EQ Traders Corner
  
Alchemy: A Not-so-Brief History

by Verdandi Snowblood

In the beginning, there were two kinds of herb vendors. One was found in some shaman cities and had a set of herbs that each could be combined with a different dropped item, like a cyclops eye or undead froglok tongue. The other type of vendor was the gypsies, found in gypsy camps across Antonica. They had a different, smaller set of herbs that each also could be combined with a different kind of dropped giant toe to make other potions.

However, shaman guild trainers across Norrath refused to train their pupils in the fine art of alchemy. It was well nigh a year before they received their instructions from The Powers That Be and began to teach us the fundamentals of alchemy. The herbs and potions at the time were extremely expensive and of very limited usefulness. (One of them with an herb cost of more than 30pp and requiring a drop from the Plane of Hate had the tremendous effect of Endure Magic.) Therefore, when our guildmasters were fixed so that we could train, our line of potions available was completely replaced with new ones. This change is commonly called the Revamp.

All of the old shaman city vendor herbs were removed entirely, effectively removing access to those potions. Only the gypsy vendors remained and their potions continued to work. In the cities, the old herb vendors were replaced by a whole new set of herbs that took up two vendors because there were so many. These are the herbs that are most familiar to folks nowadays, the ones that can make sow potions and invis to undead potions. For these potions, no dropped component is required, they are made entirely via herbs bought from the vendors.

Thus the world remained, with Revamp Alchemy and Gypsy Alchemy composing almost the entire line of alchemy available. During the Revamp era we were granted the ability to create dyes for use in tinting fine plate armor. However, as these can only be applied to that single type of armor, they are not widely used.

With the advent of Luclin two additional sets of potions were added to a shaman's menu. First was a whole new set of potions with brand new effects. These include the mana potions and grow potion. These herbs are available in a few different places, all in Luclin. The other set of potions...well, shamans exploring Shar Vahl came across these strange herbs with naggingly familiar names...until it hit them. Old Alchemy. Once again available, this time in Shar Vahl, are the herbs used to make potions from the old, original, pre-revamp alchemy. These are the ones that required the drops like cyclops eyes and undead froglok tongues.

The discovery of the Plane of Knowledge brought only a single additional recipe for shamans, Quintessence of Knowledge, used as a reagent for a couple new items available in the new Planes. Some time after we ventured into the new Planes, we also learned to create the Grandmaster's Medicine Bag as a trophy of our accomplishments and useful reward for our hard work.

Most recently, the Ykesha brought us a diverse wealth of additional potions. Some of these grant the illusion of a different race, some grant new focus effects, some allow the creation of dyes effective on any armor, and some bring new effects similar to those we had in previous lines of alchemy, including gating to one's bind spot or group shrink. Some of these use vendor ingredients found only in the Ykesha zones, some require dropped ingredients, some require herbs from Revamp alchemy, and some require a combination of all these sources. Truly a mixed bag.

The Lost Dungeons of Norrath, or LDoN, introduced five new alchemy potions. Three of them are the first group effect potions. Another is the first shaman-made invisibility potion, allowing us to compete with the invisibility potion sold by vendors since the beginning. The fifth is the guktan illusion potion, complementing the introduction of the playable guktan race.

When Gates of Discord came, we received two new lines of potions: awareness potions and concoctions. Awareness potions offer focus effects for different types of spells. Concoctions can be equipped and thrown as missiles, with varying effects like snare or damage. We also received the quests to learn to process taelosian sludge and highland fudge, part of the larger set of processing quests available in all tradeskills. Neither of the sludges have any known use at this time.

One of the latest and greatest items made with alchemy are the Omens of War augments. These beauties require some rare and difficult drops, but create some fantastic items. The complete process of creation also requires jewelcraft, and can be done by rogues with poisonmaking rather than shamans with alchemy. Still, a fantastic option.

Most recently, Dragons of Norrath brought a hodgepodge of potions. Some are additions to the awareness lines of potions, including some with effects like regeneration, rather than focus effects. There are also additions to the concoctions lines, and a way of bottling both DoN and previous concoctions to enhance their effects further.

Thus, the major lines of alchemy are:

  1. Old Alchemy (requires dropped ingredients, herbs only found in Shar Vahl)
  2. Gypsy Alchemy (requires dropped ingredients, herbs only found on gypsies)
  3. Revamp Alchemy (no dropped ingredients, herbs found in many places)
  4. Luclin Alchemy (no dropped ingredients, herbs found only on Luclin)
  5. Quintessence of Knowledge & Grandmaster's Medicine Bag
  6. Ykesha Alchemy (some require drops and some don't, herb vendors vary by type of potion)
  7. LDoN Alchemy (some revamp alchemy ingredients, some foraged ingredients)
  8. GoD Alchemy (no dropped ingredients for concotions, only to process sludge, which has no known use)
  9. Omens Augments (requires dropped ingredients, no herbs but other ingredients off varying vendors)
  10. Dragons Alchemy (requires dropped ingredients, herbs found in various places)

Created: 2003-05-14 01:30:30          
Last Modified By: EQTC Editor Aanuvane          
Last Modified on: 2010-11-27 12:01:38          

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