The fine art of Alchemy is the action of combining different substances to create a variety of helpful items, such as Bombs, Sword Oils, Potions, and Decoctions. Mixing herbs, substances, minerals, and rare mutagens extracted from monsters, alchemy is a requirement for those who wish to be fully prepared for combat.
Finding Alchemy Formulae
Many potions, oils, and bombs you can craft have a base formula that allows you to create the most basic form of that item. As you travel through the world and meet new merchants or find various loot caches, you can discover formulae that enhance the strength of your craft. A full list of vendors who sell Alchemy Formulae can be found in the Merchants Appendix.
Crafting Alchemy Formulae
Once you have an Alchemy Formula in your possession, whether you’re at an Alchemist or Herbalist shop or not, you can set about crafting the formula itself. These “recipes” are listed in your Alchemy Menu; scroll down to the item you wish to craft, check you have the various necessary ingredients, and then craft it. Simple! Then, if the item is to be used by you in combat (such as a potion, oil, or bomb for example), you can place it in your Inventory (so it is carried), or your Consumables, Bombs, or Pockets (where it can easily be accessed).
Master Alchemy Formulae
The ultimate in Alchemy is obtaining a variety of rare herbs and ingredients, and collecting all the most potent of formulae, so you can craft the very best potions, bombs, and oils. These formulae can be found by exploring the different Points of Interest and Alchemy shops in the world.
Best Practices For Alchemy
Veteran Witchers have graciously provided a list of recommended tactics for making the most of Alchemy.
Craft early. Craft often. As soon as you can brew formulae, do so. Did you loot a new formula? Then check your Alchemy Menu to see if you can craft it right away. If not, keep those needed ingredients fresh in your mind so you can add the alchemy item to your inventory as soon as possible.
Purchase formulae in shops as you find them and add those potions, oils, and bombs to your arsenal. You quickly gain more advantages over the beasts and abominations during your adventures.
Geralt’s potion supply is automatically restocked when you Meditate, as long as you have hard alcohol in your inventory. Keep a supply of alcohol in your inventory at all times!
Many herbs prefer to grow in certain areas of the world or in particular climates. On rocks, in caves, in shallow water, deep water, or in cultivated terrain that farmer’s harvest in the villages Geralt comes across. Learn them and you find what you need in no time.
Herbs and ingredients have no impact on your carried weight, so don’t hesitate to snatch up all of the herbs in the wild you can find. Once you’ve amassed a large supply, you can worry far less about collecting herbs in the later stages of the adventure.
If you’re having a difficult time finding ingredients, visit the Alchemist and Herbalist shops and spend some of that extra coin to finish out the ingredients list quickly. This is helpful in even the Prologue quests.
Watch out for monster nests to clear them out and make use of the ingredients they carry. This is also serves as a source of ingredients for the Witcher Gear armor and weapons for crafting those items at blacksmiths.
Know your foe. The Bestiary is your best friend. All of the critical information on the items that work against the hordes of creatures you face is at your personal disposal. Also, learn the creature categories or “families” (for example: necrophages, relicts, elementals, etc.). When you have the chance to spot an enemy at a distance and you know what you’re up against, you can pull up your inventory to apply the oils, down the potions, and slot the bombs that help you quickly dispatch the dark denizens before you. If it’s not a specific monster you’ve encountered before, but you think you know what type it is, apply the oil for that enemy type and you’ll conquer them in a flash.
If you enter a combat encounter and your sword doesn’t have the oil that would help you against your enemies, don’t forget to use your potions and bombs. They may be all you need to make quick work of the enemy and disable their most devastating attacks.
If you know you’re going to facing large groups of humans, slather some Hanged Man’s Venom on your steel sword. These are the most common enemies you face during quests inside the city walls of Novigrad, so it’s a safe bet to keep this oil active as often as possible when you’re not roaming the wilderness.
Keep a large stock of alcohol bases and Meditate as often as you feel the need to. Remember that Meditation can end any potion buffs you have active due to the passage of time while meditating.
Slot Swallow potions and save the rest. If you keep Swallow and some food handy in combat (such as Hattori’s delicious Dumplings, you can always open your inventory to drink the other potions you need less often.
Getting weighed down by dozens of swords after slaughtering a batch of heartless witch hunters? Toss back a fiend decoction to grant you a bonus against your burden and hit some shops to offload for coin.
Locate the Corvo Bianco Vineyard in Toussaint, and after receiving the deed from the Duchess, improve the manor and gardens, uncovering an Alchemy lab, and use the table inside to add one additional charge to your potions (and bombs).