Alchemy (Skyrim)

An alchemist can create magical potions and deadly poisons."

Alchemy is one of the 18 skills in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and falls under The Thief play-style. As such, alchemy is The Thief's crafting skill as opposed to The Warrior's Smithing and The Mage's Enchanting. Alchemy allows the player to make more potent potions and poisons. This is accomplished at an alchemy station or lab, in various locations throughout the game. Unlike previous games in the series, the player does not need to carry the alchemical equipment to make potions, but must visit a lab. Labs are generally located in alchemy supply shops, private studies and occasionally inns. Each possible ingredient in Skyrim has four properties. These are unknown until the player either individually eats ingredients or successfully mixes a potion or poison.

Governing Guadian Stone: The Thief & The Lover Stone

Leveling up Alchemy
Alchemy increases proportionally to the cost of the potion being brewed. Cost of the potion depends on its effects. Potions with multiple effects cost more (effect costs are additive, even if the effects themselves do not mix well, such as "Damage Health" and "Restore Health"), and different effects have different costs (for example, "Slow" effect costs a lot, while "Damage Health" is very cheap).

Enchanting apparel is an excellent way to create more potent and valuable potions. Bracers, Headgear (helm, circlet), ring, and amulet can all be enchanted with Fortify Alchemy , and the effects stack to create an alchemists wardrobe to wear while mixing potions.

Skyrim: Alchemy Recipe Helper
This web application is able to find all the recipe combinations for a given ingredient. By default it will show the recipes which discover the effects of the ingredient, for example, given 'Glow Dust' it will find the three unique recipes which will discover all 4 of the Glow Dust ingredient's effects. You can also select the optional 'Display all recipes' flag to show all the recipes, some ingredients can create some awesome potions with 6 effects. Play around with it and see what you find!

For now you can use CTRL+F to search through the results if there are too many. Improvements to allow easy searching and filtering of results are in the works.

Alchemy Ingredients
Ingredients can be found all throughout Skyrim. Each has four different effects which can be discovered by attempting to brew a potion/poison with two or more ingredients sharing an effect. The first effect can also be found by 'eating' the ingredient, which causes the effect on the player after consumption.

