Potions in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt refer to special alchemical substances that Geralt can imbibe to gain various temporary buffs. These buffs include being able to see in the dark, immunity to poison, improved vitality regeneration, increased damage and many more. Unlike Decoctions, the effects of potions have a much shorter duration and more charges, making them more ideal for use in the middle of combat rather than as a preparatory measure before battle. Potions can be crafted through Alchemy and their usage and effects are heavily tied to the Alchemy Skill line. Potion usage has adverse effects on Geralt's blood Toxicity that must be managed properly to prevent overdosing.

 

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The Witcher 3 Potions Overview

Potion Crafting

Potion brewing is an age-old traditional craft amongst Witchers, honed through years and years of experience, and the study of Alchemy, as well as subjecting themselves to various toxins and chemical compounds to better understand their properties. Potions can be crafted using various Alchemy Ingredients found throughout the environment, obtained from opponents or purchased from Alchemists and Herbalists in cities, villages and other settlements.

Tw3 dwarven spirit + Tw3 celandine + Tw3 drowner brain = swallow consumable witcher 3 wiki

In order to craft a Potion, you must first learn its Formula by finding and reading its manuscrpt page icon witcher 3 wiki guide Manuscript Page — these are crafting instructions similar to Weapon and Armor Diagrams and each one is specific to every single Potion. Many manuscript pages can be found randomly in chests and guarded treasure throughout the world, while some can be purchased from Alchemists and Herbalists. Few even have fixed locations or specific points in the game where they can be obtained.

All Potions also have upgraded versions with the Enhanced and Superior prefix. Upgraded versions of potions typically have improved effects, durations and number of charges. Each upgraded version also has its own Manuscript Page that you will need to find and the forumlas for these will require that you have at least 1 unit of the previous tier Potion in your inventory. For example, while you may be able to find the Manuscript for Superior Tawny Owl early on, you will not be able to upgrade to it directly from the basic Tawny Owl as the Enhanced Tawny Owl is required as one of the crafting components.

Potion Usage & Replenishment

consumables quickslot witcher 3 wiki guideOnce crafted, Potions can be used from the Inventory even while in the middle of combat. Additionally, up to four Potions can be assigned to your Consumables Quickslots for easy usage without going into the inventory.

Each Potion has a set number of Charges, with each dose imbibed using up one charge. Most Potion effects persist for a short duration. Each skill in the Alchemy Skill line also provides a percentage boost to all Potion duration with every point invested. Enhanced and Superior versions of Potions typically have more charges and longer durations, but this is not always the case. Once all charges are used up, you will not be able to use the Potion again. However, you do not need to craft potions over and over. Instead, charges can be replenished by Meditating for at least One Hour while you have some Strong Alcohol in your inventory. Strong Alcohol refers to high concentration alcoholic spirits that can be used for alchemical purposes. The following items qualify for this purpose:

Note that you only need 1 unit of any of the above to refill all of your Potion charges via Meditation. This will also refill all of your Decoctions and Bombs. These alcoholic beverages can commonly be found throughout the world and they can also be purchased from Merchants. Some can even be crafted through Alchemy using other components. Dwarven Spirit in particular is quite abundant so you should rarely be found wanting for these.

Potions, Decoctions & Toxicity Level

One of the many mutations that Witchers develop is a superhuman resistance to poisons. This does not make them immune to harmful substances, but they have a massive advantage in this regard, allowing them to imbibe alchemical substances such as Potions, made of the harshest ingredients that would otherwise kill a regular human. Geralt has a Maximum Toxicity stat — A measure of his ability to resist the toxic effects of Potions and other substances.

