Alchemy in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to break the action economy and surpass normal stat limits. Remember: You can only have ONE Elixir active at a time (lasts until a Long Rest), but you can stack it with Potions (which last for a set number of turns).
1. Essential Elixirs (Until Long Rest)
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength
Increases your Strength score to 21. This is the cornerstone of the Tavern Brawler build, allowing you to dump your natural Strength to 8 and put those points into Constitution or Dexterity.
- Sublimate of Hill Giant Fingernail
- Any Ashes
Elixir of Bloodlust
Once per turn, when you kill a foe, you gain 5 temporary HP and an additional Action. The absolute best elixir for Fighters and Gloomstalkers to wipe out rooms of enemies.
- Ashes of Warg Fang
- Any Salt
Elixir of Peerless Focus
Grants Advantage on Concentration Checks. Essential for Clerics (Spirit Guardians) or Sorcerers (Haste/Twinned Spell) who cannot afford to lose their concentration when hit.
- Sublimate of Belladonna
- Any Ashes
2. Combat Potions (Limited Turns)
| Potion Name | Effect | Key Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| Potion of Speed | Grants Haste for 3 turns. (+2 AC, Advantage on DEX saves, and an Extra Action). Warning: Causes Lethargic (lose a turn) when it ends. | Ashes of Hyena Ear |
| Potion of Invisibility | Invisible for 10 turns. Essential for stealing items, bypassing hard encounters, or repositioning in Honour Mode. | Ashes of Imp Patagium |
| Potion of Animal Speaking | Speak with Animals until Long Rest. Replaces the need for the spell. Opens up dozens of hidden interactions and secrets. | Essence of Acorn Truffle |
3. Weapon Coatings
Coatings require a Bonus Action to apply and last for 10 turns. Apply them before initiating a boss fight.
-
1
Oil of Accuracy
Grants a +2 bonus to Attack Rolls. This directly counters the -5 penalty from the Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master feats.
Crafted with: Ashes of Daggerroot. -
2
Drow Poison
Enemies struck must succeed a Constitution saving throw or fall Asleep. Highly effective against low-CON enemies like spellcasters or archers.
Crafted with: Essence of Swarming Toadstool.
4. Grenades & Explosives
Throwable items that can deal massive AoE damage or create surface hazards without spending spell slots.
| Explosive | Effect | Key Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| Smokepowder Bomb | Deals 3d4+9 Force damage in a small radius. Excellent for breaking cracked walls or damaging grouped enemies. | Ashes of Smokepowder |
| Alchemist's Fire | Ignites the target and creates a burning surface. Enemies take 1d4 Fire damage each turn. | Ashes of Fire Amber |
| Fungal Bamboozler | Creates a cloud of spores that inflicts Confusion on enemies, causing them to attack randomly. | Essence of Timmask Spores |
5. Ingredient Vendor Farming
Unlike other RPGs, you don't need to wander the map to find ingredients. You can force merchants to restock their alchemy supplies infinitely.
The Vendor Restock Trick
Vendors restock their inventory (and their gold) under two conditions: 1) After a Long Rest, or 2) Every time a character levels up.
- Go to Withers at your camp and ask to respec a character (costs 100 gold).
- Leave that character at Level 1. Walk over to an alchemy vendor (like Auntie Ethel in the Grove or Derryth in the Underdark).
- Buy all their Hill Giant Fingers and Hyena Ears.
- Level up your character exactly ONE level. Talk to the vendor again. Their stock has replenished!
- Repeat until you hit Level 12. You can easily stockpile 30+ Hill Giant Elixirs in Act 1 doing this.
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