Henry is exposed to Alchemy early on in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Looking to aid Herbwoman Bozhena in healing Capon, he's tasked with picking Sage and Chamomile, then creating the Chamomile decoction himself. This kick starts your Alchemy skill building, and by the time you leave the small hut, you'll have learnt two recipes.
Aside from creating healing potions, it may seem like Alchemy isn't a skill to master, but that would be incorrect. Utilizing a high Alchemy score can get you into places otherwise inaccessible without resorting to violence. You can provide potions during quests and activities that progress them along quickly, without having to wait or find another person to provide that service.
Not only that, but selling potions is an easy way to quickly earn Groschen, especially with many of the main ingredients found on the side of the road, in village gardens, or growing in wooded areas.

How to Craft Potions and Poisons
To do any potion crafting, you'll need to locate an Alchemy Bench. These are scattered around, though you can typically find them where an Apothecary has set up shop. The map symbol shows a still and you can hover over it to see if it's a bench. The crafter has all the liquids and implements you need, so you just have to bring the proper ingredients with you for the recipe you want to make.
When it comes to the herbs, fresh is better. These do degrade as you adventure, however. So only pick what you can when you're going to be making potions or poisons soon after. If you find an herb you need, but won't be at an Alchemy Bench any time soon, hunt down a Drying Rack to preserve the herbs. They stay at 100 quality for a long period of time, but can't make the best quality (Henry's version) potion.

Alchemy Recipe List
Chamomile Decoction and Saviour Schnapps are the first two recipes you'll receive in game. After that you'll need to find, buy or steal recipes to learn the corroborating potion or poison. You can experiment, but if you don't follow recipes closely you'll end up with an unknown potion or crafting will fail completely.
Potion Name | Liquid Used | Ingredients | Effect |
---|---|---|---|
Chamomile Decoction | Wine | x2 Chamomile x1 Sage |
Sleep heals you faster and if good quality, Energy replenishes faster while sleeping. |
Saviour Schnapps | Wine | x2 Belladonna x1 Nettle |
Saves the game and if good quality, boosts Strength, Vitality and Agility. |
Aesop | Spirits | x1 Belladonna x1 Boar Tusk x2 Comfrey |
Increases riding and dog-handling skills. If good quality, animals will take less notice of you and dogs won't bark at you. |
Aqua Vitalis | Water | x2 Dandelion x1 Marigold |
Reduces loss of health and slows bleeding. |
Artemisia Potion | Spirits | x1 Sage x2 Wormwood |
Increases Strength by 2 for 10 minutes. Duration and Strength bonus increase with quality. |
Bane Potion | Wine | x1 Amanita muscaria x2 Belladonna x1 Wormwood |
Reduces health by 110, resulting in certain death. Decreases health faster if good quality. More suitable for poisoning cooking pots than applying to weapons. |
Bowman's Brew | Spirits |
x2 Eyebright |
Improves your archery skill and if good quality, reduces the loss of stamina while aiming. |
Buck's Blood Potion | Oil | x1 Comfrey x1 Dandelion x1 St. John's Wort |
Increases stamina and increases stamina regeneration if good quality. |
Cockerel | Spirits | x2 Mint x1 Valerian |
Increases Energy and if good quality, slows tiring. |
Digestive Potion | Water | x1 Charcoal x1 Nettle x2 Thistle |
Reduces the feeling of fullness after food and cures food poisoning. If good quality, cures any poisoning, as well as boosting your Vitality. |
Dollmaker Potion | Spirits | x2 Herb Paris x1 Valerian |
Makes running impossible and reduces weapon skills. Decreases health as well if good quality. Suitable for applying to weapons rather than poisoning cooking pots. |
Embrocation | Oil | x1 Boar's Tusk x1 Eyebright x1 Poppy x1 Valerian |
Increases agility and if good quality, reduces the amount of stamina used by sprinting. |
Fever Tonic | Wine | x1 Elderberry Leaves x3 Feverfew x2 Ginger |
This tonic reduces fever if given in time to prevent death. |
Fox | Oil | x1 Charcoal x1 Belladonna x1 Nettle x1 St. John's Wort |
Improves Speech and speeds up reading if good quality. Also increases the amount of experience gained if best quality. |
Hair o' the Dog | Water |
x1 Mint |
Reduces drunkenness, or if good quality, restores complete sobriety and also helps with hangovers and alcoholism. |
Lead Shot Gunpowder | Water | x1 Charcoal x1 Saltpetre x1 Sulphur |
Gunpowder used to fire led shot that even the best plate armor can't stop at close range. |
Lethean Water | Spirits | x1 Belladonna x1 Henbane x2 Wormwood |
If you want to put to rights the imprudent choices of your life, all it takes is 1 mouthful, and you can choose your perks anew. Beware, though, the procedure is irreversible and painful! |
Lion | Spirits | x2 Mint x2 Sage |
A strong but short-lasting perfume. Substantially increases Charisma for short periods, but reduces Charisma if combined with another perfume. |
Lullaby | Oil | x1 Herb Paris x1 Thistle x1 Poppy |
Reduces Energy to 0. Reduces Stamina regeneration if good quality. Suitable for applying to weapons and for poisoning cooking pots. |
Marigold Decoction | Water | x2 Marigold x1 Nettle |
Gradually heals part of your health. Helps against hangover, or cures it immediately if good quality. |
Mintha | Wine | x3 Dandelion x1 Marigold x1 Mint |
A weak but long-lasting perfume. Slightly increases Charisma for a longer period, but reduces Charisma if used with another perfume. |
Moonshine | Spirits | x2 Mint x2 Wormwood |
Henry's home-made moonshine. A strong drink that is sure to put you in a good mood. |
Nighthawk | Water | x1 Belladonna x1 Chamomile x2 Eyebright |
You will see better in the dark and your Energy will deplete slower or if good quality, not at all. |
Painkiller Brew | Spirits |
x1 Comfrey |
Lessens the effects of wounds and reduces the amount by which maximum stamina decreases with health. |
Quickfinger | Water | x1 Cobweb x1 Eyebright x1 Valerian |
Increases Thievery and Craftmanship skills. |
Scattershot Powder | Water | x1 Leached Coal x1 Saltpetre x1 Sulphur |
Gunpowder used to fire scrap iron and other small projectiles. Will pierce anything with ease at close range, but is ineffective at long range. |
Soap | Oil | x1 Charcoal x1 Dandelion x2 Thistle |
You can't wash your own clothes without soap. |
While the poisons' descriptions only list cooking pots as able to be tainted, wine barrels can also have potions added.

