There is arguably no other sandbox in video games like the one found inSkyrim. After almost eleven years, players have found countless ways to make and break the game, and at this point, just about anything on theNord province ofSkyrimhas been documented across all sorts of user guides, videos, and the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages. Still, it never hurts to have more.
Theingredients inSkyrimare various and plentiful, and they’re primarily used in Alchemy to concoct powerful elixirs, potions, and vials of poison to help players on their quest. Alchemy has been a staple of the franchise sinceMorrowind, and the ingredient system introduced in that game has persevered throughout the years in a largely untouched format. Every ingredient used in Alchemy had a set of four effects it could bestow if combined with an ingredient that shared one (or more) of those effects.
RELATED:Skyrim: The 13 Best Alchemy Ingredients To Always Keep On Hand
A user on theSkyrimsubreddit compiled a handy list of ingredients used in the game, along with their effects, citing her hopes that it would help other frustrated players. Under normal circumstances, one would need to ingest the ingredient to learn its first effect and then methodically combine them with other ingredients to reveal its remaining three effects. Thanks to the efforts of R-ELI, players can easily look up all four effects – skipping the discovery process – and simply mix and match according to their needs.
While discovering what every ingredient does is part of the charm in anElder Scrollsgame, undertaking that entire process all over again on one’s eleventh playthrough just doesn’t have the same appeal. Sometimes a player wants to make the most out of their ingredients, especially as they play the inventory management game inSkyrim– and though ingredients often don’t weigh much on their own, they do stack up.
Procuring those ingredients is another matter entirely. One of the best ways to go about it without resorting to console commands is to make use ofSkyrim’shomesteads introduced inHearthfire. Players can plant alchemical ingredients on eighteen plots through a garden and a greenhouse, with each plot yielding three of the chosen ingredient.
If they desire to take their Alchemy game further, players will also want to work towards maxing out the skill, as it will allow them to spend a point on a perk that removes any negative effects on player-made potions, while removing any positive traits from player-made poisons – opening up new combinations and allowing Alchemy to new heights.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Anniversary Editionis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
MORE:Skyrim Set a High Bar for Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, But Can They Meet It?
