The Witcher 3 Alchemy Guide

About
Latest Posts

At the bright young age of nine years old, Eoin played his first-ever video game: Fallout 3. Should he have been playing it? No, but this reckless parenting inspired a love of single-player RPGs that has stuck with him throughout his gaming career. Despite investing serious time into Esports, Eoin always found himself returning to narrative-driven games, vowing to one day make it as a narrative designer himself. In the meantime, he has written for numerous gaming outlets on countless topics and titles. Outside of gaming, Eoin has a passion for reading and writing. He tells himself that he’ll write a bestseller one day, if he ever dares to actually put pen to paper.

Overview

Different Types of Alchemy Creations and What They Do

Potions

Potions are your standard, run-of-the-mill consumable. You generally carry between three and five of each potion at a time, and their effects tend to be basic but varied. Typical potion uses included regenerating health, stamina, or increasing damage.

Decoctions

Decoctions are far more potent than regular potions. Rather than having a few of them to consume, you only get a single use out of each one. Decoctions are incredibly powerful and often require you to build around them. They have high toxicity costs, but they fundamentally change the way you play the Witcher 3.

Oils

Oils are a bit different from the rest. Once you craft an oil, you’ll never run out of it or have to refill it. All you’ll have to do is reapply it to your blades. There’s more or less an oil for every single enemy type. Each oil lets you do more damage to the relevant enemy, so it’s helpful to pay attention to it.

Bombs

Bombs are typically the most underused alchemy creation in the entirety of the Witcher 3. The most common use for bombs is to destroy monster nests. However, you can craft a variety of bombs that deal damage, as well as other effects like blinding, to a small, targeted area.

How to Find Ingredients

There are a whole ton of ingredients dotted around the world of the Witcher for you to find. For starters, looting any monsters you kill should reward you with a hefty number of body parts that are frequently used in potion formulas. You can also pick any flowers or plants you find while out on the road. If all else fails, you can always buy whatever ingredients you need from a Herbalist.

How to Find Potion Recipes in The Witcher 3

I’m going to refer to finding potion recipes randomly, or from random diagram locations throughout this Witcher 3 alchemy guide. Almost all of the potions and Decoctions in the game are discovered this way, although you can also buy most recipes, too.

When I talk about finding the formula for a potion randomly, I mean as a random drop in any chest you find out in the world. So, make sure you’re always looting because it truly is random. Oh, and make sure you buy every recipe you find – it’ll help a ton in the long run.

How to Craft Potions in The Witcher 3

Potions are crafted from the in-game crafting screen. You don’t need any sort of equipment or lab – you do it straight from the menu. Navigate to the alchemy tab of your menu and you should see tabs for each alchemical creation (potions, bombs, etc). Any recipes you know will show up under the relevant tab.

How to Use Potions in The Witcher 3

You have two quick slots that you can put potions into for use in combat without pausing. Otherwise, you’ll need to consume the potion manually from the inventory. You can change what potions you have in your quick slots from the inventory screen.

How to Replenish Potions

Replenishing potions in the Witcher 3 is fareasier than crafting them in the first place. You don’t need to go out and get all the ingredients again or any of that nonsense. All you have to do is meditate with a bottle of strong alcohol in your inventory. There are a ton of these in the game, so just make sure you’re stocked up on spirits and other boozes. Upon meditating, one of the bottles will be consumed to refill all of your potions, bombs, and Decoctions.

Potions in the Witcher 3

Swallow

Effect

Swallow is your basic health potion in the Witcher 3. You can carry between three and five of them, and they only give you 20 toxicity per potion. Drinking Swallow will give you Vitality regeneration rather than an instant bump of health. Getting hit in combat will also stop the regeneration unless you’re using the Superior version of Swallow.

Recipe and Location

Swallow

1 Dwarven Spirit.
5 Celandine.
1 Drowner Brain.

Geralt already has the recipe for regular Swallow upon starting the game. You can hold up to three of them at once.

Enhanced Swallow

1 Alchohest
6 Celandine
4 White Myrtle Petals
5 Drowner Brains
1 Swallow

You can carry up to four Enhanced Swallow at any given time – an increase of one from regular Swallow. The recipe can be found from a random diagram location, or it can be bought from the Herbalist at Glory Lane in Novigrad once you reach level 11.

