Is Alchemy Useless?

[LordSarcasm]

I just can't see any benefit in the alchemy skill except to make invisibility potions. I mean, even at higher levels of the skill you can find much better potions of the same kind in most dungeons, it takes forever to level up, you get weighed down by a ton of ingredients which you look like an idiot picking along the side of the road, and a potion is just a one time advantage, but any enchantment could do just about the same thing while being a constant effect. Somebody please tell me I'm not in a minority here.

[DaedalusMachina]

I think you are. Alchemy can be incredibly useful for the the assassin who makes poisons. Also, potions and poisons stack on top of whatever enchantment you use, so the total effect is much greater. The power of potions tends to be much, much stronger than that of enchantments, even if the effect is temporary. It's damned hard to obtain the number of Grand or Black soul gems needed to get those great enchantments, while alchemy ingredients are much, much more common. Edited July 29, 2012 by DaedalusMachina

[kevkiev]

. I mean, even at higher levels of the skill you can find much better potions of the same kind in most dungeons...

 

I'm not sure this shouldn't be in spoilers, so out of an abundance of caution I'll tag my response

 

 

After a certain point, that's not true. I can make potions of fortify smithing, fortify enchanting, invisibility and restore health stronger than any that are in the game (well, except the ultimate healing potion).

 

It's that old fortify alchemy/ fortify enchanting loop with apparel. I.E. drink some fortify enchanting potion, then enchant (4) items of clothing with fortify alchemy. Then, wearing those alchemy-fortified apparel items, make an even stronger fortify enchanting potion to make even stronger enchanted apparel.... etc etc. There's one or 2 alchemist perks that multiply the effects too.

 

Enchanting/ health/ smithing and invisibility are the 4 alchemist things I concentrate on so, especially early in the game, I concentrate mainly on getting ingredients for those things, so it's not like I weigh myself down too much by gathering 'em.

 

 

[Matth85]

I just can't see any benefit in the alchemy skill except to make invisibility potions. I mean, even at higher levels of the skill you can find much better potions of the same kind in most dungeons, it takes forever to level up, you get weighed down by a ton of ingredients which you look like an idiot picking along the side of the road, and a potion is just a one time advantage, but any enchantment could do just about the same thing while being a constant effect. Somebody please tell me I'm not in a minority here.

 

Invisible potion

Increasde destruction damage potion

Weakness to element poison

Health/Stamina/Magicka potions

Fortify carry weight potions

Crap ton of money

The fun of seing how much you can make 1 potion/Posion be worth

 

I love Alchemy. I use it no matter what I play, even though if I don't put perks into it. An example is my Spellsword/Battlemage/Completionist character. Currently level 67, 80 alchemy and no perks into it. Alchemy itself have given me a grand total of 100 000 - 200 000 Septims.

Alchemy is simply awesome if you don't play "Abuse Skyrim as much as possible!" By crafting daggers and putting enchants on them, so they are worth craptons.

[Psiberzerker]

Oh god, no! If anything, it's over powered. The main reason is, you can hide in the Potions Menu, game paused, and Take A Level in Badass every fight. I find it annoying, with hunting down ingredients, and getting them to a station, but Fortify Destruction is the only way to increase damage from that school, and rapidly turns it from Nerfed to unstoppable. Fortify Restoration affects every single Fortify Skill enchantment when you put them on, including Fortify Shouts to completely eliminate cool down. That's permanently, as long as you don't take it back off. Basically, it's more powerful than Enchantment, or makes it More powerful.

[rizon72]

I think it all comes down to your style of play. Personally I have never used alchemy in any of the TES games. I also rarely use potions and those that I do use are mostly restore health.

[Bhanqwa]

I think it all comes down to your style of play. Personally I have never used alchemy in any of the TES games. I also rarely use potions and those that I do use are mostly restore health.

Haven't used the skill more than rarely in Oblivion and Skyrim, but during Morrowind I would make a crapton of weightless levitation potions so I could move from A to B without getting cliffraced.

[Zepellino32]

Alchemy if used correctly can make you a powerhouse....It can definitely be exploited...I happen to love it myself. I always plan ahead on what potions I'll need depending on where I'm going and what I'm going to be doing that way i don't get bogged down with all the ingredients. Now, thanks to a spell mod that lets you conjure up a chest, i don't even have to worry about that. :thumbsup:

[StayFrosty05]

It also depends on what you RP....I RP a Nord who does not trust Mages or Magic and so thus does not use enchanted weapons, he makes a lot of poisons, etc...instead.....I am loving those poisons personally....Also a good way to make money... :happy:

[gsmanners]

For a Destruction mage, it makes a pretty huge difference. Whereas Enchantments buff your destructionmod, Potions buff your destructionpowermod. You will notice the difference if you play Destruction mage.