming Healing Debuff to enemies. DETERMINATION Rotate your gambits to self-heal and bolster defences and tank multiple enemies with Determination. String self-buffs for combat flexibility, finishing a string by choosing one of two skills. Skill Highlight: "Defiant Challenge" is an area-of-effect taunt that boosts the Warden's defences based on nearby enemies. ASSAILMENT A ranged damage line that also focuses on debuffing enemies, Assailment has versatility. As a solo build, its strength comes from debuffs and traits that boost melee combat. In group play, it offers potent debuffs to enemy defences. Skill Highlight: "Marked Target" damages an enemy and applies a physical mitigation debuff. You can upgrade "Marked Target" to gain a chance to affect multiple targets.