A Witcher is expected to make use of the land to survive. Herbs, minerals, and other alchemical ingredients found in the field or bought from Herbalists are among the many materials used to brew potions, sword oils, or act as the catalysts to bombs. Other materials, like rare metals or strips of cured leather, can be refined and used to craft new weapons and armor that far exceed the quality of worn items looted from dead foes.
To craft items or perform alchemy, Geralt must first possess crafting diagrams and alchemy formulae. These can be found randomly in the field by looting containers, or purchased from specialized vendors. Diagrams for ancient relics, including Witcher Schools Gear, are found during lengthy Scavenger Hunt quests to locate the base diagrams for that equipment. Advanced diagrams that enhance this gear involve additional lengthy searching with few clues. Fortunately, the Scavenger Hunt Quests show you the way.