Alchemy. Is it worth it?

[Wanky]

I'm pretty far into the game (almost beat it), and never have I used alchemy for any reason other than messing around. I don't seem to know any useful combinations for potions that I could just buy at a vendor. I only have an alchemy skill of 34 and I'm at level 9. Is it worth it or not?

[Mike]

I'd say so, but, take care and maybe research it a bit online, but, if you feel like you're a boss, go and experiment and enjoy yourself. I know I did.

[King Nerevar]

Originally posted by Dr. Tim:

I'd say so, but, take care and maybe research it a bit online, but, if you feel like you're a boss, go and experiment and enjoy yourself. I know I did.

I know i did to and it was amazing!!!
Just play with all ingrediants, you will have the best potions you can imagine
and at higher rank, they are really expensive and selling will get your gold up!

[Moon-and-Star]

Not sure about pure rogue or warrior, but if you play a mage, absolutely. Not only is it good to have because factions like Mages Guild and House Telvanni favour it (and thus you rise up in ranks by levelling it up), but especially, because you need a good magicka supply (even more so if you picked the Atronach birthsign, because regenerating magicka is even more difficult/almost impossible. I wouldn't recommend the Atronach sign by the way, I picked it once for a mage and it was painful).

But I digress... In short, if you play a mage, absolutely go for alchemy. You need to make lots of restore magicka potions.

Otherwise... If you aren't a mage and don't know spells like levitation, invisibility, etc., and you don't want to buy it from vendors all the time, Alchemy is also useful to make these potions yourself.

Besides, it is a pretty fun skill to level up, to pick ingredients, and so on.

Edit: Like the person above me said, you can also profit from selling your potions, so there you go!

[Wanky]

Originally posted by Danika:

Not sure about pure rogue or warrior, but if you play a mage, absolutely. Not only is it good to have because factions like Mages Guild and House Telvanni favour it (and thus you rise up in ranks by levelling it up), but especially, because you need a good magicka supply (even more so if you picked the Atronach birthsign, because regenerating magicka is even more difficult/almost impossible. I wouldn't recommend the Atronach sign by the way, I picked it once for a mage and it was painful).

But I digress... In short, if you play a mage, absolutely go for alchemy. You need to make lots of restore magicka potions.

Otherwise... If you aren't a mage and don't know spells like levitation, invisibility, etc., and you don't want to buy it from vendors all the time, Alchemy is also useful to make these potions yourself.

Besides, it is a pretty fun skill to level up, to pick ingredients, and so on.

Edit: Like the person above me said, you can also profit from selling your potions, so there you go!

That sums up most of what I wanted to know. Just an additional question: Is the potions sold by vendors equivalent to the potions you make? If you have quite a high alchemy skill, will your potions be better than that of vendors?

[Rithm Fluffderg]

I'd almost argue alchemy is MORE useful on a pure mage because of all the effects it can replicate

Originally posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀:

That sums up most of what I wanted to know. Just an additional question: Is the potions sold by vendors equivalent to the potions you make? If you have quite a high alchemy skill, will your potions be better than that of vendors?

It depends on your alchemy equipment.

If you only have a novice mortar and pestle, you'll be making okay potions - better than the bargain stuff.

If you grab the Grandmaster Mortar and Pestle from the Fine Alchemy shop in Balmora (a little bit of telekinesis turns a risky steal into an assured steal, and said alchemist sells the materials necessary to make it, lol) and the Master gear from the Caldera Mage Guild, you will already be making potions more powerful than most vendors supply.

Once you max your alchemy and intelligence, even without the fortify intelligence potion abuse, you'll be making potions powerful enough to achieve apotheosis.

[Wanky]

Originally posted by Space Wizard Zach:

I'd almost argue alchemy is MORE useful on a pure mage because of all the effects it can replicate

Originally posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀:

That sums up most of what I wanted to know. Just an additional question: Is the potions sold by vendors equivalent to the potions you make? If you have quite a high alchemy skill, will your potions be better than that of vendors?

It depends on your alchemy equipment.

If you only have a novice mortar and pestle, you'll be making okay potions - better than the bargain stuff.

