Crafting: Scholar

First up - you need to turn on Track Artefacts and, when you are out questing, visit every single one you see on your mini-map.

In the guide below I will offer 3 choices of items to make

• Vendor Recipes - these can be bought from Novice Scholars, you will always be able to get them and they don't cost very much.
• Dropped Recipes - these will cost you a few coins on the auction house (or you could get lucky and get a drop) but use less scholar-materials than the vendor recipes so you can get more xp for your materials
• Dyes - these are usually the cheapest in terms of xp/resource but they usually require dropped recipes (buy from auction house) and specific materials which you need a different trade-skill to obtain. If you're levelling a crafting alt these are golden because you don't have to go out in the "real world" but if you're questing anyway you're probably getting lots of scholar-materials and you might as well use those! If you happen to have a Westfold Farmer (Tier 7) you can grow Wild Flowers to get an assortment of scholar dye mats from each field. The recipe requires Friend Standing with the Men of Dunland.

Finally, if you are short on cash and are collecting your own scholar-materials then you always have the option of just making the free recipes you get each tier (scrolls of battle/warding lore and scrolls of crafting lore). These require no vendor-bought ingredients (so cost no money) but  they offer less xp/scholar mat so you will have to spend longer gathering enough materials.

Apprentice

The collected materials for this tier are Aged Scraps of Text, Early Third Age Relics and Worn Tablet Fragments.

The recipes you start off with each require 2 Scraps & 1 Relic (Scrolls of Crafting Lore, 8xp) or 2 Scraps, 1 Relic and 1 Fragment (Scrolls of Battle/Warding Lore, 10xp).  The Crafting scrolls are worthless - don't bother with them. By all means make a couple of Battle/Warding Lore scrolls if you think you'll use them but for levelling Scholar skills they are very expensive recipes to make.

Vendor Recipes:

Instead, visit a Novice Scholar and buy the recipes for:

• Either Lesser Athelas Essence or Lesser Celebrant Salve (6xp for 2 Scraps, mats cost 2 silver)
• One of Lesser Conhuith/Healing/Lhinestad or Milkthistle Draughts.  (6xp for 1 Relic, mats cost 40 bronze)

So with the same ingredients you can use to make 1 crafting scroll (8xp) or 1 Battle/Warding Scroll (10xp) you can make 1 of each type of potion and get 12xp. 

This will leave you with a stack of unused Worn Tablet Fragments - vendor or auction them because you will waste time if you use them.

Dyes

The dye and paints available in this tier are:

• Gold Dye (1 Yarrow Root for 6xp, mats cost 2 silver 24) - harvestable world item
• Sienna Dye (1 Sienna for 6xp, mats cost 2 silver 24) - rare drop for Prospectors of Tin nodes
• Pea-green Wall Paint (1 Lily-of-the-valley leaf, mats cost 2 silver 24) - rare drop for Farmers of Lilly of the valley fields

If you have a farmer who can obtain Lily-of-the-valley leaf, a miner who finds Sienna or any character that comes across Yarrow root in the wild then buy the Pea-green Wall Paint, Sienna or Gold Dye recipes respectively and get 6xp from each - note however these are rare resources so farming them is not very practical.

Assuming you make the recommended crafts at 6xp/time it takes 34 crafts to reach proficiency and another 66 to complete mastery (i.e. 100 crafts total)

There is a list of the full ingredients for each recipe here

Journeyman

The collected materials for this tier are Cryptic Texts and Ruined Second Age Trinkets.

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Lesser Battle/Warding lore at 2 Texts, 2 Trinkets for 10xp and Scrolls of Lesser Crafting at 2 Texts 1 Trinket for 8xp.

Vendor Recipes

The better recipes to use, which can be purchased from a Novice Scholar, are:

• Fire-Oil (2 Texts for 6xp, mats cost 40 bronze)
• Journeyman Potion of Focus/Fevour (2 Trinkets for 6xp, mats cost 40 bronze)

Dropped Recipes

If you can find the recipes for Simple Athelas Essence / Simple Celebrant Salve they use less resources than the Focus/Fervour potions (1 Trinket for 6xp, mats cost 2 silver 80) but the recipes drop from mobs so you'll need to get lucky or buy them on the auction house.

