Alchemy is concerned with all things transmutation - potions to increase strength, elixers that heal, and balms that cure. Alchemy is far removed from the world of magick, the properties that come from alchemical potions are those inherent in herbs and ashes scattered throughout the world. Alchemy is thus a quest to find new herbs with new uses, discover new recipes, and design potions the world has never seen before.

While most of society looks upon as alchemists as a rather unruley type far too concerned with blowing up their shops and causing a stir, there is much to be gained in the study of the natural world. Alchemy is no simple task and at times even dangerous. The wrong components, the wrong mixture, and one might find themselves a different color than they ever expected; or worse, wake up to a world that looks rather gray.

The primary purpose of alchemy is potion making. If you start off with a 70 or more alchemy, you’ll be given a number of basic recipes that most alchemists in the world know. These have minor affects and perhaps are enough to get you started, but the world of alchemy is a difficult one to break into. Older alchemists will have a much greater head start. Wiser, better funded, and better equipped with a handful of recipes you’ve never seen, you may find it hard to compete in a market.

Instead, look to other alchemists that they might tutor you and in return you gather some herbs for them. Its an opporunity to gain a teacher and new recipes. Otherwise, you will have to explore the world in search of new potions and new recipes. The lands of Eridan, ancient Zeal, are ripe with ancient lore. It is not uncommon to find recipes within treasure chests or dungeons.

The known recipes of alchemy fall into a set of catagories. Most recipes seek to improve upon old principles; to make a potion more potent or the duration of its effects longer.

• Healing (Hitpoints)
• Cure (Anti-toxin)
• Breath (Stamina)
• Euphoria (Mana)
• Strength
• Dexterity
• Posion
• Explosives

To make a potion, you need a recipe. There is no memorization of recipes. The arts within are complicated processes that need to be followed exactly less mishap strike. Once you have a copy of a recipe, if you double-click it you will see the required components, often herbs or ashes gathered through forging. See below for more information about gathering herbs.

With the proper herbs, you will need a mortar (crafted with tinkering). If you dont have one, you can likely find one for sale inside a marketplace. Aside from a mortar and herbs, you will need an empty glass bottle (crafted with mining). With those two items at hand, you double-click your mortar and then click your recipe. You will begin to grind up the herbs following the recipe and success or failure will follow. If you succeed, the potion will be placed inside your backpack. If you fail, the regents required and the bottle will be lost.

The majority of components to recipes are found throughout the lands of Eridan. Each region carries different herbs and ashes, the locations of some closely guarded secrets. As a new alchemist, its best to simply explore the world and use .forage as you go. When you use .forage, you will begin digging around the area in search of herbs. If you successfully gather any herbs, you will be told.

Keep track of the regions you are in using .where so that in the future, when you find an herb you need and dont know another location to get it, you can return to the region. Herbs are spread throughout regions, not specific XYZ spots. You dont have to worry about there being only a 3×3 square ‘somewhere’ in the map to get an herb.

If you are in search of a specific resource, .foragefor and you will get a list of the known resources that can be gathered through foraging. To return to foraging for everything, type .foragefor all.

If you dont want to sort through your herbs and move them from your primary backpack, use .foragepack and select a new bag or backpack. All herbs you gather will then go to that bag making it far easier to manage storing them once you finish foraging. To revert to your primary backpack, use .foragepack and select the backpack on your paper doll.

The transmutation of ores is a rising idea within alchemy that has yet to come to frutition. The morphing of one metal such as adamant or mithral into another could pose an interest to your character, and a field you could look to research.

Alchemy is not just limited to potions. If you use .craftinfo alchemy you will be able to look at other items you can craft. If you know a specific item you want to craft, you can do .craftinfo <itemname> and it will give you a list of the required components. Dyes, disguises, glues, and papyrus are all items that fall under alchemy and are important to other characters. Potion making will likely be more lucrative, but dont forget to sell a few of these goods now and then.

To make an item, have the required tools and materials on hand, detailed in the .craftinfo of the item. You can either use .craft <itemname> or .alchemy and look up the item. On success, the item will be placed in your pack.