About this mod
Script-based overhaul of Alchemy mechanics and skill perks.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
Alyandon Mathierry, "Fundaments of Alchemy"
Introduction
A standalone Alchemy overhaul, partially based on Alchemy modifications from older versions of Av Latta Magicka, but it was expanded upon and some features were re-written. It is kept as a separate mod, because Alchemy doesn't feel quite the same as other "magic" skills - and in fact it is considered a "stealth" skill in Skyrim.
Mod adds new effects to Alchemy skill and changes the way custom potion effects are calculated.
Ingredients & Harvesting
Skyrim-Like Effect Learning
- With this option enabled, ingredient effects are learned by combining them or eating raw. Any of the 4 effects are available regardless of skill.
- Having a higher Alchemy skill now allows you to learn more effects when eating raw ingredient
- Mod will keep track of learned effects regardless if this option is enabled or not. If you decide to re-enable it later, all your learned effect will be visible.
Skill-Based Harvesting
- Your Alchemy skill now gradually affects the chance to successfully harvest an ingredient, up to +33% chance at level 100. Calculations also take Luck into account.
- With Alchemy skill of 50+ (Journeyman) you can gather an additional alchemical ingredient when harvesting.
Ingredient Effects Changes
- Removed Cure Disease as first effect from some ingredients, so they can't simply be eaten. Same ingredients still have it, but not as a first effect.
- Changed effects on ingredients which were the only source of some and therefore no potions could be made - this includes Nirnroot, Unrefined Greenmote and Ashen Remains.
- Nirnroot now has some of the same effects from Elixir of Exploration, so it's plausible that this potion is actually made from it.
- Replaced some useless effects on ingredients (mostly Damage Attribute variations).
- Some vanilla ingredients had 4 identical effects for no particular reason. These now have different effects.
Brewing & Preparation
Skill Restrictions & Bonuses
- You no longer can use 4 ingredients in potions from the start. Novice alchemist can only brew potions from two ingredients. With Alchemy skill of 25+ (Apprentice), you can use three ingredients, and with 50+ (Journeyman) - all four.
- With Alchemy skill of 75+ (Expert) all negative effects are removed from created potions.
- A Master Alchemist can create twice as many potions from the same ingredients.
Potion Strength Calculations
- Vanilla formulas for effect strength on a potion are broken in multiple ways - Calcinators use wrong game settings, Alembics change poison formula for no reason, and Dispel effect gets weaker if you use Calcinator+Retort than either of the two.
- No more. All effects on created potions are re-calculated using correct settings and streamlined formulas - no weird interactions, effects of all Alchemy apparatus are additive.
- Actual functions of apparatus are also changed:
Mortar & Pestle is basically the same, but it's quality affects potion strength to a lesser degreeCalcinator increases Magnitude of all effects, but not DurationRetort increases Duration of positive effects in a potion, but not MagnitudeAlembic affects only Duration of negative effects - it increases duration for poisons and decreases duration for negative effects in a potion - Using more than 2 ingredients with the same effect now has a benefit - effect will become 25% and 50% stronger with 3 and 4 ingredients respectively.
- Durations greater than 30 seconds are rounded to the nearest magnitude of 5.
- Fortify Alchemy magic effect is no longer useless and now influences potion strength. By default, only effects from enchanted items are counted; it can be switched to include Fortify Alchemy from any source.
Custom Potions Value and Weight
- Vanilla Oblivion has a weird way of calculation custom potions value, where it is based only on player skill and quality of mortar and pestle - the actual effects of a potion have no relation to it's prize.
- With this mod your potions value is calculated by the same formula as other magic items, with custom multiplier - in order to not make them too expensive. Note, that presence of negative effects in a potion will decrease it's value instead.
- Weight of all player-created potions is set to 0.5 (same as pre-made ones), so you don't have to worry about the weight of ingredients.
Batch Crafting
- There is a new element in Alchemy UI to create multiple potions at once, provided you have the ingredients.
Potion Distillation
A new Alchemy station can be found in Arcane University Lustratorium, which allows you to combine 3 pre-made potions into a stronger version.
- 3 Weak potions -> 1 Normal
- 3 Normal potions -> 1 Strong
This feature is powered by OCRAFT framework. If it is not installed, new station will do nothing.
Drinking & Application
Potion Limit
- Maximum number of potions that player can drink at once is now calculated by the following formula: (Endurance + Alchemy)/25, rounded down (but no less than 1).
- Items marked as "food" will not contribute to potion limit. Enemy poisons will also not count towards potion limit.
- The number of currently active and maximum potions is displayed in a new inventory widget, located between armor rating and total gold.
Multi-Hit Poisons
- All poisons last for one additional hit at Alchemy skill levels of 25 and 75 (for a total of 3 hits potentially).
- For melee weapons only hits connecting to a target will decrease poison usage, however for bows simply firing a poisoned arrow is enough.
- You can poison multiple different weapons and use counter will be remembered, however if you apply poisons to several copies of the same base weapon (like, two Steel Swords) they will get mixed up - this is an unfortunate script limitation.
- This feature is designed to work for both player and NPCs, so beware enemy poisons.
Miscellaneous
- Restored diverse potion bottle models, based on effect school. This will affect all vanilla and mod-added potions that use default potion bottle model.
- Cure Poison magic effect can now remove effects of vanilla Poisoned Apple, as well as Chokeberry from Vile Lair DLC.
Compatibility
- All changes made by this mod are scripted, so load order is not important and Bashed patch not needed.
- Alchemy Advanced is not compatible, which should be obvious. This mod is an alternative.
- Compatible with popular auto-harvest mods, including: Gather Ye Rosebuds, Harvest Nearby Flora, Area Harvest, Harvest Whilst Waiting
- This mod needs to dynamically change some UI elements. Vanilla and DarNified UI are fully compatible. If using NorthernUI, you need to disable it's "Enhanced Alchemy Menu" and batch crafting function is not available.
- Mods like Potion Bottle Variation Restoration are redundant, because this mod includes the same function. Mods that replace potion bottles with new, non-vanilla models are fully compatible.
- Alchemy Apparatus Calibrated is compatible, but the issues it fixes with vanilla Alembics are not present with this mod (so only use it if you want balance changes).