Superior Swallow

1 White Gull
6 Berbercane Fruit
6 White Myrtle Petals
4 Celandine
4 Crow’s Eye
2 Vitriol
1 Enhanced Swallow

Enhanced Swallow is the strongest version of the potion and allows you to carry five at any given time. It also doesn’t stop your Vitality regeneration when you get hit in combat.

You can find the recipe for Enhanced Swallow from a random loot location, or from Gremist the druid at Gedyneith – located in Ard Skellig

White Honey

Effect

White Honey is your purification potion. It completely clears your Toxicity and cancels any active potion effects. Unlike other potions, this effect doesn’t change as you upgrade it. Instead, the number of White Honey you can carry increases exclusively.

Recipe and Location

White Honey

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Honeysuckle

Geralt already has the recipe for regular White Honey upon starting the game.

Enhanced White Honey

1 Alcohest
2 Honeysuckle
1 White Myrtle Petals
1 White Honey

Enhanced White Honey has no set spawn location, meaning you’re relying on random diagram spawns to obtain it. The only difference between the best and the enhanced versions is that you can carry two Enhanced White Honey instead of one.

Superior White Honey

1 White Gull
4 Honeysuckle
4 White Myrtle Petals
1 Balisse Fruit
1 Hellebore Petals
1 Vitriol
1 Enhanced White Honey

Like Enhanced White Honey, the superior recipe can only be found in random spawn locations. It also has no extra effects, but you can carry five of them at any given time.

Thunderbolt

Effect

Thunderbolt is the first offensive potion you’ll unlock in the Witcher 3. It gives you a 30% increase in attack power, with that number and the duration growing as you upgrade the potion.

Recipe and Location

Thunderbolt

1 Dwarven Spirit
2 Cortinarius
1 Endrega Embryo

During the early story mission The Beast of White Orchard, Vesemir will provide Geralt with both the recipe and ingredients needed to craft Thunderbolt.

Enhanced Thunderbolt

1 Alcohest
2 Cortinarius
1 Fool’s Parsley Leaves
2 Endrega Embryo

The recipe for Enhanced Thunderbolt can be found randomly, or from the Herbalists at Glory Lane and the Ruined Inn.

Superior Thunderbolt

1 White Gull
4 Cortinarius
4 Fool’s Parsley Leaves
1 Verbena
1 Bryonia
1 Quebrith

Gremist the Druid sells the recipe for Superior Thunderbolt. Otherwise, it can be acquired from random loot sources. Not only does it increase Geralt’s attack power by 35%, but it gives you 100% critical hit chance during storms – making it one of the more unique potions in the game.

Petri’s Philter

Effect

Petri’s Philter is a spell equivalent of Thunderbolt. The base version increases Sign intensity by 15%, with the duration and power increasing as it upgrades.

Recipe and Location

Petri’s Philter

1 Dwarven Spirit
5 Arenaria
1 Specter Dust

Petri’s Philter’s recipe can be found randomly or can be bought from either Otto Bamber or the Herbalist at Glory Lane.

Enhanced Petri’s Philter

1 Alcohest
6 Arenaria
1 Buckthorn
2 Specter Dust
1 Petri’s Philter

The enhanced recipe can also be bought from the Glory Lane Herbalist.

Superior Petri’s Philter

1 White Gull
4 Arenaria
4 Buckthorn
1 Longrube
1 Ranogrin
1 Rubedo
1 Enhanced Petri’s Philter

The superior version of Petri’s Philter will make all of your Signs always crit. For example, Igni will always ignite when this potion is active. You can get the recipe from a random diagram location.

Black Blood

Effect

Black Blood is one of the more niche potions in the entirety of the Witcher 3. It’s only useful for fighting one kind of monster – vampires/necrophages. The potion turns your blood to poison, dealing damage to the vampire or necrophage that you’re fighting every time it hits you. The damage dealt increases as you upgrade the potion.

Recipe and Location

Black Blood

1 Dwarven Spirit
2 Sewant Mushrooms
4 Ghoul’s Blood

You can only find the alchemy formula for Black Blood in a random spawn location.

Enhanced Black Blood

1 Alcohest
1 Hellebore Petal
5 Sewant Mushrooms
5 Ghoul’s Blood
1 Black Blood

The Enhanced Black Blood adds a knockback effect on top of returning damage to blood-drinking enemies. The recipe can only be found in a random location.

