Let’s be honest, mastering Alchemy in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a marathon, not a sprint. Like Smithing, it demands patience, something not every Dragonborn possesses in abundance. You need to decipher recipes, hunt down ingredients scattered across the wilds of Skyrim, and only then can you begin brewing.
However, for those who persevere, Alchemy unlocks incredible rewards. Imagine debilitating foes with lethal poisons in mere seconds or ensuring your Dragonborn is always in peak condition with potent restorative potions. With the right guidance and knowledge, reaching the pinnacle of the Alchemy skill is achievable sooner than you might think.
Updated for today’s alchemists: Think you’ve seen all Skyrim has to offer? Think again! With the Anniversary Edition, the most complete version of Skyrim ever released, and its vast array of Creation Club content, there’s a wealth of new alchemical possibilities. Dozens of fresh ingredients are now available, expanding your potion-making and poison-crafting potential to unprecedented levels. This Skyrim alchemy guide has been expanded to provide you with a curated selection of essential potions (and their recipes) that will benefit both novice and experienced alchemists alike.
10. Choosing the Right Race and Standing Stones for Alchemy
Choosing your race in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a significant decision, though not game-breaking if you’re aiming for a specific skill like Alchemy. While no race is locked out of alchemical mastery, some races offer a slight head start. Picking a race without an Alchemy bonus simply means you’ll invest a little extra time in leveling. The races that receive a helpful +5 Alchemy skill bonus at the start are:
- Bosmer (Wood Elves)
- Breton
- Dunmer (Dark Elves)
- Khajiit
Regardless of your chosen race, the Alchemy skill can be further enhanced by blessings from the various Standing Stones scattered throughout Skyrim. Two Standing Stones, in particular, directly boost your Alchemy progression:
- The Thief Stone: Stealth skills, which include Alchemy, improve 20% faster.
- The Lover Stone: All skills improve 15% faster.
For Dragonborn who are laser-focused on rapidly boosting their Alchemy skill, The Thief Stone is the clear choice. However, if you prefer a more balanced approach to skill leveling across your character build, The Lover Stone offers a solid all-around boost.
9. The Alchemist’s Golden Rule: Eat Every Ingredient!
Your first step on the path to Alchemy skill level 100 is surprisingly simple (and slightly strange): eat every ingredient you find. Yes, really. Consuming an ingredient for the first time grants a small boost to your Alchemy skill. With the base game, DLCs, and Creation Club content combined, there are a staggering 182 ingredients to discover and sample.
The real magic of ingredient-eating lies in discovery. Upon consumption, one of an ingredient’s four hidden properties is revealed. This vital information provides clues about the ingredient’s potential in potion-making. Investing in the Experimenter perk at Alchemy skill Level 50 further enhances this. With this perk, you’ll uncover an additional property for each ingredient you eat, per rank of the perk. So, if it looks remotely edible (and even if it doesn’t), take a bite!
8. Experimentation and Recipe Hunting: Two Paths to Discovery
Once you’ve developed a taste for raw ingredients and built up a collection, it’s time to put your knowledge to practice. Aspiring alchemists have two primary methods to begin crafting potions without relying on trainers: experimentation and using recipes. Both approaches have their merits and drawbacks, and realistically, you’ll likely employ both on your journey to Alchemy mastery.
Experimenting: The Trial-and-Error Method
Experimentation involves combining at least two ingredients at an alchemy lab. If the ingredients are incompatible, nothing will happen. However, a successful combination results in a potion, with effects derived from the properties of the ingredients you used.
Experimenting is a slow but steady way to uncover all four properties of each ingredient. The downside? It’s incredibly time-consuming. Furthermore, mixing incompatible ingredients yields nothing, wasting your precious materials.
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Recipes: The Guided Approach
Recipes offer a more direct route to potion creation, eliminating the guesswork of experimentation. Make it a habit to loot everything – enemies occasionally drop valuable recipes. Alchemists in towns also sell recipes, so it’s wise to purchase as many as possible early in your Skyrim adventure.
