Potions, Decoctions and Alchemy
As in most RPGs these days, a crafting mechanic should is expected, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is no different. Within this world, you will find that Alchemy crafting and potion and decoction crafting are vital in your hunt for the sinister and otherworldly. Unlike weapon or armor crafting, Geralt can perform alchemy wherever he is.
To create using alchemy, you are going to need recipes. These are found from looting chests, vendors, quest rewards or from certain books. Once acquired, they will appear in your inventory on the alchemy screen. Here you will find all the information relating to your highlight recipe on the screen; ingredients, effects, toxicity and duration.
It is important to note that potions and decoctions are replenished through meditation and consume alcohest.
Potions
Potions are going to be your consumable of choice for some healing or bestowing short-term abilities to Geralt. Typically potions will have multiple uses before needing to be replenished via meditation.
Decoctions
Decoctions are similar to potions and made in the same manner, but there are some differences. These beauties bestow upon Geralt some of the qualities of the monster’s mutagen. For instance, the Leshen decoction gives the ability for “a portion of the damage dealt by enemies.” You are going to have to kill particular monsters for particular mutagens.
Duration and toxicity are other differences when it comes to decoctions and potions. Decoctions last a significantly longer amount of time over potions but possess only a single-use before having to be replenished through meditation. The toxicity from decoctions is also much greater than that of potions.
Potions List
Name
Ingredients
Effect
Black Blood
1x Dwarven Spirit 2x Sewant Mushrooms 4x Ghoul’s Blood
Witcher’s blood injures Vampires and Necrophages when attacked
Enhanced Black Blood
1x Alcohest 1x Black Blood 1x Hellebore Petals 5x Sewant Mushrooms 5x Ghoul’s Blood
Witcher’s blood injures and knocks back Vampires and Necrophages when attacked
Superior Black Blood
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Black Blood 5x Hellebore Petals 5x Sewant Mushrooms 1x Han Fiber 1x Nostrix 1x Rebis
Vampires and Necrophages start bleeding when close to the Witcher. The Witcher’s blood also injures and knocks them back when attacked
Blizzard
1x Dwarven Spirit 5x White Myrtle Petals 1x Golem’s Heart
Improves reflexes and prolongs reaction time. Time slows down after killing an enemy
Enhanced Blizzard
1x Alcohest 1x Blizzard 1x Celandine 1x Golem’s Heart 5x White myrtle Petals
Improves reflexes and prolongs reaction time. Time slows down by 55% on kill.
Superior Blizzard
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Blizzard 1x Sewant Mushroom 1x Buckthorn 1x Rebis 4x Celadine 4x White Myrtle Petals
Improves reflexes and prolongs reaction time. Time slows down by 60% on kill. Signs cost no stamina when adrenaline is full
Cat
1x Dwarven Spirit 2x Water Essence 4x Berbercane Fruit
Grants night vision within a range of 25
Enhanced Cat
1x Alcohest 1x Cat 1x Cortinarius 3x Water Essence 5x Berbercane Fruit
Grants night vision. Increased resistance to hypnosis
Superior Cat
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Cat 1x Moleyarrow 1xAllspice 1x Aether 4x Berbercane Fruit 4x Cortinarius
Grants night vision. Immune to hypnosis
Full Moon
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Dark Essence 2x Wolfsbane
Increases max vitality
Enhanced Full Moon
1x Alcohest 1x Full Moon 2x Crow’s Eye 2x Dark Essence 5x Wolfsbane
Greatly increases max vitality
Superior Full Moon
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Full Moon 1x Mistletoe 1x Verbena 1x Quebrith 4x Crow’s Eye 4x Wolfsbane
Significantly increases max vitality. Vitality is healed based on toxicity. Restored by 10 x the % of toxicity
Golden Oriole
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Light Essence 4x Blowball
Immunity to poison and neutralizes existing ones
Enhanced Golden Oriole
1x Alcohest 1x Golden Oriole 1x Celandine 2x Light Essence 6x Blowball
Immunity to poison and neutralizes existing ones with increased duration
Superior Golden Oriole
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Golden Oriole 1x Han Fiber 1x Ranogrin 1x Quebrith 4x Blowball 4x Celandine
Immunity to poison and neutralizes existing ones with increased duration. Poison now heals.
