Oblivion:Useful Potions

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Contents

This article provides examples of useful potions you can make at various Alchemy skill levels. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of potion possibilities. The Alchemy Calculator provides a better way to explore all possible potion combinations; links to the calculator are included for each effect and each recipe where more details can be examined.

In general, two-effect potions and poisons are not listed in this article: any two available effects can always be combined, so the possible two-effect combinations are nearly unlimited. For example, to create a Restore Health + Restore Magicka potion, combine the two ingredients for a Restore Health potion with the two ingredients for a Restore Magicka potion. (Note that you may need to select the "Show All Ingredients" options when creating the potion in order to see the ingredients for the second effect).

[edit] Multiple-Effect Potions

The most powerful custom potions are those that combine multiple effects. These potions are particularly important given Oblivion's limit that only four potions can be consumed at a time: if a single potion combines four effects, you can drink it and still be free to drink three more potions. Multi-effect potions can also decrease the combined weight of all the potions you want to carry around.

The number of possible potion combinations is nearly endless, so it is impossible to provide a comprehensive list of useful potion recipes, especially given that different players have different preferences and different available ingredients. Therefore, this article instead focuses on highlighting effects that complement each other. The recipes provided in each section are just examples not exhaustive lists. You are free to combine effects from different groups together in whatever way suits your playing style. The recipes in this section assume that you have at least expert-level alchemy skill, although many of the combinations are possible at journeyman level.

Some tips when creating multiple-effect potions:

  • Try to combine effects that you are likely to need at the same time.
  • Be cautious about combining long-duration effects with other effects. Feather in particular has a very long duration, meaning that drinking a Feather potion will tie up one of your four potion slots for a long time. If you only have combined Restore Health + Feather potions, you may be unable to drink a critical Restore Health potion until the Feather effect has expired.
  • A significant limitation of custom potions is that Restore effects are not instantaneous (unlike the built-in potions, such as Potion of Healing). One way to mimic the instantaneous healing effect is to add a Fortify effect, for example, Fortify Health + Restore Health. However, the Fortify effect will last significantly longer than the Restore effect (see previous note).
  • If you do not see the ingredient you need in the potion-making menu, select "See All Ingredients".
  • Some powerful combinations are only possible with a negative side-effect. If you have a high-quality alembic, the negative side-effect's magnitude can be reduced to 1 pt and generally ignored. Or you can include a restore effect to counter the damage, either in the same potion or as a followup potion.

[edit] Combat Potions

These potions combine effects that are specifically useful for melee fighters:

Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Fortify Health + Fortify Endurance
+ Restore Fatigue
Blackberry + Lady's Smock Leaves + Monkshood Root Pulp + Wheat Grain
Fortify Health + Fortify Strength
+ Resist Disease
Arrowroot + Garlic + Lady's Smock Leaves + Sweetroll

[edit] Defense Potions

This section focuses on potions that will reduce the amount of damage that you take in combat; these effects can also be useful when combined with Combat and Healing effects.

Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Reflect Damage + Shield
+ Restore Fatigue
Beef + Flour + Green Stain Cup Cap + Tomato
Reflect Damage + Shield
+ Dispel + Fortify Agility + Restore Fatigue
Beef + Flour + Green Stain Cup Cap + Shepherd's Pie
Reflect Damage + Reflect Spell
+ Damage Health
Cinnabar Polypore Yellow Cap + Glow Dust + Green Stain Cup Cap + Strawberry
Without Shivering Isles ingredients, it is impossible to combine Reflect Damage and Reflect Spell without a Damage Health negative side effect (and possibly an additional Damage Personality effect). However, if you wish to maximize reflection effects, the combined potion allows you to reach higher magnitudes than drinking Reflect Damage potions separately from Reflect Spell.
Fire Shield + Resist Fire + Shield
+ Restore Fatigue
Cheese Wedge + Dragon's Tongue + Summer Bolete Cap + Tomato
Resist Disease + Resist Paralysis + Resist Poison Alkanet Flower + Bergamot Seeds + Foxglove Nectar + Viper's Bugloss Leaves

[edit] Feather Potions

Feather potions can have very large magnitudes and durations (maximum, 272 pts for 880 seconds), making potions much more powerful than Feather spells. However, the long duration is also a liability, because any other effects will expire long before the Feather effect.