Recipes provide valuable guidance, highlighting which ingredients to seek out as you explore Skyrim’s diverse landscapes. However, just because a shopkeeper sells a recipe doesn’t mean they also stock the ingredients. More often than not, you’ll still need to venture out and gather the necessary components yourself.
7. Leveling Alchemy and Understanding Potion Effects
Beyond the initial skill boosts from eating ingredients, the majority of your Alchemy experience comes from crafting potions. Crucially, the more valuable the potion you create, the greater the experience gain. For example, a highly valuable Fortify Health potion can be brewed using Bear Claws, Hanging Moss, and Giant’s Toe.
Always pay close attention to potion descriptions. Crafted potions and poisons can sometimes have both beneficial and negative effects. Read the description carefully before using a potion in battle, just to be safe. The Purity perk, unlocked at Alchemy skill level 100, eliminates negative effects from your creations.
Efficient Alchemy Leveling Strategies
As a rule of thumb, the more valuable a potion or poison, the more Alchemy skill experience you’ll gain. Skyrim: Anniversary Edition provides even more opportunities for efficient leveling thanks to new ingredients. Potions of Waterbreathing are generally quite valuable and can significantly boost your Alchemy skill. A potent Waterbreathing potion can be made with Fungus Stalk, Void Essence, and Salmon Roe.
The Anniversary Edition, particularly the Rare Curios Creation Club content, introduces numerous new ingredients. Coupled with the ability to fish, ingredient gathering is easier and more diverse than ever. New alchemical effects like Nighteye and Spell Absorption are now also attainable, expanding the possibilities of Skyrim Alchemy.
6. Alchemy Skill Books: A Quick Skill Boost
Skill books offer a fast and simple way to increase your skill level by one point. There are five Alchemy skill books scattered throughout Skyrim, and multiple copies of each exist in various locations. Knowing where to look is key. Here are some easily accessible locations for each book:
- A Game at Dinner: Inside the New Gnisis Cornerclub in Windhelm.
- De Rerum Dirennis: The Grave Concoctions shop in Falkreath.
- Herbalist’s Guide to Skyrim: Arcadia’s Cauldron in Whiterun.
- Mannimarco, King of Worms: Evergreen Grove in Falkreath, atop a stone altar.
- Song of the Alchemists: Anise’s Cabin in Falkreath, beside the bed.
5. Quest Rewards: Knowledge is Power
Sometimes, completing a quest yields more than just gold. Wise NPCs may share their knowledge as a reward, granting you free skill increases. Alchemy is no exception. These NPCs will boost your Alchemy skill upon completion of their associated quests:
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- Lami, The Apothecary in Morthal: Bring her a copy of the “Song of the Alchemists” book.
- Frida, The Apothecary in Dawnstar: Retrieve the Ring of Pure Mixtures from a random dungeon.
- Inge Six Fingers, Bards College Professor: Complete the “Finn’s Lute” quest.
- The Oghma Infinium: Complete the “Discerning the Transmundane” quest and choose the Path of Shadow.
4. Helpful Potions for Every Skyrim Build
No matter your playstyle, potions will be invaluable in your Skyrim journey. However, not all potions are equally useful for every build. Depending on your preferred combat style, certain potions should be prioritized. Here are some essential brews for the three main Skyrim archetypes: Warriors, Mages, and Thieves/Assassins.
Remember, the ingredient combinations listed are just examples. Many ingredients can achieve similar effects. The listed ingredients are common and relatively easy to find, making them a good starting point, especially for players new to Alchemy. Alternative ingredients from Creation Club/DLC content are also suggested for those with access to them.
Essential Potions for Warriors (and Ingredient Suggestions)
- Fortify Carry Weight: Creep Cluster + River Betty (Alternatives: Coda Flowers, Kagouti Hides, Marshmerrows, Worm’s Head Caps)
- Fortify One-Handed: Canis Root + Hanging Moss (Alternatives: Hearts of Order, Stoneflower Petals)
- Fortify Two-Handed: Dragon’s Tongue + Fly Amanita (Alternatives: Hearts of Order)
- Fortify Archery: Canis Root + Juniper Berries (Alternatives: Corkbulb Roots)
- Restore Health: Butterfly Wing + Wheat (Alternatives: Ambrosia)
Must-Have Potions for Mages (and Ingredient Suggestions)
- Fortify Destruction: Glowing Mushroom + Beehive Husk (Alternatives: Comberries, Daedra Venin)
- Fortify Conjuration: Blue Butterfly Wing + Blue Mountain Flower (Alternatives: Congealed Putrescence, Sload Soap)
- Fortify Alteration: River Betty + Spriggan Sap (Alternatives: Blind Watcher Eyes, Screaming Maws, Sload Soap)
- Fortify Illusion: Dwarven Oil + Taproot (Alternatives: Watcher’s Eyes)
- Fortify Restoration: Salt Pile + Abecean Longfin (Alternatives: Hackle-Lo Leaves, Yellow Mountain Flowers)
- Restore Magicka: Red Mountain Flower + White Cap (Alternatives: Elytra Ichor, Blister Pod Caps, Lichor)
Key Potions for Thieves/Assassins (and Ingredient Suggestions)
- Fortify Lockpicking: Falmer Ear + Namira’s Rot (Alternatives: Worm’s Head Caps)
- Fortify Sneak: Purple Mountain Flower + Beehive Husk (Alternatives: Kresh Fibers, Roobrushes)
- Fortify Pickpocket: Orange Dartwing + Slaughterfish Egg (Alternatives: Kresh Fibers)
- Restore Stamina: Torchbug Thorax + Pine Thrush Eggs (Alternatives: Scrib Jerky, Chokeweed)
3. Alchemy Perks: Investing in Your Craft
Perks provide significant advantages, but choosing the right ones is crucial. Perk points are precious, earned only upon leveling up, so wise Alchemy perk choices are essential. While playstyles vary, these perks are generally beneficial for any aspiring alchemist:
- Experimenter (3 Ranks): Eating an ingredient reveals 1, then 2, then all 4 effects.
- Physician: Potions you create that restore Health, Magicka, or Stamina are 25% more potent.
- Benefactor: Potions you create with beneficial effects have 25% greater magnitude.
- Poisoner: Poisons you create are 25% more effective.
- Alchemist (5 Ranks): Potions and Poisons you create are 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, then twice as strong.
As mentioned earlier, Experimenter is incredibly valuable, especially for discovering ingredient properties. Physician and Benefactor greatly enhance restorative potions. Poisoner amplifies your deadly concoctions. Finally, maxing out Alchemist is highly recommended to ensure your creations are as potent as possible.
2. Alchemy and Enchanting: A Powerful Synergy
Enchanting isn’t just for boosting combat skills. Alchemy enchantments can be applied to clothing, specifically the Fortify Alchemy enchantment. This enchantment boosts your Alchemy skill, allowing you to craft even stronger potions and poisons.
The strength of the Fortify Alchemy enchantment depends on your Enchanting skill level. To maximize your potion potency, investing time in Enchanting is highly recommended. Certain quest rewards, powers, and artifacts already possess enchantments that aid Alchemy:
- Muiri’s Ring: Created Potions are 15% more powerful.
- Ring of Pure Mixtures: Created Potions are 12% more powerful.
- Krosis (Dragon Priest Mask): Boosts Lockpicking, Archery, and Alchemy skills by 20%.
- Seeker of Shadows Power (Black Book: Sallow Regent): Stealth skills, including Alchemy, are 10% more effective.
1. Alchemy Trainers: Fast-Track Your Skill
If ingredient hunting and experimentation become tedious, training is always an option. While it becomes expensive, training is the fastest way to level up Alchemy. Four trainers offer their services, each with varying expertise:
- Lami: Journeyman Alchemy trainer in Morthal.
- Arcadia: Expert Alchemy trainer in Whiterun (Arcadia’s Cauldron).
- Milore Ienth: Expert Alchemy trainer in Raven Rock (Solstheim DLC required).
- Babette: Master Alchemy trainer in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.
Unlocking the master trainer, Babette, requires joining the Dark Brotherhood faction.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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