toxicity level inventory witcher 3 wiki guideThis stat is represented by a green bar under your Stamina bar and can also be seen in the Character Menu. Each Potion has a set amount of Toxicity which fills this bar every time you take a dose. This can be referred to as Potion Toxicity. Potion Toxicity depletes overtime at a rate of about 1 point every 2 seconds. The Toxicity mechanic essentially prevents you from abusing potions as you cannot imbibe another potion if it would cause you to go over your max limit. However, there is also an Overdose Effect that comes into play. By default, going over 75% of your Max Toxicity will cause you to start losing health at a significant rate per second, persisting until you dip below the threshold. This threshold can be raised by investing in the Heightened Tolerance skill of the Alchemy skill line. Each point in the skill raises your Overdose threshold by 5%, up to a max of 25%, which effectively eliminates the health loss issue.

toxicity facial effects witcher 3 wiki guideAside from the health loss over time, the Overdose status also has adverse effects on Geralt's appearance, causing dark circles to form around his eyes, with dark veins appearing all across his face and his scars taking on a more reddish appearance, as if they had opened back up. This is accompanied by a misty green effect around the borders of the screen, beginning once you hit 50% of your Overdose Threshold and becoming more pronounced as your Toxicity rises. These effects also appear even with max levels in Heightened Tolerance, but it is purely cosmetic.

By default, you have 100 points of max Toxicity but there are several ways to raise this maximum. Metabolic Control in the General Skill line gives a straightforward bonus of +30 Max Toxicity. The Acquired Tolerance skill in the Alchemy Skill line raises your Max Toxicity by 1 for every Alchemy Formula you have learned. This skill has 3 ranks, with each rank taking into account each respective tier of formulas learned. At Rank 1, it only considers all Level 1 (Base) alchemy formulas while at Rank 2, it extends the consideration to Level 2 (Enhanced) formulas and so on. This skill works retroactively, meaning you do not need to acquire it before starting to collect formulas as it will add to the bonus any formulas you've already learned prior to obtaining any level of the skill. The Armor pieces of the Manticore School of Witcher Gear added with the Blood and Wine DLC each also grant a small bonus to your maximum Toxicity when worn, with the Legendary New Game+ version adding even more.

Decoctions, another type of alchemical substance that Geralt has access to, also affect his Toxicity level, albeit in a different way. Each Decoction has a Toxicity rating of 50 points, the sole exception being the Basilisk Decoction with 40 points. It also appears as a darker green on the Toxicity bar. However, Decoctions have a much longer duration and Decoction Toxicity (an important distinction from Potion Toxicity) does not dissipate over time, only being cleared once the Decoction's effects wear off or when the effects are manually removed via Meditation or by imbibing the White Honey potion and its variants. Decoction usage essentially "holds" a sizeable chunk of your Toxicity bar, severely limiting the amount of Potions you can imbibe. Raising your max Toxicity can alleviate this limitation and it is entirely possible to have a high enough max Toxicity to imbibe 2 or even 3 Decoctions at once while still being able to use Potions. Do note that Decoction Toxicity moves the baseline for your Potion Toxicity with regards to the Overdose Threshold because Decoction Toxicity is not considered in the calculation for the threshold. Maxing out Heightened Tolerance makes this quirk irrelevant. Further still, for players who invest in the Delayed Recovery skill, keep in mind that its effects rely on Potion Toxicity, not Decoction Toxicity

 

 

All Potions in The Witcher 3

 

Quick Search of All Potions in The Witcher 3

Crafting Manuscripts for Potions are typically found as randomized loot in treasure chests. However, many are also sold by Alchemists and Herbalists. Duplicates of Manuscripts are not possible, so once a Manuscript is obtained from a chest, it will disappear from merchant stocks and vice versa.

 

Name Effects Charges Effect Duration Toxicity Points Crafted With Manuscript Source

black blood potion witcher 3 wiki guideBlack Blood

Witcher's blood injures vampires and necrophages when they wound him.
15% damage returned
3 30 secs 15  

black blood potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Black Blood

Witcher's blood injures and knocks back vampires and necrophages when they wound him.
20% damage returned
4 45 secs 15  

black blood potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Black Blood

Vampires and necrophages start Bleeding when near the witcher. In addition, the witcher's blood injures and knocks them back when they wound him.
30% Damage returned
5 60 secs 15