Superior Black Blood

1 White Gull
5 Hellebore Petals
5 Sewant Mushrooms
1 Han Fiber
1 Nostrix
1 Rebis
1 Enhanced Black Blood

Superior Black Blood adds bleeding on top of the knockback and damage effects of the potion. You can find its recipe in a random spawn location.

Tawny Owl

Effect

Tawny Owl is your basic stamina potion It will accelerate your stamina regeneration in combat, with its potency increasing as you upgrade it.

Recipe and Location

Tawny Owl

1 Dwarven Spirit
2 Verbena
1 Arachas Venom

Tawny Owl is weird. Geralt starts the game with the potion already made, but he doesn’t have the recipe. That doesn’t matter as long as you don’t discard the potion, though. If you do, the recipe can be found at random.

Enhanced Tawny Owl

1 Alcohest
4 Verbena
2 Wolfsbane
1 Arachas Venom
1 Tawny Owl

The recipe for Enhanced Tawny Owl can be found at random or purchased from Otto Bamber at the Herbalist’s Hut.

Superior Tawny Owl

1 White Gull
4 Verbena
4 Wolfsbane
1 Fool’s Persley Leaves
1 Mandrake Root
1 Sewant Mushroom

Superior Tawny Owl has the added bonus of never running out when used at night. Its recipe can be found or purchased from Gremist.

Maribor Forest

Effect

Maribor Forest is an adrenaline potion. It simply gives you a multiplier on your adrenaline gain, helping you gain points much quicker. The duration increases as the potion is upgraded.

Recipe and Location

Maribor Forest

1 Dwarven Spirit
3 Berbercane Fruit
1 Alghoul Bone Marrow
4 Drowner Tounge

The recipe for this potion can be found or purchased from either Otto or Yolar underneath Gedyneith.

Enhanced Maribor Forest

1 Alcohest
5 Berbercane Fruit
1 Crow’s Eye
2 Drowner Tounge
1 Maribor Forest

The Enhanced formula can be found or purchased from the Herbalist at Glory Lane.

Superior Maribor Forest

1 White Gull
4 Berbercane Fruit
4 Crow’s Eye
1 Hellebore Petal
1 Ribleaf
1 Vermilion

Superior Maribor Forest gives you a full Adrenaline Point when you drink the potion and has an extended duration. Gremist sells the recipe in Ard Skellig.

Full Moon

Effect

Full Moon increases your maximum Vitality. Simple, but effective. The cap that it raises your health to increases per upgrade level.

Full Moon

1 Dwarven Spirit
2 Wolfsbane
1 Dark Essence

The formula for Full Moon can be found or purchased from Otto Bamber.

Enhanced Full Moon

1 Alcohest
2 Crow’s Eye
5 Wolfsbane
2 Dark Essence
1 Full Moon

This formula can also be found or purchased from Otto.

Superior Full Moon

1 White Gull
1 Mistletoe
1 Verbena
4 Crow’s Eye
4 Wolfsbane
1 Quebrith
1 Enhanced Full Moon

Superior Full Moon has the added effect of healing your Vitality by the same amount as whatever your current Toxicity is – making it great for Decoction-based builds. You can only find its recipe from a random spawn.

Golden Oriole

Effect

Golden Oriole is an anti-poison potion, making it extremely situational. Using it grants you immunity to poisons and will cancel any poisons currently applied to you.

Recipe and Location

Golden Oriole

1 Dwarven Spirit
4 Blowball
1 Light Essence

This formula can only be found at random.

Enhanced Golden Oriole

1 Alcohest
6 Blowball
1 Celandine
2 Light Essence
1 Golden Oriole

This formula can also only be found in random spawn locations.

Superior Golden Oriole

1 White Gull
4 Blowball
4 Celandine
1 Han Fiber
1 Ranogrin
1 Quebrith

Superior Golden Oriole has the added benefit of making poison heal you instead of damaging you while the potion is active. You can find its formula randomly, or buy it from Countess Mignole in the Borsody Auction House during the Heats of Stone expansion.

Blizzard

Effect

Blizzard is a very powerful potion that slows down time anytime you kill an enemy for a set duration. This allows you to effectively attack opponents with no risk or retaliation. The speed of the slow, and its duration, increase per potion tier.