Dyes

You can also make Dyes if you have the raw materials, the recipes are again mob-drops:

• Olive Dye (1 Pile of Copper Salts for 6xp) - rare drop for Prospectors of Copper nodes
• Umber Dye (1 Piece of Umber for 6xp) - rare drop for Prospectors of Barrow-iron nodes
• Grey Dye (1 Iris Root for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers of Iris Fields

The simple Conhuith/Healing/Lhinestad or Milkthistle Draughts all cost 2 Texts for 4 xp so they're not worth making at this tier.

Assuming you make the recommended crafts at 6xp/time it takes 47 crafts to reach proficiency and another 93 crafts to reach mastery

Expert

The collected materials for this tier are Faded Sindarian Passages, Torn Craftsman's Diaries and Cracked Dwarf-carvings

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Battle/Warding Lore at 2 Passages, 1 Diary and 1 Carving for 10xp and Scrolls of Crafting at 2 Passages and 1 Diary for 8xp.

Dropped Recipes

If you can find the recipe for Greater Athelas Essence/ Celebrant Salve you can get 6xp for 1 Diary (mats cost 8s) but as with the previous tier these are rare mob drops.

Vendor Recipes

The better recipes to use, which can be purchased from a Novice Scholar, are:

• Expert Overpower Tactics /Hunter Bow Chants / Expert Parable/ Expert Sheet Music (2 Passages for 6xp, mats cost 2s 40)
•  Expert Battle Tonic (2 Diaries for 6xp, mats cost 4s)

Dyes

You can also make Dyes / Paints if you have the raw materials, the recipes are again mob-drops:

• Sky-blue Wall Paint (1 bluebottle Petal for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers  of Bluebottle Fields
• Navy Dye (1 Woad Plant for 6xp) - harvestable world item
• Turquoise Dye (1 bluebottle Petal for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers of Bluebottle Fields
• Violet Dye (1 Juicy Blackberry for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers of Blackberry Fields

Assuming you make the recommended crafts it takes 60 crafts to reach proficiency and a further 120 crafts to reach mastery.

You may be tempted to vendor those Cracked Dwarf Carvings that you're not using - don't. Keep them until you join the Scholar's Guild as you will need them to craft a Medium Expert Scroll.

Moving Beyond Expert

When you complete proficiency in Expert level scholarship you will not be able to progress further until you complete a quest. Speak to a Novice Scholar to accept [1]Crafting: A Superior Library and then travel to Rivendell.

Rivendell is in the Trollshaws. If you've never been before you will have to run from the last stable route you know - the route by stable is: East Bree -> The Forsaken Inn -> Ost Guruth -> Rivendell.

I'm going to assume you can get to Bree (free swift travel from the major towns).  Run east through Bree into the Lone-Lands and stop at the Forsaken Inn to get the stable route. Run further east until you see the ruins of Ost Guruth to your north (about 3/4 of the way across the map), stop and get the stable route. Run even further east, over the bridge and into the Trollshaws, continue running east to the Ford of Bruinen and then climb the mountain and keep heading north-east up the hill until you find a campfire and mustering horn by the start of a path (33.8,8.1). Follow the path north until you pass through The Gates of Imladris (32.1,6.2) and enter Rivendell (go visit the stable master in the north-west corner of the map to make sure you can get a ride here in future!).

Scholars Guild

The Scholar's Guild is in Rivendell. Speak to a Master of Crafting Guilds to join the guild (before you go to Rivendell, there isn't one there - the crafting hall in Bree is convenient) 

The guild small expert scroll is slightly less material-efficient than  using the materials separately but is worth making for the guild rep (2 Passages & 1 Diary for 10xp and 400 rep, 18hr cooldown). The Medium Expert Scroll offers good xp (2 passages, 1 diary and 1 dwarf carving for 35xp and 1200 rep, 2d 18h cooldown)

For now focus on turning in the scrolls for rep, don't trade them for rewards unless you really need them for some reason.

Artisan

The collected materials for this tier are Fragments of Dunedain Script and Relics of Lothlorien

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Elder Crafting at 2 Fragments and 1 Relic for 8xp.

Dropped Recipes

Refined Athelas Essence or Refined Celebrant Salve are again the most efficient levelling options each requiring 1 Relic (+ mats costing 9s 60) in return for 6xp but as with previous tiers these are dropped recipes.

Reputation

The Elves of Rivendell offer a reputation crafting item the Scholars Writ which requires 1 Fragment & 1 Relic for 6xp with no materials cost making this better than the vendor recipes for this tier. The Writ can be activated for 60 rep with The Elves of Rivendell.

