The Witcher 3 Alchemy And Potions Guide

Witchers must be well-versed in crafting their potions and consumables if they want to survive against monsters. The knowledge of crafting and brewing your potions and concoctions among other consumables like oils and bombs in The Witcher 3 is known as Alchemy.

No matter what playstyle you adopt, embracing alchemy and potions is not only useful but in some cases quite essential to defeating bosses and progressing in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. If you are struggling to understand how alchemy and potion-making works in The Witcher 3, allow us to guide you.

How to brew potions in The Witcher 3

Almost all of the potions or decoctions in The Witcher 3 can be brewed by Geralt, provided he has all the ingredients required for the potion. Potions can also be found in almost all locations in TW3 as random loot so you might not feel the need to craft them. You can go through most of the game without making a single potion.

Still, you will be spending a large sum of your money on purchasing potions and decoctions to ensure that you can even heal and get power-ups to get through the difficult parts of the game. That is why it is essential to master the art of alchemy and brew your own potions for Geralt.

To craft the various potions, you need to get their recipes. Although Geralt starts with a few recipes for basic decoctions that you might need at the start of the game, you can find more potion recipes as loot once you progress through The Witcher 3.

Most alchemy and potions recipes can be found in the open world in treasures and loot from enemies. You can also purchase several alchemy recipes from vendors across the world in The Witcher 3.

Once you have the recipe you want to brew, open the Alchemy page from the menu and select the potion. Most potions will require herbs or alcohol to craft. Thankfully, these items are very common and you should have an ample supply if you loot a lot.

Why do you need Potions?

Honestly, this is a no-brainer. Potion and decoctions provides power boosts to Geralt, like increased damage, better accuracy, superior vision and the ability to regenerate stamina fast. Potions can provide upgrades to Geralt for a relatively low price.

Some Potions provide increased damage against specific enemy types; others provide increased defense against particular attack types. In short, you can turn the tables in a fight using a single potion.

The downside of taking Potions

Although Alchemy and Potions seem an excellent way to get temporary boosts, excess potions can negatively affect Geralt.

In TW3: Wild Hunt, Geralt might have some innate immunity to the potions he uses, but using too many will increase the toxicity. As your toxicity increases, you will start noticing darkened veins on Geralt’s body, and your scars will turn red.

As your toxicity rises, your health will start draining automatically, meaning that the more potions and decoctions you take, the weaker you get in The Witcher 3. This means you can’t continue to drink potions and decoctions endlessly as you will end up dying due to excessive toxicity.

You can reduce your toxicity levels by using White Honey and Superior White Honey. This will remove all your toxicity and any active potion effects.

All potion recipes in The Witcher 3

Below are all the different potions you can brew through Alchemy in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, their ingredients and the effects of each potion. This way you will have an idea of which potions to use when fighting certain enemies or trying to survive in certain areas.

Black Blood

Effect: Deal damage to vampires and necrophages after receiving some damage

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 2x Sewant mushrooms + 4x Ghoul’s blood

Bindweed

Effect: Increased resistance to Acid and acid-based poisons.

Ingredients: 1x Aether + 1x Quebrith + 1x Vermilion b

Enhanced Black Blood

Effect: Deal damage to vampires and necrophages after receiving some damage

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Black Blood + 1x Hellebore petals + 5x Sewant mushrooms + 5x Ghoul’s blood

Superior Black Blood

Effect: Deal damage to vampires and necrophages after receiving some damage

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Black Blood + 5x Hellebore petals + 5x Sewant mushrooms + 1x Han fiber + 1x Nostrix 1x Rebis

Blizzard

Effect: Slows down time immediately after killing an enemy

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 5x White myrtle petals + 1x Golem’s heart

Enhanced Blizzard

Effect: Greatly slows down time immediately after killing an enemy

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Blizzard + 1x Celandine + 5x White myrtle petals + 1x Golem’s heart

Superior Blizzard

Effect: Slows down time immediately after killing an enemy, and stamina cost reduces with 3x Adrenaline Points

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Blizzard + 1x Celandine + 4x White myrtle petals + 1x Sewant mushrooms + 1x Buckthorn 1x Rebis

Cat

Effect: Ability to see in darkness

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 4x Berbercane fruit + 2x Water essence

Enhanced Cat

Effect: Ability to see in darkness for an increased duration

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Cat + 5x Berbercane fruit + 1x Cortinarius + 3x Water Essence

Superior Cat

Effect: Ability to see in darkness for an even more duration

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Cat + 4x Berbercane fruit + 4x Cortinarius + 1x Moleyarrow + 1x Allspice + 1x Aether

Full Moon

Effect: this potions increases maximum Vitality

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 2x Wolfsbane + 1x Dark Essence

Enhanced Full Moon

Effect: Increases maximum Vitality for a longer time

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Full Moon + 2x Crow’s eye + 5x Wolfsbane + 2x Dark Essence

Superior Full Moon

Effect: Increases maximum Vitality for even longer durations of time

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Full Moon + 1x Mistletoe + 1x Verbena + 4x Crow’s eye + 4x Wolfsbane + 1x Quebrith

Golden Oriole

Effect: Immune to Poisons

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 4x Blowball + 1x Light Essence

Enhanced Golden Oriole

Effect: Immune to Poisons for longer durations of time

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Golden Oriole + 6 + Blowball + 1x Celandine + 2x Light Essence

