Skyrim Guide: Alchemy Perks, Potions, Poisons, Ingredients, Books & Trainers

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, from Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks, the Alchemy skill is often neglected by players in favor of spending time on combat-oriented talents. However, combining ingredients found throughout Skyrim via an Alchemy Table / Station / Lab is easy and yields valuable potions and poisons that will enhance your character and net him or her A LOT of gold in the process.

Below we've created a complete guide to Alchemy for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Jump to a section header by clicking on the following links. To get back here, click on the "Return to Top" link at the end of each section.

• Alchemy Tips
• Alchemy Perks
• Alchemy Ingredients
• Alchemy Potions and Poisons
• Alchemy Books
• Alchemy Trainers 

Alchemy Tips:

The Alchemy skill is supposed to be for Thief builds, but every type of character can benefit thanks to Alchemy's money-making potential and its relatively low-cost, low-weight, and abundant ingredients. That being said, investing valuable points into Alchemy Perks should only be done in lieu of dropping ranks into Smithing or Enchanting, or for those players looking to create an Artisan build rather than a truly powerful hero. The Alchemy Perk list below gives you the name, number of ranks, pre-requisites, and benefit of each Alchemy Perk.

Return to Top

Alchemy Perks:

Name [Ranks]: Pre-Requisites - Benefits (additional benefits)

Alchemist [5]: None - Potions and poisons are 20% stronger (+20% bonus per additional rank)

Physician [1]: Alchemy 20, Alchemist - Restoration potions that recover health, magicka, or stamina are 25% more powerful

Poisoner [1]: Alchemy 30, Physician - Crafted poisons are 25% more effective

Benefactor [1]: Alchemy 30, Physician - Crafted potions you mix with beneficial effects have an additional 25% greater magnitude

Experimenter [3]: Alchemy 50, Benefactor - Ingesting an ingredient reveals two effects (+1 effect revealed per additional rank)

Concentrated Poison [1]: Alchemy 60, Poisoner - Poisons applied to weapons last twice as long

Green Thumb [1]: Alchemy 70, Concentrated Poison - Ingredient yields double when gathering from plants

Snakeblood [1]: Alchemy 80, Concentrated Poison, Experimenter - +50% resistance to all types of poison

Purity [1]: Alchemy 100, Snakeblood - All negative effects from crafted potions are removed as are all positive effects from crafted poisons

Return to Top

Alchemy Ingredients:

Each ingredient found in the wilds and back alleys of Skyrim has four different effects. These effects are normally found by consuming the ingredient (which reveals one effect), or by combining ingredients through trial and error (which reveals two effects). When a minimum of two distinct ingredients with at least one shared effect are combined, a potion or poison will be crafted with potency commensurate with the character’s skill level and perk investment. Adding a third ingredient to the brew also fortifies the alchemical mixture.

Return to Top

Alchemy Potions and Poisons:

Below we’ve compiled a complete list of potions and poisons that can be created in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim along with the reagents needed for crafting. 

• 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, Crimson Nirnroot, 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)

Return to Top

Alchemy Books:

Throughout The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Skill Books can be found and purchased. If you’d like to instantly gain Alchemy skill points, read the following tomes:

• A Game at Dinner
• De Rerum Dirennis
• Herbalist's Guide to Skyrim
• Mannimarco
• Song of the Alchemists

Return to Top

Alchemy Trainers:

In addition to Alchemy Skill Books, Alchemy Trainers can be hired to help increase your Alchemy skill. Below you’ll find a list of NPC trainers, as well as their rank and location.

• Lami - Journeyman Trainer located in Morthal
• Arcadia - Expert Trainer located in Whiterun City.
• Babette - Master Trainer located in The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary

Return to Top

WANT MORE? READ OUR SKYRIM REVIEW