You can buy the recipe from Cachunir (who sits on a bench on the ground floor of the Last Homely House, to the south side of the room) at any level. There is a level 40 quest which gives a reward of 700 rep in return for 5 Writs and this is also obtained form Cachunir

If you have obtained Ally Status with the Elves of Rivendell you can purchase Artharbain's Refined Celebrant Salves / Athelas Essences recipes from Artharbain in Imlad Gelair in Rivendell.  These recipes require 2 Relics & 1 Torn Scholar's Journal in return for 10xp so if you have the Journals (which are a rare drop from 45-50 humanoids) they are worth considering - note that the journals are also needed from "Of Mysteries Most Profound" which is a master level recipe which rewards an item worth 700 rep with The Elves.

Vendor Recipes

• Artisan Sheet Music / Artisan Parable/ Artisan Overpower Tactics (2 Scripts for 6xp,  mats cost 2s 40)
• Artisan Battle Tonics / Artisan Potion of Fervour / Artisan Potion of Focus (2 Relics for 6xp, mats cost 4s)

Dyes

You can also make Dyes / Paints if you have the raw materials, the recipes are again mob-drops (Dark Green Dye is good if you have a cook as the green onions are used in a lot of recipes):

• Burgandy Dye (1 Amaranth Petal fo 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Amaranth Fields
• Dark Green Dye (1 Onion Skin for 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Green Onion Fields
• Evendim Blue Dye (1 Bluebottle Petal + 1 Indigo Plant for 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Bluebottle Fields + harvestable world item
• Forest Green Dye (1 Onion Skin + 1 Lily-of-the-Valley Leaf for 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Green Onion Fields + rare drop for Farmers of Lilly of the valley fields
• Indigo Dye (1 Indigo Plant for 6xp) - harvestable world item

Scholars Guild

Make these as often as possible if you are joining the Scholar's Guild, the recipes are:

• Small Artisan Scroll (2 Fragments & 1 Relic for 10 xp, 18 hour cooldown)
• Medium Artisan Scroll (2 Fragments & 2 Relics for 35xp, 2day 18 hour cooldown)

If you make only crafts at 6xp/time it takes 74 crafts to reach proficiency and another 147 to complete mastery. Making Scholars guild recipes will reduce the total crafts very slightly as these give more xp.

Master

The collected materials for this tier are Long-lost Second Age Texts and Undeciphered Moon Letters.  Rare resources are Worn Elf-Carvings and Torn Scholar's Journals.

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Ancient crafting Lore at 2 Texts + 1 Letter for 8xp

Best Farming Location: Barad Morlans and Pembar in Eregion

Reputation - Elves of Rivendell

As with Artisan crafting these recipes are purchased from Cachunir (who sits on a bench on the ground floor of the Last Homely House, to the south side of the room) at any level.

• Study of the Unknown (1 Text + 1 Letter for 6xp) - good xp and cheaper than vendor recipes
• Of Mysteries Most Profound (2 Texts + 1 Letter  + 1 Journal for 8xp) - not the best scholar xp but worth 700 rep with The Elves

There is a level 49 quest which gives a reward of 900 rep in return for 5 Studies of the Unknown and a level 49 quest which gives a reward of 1,200 rep in return for 1 Of Mysteries Most Profound and these are also obtained form Cachunir

If you have obtained Kindred Status with the Elves of Rivendell you can purchase Artharbain's Distilled Celebrant Salves / Athelas Essences recipes from Artharbain in Imlad Gelair in Rivendell.  These recipes require 2 Letters & 1 Torn Scholar's Journal in return for 10xp so if you have the Journals (which are a rare drop from 45-50 humanoids) they are worth considering - note that the journals are also needed from "Of Mysteries Most Profound" recipe shown above.

Dropped Recipes

Distilled Athelas Essence and Distilled Celebrant Salve are the most material-efficient crafting options each requiring 1 Letter in return for 6xp (+mats costing 14s40 / 16s respectively)

Vendor Recipes

• Master Parable / Master Sheet Music / Master Overpower Tactics/ (2 Texts for 6xp, mats cost 2s 40). 
• Also available: Refined Light-Oi / Distilled Conhuit Draught / Distilled Lhinestad Draught (2 Texts for 6xp, mats cost 7s 20)
• Master Potion of Focus/Fervour/ Master Battle Tonic (2 Letters, mats cost 7s 20)

