Leveling Alchemy?

[elias]

I apologize if this question has been asked a million times before...

So I'm trying to get into alchemy with my new character, and have literally no experience with it at all. I made a few potions earlier and was surprised by how little my alchemy skill went up. At that rate, I would literally have to focus solely on alchemy for it to be worth anything. I just want to make useful potions, not dedicate my entire life to the craft


That being said, is there any special strategy - besides the enchant loop - that I can use to gain levels more quickly?

 

[Perkless in Skyrim]

The more the potion is worth, the more XP you get. There are a few potions with multiple effects that can raise your skill quickly. A good early one uses Blue Mountain Flower and Blue Butterfly Wing but there are others worth a lot more.

 

[DdraigGwyn]

If you want to, there are sites that show the ingredients and value of every potion, I prefer to find out by myself, but each person will do what they feel is best.

 

[Snake Tortoise]

What I do is build up my list of ingredients for a while without making any potions (gather what you can and clean out a few alchemy stores), then go through each ingredient with the Elder Scrolls wiki discovering their best uses. If you can 'discover' the best use/s for every ingredient in one go you'll only need to use the Wiki page once

As an example, the ingredient nordic barnacle. Click on the wiki pagehttp://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Nordic_Barnacle and scroll down to Potions. There it list the four potions it can make and ingredients you need to combine it with to make those potions. The regenerate health potion is by far the most valuable one there, so I'll likely ignore the others and combine it with something on that list to discover that use. Then I'll move on to another ingredient

In general the potions I prioritize for leveling are;

fortify health (usually with giant's toe, bear claws and hanging moss)
invisibility
paralysis
regenerate health
regenerate magica
regenerate stamina
damage magica regen
damage stamina regen
slow

and after that most potions with 'fortify' in the title. Resist fire/frost/shock aren't too bad but, along with the weaker fortify potions, they're the potions I'll make last.

Before leveling I'll often make useful potions first; potions I won't be selling like fortify smithing, fortify enchanting and restore health. Invisibility and paralysis potions are practical AND good for leveling. Specific potions for builds can be good, like fortify one handed for a one handed weapon user.

In general you should be aiming to get the best possible use out of every ingredient. It would be a waste to use nordic barnacle for damage magica potions when you could be making a potion of health regeneration

When I visit the alchemy store I'll usually buy everything except fire salts, frost salts and void salts. Fire and frost salts might be worth the money when your alchemy ability is high enough but not early in the game

 

[elias]

Thanks for all the good advice.


I think I'm going to stick with spontaneously discovering potions, as it makes the game feel more real.

 

[Twiffle]

I think you will find this extremely helpful

http://rp.eliteskills.com/skyrim.html

 

[ColleenG]

You may not want to try the enchantment loop but it is good to wear enchanted helmet, gauntlets, ring, and necklace while doing alchemy. I would put all my ingredients in a satchel until I wanted to sit and enchant for a few minutes. Then I would just bust through every ingredient (I ate them to get myself started). I would do that with no potions in my possession. Then I would take all those trash potions and deposit them in a chest forever and ever. I did find out the enchantment for paralysis, smithing, and fortify enchanting. Other than that all mine were discovered, or found through looted recipes. It did seem slow at first, then without too much effort, I found myself at 100.

 

[Wildroses]

Something I always do to raise my alchemy skill is never fast travel. Walk everywhere and pick everything you see, then turn them all into potions. You end up with a LOT of alchemy potions that way, and because you are questing at the same time you don't get so bored grinding.

 

[Anouck]

Potion of Waterbreathing



These potions worth at least up to 1200 Septims each. If your speech and alchemy level is higher, so is the price. The effect of this potion, is being able to breath underwater for an X amount of seconds, increased Magicka and restore Stamina.
Pros: - This makes you rich fast.
- It increases your alchemy level rapidly.
Cons: - Ingredients are very difficult to come by.
- It is difficult to find a trader who can afford this potion. Usually you end up buying their merchandise just to be able to sell yours. This reduces the profit you make of it.

HISTCARP:
Fish appear at fish spawning sites. Each spawning site generates up to three fish, which are randomly selected from various types of fish. In ponds, histcarp have a 20% chance of appearing; in deeper water, histcarp have a 14% chance of appearing. There are 691 spawning sites in 128 different locations. Locations with the greatest numbers are:

• 30 around the Apprentice Stone (Hjaalmarch)
• 22 around the Abandoned Shack (Hjaalmarch)
• 22 around the Wreck of the Winter War (Winterhold)
• 17 around Goldenglow Estate (The Rift)
• 15 around Geirmund's Hall (The Rift)
• 15 around Robber's Gorge (Hjaalmarch)
• 15 around Solitude Sawmill (Haafingar)
• 14 around Gloomreach (The Reach)
• 13 around Heartwood Mill (The Rift)
• 12 around Folgunthur (Hjaalmarch)
• 12 around the Lady Stone (Falkreath Hold)
• 12 around Reachwater Rock (The Reach)
• 10 around a small island located NE of Swindler's Den (Whiterun Hold) (map)

SALMON ROE:
Salmon Roe can be found in interior locations such as a player-built home and can be harvested from jumping salmon in streams. The player must stand in a stream or waterfall in order to catch the salmon that jump up. This can be a long and frustrating job that not everybody likes to do.

NOTE:
Garlic, Chicken's Egg, Nordic Barnacle, Salmon Roe and Histcarp are all the ingredients that can be used for this potion. Letting one out or adding another, has influence on the effect and the price of the potion.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Source:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Waterbreathing_(effect)
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Histcarp
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Salmon_Roe

 

[chizzbot]

giant's toe, wheat & swamp fungal pod...especially if you have alchemy enchantments...at lower levels, you can boost one level for each potion you make.

Also, hanging moss, glow dust & giant's toe = massive boost This is the potion I use against Dragon priests...

 

[Manmangler]

Salmon Roe can be found in interior locations such as a player-built home and can be harvested from jumping salmon in streams. The player must stand in a stream or waterfall in order to catch the salmon that jump up. This can be a long and frustrating job that not everybody likes to do.

I use shouts in salomon, it works at least solitude docks and maybe windhelm docs. It wont work everyplace.

 

[Anouck]

Salmon Roe can be found in interior locations such as a player-built home and can be harvested from jumping salmon in streams. The player must stand in a stream or waterfall in order to catch the salmon that jump up. This can be a long and frustrating job that not everybody likes to do.

I use shouts in salomon, it works at least solitude docks and maybe windhelm docs. It wont work everyplace.

You can just shout at them?!

 

[Manmangler]

You can just shout at them?!

I use First shout Fus Ro Dah
Just look salomons under water. try get dry spot and use shout that direction where you saw salomons.
Sometimes arrows do the trick too.

 

[Anouck]

You can just shout at them?!

I use First shout Fus Ro Dah
Just look salomons under water. try get dry spot and use shout that direction where you saw salomons.
Sometimes arrows do the trick too.

And that also works on salmon roe?

 

[Manmangler]

Salomon which died that way certain areas, give salomon roe

Shooting

Shouting