Superior Golden Oriole

Effect: Immune to Poisons for longer durations of time, and Poisons start healing

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Golden Oriole + 4x Blowball + 4x Celandine + 1x Han fiber + 1x Ranogrin + 1x Quebrith

Killer Whale

Effect: Increased breath supply while underwater

Ingredients: 2x Dwarven spirit + 5x Balisse fruit + 6 + Buckthorn + 5x Drowner tongue

Maribor Forest

Effect: Generate Adrenaline Points faster

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 3x Berbercane fruit + 1x Alghoul bone marrow + 4x Drowner tongue

Enhanced Maribor Forest

Effect: Generate Adrenaline Points faster for extended durations of time

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Maribor Forest + 5x Berbercane fruit + 1x Crow’s eye + 2x Drowner tongue

Superior Maribor Forest

Effect: Generate Adrenaline Points faster and generate 1x Adrenaline Point upon consumption

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Maribor Forest + 4x Berbercane fruit + 4x Crow’s eye + 1x Hellebore petals + 1x Ribleaf 1x Vermilion

Petri’s Philter

Effect: Increases Sign intensity

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 5x Arenaria + 1x Specter Dust

Enhanced Petri’s Philter

Effect: Increases Sign intensity for an increased duration of time

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Petri’s Philter + 6 + Arenaria + 1x Buckthorn + 2x Specter Dust

Superior Petri’s Philter

Effect: Increases Sign intensity and have special effects upon usage

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Petri’s Philter + 4x Arenaria + 4x Buckthorn + 1x Longrube + 1x Ranogrin + 1x Rubedo

De Vries’ Extract

Effect: Reveals hidden opponents.

Ingredients: 1x Rebis + 1x Aether + 2x Quebirth + 1x Hydragenum

Kiss

Effect: Increased resistance to Bleeding.

Ingredients: 2x Vitriol + 1x Vermilion

Swallow

Effect: Increased Vitality regeneration

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 5x Celandine + 4x Drowner brain

Enhanced Swallow

Effect: Increased Vitality regeneration for longer durations of time

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Swallow + 6 + Celandine + 4x White myrtle petals + 5x Drowner brain

Superior Swallow

Effect: Increased Vitality regeneration for even longer durations

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Swallow + 6 + Berbercane fruit + 6 + White myrtle petals + 4x Celandine + 4x Crow’s eye + 2x Vitriol

Tawny Owl

Effect: Speeds up Stamina regeneration

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 2x Verbena + 1x Arachas venom

Enhanced Tawny Owl

Effect: Speeds up Stamina regeneration for longer durations

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Tawny Owl + 4x Verbena + 2x Wolfsbane + 1x Arachas venom

Superior Tawny Owl

Effect: Speeds up Stamina regeneration which never expires during the night

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Tawny Owl + 4x Verbena + 4x Wolfsbane + 1x Fool’s parsley leaves + 1x Mandrake root + 1x Sewant mushrooms

Thunderbolt

Effect: Increases Attack Power

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 2x Cortinarius + 1x Endrega embryo

Enhanced Thunderbolt

Effect: Increases Attack Power for longer durations

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x Thunderbolt + 2x Cortinarius + 1x Fool’s parsley leaves + 2x Endrega embryo

Superior Thunderbolt

Effect: Increases Attack Power for longer durations and grants 100% Critical Hits chances in storms

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced Thunderbolt + 4x Cortinarius + 4x Fool’s parsley leaves + 1x Verbena + 1x Bryonia + 1x Quebrith

Wives’ Tears

Effect: Neutralize effects of alcohol intoxication.

Ingredients: 1x Rebis + 1x Aether + 1x Quebirth

White Honey

Effect: Clears Toxicity

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 1x Honeysuckle

Enhanced White Honey

Effect: Clears Toxicity

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x White Honey + 2x Honeysuckle + 1x White myrtle petals

Superior White Honey

Effect: Clears Toxicity

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced White Honey + 4x Honeysuckle + 4x White myrtle petals + 1x Balisse fruit + 1x Hellebore petals + 1x Vitriol

White Raffard’s Decoction

Effect: Restores Vitality

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 2x Ribleaf + 4x Nekker heart

Enhanced White Raffard’s Decoction

Effect: Restores a larger portion of Vitality

Ingredients: 1x Alcohest + 1x White Raffard’s Decoction + 4x Ribleaf + 1x Bryonia + 5x Nekker heart

Superior White Raffard’s Decoction

Effect: Restores Vitality completely and grants immunity for a short duration of time

Ingredients: 1x White Gull + 1x Enhanced White Raffard’s Decoction + 4x Ribleaf + 4x Bryonia + 1x Pringrape + 1x Bison grass + 1x Vermilion

Shrike

Effect: Inflict pain on assailants during combat.

Ingredients: 1x Rebis + 1x Quebirth + 1x Hydragenum + 2x Vermilion

Ursine pheromones

Effect: Ursines do not attack

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 1x Berbercane fruit + 1x Ergot seeds + 1x Hellebore petals

Willow

Effect: Grants immunity to Stun and Knockdowns.

Ingredients: 2x Aether + 1x Quebirth

Drowner pheromones

Effect: Drowners do not attack

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 1x Drowner brain + 1x Sewant mushrooms + 1x Puffball

Nekker pheromones

Effect: Nekkers do not attack

Ingredients: 1x Dwarven spirit + 1x Green mold + 1x Drowner brain + 1x Moleyarrow

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