4gamesite.com Lord of the Rings Online Correspondent Malcom Calivar has written this overview to the monster player vs. player system, the alternative to standard PvP, in Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online.

Lord of the Rings: Online offers several innovative features, many of which are designed to attract both casual and dedicated players. Today, I hope to be able to introduce new players to the aspect of Monster Player vs. Player (MPvP): one of LOTRO's most amazing designs. This unique feature is unlike faction play seen in other MMORPGs where players from each faction go up against each other on a normally equal footing; that is, every faction has access to gear that can make them almost identical to a player of the opposite faction. In MPvP combat, the mould is broken by giving each faction immediate advantages and downsides. For one, monster characters are given no equipment slots, meaning they can not have any sort of gear, and must be improved through the use of equipped class/race traits, passive skills, and active skills.
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The monster play feature becomes available when you reach level 10 with any character on the server you're playing on. If you have higher level characters on one server, but wish to engage in MPvP in a server you've never played in before, you will need to reach level 10 before you are able to do so. You will receive an in-game notification the first time you hit level 10 on any given server informing you that you have now unlocked monster play.