  • Fortify Strength further increases your encumbrance limit. However, if you need this extra boost, you will end up immobilized when the Fortify Strength expires, and will need to drink a second potion. Therefore, it frequently ends up being an ineffective addition.
  • Fortify Speed (although this is a rare effect that introduces a Damage Health effect)
Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Feather + Fortify Speed
+ Restore Health + Damage Health
Lady's Mantle Leaves + Pear + Venison + Wisp Stalk Caps
Feather + Fortify Strength
+ Restore Health
Arrowroot + Garlic + Lady's Mantle Leaves + Venison

[edit] Healing Potions

Healing potions are generally the most widely used type of potion, and most characters will want to carry an ample supply of such potions to survive combat. The most obvious effects for healing potions are:

These three effects are the most common alchemy effects, so many combinations containing these effects are possible. Other effects to consider combining with these are:

It is also useful to carry a few healing potions to repair some of the less common types of damage. You may not need these potions in the middle of combat, but if you notice after combat that some of your statistics are damaged, potions combining some of the following effects may be useful:

Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Cure Poison + Restore Fatigue + Restore Health Aloe Vera Leaves + Cairn Bolete Cap + Ginseng + Strawberry
Fortify Magicka + Restore Fatigue + Restore Health + Restore Magicka Aloe Vera Leaves + Sweetcake + Void Salts + Water Hyacinth Nectar
Restore Fatigue + Restore Health + Restore Magicka
+ Invisibility
Aloe Vera Leaves + Blackberry + Fly Amanita Cap + Stinkhorn Cap
Restore Fatigue + Restore Health + Restore Magicka
+ Shield
Bog Beacon Asco Cap + Flax Seeds + Ham + Sweetcake

[edit] Mage Potions

Mages will want a lot of Restore Magicka potions. Several useful effects can be included to further enhance spellcasting capabilities:

Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Fortify Intelligence + Fortify Magicka + Restore Magicka
+ Damage Endurance
Carrot + Clouded Funnel Cap + Void Salts + Water Hyacinth Nectar
Fortify Luck + Fortify Willpower
+ Restore Health + Restore Personality
Green Stain Shelf Cap + Lavender Sprig + Mandrake Root + Primrose Leaves
Fortify Magicka + Fortify Willpower + Restore Magicka
+ Damage Luck
Lavender Sprig + Mandrake Root + Void Salts + Water Hyacinth
Using Shivering Isles ingredients, it is possible to make this potion without any negative side effects.

[edit] Stealth Potions

Effects useful to thieves or characters who prefer to avoid combat are:

Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Chameleon + Fortify Agility
+ Dispel + Restore Fatigue + Shield
Beef + Columbine Root Pulp + Radish + Shepherd's Pie
Chameleon + Detect Life + Night-Eye Bread Loaf + Carrot + Daedra Silk + Screaming MawSI
Invisibility + Detect Life
+ Restore Fatigue
Bread Loaf + Motherwort Sprig + Tinder Polypore Cap + Tomato
Invisibility + Night-Eye
+ Restore Health
Aloe Vera Leaves + Lady's Mantle Leaves + Motherwort Sprig + Viper's Bugloss Leaves
Invisibility + Fortify Agility
+ Dispel + Shield
Beef + Motherwort Sprig + Shepherd's Pie + Tinder Polypore Cap

[edit] Rare Effects

The following effects are only available from a very small number of ingredients, even at expert level. The possible combinations using these effects are rare, and as a result they generally have not been included in the previous sections.