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

blizzard potion witcher 3 wiki guideBlizzard

Whenever you slay an enemy, time slows for a short period.
50% Slowdown
2 15 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the Herbalist at the Roadside Shrine in White Orchard.

blizzard potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Blizzard

Whenever you slay an enemy, time slows for a short period.
55% Slowdown
3 20 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

blizzard potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Blizzard

Whenever you slay an enemy, time slows for a short period. If 3 Adrenaline Points are available, during this period actions don't deplete Stamina.
60% Slowdown
4 30 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

cat potion witcher 3 wiki guideCat

Grants sight in total darkness.
25 Range of vision.
3 60 secs 15 Geralt automatically has access to this Potion's formula upon arriving in White Orchard for the first time.

cat potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Cat

Grants sight in total darkness and immunity to hypnosis. Extended duration.
25 Range of vision
4 120 secs 15  

cat potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Cat

Grants sight in total darkness and immunity to hypnosis. Extended duration.
25 Range of vision
5 180 secs 15 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

drowner pheromones potion witcher 3 wiki guideDrowner Pheromones

Drowners will not attack the witcher. 2 90 secs 15 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is obtained automatically during Contract: Muire D'yaeblen as Geralt approaches the target monster in the cave. It can otherwise be purchased from the Herbalist at Kaer Trolde Harbor.

full moon potion witcher 3 wiki guideFull Moon

Increases maximum Vitality.
300 Vitality
3 60 secs 25 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

full moon potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Full Moon

Increases maximum Vitality. Extended duration.
1100 Vitality
3 60 secs 25 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

full moon potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Full Moon

Increases maximum Vitality. Extended duration. Heals Vitality by an amount equal to current Toxicity
1500 Vitality
5 60 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

golden oriole potion witcher 3 wiki guideGolden Oriole

Grants immunity to poisons, neutralizes the effects of poisons already in bloodstream. 3 60 secs 20  

golden oriole potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Golden Oriole

Grants immunity to poisons, neutralizes the effects of poisons already in bloodstream. Extended duration. 4 120 secs 20  

golden oriole potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Golden Oriole

Extended duration. Poisons now heal instead of doing damage. 5 180 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

killer whale potion witcher 3 wiki guideKiller Whale

Increases breath supply while underwater by 50% and improves vision while diving.
50% breath
3 180 secs 15

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

maribor forest potion witcher 3 wiki guideMaribor Forest

Accelerates the generation of Adrenaline Points.
0.15 Adrenaline Point gain
3 30 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

maribor forest potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Maribor Forest

Accelerates the generation of Adrenaline Points. Extended duration.
0.15 Adrenaline Point gain
4 60 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

maribor forest potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Maribor Forest

Accelerates the generation of Adrenaline Points. Extended duration. Grants 1 Adrenaline Point upon consumption.
0.15 Adrenaline Point gain
5 90 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

petris philter potion witcher 3 wiki guidePetri's Philter

Increases Sign intensity.
15% Sign intensity
3 30 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

petris philter potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Petri's Philter


Increases Sign intensity. Extended duration.
20% Sign intensity
4 60 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

petris philter potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Petri's Philter

Increases Sign intensity. Extended duration. Signs always apply their special effects.
25% Sign intensity
5 90 secs 25  

pops mold antidote potion witcher 3 wiki guidePops' Mold Antidote

Grants temporary immunity to pops' mold. 3 360 secs 25

During the Count Reuven's Treasure quest, Sigismund Dijkstra hands over 3 bottles of this Potion to Geralt. Geralt can replenish this Potion as normal by Meditating while in possession of at least one unit of Alcohol. The Crafting Manuscript is also given at the same time, in case the Potion is discarded for whatever reason.

potion of clearance potion witcher 3 wiki guidePotion of Clearance

Returns all Ability Points spent to develop Abilities to the available pool so you can redistribute them. 1 -- --
  • N/A; Cannot be crafted.
 

potion of restoration potion witcher 3 wiki guidePotion of Restoration

Returns all Ability Points spent developing mutations to the pool so you can reallocate them. Mutagens spent developing mutations will not be returned. 1 -- --
  • N/A; Cannot be crafted.
 