If you grab the Grandmaster Mortar and Pestle from the Fine Alchemy shop in Balmora (a little bit of telekinesis turns a risky steal into an assured steal, and said alchemist sells the materials necessary to make it, lol) and the Master gear from the Caldera Mage Guild, you will already be making potions more powerful than most vendors supply.

Once you max your alchemy and intelligence, even without the fortify intelligence potion abuse, you'll be making potions powerful enough to achieve apotheosis.

ah, thanks.

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Minor amendment there - I meant to say "is more useful on a pure warrior/rogue."

In my defense, I haven't been able to sleep.

[Sankhe]

Alchemy is very strong and scales quickly. One point that hasn't been mentioned yet is that potions created by the player character almost always weigh less than potions found as loot or sold by vendors. Some potions you create may weigh nothing at all even.

[Fireeye]

Alchemy basically allows you to turn on godmode in Morrowind due to certain mechanics based on your intelligence stat. Not that this is entirely fair gameplay-wise, but having over 9000 INT can have highly amusing consequences.

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Originally posted by Fireeye:

Alchemy basically allows you to turn on godmode in Morrowind due to certain mechanics based on your intelligence stat. Not that this is entirely fair gameplay-wise, but having over 9000 INT can have highly amusing consequences.

And the thing is
It's so easy to actually get to this number.

Simply keep chugging fortify intelligence potions until it's high enough.

...And then if you want to get crazier, brew fortify intelligence potions while under the influence of fortify intelligence.

You will probably reach the point where you crash the game due to becoming intelligent.

Though my theory is that you're not really crashing the game. You're causing another dragon break, causing your character to achieve apotheosis, and they wrest control of themselves from you, sending their version of the world in an unseeable, untouchable direction.

[Moon-and-Star]

Originally posted by Elune:

Marshmerrow, saltrice, scuttle, wickwheat, kwama egg (if you got the strength!), scrib jerky, scrib jelly and bread are your friends for levelling alchemy. All of them are plentiful and will last you throughout the entire game.

Pretty much, that covers it for restore health and fatigue.

Your best friends for restore magicka will be Comberry, Frost and Void Salts and Daedra Hearts. So a lot of daedric ruins and Grazelands scavenging involved (Ascadian Isles for the Comberry). Don't worry though, these ingredients will be plenty and not as hard to obtain as you think.

[Fireeye]

Originally posted by Space Wizard Zach:

Originally posted by Fireeye:

Alchemy basically allows you to turn on godmode in Morrowind due to certain mechanics based on your intelligence stat. Not that this is entirely fair gameplay-wise, but having over 9000 INT can have highly amusing consequences.

And the thing is
It's so easy to actually get to this number.

Simply keep chugging fortify intelligence potions until it's high enough.

...And then if you want to get crazier, brew fortify intelligence potions while under the influence of fortify intelligence.

You will probably reach the point where you crash the game due to becoming intelligent.

Though my theory is that you're not really crashing the game. You're causing another dragon break, causing your character to achieve apotheosis, and they wrest control of themselves from you, sending their version of the world in an unseeable, untouchable direction.

My headcanon is that the player character becomes intelligent enough to realize that s/he is in a video game and promptly zero-sums.

[Laef]

I make speed in my basement... Don't you want to make speed in your basement?

Smoke moon sugar everday.

[SaltyPeanuts]

(Back to the original question)

Originally posted by Wanky:

I'm pretty far into the game (almost beat it), and never have I used alchemy for any reason other than messing around. I don't seem to know any useful combinations for potions that I could just buy at a vendor. I only have an alchemy skill of 34 and I'm at level 9. Is it worth it or not?

Briefly: Potions = stored magic: potentially powerful, leveled (with alchemy skill), instant magic. As alchemy levels higher and higher- you get better potions for the same cost- ingredients. Spells for the same effectiveness will either cost too much magicka or you won't have enough magicka pool. There's also casting time and failures to consider... important if you are poisoned or have status effects.

If you're only interested in buffs, you can avoid learning Restoration, Alteration, and Illusion- and focus learning other schools instead.

[Brandybuck]

Alchemy can be the single most powerful skill in the game. Part of this is do to the inherent exploits of stacking potions, but even disregarding that it's an awesome source to boost your character. Imagine being a fighter that has bonus strength and never loses fatigue. Imagine being a mage that never has to worry about magicka.