Alchemy Skill
| Alchemy | |
|---|---|
| Specialisation | Stealth |
| Perks | 9 |
| Perk Points To Fill | 15 |
| Governing Stone | The Thief Stone |
| Effectiveness At 100 | +50% |
Alchemy is the craft of brewing potions and poisons in Skyrim, done at an alchemy lab by combining ingredients that share an effect. Each skill level adds half a per cent to potency, reaching fifty per cent more effective at level 100.
Discovering Effects
A new character knows none of the ingredient effects. Effects are learned by eating an ingredient, which reveals its first effect, by reading a recipe, or by successfully brewing with it. The Experimenter perk reveals more effects per bite.
Two ingredients that share an effect will combine into a potion carrying it. Ingredients with no shared effect produce nothing and are wasted, which is the usual early-game mistake.
One Third Of The Crafting Loop
Alchemy, Enchanting and Smithing feed each other. Fortify Enchanting potions make stronger enchantments, Fortify Alchemy apparel makes stronger potions, and Fortify Smithing from both pushes gear past what the Smithing perks allow. Alchemy is where that loop starts, because a potion needs no gear to brew.
Perks
The Alchemy tree has nine perks. Each one needs a minimum Alchemy level and the perk before it, and some have several ranks.
| Perk | Rank | Skill Level | Requires | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alchemist | 1 | 0 | Potions and poisons you make are 20% stronger. | |
| Alchemist | 2 | 20 | Alchemist (Rank 1) | Potions and poisons you make are 40% stronger. |
| Alchemist | 3 | 40 | Alchemist (Rank 2) | Potions and poisons you make are 60% stronger. |
| Alchemist | 4 | 60 | Alchemist (Rank 3) | Potions and poisons you make are 80% stronger. |
| Alchemist | 5 | 80 | Alchemist (Rank 4) | Potions and poisons you make are twice as strong. |
| Physician | 20 | Alchemist | Potions you mix that restore Health, Magicka or Stamina are 25% more powerful. | |
| Benefactor | 30 | Physician | Potions you mix with beneficial effects have an additional 25% greater magnitude. | |
| Poisoner | 30 | Physician | Poisons you mix are 25% more effective. | |
| Experimenter | 1 | 50 | Benefactor | Eating an ingredient reveals first two effects. |
| Experimenter | 2 | 70 | Experimenter (Rank 1) | Eating an ingredient reveals first three effects. |
| Experimenter | 3 | 90 | Experimenter (Rank 2) | Eating an ingredient reveals all its effects. |
| Concentrated Poison | 60 | Poisoner | Poisons applied to weapons last for twice as many hits. | |
| Green Thumb | 70 | Concentrated Poison | Two ingredients are gathered from plants. | |
| Snakeblood | 80 | Experimenter or Concentrated Poison | 50% resistance to all poisons. | |
| Purity | 100 | Snakeblood | All negative effects are removed from created potions, and all positive effects are removed from created poisons. |
Notes
Ingredients must share an effect to combine.
| Method | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| Eating an ingredient | Its first effect, more with perks |
| Reading a recipe | A known combination |
| Brewing successfully | The effects used |
Progression
The eighteen skills split three ways. Full list on Skills.
| Specialisation | Stone | This skill |
|---|---|---|
| Magic | The Mage Stone | - |
| Combat | The Warrior Stone | - |
| Stealth | The Thief Stone | Yes |