Alchemy Effects
Some alchemy effects can only be discovered by trial and error. {C}The following are effects that become available to turn into potion/poisons:
 * Cure Disease (Charred Skeever Hide, Hawk Feathers, Mudcrab Chitin, Vampire Dust)
 * Damage Health (Crimson Nirnroot, Deathbell, Ectoplasm, Falmer Ear, Human Flesh, Human Heart, Imp Stool, Jarrin Root, Nightshade, Nirnroot, Red Mountain Flower, River Betty, Skeever Tail, Small Antlers, Troll Fat, Void Salts)
 * Damage Magicka (Butterfly Wing, Chaurus Eggs, Daedra Heart, Eye of Sabre Cat, Glow Dust, Hagraven Feathers, Hanging Moss, Human Heart, Jarrin Root, Luna Moth Wing, Namira's Rot, Nordic Barnacle)
 * Damage Magicka Regen (Bear Claws, Blue Butterfly Wing, Blue Mountain Flower, Chicken's Egg, Glow Dust, Hanging Moss, Human Heart, Jarrin Root, Nightshade, Spider Egg, Spriggan Sap)
 * Damage Stamina (Blisterwort, Blue Butterfly Wing, Bone Meal, Canis Root, Crimson Nirnroot, Cyrodilic Spadetail, Giant's Toe, Jarrin Root, Nirnroot, Rock Warbler Egg, Spider Egg)
 * Damage Stamina Regen (Creep Cluster, Daedra Heart, Frost Mirriam, Giant's Toe, Histcarp, Juniper Berries, Large Antlers, Silverside Perch, Skeever Tail, Wheat)
 * Fear (Blue Dartwing, Cyrodilic Spadetail, Daedra Heart, Namira's Rot, Powdered Mammoth Tusk)
 * Fortify Alteration (Grass Pod, River Betty, Spriggan Sap)
 * Fortify Barter (Butterfly Wing, Dragon's Tongue, Hagraven Claw, Tundra Cotton)
 * Fortify Block (Bleeding Crown, Briar Heart, Honeycomb, Pearl, Slaughterfish Scales, Tundra Cotton)
 * Fortify Carry Weight (Creep Cluster, Giant's Toe, Hawk Beak, River Betty, Scaly Pholiata, Wisp Wrappings)
 * Fortify Conjuration (Blue Butterfly Wing, Blue Mountain Flower, Bone Meal, Frost Salts, Hagraven Feathers, Lavender)
 * Fortify Destruction (Beehive Husk, Ectoplasm, Glow Dust, Glowing Mushroom, Nightshade, Wisp Wrappings)
 * Fortify Enchanting (Blue Butterfly Wing, Hagraven Claw, Snowberries, Spriggan Sap)
 * Fortify Health (Bear Claws, Blue Mountain Flower, Giant's Toe, Glowing Mushroom, Hanging Moss, Wheat)
 * Fortify Heavy Armor (Ice Wraith Teeth, Sabre Cat Tooth, Slaughterfish Scales, Thistle Branch, White Cap)
 * Fortify Illusion (Dragon's Tongue, Dwarven Oil, Mora Tapinella, Scaly Pholiata, Taproot)
 * Fortify Light Armor (Beehive Husk, Hawk Feathers, Honeycomb, Luna Moth Wing, Skeever Tail)
 * Fortify Lockpicking (Falmer Ear, Namira's Rot, Pine Thrush Egg, Spider Egg)
 * Fortify Magicka (Briar Heart, Ectoplasm, Histcarp, Jazbay Grapes, Red Mountain Flower, Tundra Cotton, Void Salts)
 * Fortify Marksman (Canis Root, Elves Ear, Juniper Berries, Spider Egg)
 * Fortify One-Handed (Bear Claws, Canis Root, Hanging Moss, Hawk Feathers, Rock Warbler Egg, Small Pearl)
 * Fortify Pickpocket (Blue Dartwing, Nordic Barnacle, Orange Dartwing, Slaughterfish Egg)
 * Fortify Restoration (Abecean Longfin, Cyrodilic Spadetail, Salt Pile, Small Antlers, Small Pearl)
 * Fortify Smithing (Blisterwort, Glowing Mushroom, Sabre Cat Tooth, Spriggan Sap)
 * Fortify Sneak (Abecean Longfin, Beehive Husk, Frost Mirriam, Hawk Feathers, Human Flesh, Powdered Mammoth Tusk, Purple Mountain Flower)
 * Fortify Stamina (Chaurus Eggs, Garlic, Large Antlers, Lavender, Slaughterfish Egg, Torchbug Thorax)
 * Fortify Two-handed (Dragon's Tongue, Fly Amanita, Troll Fat)