Recipe and Location

Blizzard

1 Dwarven Spirit
5 White Myrtle Petals
1 Golem’s Heart

Blizzard’s formula can be found in a multitude of places. You can loot it randomly, or you can purchase it from the Herbalist in White Orchard, the Herbalist near Hangman’s Alley, or the Herbalist in the camp West of Lurtch.

Enhanced Blizzard

1 Alcohest
1 Celandine
5 White Myrtle Petals
1 Golem’s Heart
1 Blizzard

Enhanced Blizzard can be found or purchased from either Otto or Gremist.

Superior Blizzard

1 White Gull
4 Celandine
4 White Myrtle Petals
1 Sewant Mushrooms
1 Buckthorn
1 Rebis
1 Enhanced Blizzard

While Superior Blizzard is active, if you have 3 Adrenaline Points, actions you take during the slowdown won’t consume stamina.

Cat

Effect

Cat will give you night-vision, with the upgraded versions also making you immune to hypnosis. The duration of the effect is also increased per tier.

Recipe and Location

Cat

1 Dwarven Spirit
4 Berbercane Fruit
2 Water Essence

Geralt already has the recipe for Cat upon starting the game.

Enhanced Cat

1 Alcohest
5 Berbercane Fruit
1 Cortinarius
3 Water Essence
1 Cat

The recipe for Enhanced Cat can be bought from the Herbalist in Rannvaig.

Superior Cat

1 White Gull
4 Berbercane Fruit
4 Cortinarius
1 Moleyarrow
1 Allspice
1 Aether
1 Enhanced Cat

The recipe for Superior Cat can be found at random or purchased from Otto.

Killer Whale

Effect

Killer Whale is unique in that it has no upgrade levels. It increases your vision and oxygen supply while underwater, and you can carry three of them at any one time.

Recipe and Location

2 Dwarven Spirit
5 Balisse Fruit
6 Buckthorn
5 Drowner Tounge

The Killer Whale recipe can be found or purchased from Otto.

White Raffard’s Decoction

Effect

Despite being called a Decoction, White Raffard’s Decoction is very much a potion with three tiers. It immediately restores some of your Vitality, rather than applying an overtime effect, making it a pretty good potion.

Recipe and Location

White Raffard’s Decoction

1 Dwarven Spirit
2 Ribleaves
4 Nekker Hearts

The formula can be found or purchased from Otto.

Enhanced White Raffard’s Decoction

1 Alcohest
4 Ribleaves
1 Bryonia
5 Nekker Hearts
1 White Raffard Decoction

Also purchased from Otto.

Superior White Raffard’s Decoction

1 White Gull
4 Ribleaves
4 Bryonia
1 Pringrape
1 Bison Grass
1 Vermilion
1 Enhanced White Raffard’s Decoction

This recipe is found randomly and also gives Geralt a few seconds of invulnerability upon use.

Decoctions

Decoctions are the meat and bones of potion builds in the Witcher 3. They have far longer durations than regular potions, give you much more Toxicity, and have incredibly powerful effects that you can base your entire build and setup around.

Without purposefully building for Decoction use and Toxicity, you’ll only ever be able to use one at a time. That’s powerful enough, but if you can push into the two or possibly Decoctions, then you’re looking at some flat-out overpowered potential.

Each of the Decoctions requires a Mutagen from the creature the Decoction is based on, meaning you’ll need to go out of your way to complete some Witcher contracts.

Ekhidna Decoction

Effect

Performing any action that consumes stamina in or out of combat will regenerate a decent chunk of your health. This effect does not apply to the Whirl attack skill.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Ekhidna Mutagen
1 Ribleaf
1 Berbercane Fruit

The Ekhidna Decoction recipe can be found in a random diagram spawn location.

Troll Decoction

Effect

The Troll Decoction is a basic health regeneration potion. It lasts far longer than Swallow, but it does cost you 70 Toxicity as opposed to 20.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Troll Mutagen
1 Crow’s Eye
1 Honeysuckle

The formula can be found randomly or purchased from Tomira in White Orchard.