Alchemy Ingredients List
There are multiple herbs you can pick as you wander around Bohemia. Other ingredients you'll need to buy, such as Charcoal or Saltpetre. Not all ingredients you can obtain, like Raven Feathers, are used in recipes that are currently available. Boar Tusk can be acquired from killing a boar, though that reduces villager reputation or is considered poaching if it's wild.
Many of the herbs can be found in the grassy areas of Bohemia or in village and town gardens. Always check the various plots, even if the map doesn't have them marked as an herb garden.
Foraged Herbs | ||
---|---|---|
Herb | General Location | Best Place |
Amanita muscaria | In wooded areas | N/A |
Belladonna | Sunlit clearings in forests | NE of Tachov along the deforested area, Garden of Eden in Kuttenberg |
Chamomile | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Comfrey | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Dandelion | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Eyebright | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Henbane | On compost piles, poop, and around sunlit ruins | |
Herb Paris | Sunlit clearings in forests | Herbalist Barnaby's garden |
Marigold | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Mint | Gardens in towns | Apothecary Emmerich's garden in Troskowitzc |
Nettle | Grassy areas, along roads, and throughout towns | |
Poppy | Grassy areas, wheat fields, throughout towns | |
Sage | Grassy areas, sunlit forest clearings | |
St. John's Wort | Gardens in towns | Bozhena's garden |
Thistle | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Valerian | Areas with more water, like bogs or along rivers, grassy areas | |
Wormwood | Grassy areas, throughout towns | |
Other Ingredients | ||
Wolf Fang | Kill and butcher a wolf to get a single fang | Wolf dens |
Boar Tusk | Kill and butcher a boar to get a tusk | Boar hunting areas |
Lard | Kill and butcher a boar with the Bounty of the Wild Perk selected, Buy from Butchers | Boar hunting areas |
Cobweb | Buy or steal | N/A |
Ginger | Buy or steal | Locked herb chest in Trosky Castle kitchen |
Feverfew | Buy or steal | Sawbones locked chest in Trosky Castle |
Elderberry Leaves | Buy or steal | Sawbones locked chest in Trosky Castle |
Raven Feathers | Buy or steal | N/A |
Red Feathers | Buy or steal | N/A |
White Feathers | Buy or steal | N/A |
Leached Coal | Buy or steal | N/A |
Charcoal | Buy or steal | N/A |
Sulphur | Buy or steal | N/A |
Saltpetre | Buy or steal | N/A |

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Alchemy Skill Teachers
The fastest way to level up Alchemy is crafting potions. Skill books and teachers are the next best thing. The best place to go when looking for a teacher is an Apothecary shop or herbalists' home. Be prepared to pay for their services, however, which increases the higher skilled they are.
Trosky Region Skill Teachers
Pavlena is available as a skill teacher after you complete the side quest, Bad Blood. She charges 100 Groschen for her basic Alchemy lesson and can be found at her home with Herbwoman Bozhena.
Apothecary Emmerich after helping his wife, Gerda, during The Hermit side quest. Return to her to report it wasn't an apparition or devil and she'll let her husband know you're a good person. He'll agree to teach you the basics from that point on for 100 Groschen.
Kuttenberg Region Skill Teachers

