Mini-quest

“	Not the Gandalf who was responsible for so many quiet lads and lasses going off into the blue for mad adventures? Anything from climbing trees to visiting elves—or sailing in ships, sailing to other shores! Bless me, life used to be quite inter—I mean, you used to upset things badly in these parts once upon a time.	”
–Bilbo Baggins about Gandalf the Grey, The Hobbit, An Unexpected Party

Mini-quests are tasks given by NPCs for players to complete. They were added in Public Beta 20 and changed in Public Beta 29. Mini-quests are started by speaking to friendly NPCs.

Crafting

To keep track of your quests, it is recommended that you use the Red Book, as it records the details of all your currently active mini-quests. Before Update 35 it was found in the starter chest, now it is given to the player by the Grey Wanderer. It can also be crafted (see recipe to the left), so don't worry about not finding it.

Starting a quest

Quest panel describing the task.

Since Public Beta 29 possible quests are indicated by a faction-related coloured exclamation mark hovering above a NPC's head. When you right-click the NPC, a panel pops up on the screen that gives you the choice to either accept or decline the quest (provided that you haven't already reached your quest limit). It also provides a description of the quest. Pressing the ‘Decline’ button will not result in any penalties.

The nature of the quest can consist of any number of tasks, from killing a certain number of enemy units to simply getting a Dwarf a few raw porkchops so the family can enjoy supper.

Note, that the possibility to give out quests in general and bounty quests in particular can be disabled using the configuration file.

Active quests

Red Book icon above a Hobbit.

You can only have one quest active for an NPC at once, but a single NPC can have multiple quests for different players at once. After completing their quest, you may be offered another. There is also a limit of five active quests per faction. You can, however, remove active quests by cancelling them in the Red Book. If you would exceed the limit, the NPC will tell you in a polite manner (unless if it's an Orc, of course), instead of the quest panel popping up.

All active quests are recorded and updated in the Red Book.

Any NPC who you are currently questing for will not despawn. They have a Red Book icon floating above their heads, making them easier to relocate. These icons are also shown in the world map. If the NPC somehow dies before the quest is complete, this will be written in the Red Book, and the quest will become invalidated, waiting for you to remove it.

Completing a quest

A reward for a quest – in this case, it was Rohan alignment

Once you have done your deed, return to the NPC who offered you the quest (making a custom waypoint near them can help with this). They will take the items you gathered for them (if applicable) and give you some reward in return – most often alignment with their faction, the exact amount depending, of course, on how difficult the quest was to complete and since Public Beta 29 also on the mood of the quest-giver. As of Public Beta 20.1, silver coins and achievements are also awarded. Since Public Beta 29 you might also get a pouch, since Public Beta 30 armour pieces, and since Public Beta 33.4 there is also a chance to receive Lore Books from completing mini-quests.

Some NPCs in particular will become a hired unit when their quest is completed. These are the shieldmaidens of Rohan, the renegades of Gondor and the brutes of Bree-land (which uniquely have no alignment requirement to command).

You can speak to the NPC before completing the quest. They will urge you to complete the quest and may give a reminder of what the quest requirements are. If it is a ‘collect’ quest (see below), they will take the items you have currently gathered from your inventory (but not out of your pouches) and the quest will be updated in the Red Book. A quest-tracker (see below) will be shown in the top left corner of you screen, if this feature is enabled via the configuration file.

A notable feature about questing is that it allows you to get alignment without killing units. This is especially useful for pacifists and the Hobbit faction before the player feels ready to leave the Shire.

Note, that it is not possible to turn in quests, while the quest-giver is drunk. Either wait until the person gets sober again, or give up the quest via the Red Book.

Mini-quest types

Currently, there are five main types of mini-quest in the mod, each of which has multiple quest possibilities (except for the tutorial).

'Collect' quests

The quest-tracker shows how many items were already delivered. In this case one of three pies were already given to the Hobbit.

These require you to collect a certain amount of a specific item and bring it to the NPC. Said items can be obtained through any method, including crafting, looting, or drops from enemies. The amount of items the NPC requests is randomly chosen for each quest.

These quests can range from forging items for an NPC to prove your standing among their people, to collecting enemy drops as a token of strength, to bringing a Hobbit food for his uncle's birthday party, and much more.

Since Public Beta 33.4, quest-givers of collect quests now check the player's held item before other inventory items

A quest-tracker in the top left corner of your screen informs you about how many items were demanded and how many were already delivered. You can switch it off or to another quest, using the Red Book.

'Kill' quests

These types of quests require you to kill a certain number of enemies, either of a certain faction, or a specific type (e.g. trolls). As with other quests, in order to complete the quest, you must return and speak to the NPC after having slain all the enemies.

These quests most often require you to kill enemies of the NPC who is giving the quest. For example, a Man of Rohan may ask you to slay a certain amount of Uruk-hai or Dunlendings, but will never ask you to kill Mirkwood Spiders. When you don't mind getting negative alignment with factions, and you want a lot of alignment with the faction you play as, this is the easiest way. Because: you get alignment for every enemy you kill already, but on top of that you also get +1 when doing a quest which can, with the right quests give you 150+ alignment.

