It doesn’t matter whether you opt for Alchemy as your character development path or not, you will still need to learn the art of preparing potions and oils as well as producing bombs as it is core gameplay component in the game. Our The Witcher 2 Alchemy guide will explain all the basics of the alchemy system in the game, how to craft and benefits of alchemical mixtures.
Skillful use of these items can save you the toughest of situations. Alchemical knowledge is important for a witcher, since he can often use it to increase the damage he inflicts, his regeneration abilities, and improve the chance to land a critical hit on his enemies.
Note. You can find all the Alchemy Formulae using our Alchemy Formulae Location guide.
The Witcher 2 Alchemy
You can create three types of mixtures in The Witcher 2 and they are Potions, oils, and bombs.
Potions
Potions are liquid mixtures that temporarily raise your statistics before combat when you drink them. They can be created by adding special ingredients, such as herbs and monster body parts to an alchemical base such as alcohol.
Potion not only enhance certain senses of the person but also have a side effect associated with them. So, use them carefully or opt for Alchemy development path and reduce the side effect by learning new abilities.
Oils
Oils are blade coatings used before combat that temporarily increase the damage dealt to specific opponents, or increase the chance of causing a critical hit. Good thing is, they have no side effects associated with them.
Bombs
Bombs are range weapons used from distance that can be used to surprise the opponent and stun, incinerate or panic him. The trick lies in timing the use of bomb perfectly to the situation at hand.
Mixture Formulae and Recipes
Before you create a mixture, you should know the correct ingredients you need meaning you would actually need the knowledge of recipes and formulae before you would be able to create mixtures at will in The Witcher 2.
Geralt only knows the basic alchemy knowledge to start with, so he can’t prepare all the mixtures, which are often results of experiments by mages or herbalists. There are three different ways you can acquire these recipes or formulae to create mixtures and they are:
- As a reward after completing a quest.
- Buy from a shop.
- Find as loot.
When you learn a new formula, it will be available in your equipment, journal and the alchemy panel so you can readily create that potion, oil or bomb.
Alchemy Ingredients
Nine natural substances are used when producing potions, oils and bombs. They are: Vitriol, Hydragenum, Rebis, Aether, Quebrith, Vermillion, Caelum, Sol and Fulgur.
These substances are found in alchemical ingredients: herbs and monster body parts – for example in Nekker claws. When you pick up an alchemical ingredient, you’ll be able to check what substance it contains in your equipment and in the alchemy panel.
How to Create Mixtures or Bombs
Enter meditation and then alchemy panel to create a mixture or a bomb. To the left you will see the list of formulae you know; to the right you will see the available ingredients.
The order in which you should mix the alchemical substances is visible at the bottom of the screen. To do so, you can manually add
each substance by scrolling the list to the right, or use the slot auto filling option to automatically fill the central alchemy panel with substances necessary for a given formula.
When you mix the ingredients in the set order, the mixture will be
created and added to your equipment.
Potions
Cat
Effect: Allows seeing in total darkness and through walls. Decreases damage dealt.
Toxicity: low
Gadwall
Effect: Increases vitality regeneration at the expense of vigor and damage dealt.
Toxicity: high
Tawny Owl
Effect: Increases vigor regeneration.
Toxicity: low
Wolf
Effect: Increases chance of causing critical effects, for Igni incineration and for Aard knockdown.
Toxicity: low
Rook
Effect: Increases sword damage.
Toxicity: low
Swallow
Effect: Increases vitality regeneration.
Toxicity: low
Golden Oriole
Effect: Increases all resistances.
Toxicity: low
Tiara
Effect: Decreases vigor loss when blocking at the expense of vitality and damage dealt.
Toxicity: high
Stammelford’s Philter
Effect: increases Sign power at the cost of vitality.
Toxicity: medium
Maribor Forest
Effect: Increases vigor at the expense of vitality and chance of causing critical effect.
Toxicity: high
Lapwing
Effect: Considerably increases vigor regeneration at the expense of vitality and resistances.
Toxicity: high
Virga
Effect: Increases damage reduction at the expense of resistances and chance of causing critical effects.
Toxicity: medium
White Raffard’s Decoction
Effect: Increases vitality at the expense of damage dealt.
Toxicity: very high
Petri’s Philter
Effect: Increases Sign damage.
Toxicity: very high
Badger
Effect: Considerably increases chance of causing critical effects, for Igni incineration and for Aard knockdown.
Toxicity: very high
Thunderbolt
Effect: considerably increases damage dealt at the expense of vitality and its regeneration.
Toxicity: very high
Oils
Necrophage Oil
Effect: Increases damage to necrophages.
Hanged Man’s Venom
Effect: Increases damage to humanoids.
Specter Oil
Effect: Increases damage to wraiths.
Brown Oil
Effect: Increases chance of causing critical effect: bleeding.
Falka’s Blood
Effect: Increases maximum sword damage.
Whirl
Effect: Increases sword damage.
Spider Oil
Effect: Increases chance of causing
critical effect: poisoning
Bombs
Samum
Effect: Stuns and immobilizes all enemies in range.
Beehive
Effect: After detonating wounds all
enemies in range with shrapnel.
Devil’s Puffball
Effect: Releases a cloud of poison gas.
Dancing Star
Effect: Explodes with fire and wounds enemies.
Dragon’s Dream
Effect: Releases a cloud of flammable gas.
Firefly
Effect: Blinds and immobilizes all enemies in range.
Flare
Effect: Illuminates the surrounding area when detonated.
Stenchbulb
Effect: Releases a foul-smelling cloud that decreases the statistics of all enemies within it.
