The Witcher alchemy

For more information regarding Alchemy, see the alchemy category. In the history of science, alchemy from Arabic (al-kimiya) refers to both an early form of the investigation of nature and an early philosophical and spiritual discipline, both combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism, and art all as parts of one greater force. Alchemy has been practiced in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Persia, India, Japan, Korea and China, in Classical Greece and Rome, in the Muslim civilization, and then in Europe up to the 19th century—in a complex network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.

The Witcher is set chronologically in the year 1270, according to the narrator in the opening sequence, but this date is incorrect - the game is actually set in 1273, five years after the end of the Nilfgaard Wars, which ended in 1268 and during the second Catriona outbreak, which started in 1272. Europe is also definitely the model for the geographic setting.

The art is widely used in the game, not just by Geralt, but by other characters as well.

Ingredients
Mixtures are created by combining selected ingredients with a medium, referred to as a base.

The base determines the type of mixture to be created. Alcohol is the base for potions, grease is used for oils, and black powder serves as the base for making bombs.

Ingredients include herbs, monster parts and minerals.


 * Plant Extracts:  petals, leaves and roots can be picked directly from plants, provided that Geralt has acquired the Herbalism skill and knows the alchemic use of a given plant (for example, from having read a book about it).
 * Monster Extracts:  after defeating a monster, Geralt can extract components from its corpse, provided he knows the alchemic uses of these body parts (having read a book about the beast in question) and possesses a carving knife.
 * Minerals/Liquids:  available in alchemy shops, they can be purchased without any special skills or knowledge, yet they can be expensive.

Basic substances
Alchemy ingredients contain one of six substances:


 * [[Image:Substances_Small_Aether.png|16px|Aether]] Aether marked in purple,
 * [[Image:Substances_Small_Hydragenum.png|16px|Hydragenum]] Hydragenum marked in silver,
 * [[Image:Substances_Small_Quebrith.png|16px|Quebrith]] Quebrith marked in yellow,
 * [[Image:Substances_Small_Rebis.png|16px|Rebis]] Rebis marked in green,
 * [[Image:Substances_Small_Vermilion.png|16px|Vermilion]] Vermilion marked in orange.
 * [[Image:Substances_Small_Vitriol.png|16px|Vitriol]] Vitriol marked in blue,

Mixture formulae list the proportions of substances that need to be mixed rather than ingredient amounts. For instance, White Gull is obtained by mixing two measures of vitriol and a measure of rebis with concentrated alcohol.

Substances are present in various ingredients, consequently various combinations of the latter may be used as long as they contain the required substances. For example, vitriol is found in both sewant mushrooms and in ghoul blood, so either of these ingredients may be used to create White Gull.

Additional substances
There are three additional substances: albedo,  nigredo and  rubedo. A given ingredient may contain only one of these substances. If all ingredients selected to create a potion (and only a potion) contain the same additional substance, the resulting potion will provide additional benefits.

Special Ingredients Items which can be obtained by slaying unique monsters, and occasionally, from plants. These can be used to create unique potions with powerful effects (often granting additional talents to be used to obtain skills, or granting special skills directly).

Creating Mixtures


To create a mixture, find a place to rest and, while meditating (prepare potions in meditation mode. Gather the required ingredients first -- from basic alchemy tutorial), choose the Alchemy icon (left-click on the vial icon to create potions - from alchemy tutorial). The Alchemy panel includes a mixture brewing window and provides access to previously gathered ingredients.

Place the base in the highlighted slot and the remaining ingredients in the slots surrounding it. Click Mix to create the mixture and add it to Geralt's Inventory.

Mixture categories:


 * Potions - may be imbibed, most affect only Geralt, based on alcohol;
 * Oils - used to coat sword blades, they affect any opponents wounded with the sword, based on grease;
 * Bombs - affect creatures and beings in Geralt's immediate vicinity, based on black powder.

Mixtures are most often created based on formulae which list substances that must be mixed with a base. Substances are found in ingredients that include herbs, minerals and monster parts. A given substance, for instance vitriol, might be found in several different ingredients, meaning that potions based on vitriol can be composed in many different ways. Any formula the witcher learns is automatically added to the Alchemy section of the Journal.

Known formulas appear on the left side of the Alchemy panel. A formula is activated when Geralt possesses all required ingredients and the relevant base. Clicking a formula will transfer the ingredients and base to the mixing slots. Click Mix and then meditate to create a concoction and add it to Geralt's Inventory.

Mixtures can be created without a formula by trial and error. Each such attempt results in the creation of an unknown mixture, the use of which is hazardous, for unlucky mixtures can be harmful. However, if the ingredients are matched correctly, Geralt automatically receives the formula for the mixture he has discovered.

Potions


The transformations witchers undergo as children enable their mutated bodies to use magic potions that would be deadly to an ordinary person. These potions increase witchers' fighting abilities, render them immune to venoms, enable them to see in the dark. Witchers usually drink magic decoctions in preparation for a fight, but do so less frequently in combat due to lack of time.

To consume a potion, right-click on it in the Inventory. Potions can also be placed on the witcher's belt, in which case they can be activated from the main game screen. Most potions remain active for an extended time, though some decoctions can also produce effects that last an instant.

Witchers' potions are toxic and poison Geralt, though one of his features is a tolerance for toxins, represented by the green status bar (below the Endurance and Vitality bars) in the game screen. Each potion consumed increases the body's level of Toxicity. If this passes a certain point, Geralt becomes dizzy. If his tolerance level is exceeded, Geralt loses consciousness.

Meditation completely rids the body of poisons. It also cancels the benefits of any recently consumed potions.

Oils
From studying the weaknesses of various monster species, the witchers gained knowledge that allowed them to develop deadly blade coatings. These coatings, referred to as oils, employ simple magic and are adapted to take advantage of vulnerabilities in each beast's physiology.

For example, knowing that he may face a ghoul, the witcher prepares Necrophage Oil and coats his weapon with it before the battle. The oil will also be effective against other necrophages like graveirs.

Information on monsters' weaknesses, including their susceptibility to blade coatings, can be found in books that record the experiences of generations of witchers. When the witcher reads a book of this kind, the knowledge he acquires about a given beast appears in his Journal.

Oils are created much like other mixtures, the ingredients being mixed with a base, which in this case is grease.

Blades can be coated with oils in the Inventory only during rest periods. This is done by clicking and dragging the oil onto a weapon. Oils wear away over time. Applying a new coating will replace any oil previously placed on a blade.

Bombs
The formulas for explosives or bombs were brought by merchants from faraway Zerrikania. These devices are rare. Traditional witcher training does not include any schooling in bomb use, but thanks to their basic alchemy abilities, witchers are capable of making and using explosives.

Bombs can be used by right-clicking on them in the Inventory panel. These objects can also be placed on the witcher's belt and used in the main game environment. When detonated, bombs affect all opponents and neutral characters. They do not impact friendly characters (marked in green).

Bombs are made much like other mixtures. Their ingredients are mixed with a base, namely black powder.

Books on alchemy

 * Ain Soph Aur
 * Basics of Alchemy
 * Experiment Notes
 * The Double Cross of Alzur
 * Tower Mage's Book
 * Transmutations and Metamorphoses