Skyrim Alchemy Pocket Reference
This is a compilation of only the best and most beneficial, deadly, and multi-effect potions & poisons available. The alchemy recipes below are a curated selection of Skyrim potions with complementary effects such as Paralysis + Lingering Health Damage or Restore Magicka + Fortify Magicka, etc.
Potions are rated with ◊ diamonds ◊ indicating the overall usefulness and availability of ingredients for each potion. A 5-diamond ◊◊◊◊◊ potion is typically the easiest and most useful. Your mileage may vary.
These offensive potions and poisons are ideal for disabling enemies, applying damage over time, and exploiting elemental weaknesses. Paralysis is especially helpful because even a one second effect will knock an opponent over.
These defensive potions help you survive elemental attacks, status effects, and magical damage.
Multi‑effect potions are especially valuable for crafting loops, enchanting boosts, and maximizing gold value or bartering.
Vampire Dust is rare but incredibly versatile, producing some of the strongest invisibility and regeneration potions in the game. Don’t get bit—maybe craft a cure disease potion from above before going hunting.
Fire, frost, and void salts are expensive and harder to farm, making these potions best for high‑level players or gold‑rich characters. And moon salts, wow, yeah, you’ll just need to visit the Khajiit caravans whenever possible.
Have a pile of human flesh and wondering what to do? Maybe a bunch of human hearts locked in a box? These harder-to-acquire ingredients produce a few niche potions, but most effects are easier to achieve with cheaper ingredients.
My Favorite Poison
Arguably my favorite poison and the best paralysis potion in Skyrim (for combat) is the readily available Canis Root, Imp Stool, and Mora Tapinella.
The resulting poison is a deadly combination of lingering damage health and paralysis—it will knock over an enemy, do some chip damage, and allow you to get in a few hits.
Credits
All the potions and poisons on this list were generated with the help of a few online Skyrim Alchemy tools:
http://skyrim.iamnoah.com/ — no longer in service
“I’m sworn to carry your burdens.” Lydia said as you handed her another ancient Nord sword. Now where did those sweetrolls go? You rummage through your pack after a particularly harrowing battle against the barrow’s undead inhabitants. Victory against the undead still sweet in your mind, “…now all I need is something sweet in my mouth,“ you lament after reaching the bottom of your pack. “If only I had bothered to burden Lydia with food too.” Suddenly, your eyes lock in a hungry gaze…
Ok, so this is where I almost started writing fan fiction about the Dragonborn and Lydia and things went a little bit off the rails, especially after that whole sweetroll/sweet things in my mouth bit…
This sticker has a transparent base.