Maribor Forest
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Alghoul Bone Marrow 3x Berbercane Fruit 4x Drowner Tongue
Increases adrenaline generation
Enhanced Maribor Forest
1x Alcohest 1x Maribor Forest 1x Crow’s Eye 2x Drowner Tongue 5x Berbercane Fruit
Greatly increases adrenaline generation
Superior Maribor Forest
1x White Gull 1x Maribor Forest 1x Hellebore Petals 1x Ribleaf1x Vermilion 4x Berbercane Fruit 4x Crow’s Eye
Significantly increases adrenaline generation
Petri’s Philter
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Specter Dust 5x Arenaria
Increases Sign intensity +25%
Enhanced Petri’s Philter
1x Alcohest 1x Petri’s Philter 1x Buckthorn 2x Specter Dust 6x Arenaria
Increases Sign intensity +25%. Increased duration
Superior Petri’s Philter
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Petri’s Philter 1x Longrube1x Ranogrin 1x Rubedo4x Arenaria 4x Buckthorn
Increases Sign intensity +25%. Increased duration. Signs always apply the effect
Swallow
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Drowner Tongue 5x Celandine
Accelerates Vitality regeneration. Regen pauses 2 seconds when attacked
Enhanced Swallow
1x Alcohest 1x Swallow 4x White Myrtle Petals 5x Drowner Brain 6x Celandine
Accelerates Vitality regeneration. Regen pauses for 2 seconds when attacked.
Superior Swallow
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Swallow 2x Vitriol4x Celandine 4x Crow’s Eye 6x Berbercane Fruit6x White Myrtle Petals
Accelerates vitality regeneration. No longer pauses when attacked.
Tawny Owl
1x Dwarven Spirits 1x Arachas Venom 2x Verbena
Accelerates stamina regeneration
Enhanced Tawny Owl
1x Alcohest1x Tawny Owl 1x Arachas Venom2x Wolfsbane 4x Verbena
Greatly accelerates stamina regeneration
Superior Tawny Owl
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Tawny Owl 1x Fool’s Parsley Leaves 1x Mandrake Root 1x Sewant Mushroom 4x Verbena 4x Wolfsbane
Significantly accelerates stamina regeneration. Duration does not run out between 6 pm, and 6 am
Thunderbolt
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Endrega Embryo 2x Cortinarius
Increases attack power +30%
Enhanced Thunderbolt
1x Alcohest 1x Thunderbolt 1x Fool’s Parsley Leaves 2x Endrega Embryo 2x Cortinarius
Increases attack power +30%. Increased duration
Superior Thunderbolt
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced Thunderbolt 1x Verbena 1x Bryonia 1x Quebrith4x Cortinarius 4x Fool’s Parsley Leaves
Increases attack power +30%. All attacks are crits in cloudy weather
White Honey
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Honeysuckle
Clears toxicity and cancels all active potion effects
Enhanced White Honey
1x Alcohest 1x White Honey 1x White Myrtle Petals 2x Honeysuckle
Clears toxicity and cancels all active potion effects
Superior White Honey
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced White Honey 1x Balisse Fruit 1x Hellebore Petals 1x Vitriol4x Honeysuckle 4x White Myrtle Petals
Clears toxicity and cancels all active potion effects
White Raffard
1x Dwarven Spirit 2x Ribleaf 4x Nekker Heart
Immediately heals a portion of vitality
Enhanced White Raffard
1x Alcohest 1x White Raffard 1x Bryonia4x Ribleaf 5x Nekker Heart
Immediately heals a large portion of vitality
Superior White Raffard
1x White Gull 1x Enhanced White Raffard 1x Pringrape 1x Bison Grass 1x Vermilion 4x Ribleaf 4x Bryonia
Immediately heals all vitality and grants immunity to damage for 3 secs.
Killer Whale
2x Dwarven Spirit 5x Balisse Fruit 5x Drowner Tongue 6x Buckthorn
Breath underwater 50% longer. Better vision underwater.
