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Overview

Alchemy is one of the core crafting disciplines in Crimson Desert. It allows players to brew elixirs, revival pills, beverages, and dyes at a Cauldron. Every alchemy recipe follows a consistent structure: combine one or more Reagents (which determine the effect) with one or more Catalysts (which trigger the reaction), plus an Empty Bottle as a container for elixirs. Recipes must be discovered before they can be brewed.

Recipes are found throughout Pywel in the form of scrolls, books, and parchments. When you pick one up, equip it from your inventory and shine your Lantern on the pages to permanently register the formula in your Knowledge menu. Some recipes are sold by innkeepers, shopkeepers, and specialty vendors, while others are unlocked through research projects at the Pororin Research Institute.

Cauldron Locations

You need access to a Cauldron to brew any alchemy recipe. Several Cauldrons are scattered across Pywel. The two earliest ones available are:

• Shadow's Whisper Cave : Located north of Hernand City, just west of Three Saints' Falls. Accessible through a narrow crack in the cliff face. This cave also contains a Witch station nearby for transmutation recipes.

• Hernand Town (East) : Inside a vacant building on the east side of Hernand, marked by a dangling sign displaying a mortar and pestle.

Additional Cauldrons become available as you explore further regions of Pywel, including settlements like Pailune, Calphade, and Beighen. Every inn district typically has at least one Cauldron in a nearby building. The Greymane Camp also gains an Alchemy Lab once you progress through the camp restoration quest chain.

Reagents and Catalysts

Alchemy ingredients fall into two main categories. Reagents are the plants, fungi, and insects that determine what the resulting elixir does. Catalysts are ores, animal materials, and binding agents that trigger the alchemical reaction. Both come in Lesser and Common tiers.

Lesser Catalysts

Lesser Catalysts are used in Lesser Elixir recipes. They are common materials found in the Hernand region and beyond.

Common Catalysts

Common Catalysts are needed for the stronger Common Elixir recipes. They are rarer and found in later-game areas.

Empty Bottles

Every elixir recipe requires an Empty Bottle as a container. Empty Bottles can be purchased in bulk from any Provisioner NPC in any town for a small amount of Copper. Keep a stack in your inventory so you are always ready to brew.

Lesser Elixirs

Lesser Elixirs are the first tier of alchemy brews. They use Lesser-grade Reagents and Lesser Catalysts. Their effects are shorter in duration but can be crafted with materials found early in the Hernand region.

Where to Find Lesser Elixir Recipes

• Haiden's Lesser Elixir : Found inside the Alchemist's house in Hernand City. The house does not require a key to enter. Look for the recipe on a desk near the Cauldron.

• Astrid's Lesser Elixir : Purchased from the Back Alley shop in Pailune. The shop becomes available after reaching a certain point in the main story.

• Meliara's Lesser Elixir : Located inside the Mudridge Cabin, north of the Pororin woods in the Hernand region. The cabin sits in a swamp with thick smoke, so approach from above. Inside, you must solve a picture sliding puzzle to access the room where the recipe rests on top of some books in the corner.

• Apollonia's Lesser Elixir : Can be found while exploring the Hernand region. Check inns and merchant inventories in settlements around Hernand.

Common Elixirs

Common Elixirs are the second tier and provide stronger, longer-lasting buffs. They require Common-grade Reagents, though they still use Lesser Catalysts. Most Common Elixir recipes are unlocked through the Plant Combination Research project at the Pororin Research Institute, which costs 120 Silver and takes 18 hours to complete. This project becomes available after finishing the prerequisite Pharmacological Research on Medicinal Herbs project (7 Silver, 9 hours).

Common Elixirs represent a significant upgrade over their Lesser counterparts. Freya's Elixir in particular is valuable for boss fights where extra attack power can make a noticeable difference. Meliara's Elixir doubles the HP bonus compared to the Lesser version and upgrades the Attack Speed buff to Level 2. Haiden's Elixir doubles the Spirit immunity window from 4 seconds to 8, giving you more room for Spirit-heavy combo chains.

Palmar Pills

Palmar Pills are the most important survival recipes in the game. They function as automatic revival items: when Kliff's HP drops to zero, a Palmar Pill activates instantly to bring him back. You can carry multiple pills, and they are consumed one at a time.

Palmar Pill Recipe Location

The Palmar Pill Crafting Manual is found inside Shadow's Whisper Cave, north of Hernand City. On the right side of the main chamber, the manual sits on a stone shelf. This is the same cave that houses one of the earliest accessible Cauldrons, so you can learn and immediately brew the recipe in the same visit.