Father Hroznata in Raborsch will teach you apprentice level Alchemy for 500 Groschen.
For master level instruction, you'll need to speak with the head of the Apothecary Guild, Apothecary Oswald Torwart. He's typically in the back room of the apothecary shop on the west side of Kuttenberg. He teaches Alchemy and Herbalism, for 5,000 Groschen each.
Best Alchemy Perks
There are 16 perks found under the Alchemy skill, with you able to unlock 14 of them by the time you max it out at level 30.

Perk Name | Benefit | Level Available |
---|---|---|
Lab Dweller | The effects of potions and alcohol will last longer, and your eventual hangovers will be a little shorter. | 1 |
Art of Preservation | Raw food and herbs you have in your inventory will spoil 50% slower. | 6 |
Enthusiast | While brewing potions, your Energy will slowly replenish and your Nourishment will not decrease. | 6 |
Potion Seller | You can sell potions you brew for 30% more. | 6 |
Secret of Matter | Every time you successfully brew a potion, you get 1 extra potion of the same quality. | 8 |
Secret of Equilibrium | The brewing process will be more tolerant of minor errors, making it easier to achieve better quality potions. | 8 |
Poison Specialist | You can poison more arrows from a single dose of poison, and it will last on your weapon for more hits. | 10 |
Purple Haze | For each potion or alcohol effect you have active at one time, your Vitality increases by 1. | 10 |
Dark Arts Apprentice | When brewing potions between midnight and dawn (0:00-4:30), you'll work better - the whole process will be less susceptible to minor mistakes and you'll more easily achieve a higher quality product. In addition, you have a +2 bonus to Coercion, Domination, and Intimidation stats when talking to commoners. | 12 |
Water of Life | Healing potions heal you 25% faster. | 12 |
Secret of Matter II | Each time you successfully brew a potion, you get 2 more of the same quality. If you also have the first level of the perk, you get an extra 3 potions. | 14 |
Secret of Equilibrium II | In the brewing process, tolerance for your mistakes will be considerable. If you also have the first level of this perk, the effects stack and the resulting advantage will be even greater. | 14 |
Secret of Secrets | If you follow the recipe precisely and your brewing time is perfect, you can brew potions of exceptional quality, which the ordinary herbalist can only dream of. | 16 |
Poison Specialist II | When using a dose of poison on arrows, you can poison more of them, and it lasts longer on your weapon. | 18 Requires Poison Specialist |
Purple Haze II | For each Potion or Alcohol effect that is active on you at one time, your Vitality increases by 2. | 18 Requires Purple Haze |
Special Powder | When using ammunition and powder of your own making, the efficiency of firearms increases by 20% and the weapon suffers less damage from firing. | 18 |
Secret of Matter and Secret of Equilibrium are exclusive with one another, meaning you can't take them both. This also applies to Secret of Matter II and Secret of Equilibrium II. Go with Secret of Matter if you want to sell most of your potions, otherwise go with Secret of Equilibrium. You can also mix and match, taking the first level of one and the second of the other.
Other Useful Perks
Some other skill Perks are helpful when it comes to Alchemy and potions or benefit from picking herbs.

Perk Name | Benefit | Skill | Level Available |
---|---|---|---|
On the Poacher's Trail | You can sell herbs, game, hides, and trophies for double the price. | Survival | 6 |
Flower Power | If you have more than 30 fresh or dried herbs (not spoiled) in your inventory, your Charisma will count as 2 more. | Survival | 8 |
Leg Day | When collecting herbs, you'll also gain a small amount of experience in Strength skill. | Survival | 10 |
Lucky Find | When collecting herbs, you have a chance to find an additional herb or a small treasure. | Survival | 10 |
Beer Belly | Beer sates you twice as much, so if you're not afraid of drunkenness, you can more easily replace food with it. However, potions sate you half as much, so you can drink more of them. | Drinking | 10 |
Enhanced Mixture | When you're drunk, using any potion will heal you in addition to its own effect. The healing effect will be stronger the drunker you are (in the positive phase of drunkenness), but will never exceed 20 Health. | Drinking | 16 |
Wonders of Nature | You will improve faster in the skills of Survival and Alchemy, as all experience gained will be 20% higher. | Scholarship | 8 |
Fundamentals of Medicine II | The effects of healing potions will be 20% stronger. | Scholarship | 14 Requires Fundamentals of Medicine |
That's all for our Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Alchemy guide. Make sure to check out more of our guides for the game below.