Ekimmara Decoction

Effect

The Ekimmara Decoction is a particularly powerful item when combined with a DoT build like bleeding or Igni. Its effect is simple – every time you deal damage, you regenerate health. That damage doesn’t have to be direct, though. Any damage inflicted by your DoT attacks also counts and results in a ludicrous amount of health regen.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Ekimmara Mutagen
1 White Myrtle Petal
1 Mandrake Root

The Ekimmara Decoction can be found randomly, or obtained by reading the book titled “My Evening with a Vampire.”

Grave Hag Decoction

Effect

The Grave Hag Decoction is similar to the Ekimmara one. Rather than each damaged enemy regenerating a chunk of health, the Grave Hag variant increases your Vitality regeneration over the course of battle, with the regen effect increasing per enemy killed.

This is a niche effect and far weaker for any high-health, single-target fight. This makes it considerably weaker than the Ekimmara Decoction.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Grave Hag Mutagen
1 Longrube
1 Cortinarius

Like other formulas, the Grave Hag Decoction recipe can be found randomly. It can also be purchased from a Herbalist in White Orchard, and the Herbalist in the camp West of Lurtch.

Leshen Decoction

Effect

The Leshen Decoction grants Geralt a damage reflection property. While active, it will return 10 flat damage and 2% of the damage Geralt receives per attack.

This is unique amongst reflection buffs. Typically, they only return a portion of the damage that Geralt receives. This makes shields like Quen useless. However, because the Leshen Decoction also returns flat damage, this means that Geralt can have Quen active, but a portion of the damage that the shield blocks will still be returned.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Leshen Mutagen
1 Holeyarrow
1 Pringrape

The Leshen Decoction recipe can only be found randomly.

Nekker Warrior Decoction

Effect

The Nekker Warrior Decoction is extremely niche. It makes it so that your mounts can’t become panicked, and it increases your horseback damage by 50%.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Nekker Warrior Mutagen
1 Fool’s Parsley
1 Ranogrin

This is one of the very few recipes in the game that can’t be found randomly in a loot source. It can only be obtained by reading the book titled “The World Underground”, or by purchasing it from the Herbalist in Hierarch Square

Katakan Decoction

Effect

The effect of the Katakan Decoction is very simple – all it does is increase your crit chance by 5%.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Katakan Mutagen
1 Verbena
1 Arenaria

The Katakan Decoction formula can only be found randomly.

Ancient Leshen Decoction

Effect

The Ancient Leshen Decoction is bugged to high hell. Even if it wasn’t, though, it would still be useless. Its written effect is that each Sign cast increases your stamina regeneration for the remainder of the fight. The issue is that Sign-based builds don’t rely on stamina too heavily, making it impossible to build around this potion specifically.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Ancient Leshen Mutagen
1 Mandrake Root
1 Ginatia Petal
1 Honeysuckle

The formula for this one can only be found randomly.

Alghoul Decoction

Effect

Only seasoned Witchers can get full use out of the Alghoul Decoction. It gives Geralt a 50% buff to his Anderenaline Point gain, but only until you get hit in combat. Once you’re struck, it’s done. If you are particularly good at avoiding attacks, this effect becomes busted and something you can easily build around.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
5 Lesser Red Mutagen
1 Alghoul Bone Marrow
1 Buckthorn

Found randomly or learned from reading the book titled “Ghouls and Alghouls”.

Basilisk Decoction

The Basilisk Decoction is strange. It lasts far longer than the other Decoctions, over twice as long, in fact. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a good effect to go along with that. At dawn and dusk, it will give one of your signs a place of power buff at random. That last part is important as it makes the Decoction impossibly to build around, mitigating its usefulness – even if it only gives the player 40 Toxicity.

Chort Decoction

Effect

The Chort Decoction simply gives Geralt resistance to regular staggers and will change knock-downs to staggers instead.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Chort Mutagen
1 Puffball
1 Cortinarius

The Chort formula can only be found randomly.

Doppler Decoction

Effect

The Doppler Decoction gives you a 50% increase to crit damage from attacking enemies from behind. It’s far too niche to be usable, even in crit builds.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Doppler Mutagen
1 Han Fiber
1 Longrube

You can find this recipe randomly or by reading “The Bear Legend.”

Foglet Decoction

Effect

Foglet Decoctions increase your Sign intensity by 25%. That’s great, but it only affects Geralt in cloudy weather, making it far too situational to be a go-to option.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Foglet Mutagen
1 Fool’s Parsley Leaf
1 Blowball

Foglet Decoction recipes can only be found randomly.