Examples
Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Fortify Intelligence + Damage Endurance + Restore Endurance Carrot + Clouded Funnel Cap + Crab Meat + Tiger Lily Nectar

[edit] Multiple-Effect Poisons

Paralyze + Frost Damage Dryad's Saddle Polypore, Milk Thistle Seeds, Fennel Seeds
Paralyze + Frost Damage + Silence Harrada, Milk Thistle Seeds, Vampire Dust
Damage Health + Damage Strength + Paralyze (1) Clannfear Claws + Harrada + any two from (Primrose Leaves, Bread Loaf and Leek)
Damage Health + Damage Strength + Paralyze (2) Clannfear Clannfear Claws + Daedra Venin + Primrose Leaves + Tiger Lily Nectar

[edit] Triple Damage Poisons

The Triple Damage poisons are about the most lethal thing in whole Oblivion, short of magicka weakness stacking. Master alchemy skill, Apprentice level alchemy equipment plus sneak mode hit with an arrow poisoned with one of these (x3 damage to the physical component of the damage, i.e. the arrow damage itself, not the poison) results in a massive amount of damage from various elements, typically 700 points of damage over 30 seconds. Also consider getting a drain health bow with said combination as a finishing move.

In order to create a triple effect poison, you must include at least one ingredient that has two damage effects. Therefore, one of the following ingredients is essential:

No ingredients exist with two elemental damage effects. The possible combinations are also limited by the requirement that the four ingredients must not have any shared positive effects (any single positive effect will turn the concoction into a potion, not a poison). Nevertheless, numerous options are possible, some of which even add a fourth or fifth negative effect.

Effects Max Magnitude† Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Damage Health + Fire + Frost 8x30 + 9x37 + 9x38 (915) non-SI: Dryad Saddle Polypore Cap + Imp Gall + Spiddal Stick + Vampire Dust

SI: Milk Thistle Seeds + Congealed PutrescenceSI + Spiddal Stick + Vampire Dust

Damage Health + Fire + Shock 8x30 + 9x37 + 9x37 (906) non-SI: Cairn Bolete Cap + Ectoplasm + Imp Gall + Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap

SI: Black TarSI + Cairn Bolete Cap + Congealed PutrescenceSI + Imp Gall

Damage Health + Frost + Shock
(SI only)
8x30 + 9x38 + 9x37 (915) Black TarSI + Milk Thistle Seeds + Ectoplasm + Vampire Dust

† Magnitudes calculated for alchemy=100, Luck=50, and a complete set of Master-level alchemy equipment

[edit] Four Effect Poisons

The most powerful four effect poisons combine Damage Health, two elemental damage effects, along with a fourth negative effect; these four effect poisons are all covered in the previous section. Some additional combinations are also possible, however.

Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Damage Magicka + Silence + Damage Health + Fire Damage Bergamot Seeds + Imp Gall + Rat Meat + Spiddal Stick Alchemy Calculator
Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Damage Health + Fire Damage Fennel Seeds + Harrada + Imp Gall + Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap Alchemy Calculator
Paralyze + Silence + Damage Health + Frost Damage Apple + Harrada + Milk Thistle Seeds + Vampire Dust Alchemy Calculator
Paralyze + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Damage Intelligence Fennel Seeds, Harrada, Wisp Stalk Cap
Damage Health + Damage Intelligence + Damage Magicka + Damage Willpower Aloe Vera Leaves + Wisp Stalk Caps + one from (Elf Cup Cap or Root Pulp) + one from (Scamp Skin or Harrada)
Damage Agility + Damage Health + Damage Strength + Damage Willpower (1) Troll Fat + Bread Loaf + Tiger Lily Nectar + one from (Clannfear Claws, Dragon's Tongue, Dreugh Wax, Ectoplasm, Flax Seeds, Ectoplasm, Glow Dust, Harrada, Imp Fluid, Nightshade, Redwort Flower, Sacred Lotus Seeds, Scamp Skin, St Jahn's Wort Nectar, Venison, Void Salts, Wisp Stalk Caps or Wormwood Leaves)
Damage Agility + Damage Health + Damage Strength + Damage Willpower (2) Troll Fat + Primrose Leaves + Bread Loaf + one from (Scales or Wisp Stalk Caps)
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Silence (1) Harrada + Clannfear Claws + one from (Daedra Heart, Rat Meat or Bergamot Seeds)
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Silence (2) Harrada + Bergamot Seeds + Daedra Venin
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Fire Damage Spiddal Stick + Imp Gall + one from (Mutton or Rat Meat) + one from (Alkanet Flower, Bonemeal, Crab Meat, Dreugh Wax, Green Stain Shelf Cap, Ironwood Nut, Lady's Smock Leaves, Motherwort Sprig or Water Hyacinth Nectar)
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Fire Damage Spiddal Stick + Dreugh Wax + one from (Mutton or Rat Meat) + one from (Fire Salts or Steel Blue Entoloma Cap)
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Silence Dreugh Wax + Harrada + Rat Meat
Paralyze + Damage Magicka + Damage Health + Silence Harrada, Clannfear Claws, Daedra Heart

