Potions

by Zylic Naekuit, Tinker at Large

If you want to brew potions, there are a few things you should know. First, there are four parts to a potion, a catalyst, an extender, a neutralizer, and a modifier. The modifier is what effect the potion has. A catalyst causes the components to react and determines how well they mix. An extender increases the duration of a potion's effect, and a neutralizer reduces the risk of an unwanted reaction, making it easier to brew potions.

In order to mix a potion, first you need to buy a beaker from the glass blower. I would recommend starting with the largest available as they can hold all four parts of a potion without overflowing. First, pour the modifier into the beaker. Then add the neutralizer, followed by the extender. Finally, add the catalyst. If you get good enough at mixing them, you can skip the neutralizer, as it becomes unnecessary as your skills increase.

All modifiers come in three degrees, lesser, greater and normal. The lesser is the easiest to mix, the greater is the most difficult. You will also notice that the extenders, neutralizers and catalysts come in varying degrees. The greater neutralizer makes the potion easiest to mix. The catalyst, unlike the other three components, comes in five strengths, slight, lesser, medium, greater, and ultimate.

Magicks and potions tend not to mix well, as potions can only affect your physical form, making you stronger, swifter, or any other sort of change you would like temporarily. However, two spells do exist to help along the alchemist. Via Vas Glym 18, Osmosis, allows the caster to gain the benefits of a potion without drinking it, but the use of this spell causes the beaker to degrade, until the point where it crumbles and the potion is lost. I would recommend consuming all but the last sip of a potion before using this spell.

The other spell is Via Vas Glym 21, Synthesis. This spell doubles the effect that a potion would otherwise have. However, it does not double the length it lasts, which maxes out at 5 minutes. Via Vas Glym 12 can extend this duration as it does with other magicks active on a person, but you would have to cast it again every five to ten minutes to ensure the effects remaining.

Be aware, when potions react, it is usually violent. I have lost several hands to being careless. I would recommend leaving the beaker on the ground when mixing a potion, as it will then be less harmful should it react violently. If you witness the effects of the spell Via Vas Glym 30, or Destabilize, you will see the destructive power that potions can have.

One final note, the effects of a potion stack, so, you can take as many sips of a potion as there are, and you will gain the same bonus for each sip. However, the duration does not increase at the same time, so you could give yourself a ridiculous amount of strength, only to be weaker than a limp bit of string a few moments later.