Forktail Decoction

Effect

This is another Decoction that’s bugged to bits. The description of the potion reads that by combining different types of attacks, being strong attacks, light attacks, and signs, you’ll get a bonus that increases the power of your next mounted attack. That’s useless, but the bonus can also be used as Sign intensity, instead.

In reality, you need to use three different attack methods rather than types of attacks. That means using your sword, a sign, bombs, and so on. Using three of these in a row will give you a 50% buff, but only if your next attack uses it. The buff will reset, otherwise, and you’ll have to chain three more attacks.

Recipe and Loadout

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Forktail Mutagen
1 Moleyarrow
1 Bryonia

You can only find this one in random diagram spawn locations.

Succubus Decoction

Event

The Succubus Decoction is one of the more powerful build options in the game. In particular, it’s incredible when paired with the Wyvern Decoction. The two of them together increase your attack power substantially.

On the Succubus side of things, the potion increases your attack power gradually over the course of combat. It will increase by 1% until it hits 30% total, at which point you’ll stay at that buff until combat ends.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Succubus Mutagen
1 Green Mold
1 Allspice

Like most Decoctions, this one also can only be found in random spawns.

Water Hag Decoction

Effect

Water Hag Decoctions are another popular build choice. In this case, it will increase Geralt’s damage by 50% when your health is full. It’s important to note that this is damage, meaning not just your sword attacks. This makes it useful for everything from Signs to bombs, making it as versatile as it is powerful.

It’s important to note that this effect will be disabled if your health is damaged by Toxicity, so you’ll have to spec for that.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Water Hag Mutagen
1 Berbercane Fruit

As well as spawning in random diagram locations, you can also purchase this recipe from the Herbalist in the camp near Lurtch, and the Herbalist next to the shrine in White Orchard.

Wyvern Decoction

Effect

This is arguably the best decoction in the entire game. It’s what I based my Death March build on – to great success.

What it does is increase your attack power by 1% for every blow you land. If you take damage or the fight ends, then the buff is reset. Obviously, to truly get the most out of this Decoction, you can’t get hit. On Death March, you can’t get hit anyways because everything hurts like a truck. Even on lower difficulties, though, it’s very easy to avoid receiving direct damage thanks to Quen. Combined with that Sign and the Whirl skill, the Wyvern Decoction is exceedingly powerful.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Wyvern Mutagen
1 Moleyarrow
1 Celadine

The biggest downside to the Wyvern Decoction is that its formula can only be found randomly.

Griffen Decoction

Effect

While active, the Griffen Decoction increases your resistance by 1%, up to 25%, for every hit you receive. The resistance that’s affected is based on what type of damage you take. This is beyond useless. The potion only benefits you when you get hit, which you don’t want, and every hit only increases the effect by 1%. You would need to get hit 25 times in one fight to get the most out of this Decoction, but at that point, you should be dead, or ashamed of your combat skills.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Griffen Mutagen
1 Oil
1 Bryonia
1 Wolf’s Liver

This one can actually be found randomly or purchased from Bram and Tomira in White Orchard.

Reliever’s Decoction

Effect

This is a specific Decoction that won’t have a part in your general build but is handy to have in your back pocket if you need it. It’s a general resistance Decoction that gives you resistance from almost all damage types and increases your damage output against wraiths. Powerful, but not build-defying.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
4 Lesser Red Mutagen
4 Lesser Green Mutagen
4 Lesser Blue Mutagen
1 Essence of Wraith

Only found in a random diagram location.

Earth Elemental Decoction

Effect

The Earth Elemental Decoction has an incorrect description, but that doesn’t matter too much because its effect ain’t great. It reads that it increases your resistance to Vitality-depleting effects applied to you. That’s correct. It also says that the resistance level rises the longer the effects last. That’s wrong. It’s just a flat 10% reduction – which isn’t worth writing home about.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Earth Elemental Mutagen
1 Balisee Fruit
1 Pringrape

Can be found randomly or bought from the shrine Herbalist in White Orchard.