* - These ingredients are Shivering Isles dependent.

[edit] Five Effect Poisons

Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Fire Damage + Frost Damage + Paralyze Spiddal Stick, Bone Marrow *, Congealed Putrescence *, Milk Thistle Seeds
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Silence + Damage Willpower + Damage Intelligence Human\Daedra Heart, Harrada, Wisp Stalk Caps, Elf Cup Cap\ Fennel Seeds
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Silence + Frost Damage + Paralyze Harrada, Spiddal Stick, Frost Salts, Milk Thistle Seeds
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Silence + Frost Damage + Paralyze Bone Marrow *, Rot Scale *, Frost Salts/Milk Thistle Seeds, Bergamot Seeds
Silence + Damage Health + Damage Fatigue + Damage Magicka + Damage Luck Mort Flesh, Apple, Wormwood Leaves/Scampskin, Rat Meat
Paralyze + Frost Damage + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Silence Harrada, Spiddal Stick, Frost Salts or Vampire Dust, Milk Thistle Seeds
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Silence (1) Harrada + Rat Meat + Clannfear Claws + Bonemeal
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Silence (2) Harrada + Rat Meat + Daedra Venin + one from (Bonemeal or Crabmeat)
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Silence (3) Harrada + Mutton + Clannfear Claws + Motherwort Sprig
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Paralyze + Silence (4) Harrada + Mutton + Daedra Venin + one from (Motherwort or Rat Meat)
Damage Health + Damage Intelligence + Damage Magicka + Damage Willpower + Paralyze Harrada + Wisp Stalk Caps + Fennel Seeds + one from (Elf Cup Cap, Morning Glory Root Pulp, Root Pulp, Scales, Tiger Lily Nectar or Troll Fat)
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Frost Damage + Paralyze + Silence Harrada + Milk Thistle Leaves + one from (Frost Salts, Vampire Dust) + one from (Scamp Skin, Spiddal Stick or Wormwood Leaves)
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Frost Damage + Paralysis + Silence Harrada + Vampire Dust + Bone Marrow *
Damage Fatigue + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Fire Damage + Silence Spiddal Stick + Mort Flesh + Imp Gall + Rat Meat
Damage Magicka + Damage Health + Damage Intelligence + Paralyze + Silence Bergamot Seeds + Harrada + Fennel Seeds + Wisp Stalk Caps

* - These ingredients are Shivering Isles dependent.

[edit] Six Effect Poisons

These poisons all require the Shivering Isles ingredient Rot Scale

Effects Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Burden + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Fire Damage + Paralyze + Silence Harrada + Rot ScaleSI + Spiddal Stick + Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap Alchemy Calculator
Burden + Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Frost Damage + Paralyze + Silence Bone MarrowSI + Morning Glory Root Pulp + Rot ScaleSI + Vampire Dust Alchemy Calculator


[edit] Availability by Level

[edit] Novice (0-24)

At Novice level, only a very limited number of alchemy effects are available. Without Shivering Isles ingredients, only 15 potion effects and 8 poison effects are available; no Fortify effects are available, mainly just various Restore effects. With Shivering Isles, Fortify Fatigue and Fortify Health become available. By far the easiest potion to create is Restore Fatigue. Many players may wish to quickly make a batch of Restore Fatigue potions just to advance to Apprentice level, at which point twice as many options become available.