 * Frenzy (Blisterwort, Falmer Ear, Fly Amanita, Hagraven Feathers, Human Heart, Troll Fat)
 * Invisibility (Chaurus Eggs, Ice Wraith Teeth, Luna Moth Wing, Nirnroot, Vampire Dust)
 * Lingering Damage Health (Imp Stool, Mora Tapinella, Orange Dartwing, Slaughterfish Egg, Slaughterfish Scales)
 * Lingering Damage Magicka (Hagraven Claw, Purple Mountain Flower, Swamp Fungal Pod, Torchbug Thorax, Wheat)
 * Lingering Damage Stamina (Butterfly Wing, Chicken's Egg, Nightshade, Small Antlers)
 * Paralysis (Briar Heart, Canis Root, Human Flesh, Imp Stool, Swamp Fungal Pod)
 * Ravage Health (Cyrodilic Spadetail, Eye of Sabre Cat, Giant Lichen, Jazbay Grapes, Silverside Perch, Skeever Tail)
 * Ravage Magicka (Frost Mirriam, Grass Pod, Lavender, Orange Dartwing, Red Mountain Flower, White Cap)
 * Ravage Stamina (Bee, Bone Meal, Deathbell, Honeycomb, Thistle Branch)
 * Regenerate Health (Garlic, Juniper Berries, Luna Moth Wing, Namira's Rot, Nordic Barnacle, Vampire Dust)
 * Regenerate Magicka (Dwarven Oil, Fire Salts, Garlic, Jazbay Grapes, Moon Sugar, Salt Pile, Taproot)
 * Regenerate Stamina (Bee, Fly Amanita, Mora Tapinella, Scaly Pholiata)
 * Resist Fire (Bone Meal, Dragon's Tongue, Elves Ear, Fire Salts, Fly Amanita, Mudcrab Chitin, Snowberries)
 * Resist Frost (Frost Mirriam, Frost Salts, Hawk Beak, Moon Sugar, Purple Mountain Flower, Silverside Perch, Slaughterfish Scales, Small Pearl, Snowberries, Thistle Branch)
 * Resist Magic (Bleeding Crown, Chicken's Egg, Crimson Nirnroot, Hagraven Claw, Lavender, Nirnroot, Tundra Cotton, Void Salts, Wisp Wrappings)
 * Resist Poison (Beehive Husk, Charred Skeever Hide, Falmer Ear, Garlic, Grass Pod, Mudcrab Chitin, Slaughterfish Egg, Thistle Branch, Troll Fat)
 * Resist Shock (Blue Dartwing, Glow Dust, Glowing Mushroom, Hawk Beak, Pearl, Pine Thrush Egg, Snowberries, Swamp Fungal Pod)
 * Restore Health (Blisterwort, Blue Dartwing, Blue Mountain Flower, Butterfly Wing, Charred Skeever Hide, Daedra Heart, Eye of Sabre Cat, Imp Stool, Rock Warbler Egg, Swamp Fungal Pod, Wheat)
 * Restore Magicka (Briar Heart, Creep Cluster, Dwarven Oil, Ectoplasm, Elves Ear, Fire Salts, Frost Salts, Giant Lichen, Grass Pod, Human Flesh, Moon Sugar, Mora Tapinella, Pearl, Red Mountain Flower, Taproot, Vampire Dust, White Cap)
 * Restore Stamina (Bear Claws, Bee, Charred Skeever Hide, Eye of Sabre Cat, Hawk Beak, Histcarp, Honeycomb, Large Antlers, Mudcrab Chitin, Orange Dartwing, Pearl, Pine Thrush Egg, Powdered Mammoth Tusk, Purple Mountain Flower, Sabre Cat Tooth, Silverside Perch, Small Pearl, Torchbug Thorax, Wisp Wrappings)
 * Slow (Deathbell, Large Antlers, River Betty, Salt Pile)
 * Waterbreathing (Chicken's Egg, Histcarp, Nordic Barnacle)
 * Weakness to Fire (Bleeding Crown, Frost Salts, Ice Wraith Teeth, Juniper Berries, Moon Sugar, Powdered Mammoth Tusk)
 * Weakness to Frost (Abecean Longfin, Elves Ear, Fire Salts, Ice Wraith Teeth, White Cap)
 * Weakness to Magic (Creep Cluster, Dwarven Oil, Jazbay Grapes, Rock Warbler Egg, Salt Pile, Scaly Pholiata, Taproot, Torchbug Thorax)
 * Weakness to Poison (Abecean Longfin, Bleeding Crown, Chaurus Eggs, Deathbell, Giant Lichen, Pine Thrush Egg, Sabre Cat Tooth, Small Antlers)
 * Weakness to Shock (Bee, Giant Lichen, Hagraven Feathers, Void Salts)

