Oblivion Remastered – Complete Alchemy Guide | Elder Scrolls IV

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion just got remastered, and this game that is almost two decades old is suddenly getting a lot of buzz because of how beloved it is among fans. The game is still the exact same as it used to be, but with updated visuals and just a few gameplay changes. In case you needed a refresher or you have no idea how it works, here is a guide on how you can use the alchemy skill.

Complete Alchemy Guide | Elder Scrolls IV

If you have been revisiting Oblivion these past few years whenever you took a break from Skyrim or whatever, then you will find relief in knowing that alchemy still works almost the exact same way as before.

Now, to start training it, you will first need to find a mortar and pestle. There are plenty of sources for this both in the open world and in stores. One way to get this item is by going to the Imperial City Market District and buying it from the alchemy store, The Main Ingredient.

With a novice mortar and pestle on hand, you can now start training alchemy by using it from your inventory. You can find better apparatus as you level up, so keep checking alchemy stores or killing random mage enemies that can drop them.

As an example of what better apparatus can do for you, check out our guide on how to get master alchemy tools fast in Oblivion Remastered. This is not a cheesy method as you need to get so many levels before you can do this, so it is not really “fast” in that regard.

The basic thing you need to do is pick ingredients while holding a mortar and pestle. Then, pick at least two ingredients that share one effect. As you level up higher, you can eventually make more potent potions with even more effects, as you will gain more knowledge of what ingredients do.

In the game, you can also check what mastery perks each milestone will unlock for you, just like any other skill. If you do not want to check the menu, here is a brief list of what level masteries do:

• Novice (0 to 24) – You will only recognize the first two effects of each ingredient.
• Apprentice (24 to 49) – In addition to the previous effect, you will also have a chance of creating an extra potion whenever you make one.
• Journeyman (50 to 74) – You will now recognize three effects for each ingredient and are capable of making more versatile potions.
• Expert (75 to 99) – You will now be able to recognize every single effect that an ingredient can add. In addition to that, you are also now guaranteed to get an extra potion whenever you make one.
• Master (100 / max) – You gain the ability to make a potion using just one ingredient. In addition to that, you can make even more versatile potions with a ton of effects all at once.

Now, to actually level up alchemy, it works just like any other skill in the game in that you just keep doing it to gain experience. So, this means you will need a lot of ingredients to keep pumping out new potions and gaining experience over time.

Below are examples (not all) of the alchemy ingredients you can find all around the world, whether out in the wilds, certain dungeons, or through vendors in major cities. Each of their possible effects are shown as well:

• Alkanet Flower – Restore Intelligence, Resist Poison, Light, Damage Fatigue
• Aloe Vera Leaves – Restore Fatigue, Restore Health, Damage Magicka, Invisibility
• Apple – Restore Fatigue, Damage Luck, Fortify Willpower, Damage Health
• Beef – Restore Fatigue, Shield, Fortify Agility, Dispel
• Blackberry – Restore Fatigue, Resist Shock, Fortify Endurance, Restore Magicka
• Bread Loaf – Restore Fatigue, Detect Life, Damage Agility, Damage Strength
• Carrot – Restore Fatigue, Night-Eye, Fortify Intelligence, Damage Endurance
• Cheese Wedge – Restore Fatigue, Resist Fire, Fire Shield, Damage Agility
• Corn – Restore Fatigue, Restore Intelligence, Damage Agility, Shock Shield
• Ectoplasm – Shock Damage, Dispel, Fortify Magicka, Damage Health
• Flour – Restore Fatigue, Damage Personality, Fortify Fatigue, Reflect Damage
• Grapes – Restore Fatigue, Water Walking, Dispel, Damage Health
• Imp Gall – Fortify Personality, Cure Paralysis, Damage Health, Fire Damage
• Mandrake Root – Cure Disease, Resist Poison, Damage Agility, Fortify Willpower
• Mort Flesh – Damage Fatigue, Damage Luck, Fortify Health, Silence
• Orange – Restore Fatigue, Detect Life, Burden, Shield
• Potato – Restore Fatigue, Shield, Burden, Frost Shield
• Redwort Flower – Resist Frost, Cure Poison, Damage Health, Invisibility
• Rice – Restore Fatigue, Silence, Shock Shield, Damage Agility
• Stinkhorn Cap – Damage Health, Restore Magicka, Water Walking, Invisibility
• Sweetroll – Restore Fatigue, Resist Disease, Damage Personality, Fortify Health
• Tomato – Restore Fatigue, Detect Life, Burden, Shield
• Watermelon – Restore Fatigue, Light, Burden, Damage Health

There are plenty more that you can find, so just keep exploring the map of Oblivion and picking any ingredient you can find on the ground or in buildings. Even simple things like raw meat and vegetables can be used for powerful potions.

As you have probably also noticed, some of these potions feature negative effects. If your potion is primarily sharing negative effects, the resulting concoction will be poison, which you can use on your weapon to apply various debuffs on your next attack.

Those are pretty much all of the basics that you need to know in order to get started with alchemy in this game. Just as we mentioned at the start, it is the same as the original game, but with an arguably better UI that includes a filter feature to make searching for ingredients in your bag much easier.

While you are here, consider taking a peek at our guide on how to increase carry weight in Oblivion Remastered. This will help you lug around more ingredients, because gathering too many of them will eventually fill up your weight meter, locking you in place until you drop some of your items!