swallow potion witcher 3 wiki guideSwallow

Accelerates Vitality regeneration. Vitality regeneration pauses for 2 seconds upon receiving damage.
80 Vitality regeneration
40 Vitality regeneration during combat
3 20 secs 20 Geralt automatically has access to this Potion's formula upon arriving in White Orchard for the first time.

swallow potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Swallow

Accelerates Vitality regeneration. Vitality regeneration pauses for 2 seconds upon receiving damage.
100 Vitality regeneration
65 Vitality regeneration during combat
4 20 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

swallow potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Swallow

Accelerates Vitality regeneration. Taking damage does not interrupt regeneration.
150 Vitality regeneration
80 Vitality regeneration during combat
5 20 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

tawny owl potion witcher 3 wiki guideTawny Owl

Accelerates Stamina regneration.
5% Stamina regeneration in combat
3 30 secs 20 Upon his first arrival in White Orchard, Geralt will automatically have access to the Potion itself, complete with 3 charges which can be replenished by Meditating while possessing one or more units of Alcohol. However, he will not have the Formula for it so you may come across the Crafting Manuscript for this base version whether through random chest loot or stocked by the many Alchemists and Herbalists in various locations. This was implemented in case the Potion is discarded by the player for whatever reason.

tawny owl potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Tawny Owl

Accelerates Stamina regeneration. Extended duration.
8% Stamina regeneration in combat
4 45 secs 20 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

tawny owl potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Tawny Owl

Accelerates Stamina regeneration. Extended duration. Never expires at night.
10% Stamina regeneration in combat
5 60 secs 20

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

thunderbolt potion witcher 3 wiki guideThunderbolt

Increases Attack Power.
30% Attack power
3 30 secs 25 The Crafting Manuscript for this Potion is automatically given to Geralt by Vesemir during The Beast of White Orchard quest, near the beginning of the game. All the ingredients are also provided.

thunderbolt potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced Thunderbolt

Increases Attack Power. Extended duration.
30% Attack power
4 60 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by the following merchants:

thunderbolt potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior Thunderbolt

Extended duration. Grants 100% critical hit chance during storms.
35% Attack power
5 90 secs 25

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

white honey potion witcher 3 wiki guideWhite Honey

Clears Toxicity and cancels all active potion effects. 1 -- -- Geralt automatically has access to this Potion's formula upon arriving in White Orchard for the first time.

white honey potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced White Honey

Clears Toxicity and cancels all active potion effects. 2 -- -- The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

white honey potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior White Honey

Clears Toxicity and cancels all active potion effects. 5 -- --

The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Gremist, a druid near the pond north of Gedyneith in Ard Skellig.

white raffards decoction potion witcher 3 wiki guideWhite Raffard's Decoction

Immediately restores a portion of Vitality.
35% Vitality
60% Vitality (New Game +)
2 -- 30 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

white raffards decoction potion witcher 3 wiki guideEnhanced White Raffard's Decoction

Immediately restores a portion of Vitality.
60% Vitality
80% Vitality (New Game +)
2 -- 30 The Crafting Manuscript for this potion is potentially stocked by Otto Bamber at the Herbalist's Hut northeast of Oxenfurt.

white raffards decoction potion witcher 3 wiki guideSuperior White Raffard's Decoction

Restores Vitality immediately and fully. Grants immunity to damage for a short duration.
100% Vitality
3 3 secs 15  

 




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    • Anonymous

      In the vanilla version(unpatched) version of the game, the lady that sells the Enhanced Cat recipe does NOT sell it after you complete her quest regardless of the outcome, simply spewing generic lines or nothing at all. If you are playing unpatched and happen to be in the area, your only two bets are either suck it up till NG+ or load a prior save point where you haven't done the quest in question. This affects multiple merchants on the vanilla variant but unknown how many and which ones. Also a sneaking suspicion it is the one's involved in quests however remains to be seen.

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