You cannot mix and match different herbs to reach the 15 required for a standard Palmar Pill. All 15 must be the same type of Medicinal Herb. Shrubby Sophora, Rosemary, and Peony all count as Medicinal Herbs and can be gathered abundantly in the Hernand woodlands.

Refined Palmar Pill

The Refined Palmar Pill recipe becomes available during Chapter 9 of the main story. It revives Kliff at full HP instead of 30%, making it far superior for late-game boss encounters. The ingredients are harder to source: Palmar Leaf and Palmar Beetle are both found near Crescent Lake in the Demeniss region. A Palmar Leaf can also be picked up near Jian's grave in Pailune.

Beverages

Beverages are a separate category of Cauldron recipes. Instead of using Reagents and Catalysts, they combine food ingredients with Water. Beverages primarily restore Stamina and grant cold resistance, making them especially useful in snowy or mountainous areas.

Oakwood Mushroom Tea stands out as the best beverage thanks to its large Stamina boost and Ice Resistance Lv.5 that lasts a full 10 minutes. Oakwood Mushrooms can be found across Hernand, often inside destroyed chests and barrels or at the base of large trees near water sources like Three Saints' Falls. Keep a supply of Honey and Oakwood Mushrooms on hand for longer expeditions into cold regions.

Dye Recipes

Dye recipes allow you to craft colored dyes at a Cauldron, which can then be applied to your armor and clothing at a Dyehouse. Crafting a dye produces a consumable item. Using that item from your inventory permanently unlocks the entire shade family for that color at any Dyehouse. For example, learning one red dye unlocks access to multiple red tones.

Dye recipes use flowers and insects as ingredients. The type of flower determines the base color, while the combination and ratio of beetle types (Beetle, Longhorn Beetle, Stag Beetle, Rhinoceros Beetle) control the specific shade. Below are the verified dye recipes.

Red Dyes

Yellow Dyes

Other Dyes

The dye system also supports improvisation. If you select the "Improvise" option at a Cauldron, you can experiment with different combinations of 10 flowers and various insects to discover new color formulas that are not listed in any recipe book. This is the primary way to find additional shades beyond the recipes listed above.

Platinum Transmutation

Platinum is a rare and valuable crafting material used in high-tier equipment refinement. Unlike other alchemy recipes, Platinum is not brewed at a Cauldron. Instead, it is crafted at a Witch station, which can be found near the Cauldron inside Shadow's Whisper Cave.

Recipe Location

The Platinum recipe is found in Scholastone. Enter through the large door at the center of the main building, walk past the reputation vendor on your left, head up the stairs, and loop back on yourself. The recipe sits on a shelf at the top.

Unlocking Recipes Through Research

The Pororin Research Institute in the Hernand region unlocks upgraded alchemy formulas through research projects. These projects cost Silver, take real-world time to complete, and require sufficient Knowledge about the surrounding area.

Pharmacological Research must be completed before Plant Combination Research becomes available. Start Pharmacological Research as early as you can since it only costs 7 Silver and runs in the background while you continue exploring. Once you have the funds, invest in Plant Combination Research next; the Common Elixir upgrades are well worth the 120 Silver price.

Reagent Materials Reference

Reagents are the bugs, plants, and fungi that determine the elixir's effect. They are classified by tier (Lesser or Common) and by stat type (Spirit, Stamina, Health, Defense, or Attack). The specific reagent items that fall into each category are gathered through foraging, catching insects, and harvesting mushrooms across Pywel.

Tips

• Always carry a stack of Empty Bottles. They are cheap and weigh almost nothing. Running out of bottles at a remote Cauldron is frustrating.

• Palmar Pills should be your first crafting priority. Having a few pills in your inventory before any boss fight gives you a safety net that can save a long run back.

• Start the Pharmacological Research project at Pororin as soon as you discover the institute. It only costs 7 Silver and unlocks the Palmar Pill recipe upon completion.

• Stock up on Oakwood Mushroom Tea before heading into cold areas. Ice Resistance Lv.5 for 10 minutes is far more effective than any food-based cold resistance.

• Haiden's Lesser Elixir (and its Common upgrade) eliminates Spirit cost, which is extremely powerful during extended combos and boss fights that require heavy use of skills.

• For dye crafting, gathering beetles is the bottleneck. Longhorn Beetles spawn north of Hernand near cliffs, Stag Beetles are less common and found further afield, and Rhinoceros Beetles appear in forested areas.

• The "Continuing Concern" faction quest rewards you with a free Freya's Elixir alongside several Apollonia's and Meliara's Lesser Elixirs, giving you a taste of higher-tier brews before you can craft them yourself.

• When heading to Demeniss for Palmar Leaf and Palmar Beetle (Refined Palmar Pill ingredients), bring extra bottles and reagents to brew regular Palmar Pills at the same time.