Alchemy in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a game-changer. This Magic skill, tied to Intelligence, lets you whip up potions to heal, boost stats, or turn invisible, and poisons to mess up enemies. It’s a lifesaver for surviving tough fights, carrying more loot, or racking up gold by selling your brews. The Remastered version makes crafting smoother with a slick UI that sorts ingredients by effect, but the core mechanics are straight from the 2006 original.

Whether you’re a warrior needing health potions or a thief sneaking with invisibility, Alchemy’s got your back in Cyrodiil. Here’s how to master it.

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1. Required Equipment

You need a Mortar and Pestle to start mixing potions or poisons. Other tools like the Alembic, Calcinator, and Retort make your stuff stronger but aren’t mandatory.
  • Mortar and Pestle: Sets your potion’s base power.
  • Alembic: Cuts down negative effects in potions.
  • Calcinator: Boosts all effects, good or bad.
  • Retort: Pumps up positive effects in potions.
Tiers: Novice (0–24), Apprentice (25–49), Journeyman (50–74), Expert (75–99), Master (100).

Where to Grab Them:

  • Novice: Snag a free Mortar and Pestle in the Imperial Prison Sewer during the tutorial. Buy others at The Main Ingredient (Imperial City, ~100 gold) or take them from Mages Guild halls (free if you’re a member, otherwise steal). Check Cloud Ruler Temple (Blades) or Vilverin Ayleid Ruin too.
  • Apprentice: Loot a full set in Fathis Aren’s Tower (“Arrow of Extrication” quest) without fighting if you’re Mages Guild.
  • Journeyman/Expert: Hunt in Conjurer or Necromancer dungeons, or buy from shops (Journeyman gear might be tough to find at level 15+ due to a vendor glitch).
  • Master: Look in dungeons after level 17, like Necromancer spots. They reset every 72 in-game hours.
Tip: Stash extra gear in a house, like Aleswell’s free room after “Zero Visibility,” to save on carry weight.

2. Gathering Ingredients

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You’ll find ingredients everywhere—wild plants, enemy drops, or shops. Each has up to four effects that show up as your skill improves.
  • Sources:
    • Farms: Grab carrots, corn, or tomatoes in West Weald; they regrow every 3–4 days.
    • Wild Plants: Pick Flax Seeds, Lavender, or mushrooms in fields and forests.
    • Creature Drops: Get Crab Meat from mudcrabs, Bonemeal from skeletons, or Daedra Hearts from Daedra.
    • Dungeons: Loot chests or barrels in mage hideouts.
    • Shops: Stock up at The Main Ingredient or The Gilded Carafe. Buy cheap, craft, and sell for profit.
    • Special Spots: Frostcrag Spire’s Alchemy Garden (~1500 gold) or Deepscorn Hollow’s poison garden (Vile Lair DLC) give renewable ingredients.
    • Mages Guild Chest: Duplicates ingredients, making rare ones easier to get.
    • Duplication Glitch: Get endless ingredients, but it kills achievements.
Tip: Hold onto rare stuff like Nirnroot or Painted Troll Fat for quests or better recipes. Stealing can get you fined, so stick to farms or wild plants.

3. Crafting Potions and Poisons

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Open your inventory, pick the Mortar and Pestle, and hit the Alchemy menu. The Remastered UI highlights matching effects and lets you filter by type, so it’s easy to find what works.
  • How to Do It:
    1. Pick up to four ingredients with shared effects (they glow blue).
    2. Check the right menu—more positive effects make a potion, more negative make a poison.
    3. Name it and hit “Create.”
  • Potions: Helpful stuff like Restore Health. Drink them from your inventory.
  • Poisons: Nasty effects like Damage Health. Slap them on a weapon for one hit.
  • Wortcraft: Eating ingredients gives the first effect (weaker, 0.5 XP).
Note: Only effects you know count; hidden ones don’t work.

Leveling Alchemy

You level up by making potions (5 XP each, needs 2+ ingredients) or eating ingredients (0.5 XP). Potion strength or value doesn’t matter for XP.
Skill Progression and Perks
  • Novice (0–24): See one effect per ingredient.
  • Apprentice (25–49): Two effects; sometimes get an extra potion.
  • Journeyman (50–74): Three effects; handle more effects at once.
  • Expert (75–99): All four effects.
  • Master (100): Make potions from one ingredient (first effect only); always get an extra potion.

Fast-Leveling Strategies

  1. Mass-Produce Potions: Mix cheap stuff like Apple + Beef (Restore Fatigue). 20 potions = 1 skill level.
  2. Build Smart: Start as a Bosmer (+10 Alchemy), pick Magic specialization (+5), make Alchemy a Major Skill (+20), or take Thief birthsign (+10 Luck) for up to 40 Alchemy at the start.
  3. Frostcrag Spire Altar: Gives +15 Fortify Alchemy for better potions.
  4. Skill Books: Find Alchemy books in Mages Guilds or dungeons for a free +1 level.
  5. Trainers: At Alchemy 70, take two Tamika Vintage 399 and Surilie Brothers Vintage 399 (upper-class drink containers) to Sinderion in Skingrad for advanced training.
Tip: Craft in safe spots to avoid getting jumped. Sell potions to boost Mercantile.

Best Novice Alchemy Recipes

Novices only see one effect per ingredient. Stick to easy-to-find ingredients:
  • Restore Health: Apple + Bread (inns or homes).
  • Restore Fatigue: Apple + Beef (kitchens).
  • Resist Poison: Crab Meat (mudcrabs) + Lavender (wild).
  • Cure Disease: Clannfear Claws (Daedra) + Mandrake Root (farms or wild; stops vampirism).
Note: Save rare ingredients like Daedra Hearts for later when you can use their extra effects.

Advanced Recipes and Strategies

Once you hit Journeyman, you can make potions or poisons with multiple effects:
  • Poisons:
    • Damage Health + Paralyze: Harrada + Clannfear Claws (wrecks enemies).
    • Damage Health + Silence: Harrada + Vampire Dust (shuts down mages).
  • Potions:
    • Restore Health + Magicka: Flax Seeds + Void Salts (great for mages; wild or Daedra).
    • Feather: Flax Seeds + Venison (carry more loot).
    • Chameleon: Aloe Vera Leaves + Bloodgrass (sneak better with partial invisibility).

Other tips

  • Check recipe books in Mages Guilds or dungeons for ideas.
  • Get better apparatus for stronger potions.
  • At Master, make single-ingredient potions to double your cash.
  • Use the UI’s effect filter to find ingredients fast.

Practical Applications

  • Fighting: Health or Magicka potions keep you going; poisons make weapons deadlier.
  • Exploring: Feather potions let you haul more loot; Cure Disease stops vampirism (if you get infected, hit the Vile Lair’s Font of Renewal for a quick fix).
  • Cash: Sell potions for gold and Mercantile XP.
  • Role-Playing: Hand out potions for faction rep or use effects like Invisibility for clever quest solutions.