One of the appealing things about Skyrim was the variety of play styles available to players. From sneaky assassins to one-handed magic-users and shield-and-sword tanks, the players could embody almost any character they could imagine. This meant that there were some skills that went ignored in playthroughs; for example, a sneaky assassin probably Dragonborn wouldn't invest many points in the Two-Handed weapon skill tree.
There are, however, some skills and features that are universal across all play styles and benefit each Dragonborn no matter their class. One of the most useful skills for all classes is the Alchemy skill and, with it, Skyrim's potions. Potions are incredibly useful in a number of ways for any class, from basic healing potions to potions that fortify skill leveling when practicing a craft such as smithing. Unlike Oblivion, potions in Skyrim cannot be made anywhere, and need an Alchemy Lab to be created.
Skyrim's Potions are Ridiculously Lucrative
Potions in Skyrim need to be made from several ingredients that share the same effect. Ingredient effects can be discovered through eating the ingredient, or through experimenting at the Alchemy Lab. Potions can also be found around Skyrim, or bought from vendors. Created potions can also be sold, which can become a lucrative source of income for Skyrim's Dragonborn; one underrated potion in particular created from Wheat, Giant's Toe and Creep Cluster or River Betty, and it sells for a good price. It's a great way to make money quickly as all the potion ingredients are plentiful, but it's also a good way to level up the Alchemy skill.
The most expensive potion discovered in Skyrim to date uses innocuous ingredients: Histcarp, Jazbay Grapes, and Salmon Roe. This creates a potion that gives the drinker Water Breathing, Fortify Magicka, Fortify Magicka Regeneration, and Restore Stamina. If brewed with the right perks, gear, and fortifications, it's worth over 10,000 Septims. Another useful potion in Skyrim that is especially helpful for leveling the Alchemy skill thanks to the greenhouse and planters in the Hearthfire expansion is a four-effect potion that uses Fly Amanita, Dragon's Tongue, and Scaly Pholiota.
Potions are More Than a Money-Maker in Skyrim
Potions are more than a source of money and easy way to level-up, and are essential in for any class in Skyrim for combat and leveling other skills like Smithing. The sheer variety of potions and their various effects available have saved many a player in the midst of combat and account for every scenario the Dragonborn could ever face. This makes potions a powerhouse in Skyrim and well-worth investing in, even if they're bought from vendors rather than crafted.
One of the best uses of potions in Skyrim is the Blacksmith Potion, which has the Fortify Smithing effect. While it doesn't affect the stats of armor or weapon crafting, it does affect improving them at a grindstone or workbench, and has a stacking effect when combined with enchanted gear. Improving weapons and armor increases the Smithing skill proportionately by the strength of the improvement made. Taking a Blacksmith's Elixir makes weapon and armor improving 50% better for 30 seconds, the time of which continues during the smithing process.
The practicalities of the Blacksmith Potion means the Dragonborn's Smithing skill improves when improving items, all while the quality of the items improved dramatically increases. The Dragonborn needs to have the correct perks in the Smithing skill tree for the items to be improved beyond the base improvement, but with these perks and the Blacksmith Elixir, it's possible to improve Legendary items beyond the limit of their stats.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