Two-effect potions and poisons can be created at novice level. However, no three-effect potions or poisons are possible.

The novice level effects are also available via wortcraft, i.e., by simply eating one of the ingredients instead of creating a potion. A potion is generally much stronger than wortcraft (and also provides more Alchemy experience). However, cure effects (Cure Disease and Cure Poison) have no magnitude or duration and therefore are equally effective using wortcraft or potions.

[edit] Novice Effects

With Standard Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects
With Shivering Isles Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects
With Rare Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects

[edit] Novice Recipes

Potions
Effect Magnitude† Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Fortify Fatigue (SI only) 22 pts for 84 secs Ashen RemainsSI + Wormwood Leaves Alchemy Calculator
Fortify Health (SI only) 13 pts for 49 secs Dog FoodSI + Mutton Alchemy Calculator
Restore Fatigue 4 pts for 15 secs (60 pts total) Apple + Corn (nearly any two food) Alchemy Calculator
Restore Health 2 pts for 7 secs (14 pts total) Cairn Bolete Cap + Venison Alchemy Calculator
Restore Magicka 4 pts for 14 secs (56 pts total) Flax Seeds + Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap Alchemy Calculator
Poisons
Effect Magnitude† Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Damage Fatigue 3 pts for 10 secs (30 pts total) Bonemeal + Rat Meat Alchemy Calculator
Damage Health 2 pts for 7 secs (14 pts total) Nightshade + Wisp Stalk Caps Alchemy Calculator
Damage Magicka 3 pts for 13 secs (39 pts total) Grummite EggsSI + Scamp Skin Alchemy Calculator

† Magnitudes calculated for alchemy=10, Luck=50, and a complete set of Novice-level alchemy equipment

[edit] Apprentice (25-49)

[edit] Apprentice Effects

The following effects are those that first become available at apprentice level; in addition, the novice level effects are all available.

With Standard Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects
With Shivering Isles Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects
With Rare Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects

[edit] Apprentice Recipes

Potions
Effect(s) Magnitude† Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Detect Life 34 pts for 124 secs Bread Loaf + Rat Meat Alchemy Calculator
Feather 85 pts for 308 secs Flax Seeds + Venison Alchemy Calculator
Night-Eye 22 secs Carrot + Viper's Bugloss Leaves Alchemy Calculator
Water Breathing 33 secs Onion + White Seed Pod Alchemy Calculator
Frost Shield + Restore Magicka + Shield Bog Beacon Asco Cap + Bone ShardSI + Daedroth Teeth + Withering MoonSI Alchemy Calculator
Restore Health + Restore Magicka + Shield Bog Beacon Asco Cap + Cairn Bolete Cap + Venison + Withering MoonSI Alchemy Calculator
Poisons
Effect(s) Magnitude† Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Silence 8 secs Rice + Vampire Dust Alchemy Calculator
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Fire Damage Flame StalkSI + Harrada + Spiddal Stick + Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap Alchemy Calculator
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Frost Damage Bone MarrowSI + Grummite EggsSI + Harrada + Milk Thistle Seeds Alchemy Calculator
Damage Health + Damage Magicka + Silence Rice + Harrada + Spiddal Stick + Vampire Dust Alchemy Calculator

† Magnitudes calculated for alchemy=35, Luck=50, and a complete set of Apprentice-level alchemy equipment

[edit] Journeyman (50-74)

[edit] Journeyman Effects

The following effects are those that first become available at journeyman level; in addition, the novice and apprentice level effects are all available.

With Standard Ingredients
Potion Effects Poison Effects

[edit] Journeyman Recipes

Potions
Effect(s) Magnitude† Most Common Ingredients All Possibilities
Chameleon 23% pts for 80 secs Bloodgrass + Radish Alchemy Calculator
Fortify Health 45 pts for 155 secs