Decoctions
Name
Ingredient
Effect
Alghoul Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Alghoul Bone Marrow 1x Buckthorn 5x Lesser Red Mutagen
Adrenaline is generated 50% faster until hit
Ancient Leshen Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Ancient Leshen Mutagen 1x Mandrake Root 1x Ginatia Petals 1x Honeysuckle
Each Sign cast increases stamina regeneration for the rest of the fight
Arachas Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Arachas Mutagen 1x White Myrtle Petals
Reduces received damage based on armor and weight. The lower the armor and weight, the less damage received
Archgriffen Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Archgriffen Mutagen 1x Ribleaf 1x Blowball
Consumes remaining stamina and hit for 5% of the enemy’s vitality after normal damage
Basilisk Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Basilisk Mutagen 1x Blowball 1x Fool’s parsley Leaves 1x Beggartick Blossoms
Buffs a random Sign at dusk and dawn
Chort Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Chort Mutagen 1x Puffball 1x Cortinarius
Immunity to stagger and reduces knockdown
Cockatrice Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Cockatrice Mutagen 1x Crow’s Eye
Alchemy creations can be used an additional time
Doppler Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Doppler Mutagen 1x Han Fiber 1x Longrube
Increases critical damage when attacking from behind
Earth Elemental Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Earth Elemental Mutagen 1x Balisse Fruit 1x Pringrape
Increases resistance to critical hit damage during combat
Ekhidna Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Ekhidna Mutagen 1x Ribleaf 1x Berbercane Fruit
Actions that use stamina restore vitality. 10% of max vitality
Ekimmara Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Ekimmara Mutagen 1x White Myrtle Petal 1x Mandrake Root
Damage dealt restores your vitality
Fiend Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Fiend Mutagen 1x Hellebore Peta 1x Fool’s Parsley Leaves 1x Arenaria
Increases carry weight without being encumbered. Max weight +20
Foglet Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Foglet Mutagen 1x Fool’s Parsley Leaves 1x Blowball
Increases Sign intensity during cloudy weather. +25%
Forktail Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Forktail Mutagen 1x Moleyarrow 1x Bryonia
Combining strong and fast attacks with Signs increases the attack power of the next attack or sign. Atack power +50%, Sign intensity +50%
Grave Hag Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Grave Hag Mutagen 1x Longrube 1x Cortinarius
Vitality regeneration is increased for each enemy killed.
Griffin Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Griffin Mutagen 1x Oil 1x Bryonia 1x Wolf’s Liver
Taking damage raises resistance. +1% to elemental, monster, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage
Katakan Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Katakan Mutagen 1x Verbena 1x Arenaria
Increases crit chance by 5%
Leshen Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Leshen Mutagen 1x Moleyarrow 1x Pringrape
Some damage is reflected
Nekker Warrior Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Nekker Warrior Mutagen 1x Fool’s Parsley Leaves 1x Ranogrin
Mounts never panic. Mounted damage +50%
Nightwraith Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Nightwraith Mutagen 1x Mistletoe 1x Sewant Mushroom
Max vitality is increased per kill. Effects last until meditation.
Noonwraith Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Noonwraith Mutagen 1x Ginatia Petal 1x Ergot Seed
Reduces the effects of hypnosis, knockdown, stun and blindness
Reliever’s Decoction
1x Essence of Wraith 4x Lesser Red Mutagen 4x Lesser Green Mutagen 4x Lesser blue Mutagen 5x Dwarven Spirit
Increases damage against and reduces damage taken against Wraiths. +10 power, +15% resistance
Succubus Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Succubus Mutagen 1x Allspice 1x Green Mold
During a battle, attack power grows over time
Troll Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Troll Claw 1x Honeysuckle 1x Crow’s Eye
Regenerate vitality in and out of combat
Water Hag Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Water Hag Mutagen 1x Berbercane Fruit
Deal more damage at full vitality. +50%
Werewolf Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Werewolf Mutagen 1x Hop Umbels 1x Beggartick Blossoms
Movement no longer uses stamina. I.E., Sprinting and jumping
Wraith Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Wraith Mutagen 1x Blowball 1x Nostrix
A Quen shield is activated when you suffer an attack for â…“ or more of your vitality
Wyvern Decoction
1x Dwarven Spirit 1x Wyvern Mutagen 1x Moleyarrow 1x Celandine
Attack power increases for each hit you land until the fight ends or you take damage.
Make sure to utilize these potions and decoctions well; they will save your life or, at the very least, ensure battles go in your favor. Be sure to check The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt guides section for more crafting and other useful guides as well.