'Pickpocket' quests

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In Update 36 a new type of quest was added, specific to the spies found in Bree-land. To successfully complete this quest, you have to sneak up on several different Bree-landers and attempt to pick their pockets. This is done by right-clicking on them with an empty hand while they are not looking - if they are the following chat message will appear:

You can't pickpocket someone who is looking at you!

Similarly if they are in combat, the following message will appear:

You can't pickpocket someone who is fighting!

If you are successful (there is random chance to 'miss'), a particle effect that looks like the target dropped several coins on the ground will appear and you will receive a "stolen item" (normally something like a coin, nugget or piece of pipe-weed) to hand back to the Ruffian - each stolen item is specific to a particular Ruffian quest, so they can't be stockpiled and used for others. Stolen items can't be sold and stolen coins can't be used in trading, or exchanged.

If the victim (or a nearby NPC) notices your attempt (successful or not), they'll be very angry (shown by a cloud particle above their head) and it might alert others nearby as well. If you are noticed, you will lose 1 alignment with Bree-land.

Completing a pickpocketing quest will award some coins and Isengard alignment if the player doesn't have negative alignment with them. Pickpocketing for the first time will grant the achievement "What has it Got..." and the title "Pickpocket". Completing a pickpocket quest for the first time will award the achievement: "Dodgy Dealings".

'Bounty' quests

“	And for four years he was an outlaw in the land of his fathers, grim and solitary; and his name was feared, for he went often abroad, and slew many of the Easterlings that he came upon. Then they set a great price upon his head; but they did not dare to come to his hiding-place, even with strength of men, for they feared the Elven-folk, and shunned the caves where they had dwelt.	”
–Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin, Unfinished Tales

As of Public Beta 33, a new type of mini-quest has been added: bounty quests. These quests, given out by NPCs, send you in a dangerous mission to kill another player. You can talk with friendly NPCs (or spies...) to find out where your bounty is. Perform the deed and return to your quest giver to receive your reward.

How the bounty system works: When a player kills too many NPCs, near or inside a faction's Sphere of Influence, they will be put in a 'Wanted' state by the said faction for a time. Then, quest givers from that faction will start handing out quests to kill the Wanted player. There's no time limit to kill the player with a bounty on its head, but beware, for if another bounty hunter claims the kill first for the faction, you will fail the quest. If the target player is killed under normal circumstances - or killed for another faction's bounty quest - your quest won't be affected.

This quest, based on its dangerous and unpredictable nature, offers a great reward in coins and alignment; the amount is calculated based on the number of NPCs killed by the Wanted player.

Completing a bounty quest once awards the player with the "Fearsome" title, and completing 5 bounty quests awards the player with another title, "Headhunter", and a Headhunter's Trophy, a special weapon augmentation item.

If killed by a bounty hunter for a quest, you will lose a considerable amount of alignment for the faction you currently have highest alignment with.

However, if a targeted player manages to kill a player who is hunting them, the target player will instead gain alignment with their highest faction, and the hunter will lose some with the faction who handed out the quest. This also causes the hunting player to fail their quest.

'Tutorial' quest

Since Update 35 a tutorial quest is included in the mod, driven by the Grey Wanderer and described in detail on his page.

List of achievements gained from questing

Below are a list of the current achievements that can be awarded when a player completes mini-quests mainly for a certain faction:

• Blood Pact: Complete a Dunland mini-quest
• Deeds of Dale: Complete a Dale mini-quest
• Desert Wanderer: Complete a Southron mini-quest
• Errand Scout: Complete a Ranger mini-quest
• Fair and Free: Complete a Lindon mini-quest
• Fearsome Complete a player hunting mini-quest
• Fell Deeds Awake: Complete an Uruk-hai mini-quest
• Friend of Rhûn Complete a Rhúdel mini-quest
• Friend of Rivendell Complete a Rivendell mini-quest
• Friend of the Forest: Complete a Taurethrim mini-quest
• Friend of the Lady: Complete a Galadhrim mini-quest
• Friend of the Mark: Complete a Rohan mini-quest
• Friend of the Vintners: Complete a Dorwinion mini-quest
• Hand of Sauron: Complete a Mordor mini-quest
• Headhunter Complete five player hunting mini-quests
• In Aid of Gondor: Complete a Gondor mini-quest
• Kin of Durin: Complete a Durin's Folk mini-quest
• Local Shirriff: Complete a Hobbits mini-quest
• Looking for an Adventure: Complete the Grey Wanderer's mini-quest
• Not This Day! Kill a player who is hunting you for a mini-quest
• No Living Man am I!: Earn the service of a Shieldmaiden of Rohan
• Rites of Passage: Complete a Morwaith mini-quest
• Scavenging Filth: Complete a Gundabad mini-quest
• Servant of Evil: Complete an Angmar mini-quest
• Spider Spawn: Complete a Dol Guldur mini-quest
• They Had it Coming: Complete a Gondor mini-quest in pursuit of Gondorian Renegades
• Traveller's Help: Complete a Bree-land mini-quest
• Trollish Tasks: Complete a Half-trolls mini-quest
• Trust of the Elves: Complete a Wood-elf mini-quest
• Welcoming Halls: Complete a Blue Mountains mini-quest

Optimal questing

This section explains how to optimally profit from quest rewards. Of course, we all hope this will encourage players to optimally enjoy the immersive aspects of the mod (and not encourage the cowardly, lazy and oh-so-un-lotr-mod ways of '(trap-)grinding').