Arachas Decoction

Effect

The Arachas Decoction is unnecessarily complicated for no good reason. It reduces that damage Geralt receives to a cap of 20%, with the reduction being based on carry weight as a percentage. The lighter your inventory, the more potent the effect. This can arguably be used in some light armor builds, but it’s too niche to use it without specifically crafting your build around it.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Arachas Mutagen
1 White Myrtle Petal

Can only be found randomly.

Nightwraith Decoction

Effect

This causes Geralt’s maximum Vitality to increase per enemy killed up to a cap of 50 Vitality. This lasts until you meditate or travel. It’s one of the few Decoction effects that lasts between combat instances, so you might get some use out if it depending on the circumstances.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Nightwraith Mutagen
1 Mistletoe
1 Sewant Mushroom

Bought from the shrine Herbalist in White Orchard, found randomly, or obtained by reading the book “Of Sweat and Blood” which is a quest reward from Tomira during the On Death’s Bed quest – but only if Geralt helps Lena.

Noonwraith Decoction

Effect

The Noonwraith Decoction effect is simple – it decreases the duration that knockdown, hypnosis, stun, and blindness has on Geralt. If you’re fighting an enemy that tries to stunlock you, it can be helpful to have it as an option.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Noonwraith Mutagen
1 Ginatia Petal
1 Ergot Seed

This Decoction recipe can be found randomly or is learned from reading the

“Of Sweat and Blood” book like the other wraith formula.

Fiend Decoction

This just increases your carry weight by 20. That’s it – and it still gives you 70 Toxicity.

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Fiend Mutagen
1 Hellebore Petal
1 Fool’s Parsley Leaf
1 Arenaria

The formula is found randomly or purchased from the Herbalist in Kvalheim Isle – in the center of Ard Skellig.

Cockatrice Decoction

Effect

The Cockatrice Decoction is weird. Using it gives you an extra charge on all of your alchemy creations, meaning potions and bombs. It’s interesting and unique, but I just can’t see a use for it. One extra charge isn’t going to make a world of difference.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Cockatrice Mutagen
1 Crow’s Eye

As well as being found randomly, you can get this formula by reading “A Few Remarks on Basilisks and Cockatrices”

Werewolf Decoction

Effect

This Decoction makes it so that running and jumping outside of combat doesn’t consume stamina. This is actually pretty good on paper, but I’m not sure why you would be running instead of traveling on horseback.

Recipe and Location

1 Dwarven Spirit
1 Werewolf Mutagen
1 Beggartick Blossom
1 Hop umbel

You can’t get this formula randomly. It’s only obtainable by reading “In Beast’s Clothing” or as a reward for letting Morkvary live during his quest.

Weapon Oils

Like potions, weapon oils also have three tiers for upgrades. Unlike potions, however, the effects and usage of oil don’t change based on tier. The only thing that is impacted is the amount of damage that the oil does to its relevant enemy type. There’s an oil for every major enemy type in the game, and you don’t need to replenish them once you craft them, so make sure you’re picking up formulas for them whenever you can.

FAQ

Question: Is the alchemy build good in the Witcher 3?

Answer: Yes. In fact, a build centering around alchemy is one of the most powerful options in the entirety of the Witcher 3. It can trivialize lower difficulties and is almost mandatory for Death March.

Question: Where can I craft potions in the Witcher 3?

Answer: You can craft potions directly from the alchemy menu in the Witcher 3. You can access this menu at any time, so you don’t need a lab or any sort of equipment to craft.

Question: How do I get more potions in the Witcher 3?

Answer: If you use up all of your potions, meditating with alcohol in your inventory will fully replenish any of them that you’ve used. If you’re looking for brand new potions to craft, then you’ll need to find formulas. You can find these randomly throughout the world, or you can purchase specific ones from certain vendors and Herbalists.

Conclusion

That’s it for this Witcher 3 alchemy guide. Hopefully, you’ve found it helpful. I didn’t touch on bombs too much, and that’s because I think your time is better spent with potions and Decoctions. Regardless of if you’re a beginner or an experienced player, bombs are too niche and specialized to be used on a wide scale. There are use cases for certain bombs, like Grapeshot during the Imlerith boss fight. In general, though, you’ll be better served by focusing your attention on build-defining Decoctions, instead.

This should be all the information you need to get started with alchemy in the Witcher 3. You know how to collect ingredients, get formulas, and craft potions. So, go off and start doing just that.

Looking for more interesting readings? Check out: