Alchemy Question?

[Daelon DuLac]

I am very new to the Alchemy thing (normally I just bought my potions). What is the methodology that I should use. I have collected all kinds of ingredients and what I do is keep them in one place, then take them all out, go over to my table and craft the potions that are indicated as having the ingredients. Is that correct? If so, I am apparently missing a lot of ingredients even though I probably have over 100 kinds. At this point I have only actually made 2 or three kinds.

Should I eat each of one to learn what they do and then try again? I read in the Bible that eating the ingredient will let you know what it does.

Help! I simply don't know what to do with all these ingredients and my lab.

Thanks!

 

[khazan99]

Yes eating an ingredient will let you learn ONE of its properties, but since an ingredient can have multiple properties, you won't be able to learn the unknown ones by this method. I'm pretty sure eating an ingredient will only let you learn a single property, regardless of how many times you eat it. So, if you're in the 'spirit of the game', you'll need to experiment a bit.

Without resorting to an Alchemy guide (or an app on your smart phone), you can just begin mixing ingredients to see what you come up with : click the "INGREDIENTS" option when you're using the Alchemy table (rather than clicking on an already known potion), and you'll get the big list of all the Ingredients you currently have in your inventory. Mix and match and see what new and exciting potions/poisons you can craft.

Also, if you want to spend the coin, the Alchemy merchant usually has Recipes for sale to help you learn a new potion or two. And if you're planning on spending some points in Alchemy, there is also a Perk in the Alchemy skill tree that grants you knowledge of multiple properties when you eat or use an ingredient.

 

[Two Bears]

What is really valuable is the perk you can take at level 90 to learn all four effects. That being said, the leveling of Alchemy is tied into the value of the potion. Here's a good run-down of the system and some recommended potions for grinding the skill:

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Alchemy_Tips

 

[sticky runes]

Ah, so you're an alchemist then.

 

[khazan99]

Ah, so you're an alchemist then.

sticky runes, pardon me, but....do I detect a case of the Rattles?

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Yes eating an ingredient will let you learn ONE of its properties, but since an ingredient can have multiple properties, you won't be able to learn the unknown ones by this method. I'm pretty sure eating an ingredient will only let you learn a single property, regardless of how many times you eat it. So, if you're in the 'spirit of the game', you'll need to experiment a bit.

Without resorting to an Alchemy guide (or an app on your smart phone), you can just begin mixing ingredients to see what you come up with : click the "INGREDIENTS" option when you're using the Alchemy table (rather than clicking on an already known potion), and you'll get the big list of all the Ingredients you currently have in your inventory. Mix and match and see what new and exciting potions/poisons you can craft.

Also, if you want to spend the coin, the Alchemy merchant usually has Recipes for sale to help you learn a new potion or two. And if you're planning on spending some points in Alchemy, there is also a Perk in the Alchemy skill tree that grants you knowledge of multiple properties when you eat or use an ingredient.

I'll have to get that perk! I'm up to 73 in Alchemy, but I haven't perked at all.

Thanks for the info. I don't have the patience for all that experimenting frankly. I wanna be out killing something (or someone). I do have a few recipies though and there area a lot of my ingredients that I haven't even tried to eat yet (can you imagine eating a feather or a claw? Yuck).

 

[Daelon DuLac]

What is really valuable is the perk you can take at level 90 to learn all four effects. That being said, the leveling of Alchemy is tied into the value of the potion. Here's a good run-down of the system and some recommended potions for grinding the skill:

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Alchemy_Tips

Thanks. I'm not sure if I want to spend the time searching and gathering all the ingredients. I kind just pick 'em up when I find 'em. Alchemy isn't really my bag, but I do have the lab, so I thought I'd put it to use. It sounds like the whole Alchemy thing works like enchantment and smithing, it's based on value.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Ah, so you're an alchemist then.

Somebody's been to Whiterun I see!

 

[khazan99]

Thanks for the info. I don't have the patience for all that experimenting frankly. I wanna be out killing something (or someone). I do have a few recipies though and there area a lot of my ingredients that I haven't even tried to eat yet (can you imagine eating a feather or a claw? Yuck).

lol yes, or choking down some Fire Salts. yum.

I have to admit that I did purchase an app for my iPhone that shows what potion any two/3 ingredients can make, and reciprocally, allows me to enter a type of potion that I want to make and it will list the ingredients required. I only have one character concentrating in Alchemy at the moment, and since it does take some real time to practice with the Alchemy bench, it's helpful not to waste ingredients/time by experimenting.

Theoretically, even using this RL app could be roleplayed if someone wanted to do so: Arcadia is instructing the character, teaching him or her which ingredients to mix rather than letting the character waste them through blind experimentation. Maybe as part of the Alchemy training you can purchase, you'd probably want to give away some gold or something to compensate for the further instruction.

 

[Kory Stukenborg]

I just put random things together. I don't know anything about alchemy.

 

[orca45]

I am very new to the Alchemy thing (normally I just bought my potions). What is the methodology that I should use. I have collected all kinds of ingredients and what I do is keep them in one place, then take them all out, go over to my table and craft the potions that are indicated as having the ingredients. Is that correct? If so, I am apparently missing a lot of ingredients even though I probably have over 100 kinds. At this point I have only actually made 2 or three kinds.

Should I eat each of one to learn what they do and then try again? I read in the Bible that eating the ingredient will let you know what it does.

Help! I simply don't know what to do with all these ingredients and my lab.

Thanks!

Well, there is plenty of information about alchemy in the net and I don’t think your best choice is to eat each one of them to find out its effect. Just do your research in the net and go for if you like it. What kind of potion are you trying to create anyway ? I am not trying to be rude but just trying to make it easier for you. For example, if you want to create an invisibility potion, then you need : Luna Moth Wing + Vampire Dust ... Nimroot and Ice Wraith are also used for this potion; if you want to create RESTORATION potion, then you need : Alecean Longfin + Salt Pile ... if you want to create an enchanting potion, you need to mix : Blue Butterfly Wings, Hagraven Claw or Spiggran Sap + Snowberries ...

Personally I don’t mix anything except : RESTORATION, ENCHANTING and some INVISIBILITY potions. That’s all I need. With the Restoration potions I can increase my alchemy to whatever level I want and then create very powerful Enchanting Potions to enchant my weapon, armor and items. Once they are enchanted to the level I do want, then I never carry Healt, Magic, Stamina or any other potion out there. The invisibility potion I create, allow me to stay invisible for 8 - 12 minutes but I don’t like them that much because if you are attacked or you attack or open a door or chest, the effect goes away. I think it is better to buy the Invisibility Spell book and cast the spell anytime you need to be invisible but also, the invisibility spell is useless once your sneaking ability is high and improved with powerful enchanting potions so you are completely undetectable and work much better ( to perfection ) than invisibility potion.

Bottom line is, the only ingredients you may ever need are those to create Restoration and Enchanting potions. Other than that, in my opinion, is not necessary at all. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Morgan]

Bottom line is, the only ingredients you may ever need are those to create Restoration and Enchanting potions. Other than that, in my opinion, is not necessary at all. Just my 2 cents.

Clearly not a poisoner I see. Try this: Weakness to Fire, Weakness to Magic, Slow, then a string of fire runes or walls. To quote Anska: Sometimes I just like to watch them burn.

 

[sticky runes]

Giant's toe and creep cluster for extra carry weight potions. We all need them at some point.

 

[St1ngray]

Alchemy is the one area I personal felt it ok to refer to external help. There is a fantastic app on my iPad I have called SR Alchemy, and its really good for cataloguing your inventory and quickly checking what you can make from it. I also kind of find, using it on a tablet while your playing doesn't take you out from the immersion in the game.

EDIT: just to add the way I went about it, was I collected everything I found on my travels, dumped it on my followers. I didn't touch alchemy for sometime, but when I felt I was in the mood I gathered all my ingredients, used the aforementioned app and tried to create potions that would reveal the effects of as many of the ingredients in my inventory as I could. I cleared down almost everything I had in doing this, but it meant in future I had learnt the effects and didnt need the app so much, I could just create stuff on the fly.

 

[Panthera]

I'll have to get that perk! I'm up to 73 in Alchemy, but I haven't perked at all.

Thanks for the info. I don't have the patience for all that experimenting frankly. I wanna be out killing something (or someone). I do have a few recipies though and there area a lot of my ingredients that I haven't even tried to eat yet (can you imagine eating a feather or a claw? Yuck).

Try to imagine sucking on Giant toe to learn it's properties!

Why would you waste perks for revealing properties when you can pick up ingredients while killing someone or something and when you are around some alchemy table just mix randomly some potions and sell those potions.

 

[sticky runes]

Try to imagine sucking on Giant toe to learn it's properties!

or worse... Giant camel toe!

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

I Alchemy.

I know it's not for everyone and I cheat by using the guide and the wiki but there are many good things you can use it for, not the least of which is milking some extra coin from the vendors.

I love paralysis poisons, especially when I can add some lingering damage health effects to them. One stab and you can watch them fall over and die. Which I'd love to do to Arcadia. The only thing saving her is that she's a vendor. Sometimes I mix a few potions on the spot in her shop and it gets on my nerves listening to her drone on about how she has a cure for all ills blah blah blah ... she never shuts up. Even at night. The woman never sleeps. It's a nightmare stealing from- ummm, I mean, perusing her goods after hours.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Thanks for all the info folks! I did go on the net and found out a lot of information. I'm going on a potion selling spree tonight as I have probably 1,000 just sitting in my inventory that I need to get rid of. I did some experimenting and was able to create a whole lot of potions (some useful, some not...). As to the poison comment, I agree, poison can be very useful...

 

[orca45]

Clearly not a poisoner I see. Try this: Weakness to Fire, Weakness to Magic, Slow, then a string of fire runes or walls. To quote Anska: Sometimes I just like to watch them burn.

I see your point but why do I need to poison my enemy if I can kill him in one shot with my enhanced archery, sneaking and damage ? I respect your point but I see that poison is not necessary when your arrow is so powerful that you kill in one shot, so what is the point of poisoning anyway ? If you like to play around with alchemy and spend time doing mixtures, then by all means do it, but from killing perspective which is what you need to do ultimately, you DO NOT need to poison or paralyze anybody; what you need is to kill as fast as you can, one shot one kill not exception, that is what I do. Just my 2 cents ...

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

I see your point but why do I need to poison my enemy if I can kill him in one shot with my enhanced archery, sneaking and damage ? I respect your point but I see that poison is not necessary when your arrow is so powerful that you kill in one shot, so what is the point of poisoning anyway ? If you like to play around with alchemy and spend time doing mixtures, then by all means do it, but from killing perspective which is what you need to do ultimately, you DO NOT need to poison or paralyze anybody; what you need is to kill as fast as you can, one shot one kill not exception, that is what I do. Just my 2 cents ...

That's all fine and dandy if your character is a powerful sneak archer. I'm currently playing an illusionist assassin who favors dagger kills. Poison of some sort is a necessity because her combat skills are terrible at the moment. Besides, that's how she likes to kill and I have fun mixing them up.

I've been Mega Ultra Super Archer and one-shot stealth kills are one of my favorite things to do but I still enjoy spending time at the Alchemy lab.