How to Become a Master Alchemist in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

In Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, there are three skills that players can master to form potions, craft weapons, and enhance their armor. Those are Alchemy, Enchanting, and Smithing. While the latter two are probably more popular for the casual player, Alchemy is arguably the most rewarding of the three.

Yes, it will probably be more time-consuming than Enchanting or Smithing. Since you not only need to find the ingredients to create potions. But you also need to formulate successful recipes for them to even have value. Still, having a powerful potion (or poison) can help the Dragonborn carry out just about any task in the game.

So, we’ve created a guide on how to master Alchemy in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

How to Become a Master Alchemist in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Truth be told, there are numerous ways to master Alchemy in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, outside of just wandering the map aimlessly for ingredients or skill books. There are certain things you can do to speed up the process quite a bit.

Here are the four best things you can do to master Alchemy in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

1. Gather as many ingredients as possible – Though tedious and seemingly unnecessary, there’s no such thing as having “too many” ingredients. This means scavenging for every last flower, mushroom, berry, canis root, and charred skeever hide any swamp, forest or cave has to offer. With Hearthfire installed, players can build a greenhouse or garden as well. So that you can safely store these ingredients instead of carrying them around everywhere you go.
2. Run errands for Alchemists – Doing small favors for Alchemists is one of the best ways to earn their trust and master the art of Alchemy. As a result of building this relationship, the Alchemist will give the Dragonborn valuable items from their shops for a low price. Items that generally aren’t all that easy to find (such as taproots or slaughterfish scales). You might also receive a boost in your Alchemy skills by completing certain tasks as well.
3. Invest in relevant skills and perks – The truth is that some ingredients are easier to find than others. Luckily, many of these rare items can also be found in shops, for the right price. Raising your skill level in Speech will allow you to haggle down the price of some of these harder-to-find items. While enabling the Merchant perk will improve the selection alchemy vendors’ have in their shops. As for perks, the two most valuable in Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V is Snakeblood and Experimenter. The former will provide you with 50% resistance to all poisons. While the latter will cut down on the amount of time it takes to learn the effects of an ingredient by eating it.
4. Experiment – Experimenting is one of the best ways to become a master Alchemist in Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V. Sometimes your experiments are going to fail but other times you’ll be able to find the perfect combination. The game keeps track of all the recipes that don’t work and you can favorite those that do. This way you can make a note of the effects of each ingredient and potion.

That completes our list of the best ways to master Alchemy in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim If you found this information helpful, be sure to check out our guides section for more breakdowns of other popular gaming titles.