Alchemy Ingredients and Its Effects
To Create your own customized potions, it is better to know effects by each ingredient. Ingredients (Skyrim)

Alchemy Perks
The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up

Alchemy Books
The following books provide a permanent skill up to Alchemy.

A Game at Dinner
 * In Windhelm (Gray Quarter), On a table on the second floor of New Gnisis Cornerclub.
 * In Honningbrew Meadery, Upstairs on a table behind an adept skill locked door.

Du Rerum Dirennis
 * Found on an alchemy table (just past the pit of skeletons) in the basement of the mage college of Winterhold.

Herbalist's Guide to Skyrim
 * Found on a table in Arcadia's Cauldron (through the door straight ahead, to the right of the counter) in Whiterun.

Mannimarco, King of Worms
 * Found in a satchel by two skeletons and a beartrap on the way up from the water passing under the bridge between Winterhold and The College of Winterhold.
 * Found on the southern part of the little lake in Evergreen Grove.
 * Found on an alchemy table near the bridge south of Haafingar Stormcloak Camp

Song of the Alchemists
 * Found in Anise's cabin just north of the Guardian Stones.

Riverwood

 * Sleeping Giant Inn (directly to the right of the door leading to the false back panel)

Solitude

 * Player-owned house (must be bought)
 * Angeline's Aromatics

Whiterun

 * Dragonsreach (in the room next to the Enchanter's table)
 * Player-owned house (must be bought)
 * Arcadia's Cauldron

Windhelm

 * The White Phial (turn right after entering the building)

Other
Arch-mage's quarters in College of Winterhold

Trainers

 * Babette, the child vampire of the Dark Brotherhood, teaches Alchemy.
 * Ingun in Riften teaches Alchemy, she is the assistant at the Alchemy Shop.
 * Arcadia in Arcadia's Cauldron, Whiterun City.
 * Lami in Morthal

Recipes
Some Alchemists sell potion recipes, such as Nurelion at The White Phial or Babette inside the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, which helps limit the experimentation process. Once those recipes have been purchased, the Alchemy Lab acknowledges the player that they can make the new and unknown potion only if they have acquired all necessary ingredients beforehand.

Creating potions can be a great way to earn Septims. One recipe that uses common ingredients but is worth a couple hundred septim is Blue Butterfly Wing, Blue Mountain Flower , and Salt Pile. This combination yields a potion of Damage Magicka Regen and Fortify Conjuration. Although these are conflicting effects and you shouldn't use it for yourself, the effects themselves are worth a bit of coin and the ingredients are easily found in large quantities.

Exploit For Overpowered Weapons And Armor
Using Alchemy, enchanting and smithing, ultimate weapons can be made. To do this, start by using Alchemy to create potions of "Fortify Enchanting", which allows the player to create stronger enchantments of "Fortify Alchemy". The player can now create a stronger potion of "Fortify Enchanting" and so on building on each other. The process is described below.

Usually the player can make a set of four items of +25% alchemy skill for any fortification skill like alchemy and enchanting. There is an exploit in which you can wear a Falmer helmet over a circlet and both have stacked effects [Tested PS3]; quite useful for this. So now make 25% fortify alchemy enchantments on the Falmer Helmet, any ring, any necklace, and gloves/bracers and a circlet. Note that the falmer helmet and circlet can be worn at once. Wear all of the enchanted equipment and make a fortify enchanting potion. With this potion, you should be able to create fortify 29% alchemy and smithing enchantments. Also while enchanting try to be quick as potion lasts for 30 seconds. Note that there is a cap of 29% fortifying alchemy and smithing enchantments so going over this number is not possible. Using this you should be able to create 147% smithing fortification potion [Tested PS3]. Also a 37% enchanting fortification potion can be created but since 29% has been reached its not much useful for this but quite good for other enchantments.

Using this we would get 4 x 29% smithing gear and 147% smithing potions. Using these, staggeringly powerful weapons and armors can be made and improved.

For this process to be possible it is required to have 100% in enchanting, alchemy and smithing with the relevant perks.

Note: This process uses the falmer helmet worn over circlet glitch which ultimately allows a potion of 147% fortify smithing potion and 37% enchanting potion to be brewed.