Acquire quest assignments

Here are a number of tips and tricks on how to optimally acquire quest assignments:

• Stay in one area with a maximum concentration of NPCs of the faction(s) you want to befriend, to get a maximum number of NPCs to spawn.
• Decide on what type of quest assignments you wish to get: 'collect' or 'kill' and focus on one of them.
• When acquiring quest assignments, go in an area with many NPCs and then walk/run around (can be mounted) and each time right-click another NPC with an exclamation mark, until you get a satisfactory assignment.
• Set a waypoint in an area where you acquired a maximum amount of quests for a faction. Return to finish 5 quests at once and only leave after you acquired 5 new useful quest assignments.
• Consider multiple factions' 'typical quests' for deciding on which type of quests to focus. Some factions have comparable desires.

Focus and quest completion strategy

Now on to some tricks to get maximum quest rewards, in a limited number of time, for the two main quest types:

• For collect quests: Get a good idea on what types of materials must be collected to please the faction you wish to befriend. Make notes and go out to collect as much units of material you can get. Base your farming, lumberjacking, mining, herb collecting or whatever appropriate strategy on this objective. Name a pouch appropriately (like Galadhrim allegiance bag) and stuff it with the materials you wish to share with that faction. Take the appropriate crafting table with you, to be able to craft the demanded items directly in front of the quest giver. Then start acquiring assignments in the way described above. Note that the harder to collect items, the higher the reward.
• For kill quests: Get a clear notion of which foes you need to eliminate to please the faction you want to befriend. Decide which foe you wish to fight, on behalf of your friends. Acquire quest assignments using the tips and tricks mentioned above. Plan your PvE strategy and go get them! Don't forget to take your Red Book with you on your campaign. Keep in mind that kills from hired NPCs don't add to your credits. Return safely after you have completed all quests. Get maximum rewards! As shown in the example below, the rewards of killing dozens of foes can amount up to 3-5 times the single value alignment points and coins per killed foe per faction that wanted them eliminated! Note that one kill may count for several quests (same faction or different) at once.

Note that the nasty habit of skirmishing between Orcs does not interfere with either of the above 2 methods. Since Public Beta 23.3, Orcs involved in active quests are exempt from skirmishes with their 'friends', but can still be killed by enemies, accidents and other players on servers.

Example for kill quest optimization

This example shows how optimally acquiring quests and focus on a single type of kill quests can get you maximum rewards for each 'Kill that filthy enemy!' assignment.

5 High Elven kill quests

5 Galadhrim kill quests

5 Wood-elven kill quests

4 of 5 High Elven kill quests

4 of 5 Galadhrim kill quests

4 of 5 Wood-elven kill quests

Trivia

• Before Public Beta 29 you could just talk to any NPC who you were friendly or neutral with. When you were lucky, they would give out a different quest every 4 seconds. If not, you talked to the same NPC several times until you got a quest from them.
• Before Public Beta 31.1, quest givers didn't take renamed items or items that "belonged to" someone else before, even when it was the item they requested.

Gameplay mechanics of the Lord of the Rings Mod Basic Mechanics: Alignment • Books • Crafting • Equipment Modifiers • Factions • Farming Fellowships • Fishing • Gameplay Guide • Menu • Millstone • Pledging • Shire Reckoning Status Effects • Trading (Respawning, Travelling) • Undyeing • Unit Hiring • Unsmeltery The World: Biomes (Variants) • Clock • Compass • Fast Travel System • Roads Sky (Clouds, Weather, Northern Lights, Moon, Sun) Transportation (Mounts, Breeding) • Waypoints • World Types Achievements and Quests: Achievements • Mini-Quest • Shields • Titles • The Red Book • Tutorial In-Game Events: Bandits • Bloodmoon • Invasions • Player Respawning • Skirmishes • Thieves Combat: Banners • Boss Mechanics • Combat System • Conquest • Fort Besieging Tips • Fort Defense Tips Hired Units • Pacifism • Reforging • Table of Command • Tactics Against Factions • Weapons Brewing: Alcoholicity • Barrel • Brewing • Magical drinks • Poisoned drinks Portals: Elven Portal • Morgul Portal • Ring Portal • Utumno Other / Technical: Block/Item IDs • Commands • Configuration • Entities • Entity Alignment Registry List of All Miniquests • Names • NBT-data • Overview • Sounds • Spawners • Speech