Dyes/Paints

• Orange Dye (1 Bloodwort Root for 6xp)
• Red Dye (1 Juicy Strawberry for 6xp)
• Rivendell Green Dye (1 Onion Skin + 1 Pile of Copper Salts for 6xp)
• Rust Dye (1 Pile of Ancient Iron Oxides for 6xp)
• Sea Blue Dye (1 Woad Plant  + 1 Bluebottle Petal for 6xp)
• Lavendar Wall Paint (1 Juicy Elderberry for 6xp)
• Pumpkin Orange Wall Paint (1 Bloodwort Root for 6xp)

Scholars Guild

Make these as often as possible if you are joining the Scholar's Guild, the recipes are:

• Small Master Scroll (2 Texts + 1 Letter for 10 xp, 18h cooldown)
• Medium Master Scroll (2 Texts, 1 Letter & 1 Carving for 35xp, 2d 18h cooldown)
• Large Master Scroll (3 Texts, 2 Letters & 1 Carving for 70xp, 6d 18h cooldown)

Supreme

The collected materials for this tier are Etchings of Moria, Rune-carved Tablets, Tattered Khuzdul Parchments, Relics of Khazad-dum, Broken Dwarf-Statues.

The crafting nodes are Sage's Lockers, Sage's Caskets and Sage's Lockboxes

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Supreme crafting Lore at 2 Tablets + 1 Etching for 8xp.

Best Farming Location: The Scholar instances in Durin's Way in Moria (on the path between The Chamber of the Crossroads and Twenty First Hall)

Note: There are no vendor recipes for the Supreme Tier - Some recipes are obtained from the Scholars Guild or from Reputation vendors (as noted below) but everything else will have to be obtained from a drop or the auction house (yay!).

Whilst I don't really recommend spending TP for convenience sake, there is a 'Supreme Scholar Recipe Book' available for 300TP from the store which will give you all the dropable recipes for the tier (i.e. everything except one-shots, guild and rep recipes). As always, free/premium members should resist the temptation and save the TP to spend on quests packs!

Most Efficient Recipes

As always Athelas Essence and Celebrant Salve offer the best return, there are several variants here but each offer 6xp for one scholar item + various mats:

• Infused: 1 Etching of Moria for 6xp (+mats)
• Pure: 1 Relic of Khazad-dum for 6xp (+mats)  
• Potent: 1 Khuzdul Parchment for 6xp (+mats) - requires friend standing with Galadhrim, recipe bartered from Bassiril at the docks at Imlad Lalaith for 20 Lothlorien Silver Branches.
• Steeped: 1 Broken Dwarf Statue for 6xp (+mats)- requires friend standing with Malledhrim, recipe bartered from Iawen at Ost Galadh for 25 Malledhrim Bronze Feathers. 

And for the Rune-carved tablets make either Supreme Overpower Tactics or Pure Fire Oils (2 Rune-carved Tablets for 6xp)

Other Recipes 

At a loss of 4xp/craft compared to optimal:

 Scrolls of Supreme [Crafting Lore] (2 Tablets + 1 Etching for 8xp)

At a loss of 6xp/craft compared to optimal:

• Supreme Parable / Sheet Music / Greater Supreme Overpower Tactics / Supreme Book of the Whisper-draw/wind-rider (2 Tattered Khuzdul Parchments for 6xp)
• Supreme Battle Tonic / Potion of Fervour / Focus / Pure Light Oils (2 Etchings of Moria for 6xp)
• Greater Supreme Battle Tonic / Potion of Fervour /Focus (2 Broken Dwarf Statues for 6xp)

At  a loss of 8xp/craft compared to optimal:

• Supreme Battle / Warding Lore (2 Tablets + 1 Etching + 1 Relic for 10xp). 

Note: Relics of Khadad-dum are only used for the athelas essence, celebrant salve and 2 scholars guild recipes (see below) so there are no 'other' recipes available.

Scholars Guild

Make these as often as possible if you are joining the Scholar's Guild, the recipes are:

• Small Supreme Scroll (2 Rune-carved Tablets + 1 Etching of Moria for 10 xp, 18 hour cooldown)
• Medium Supreme Scroll (2 Rune-carved Tablets + 1 Etching of Moria + 1 Relic of Khazad-dum for 35xp, 2day 18 hour cooldown)
• Large Supreme Scroll (3 Rune-carved Tablets + 2 Etchings of Moria + 1 Relic of Khazad-dum + 1 Broken Dwarf Statue for 70xp, 6day 18 hour cooldown)

Once you reach Artisan standing with the guild there are various recipes you can obtain to create Legendary items (Books for Mistrels & Scholars) and Crafted Relics. These aren't efficient for levelling but do produce useful, and potentially auctionable, items.