Alchemy 101 Note: this guide has been renamed [Mesxiah's Alchemy Guide]. Kept a copy of the snip here since it's still in the top 10 on google when you search for "alchemy ffxi". Look at the link above for the more up to date version. Alchemy can be a very versatile craft. From essential items for melees (sneak oils/prism powders) to status effect weapons and ammo, alchemy has alot to offer to many adventurers. And since most of the products are consumables, it can be easily profitable once you reach a level where you can HQ these in-demand synths (much like cooking). Some things to note about this guide. It was originally written by [Mesxiah] when he power-leveled alchemy during the last two weeks of the North America FFXI beta. As you can imagine, the economy of a 1,000 people server (beta) bears no resemblence to today's ffxi servers where 4,000++ are usually on-line in one world at any given point in time. Because of this, I've tried to edit the guide where appropriate. Some items are more readily available now, and some synths just aren't as profitable. So then, let's start some alchemy! Professor Mesxiah's Notes:\\ Note: Like all other guilds, there are two ways to level up. One is to hunt for the ingredients and level up slowly, and the other is to have a large capital/bankroll to finance or "power level" your craft by buying ingredients directly from npcs or auction houses. Things to save or collect, if you find them on the course of your leveling adventures (these items will help a lot later): [Bomb Ash], [Flint Stone], [Lizard's Tail], [Slime Oil], [Sulfur], and [Treant Bulb]s. {table}Levels 0-2: __Antidote (02)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yeild| water crystal|distilled water\\San'd Orian Grapes\\Wijnruits|Antidote| {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:distilled.jpg}{image:grapes.jpg}{image:wijnruits.jpg}|{image:antidote.jpg}{table} - __1 Water Crystal__\\ - __1x Distilled Water__\\ - __1x San'd Orian Grapes__\\ - __1x Wijnruits__\\ Grapes are sold in Southern San'd Oria (duh),and Wijnruits aren't too expensive at M&P's Market in Upper Jeuno. If you're willing to lose a few synths, I'd recommend skipping anitdotes and starting off with... {table}Levels 3-5: __Beeswax__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yeild Fire Crystal|Beehive Chip (x3)\\Distilled Water|Beeswax (1) {image:Craft Skills/FIRE.jpg}|{image:beehivechip.jpg}{image:beehivechip.jpg}{image:beehivechip.jpg}{image:distilled.jpg}|{image:beeswax.jpg}{table} - __Fire Crystal__\\ - __3x Beehive Chip__\\ - __1x Distilled Water__\\ This is one of the mainstay synths of alchemy. So if you don't like bees or are allergic to honey, maybe alchemy isn't for you... At your early levels, I'd recommend saving your beeswax. You will be tempted to sell it at Auction, but keep in mind, beeswax will be even more profitable once you can HQ it consistently. Beware when farming for beehive chips, some types of bees drop chips more consistently than others (same with honey). Experiment with the usual places (Tahrongi Canyon, Giddeus, Gustaberg, Davoi, etc.), and if there are already farmers, move on, the only thing slower than farming beehive chips, is farming it with 5 other ppl. ;) {table}Levels 5-10: __Deodorizer (10)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|olive oil, chamomile, sage|Flask of Deodorizer (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:oliveoil.jpg}{image:chamomile.jpg}{image:sage.jpg}|{image:deodorizer.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __1x Olive Oil__ - __1x Chamomile__ - __1x Sage__ Chamomile can be purchased from M&P's Market in Upper Jeuno. For the olive oil and sage, head to Raimbroy's Grocery in South San d'Oria. {table}Levels 10-15: __Mercury (15)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|cobalt jellyfish (x4)|Mercury (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:jellyfish.jpg}|{image:mercury.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __4x Cobalt Jellyfish__ Synth mercury all the way up to the skill cap (15). Even though skill ups will slow down past 13, this synth is pretty affordable since fisherman keep the AH freshly supplied with jellyfish, and they can also be purchased at either the Alchemy guild or the Fishing guilds (don't forget, there's two, one in Mhuara, one in Port Windurst). Mercury can also be a fast seller in stacks, as it is your second major Alchemy synth. Save some for yourself if you ever plan on making some poison potions for various missions and bcnm battles. {table}Levels 15-20: __Echo Drops (20)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|sage, honey, distilled water|Echo Drops (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:sage.jpg}{image:honey.jpg}{image:distilled.jpg}|{image:echodrops.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Sprig of Sage__ - __Pot of honey__ - __Distilled Water__ If you're a mage, you'll be glad to have reached this level in alchemy. Echo drops come in quite handy against monsters with AoE silence attacks (Anticans come to mind). You'll also need them for several missions along your journeys. Because of this, you can almost always find a buyer for your echo drops at AH. {table}Levels 20-24: __Silent Oil (24)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|beeswax (x2), slime oil|Silent Oil (x4) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:beeswax.jpg}{image:beeswax.jpg}{image:slimeoil.jpg}|{image:silentoil.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Beeswax (x2)__ - __Slime Oil__ Since only mages have access to the spell sneak, silent oils are always in high demand. But keep in mind, like every other consumable in the game, you will not see any substantial profit on this item until you can consistently HQ the synth (HQ3 of this synth, for example, yields a full stack of silent oils). Because the materials for this synth are always in high demand you might wanna consider an alternative synth to get past the early 20s. {table}Levels 22-27: __Blinding Potion (27)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|sleepshroom, poison flour, crying mustard|Blinding Potion (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:sleepshroom.jpg} {image:poisonflour.jpg} {image:cryingmustard.jpg}|{image:blindingpotion.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Sleepshroom__ - __Poison Flour__ - __Crying Mustard__ Go ahead and farm Spore Hollow in Junger for a healthy supply of sleepshrooms, or get the best deal at AH. Crying mustard is available cheaply from NPCs, but you may also find it ultra-cheap on some days at the Alchemy Guild. Poison flour does not stack and is only available from the npc goblins' shop in Lower Jeuno. Stack your results and sell them on AH while you're in jeuno buying the flour. {table}Levels 27-34: __Artifical Lens (34)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Fire Crystal|glass fiber (x2)|Artifical Lens (x1) {image:Craft Skills/FIRE.jpg}|{image:glassfiber.jpg}{image:glassfiber.jpg}|{image:artificiallens.jpg} {table} - __Fire Crystal__ - __Glass Fiber (x2)__ Once capping off your skills with silent oils and blinding potions, this will be your first big challenge as an alchemist. If you have [Goldsmithing] leveled to recruit or initiate, you can take an alternate route here by synthing minnows until they cap at 31. Or, if you have [Smithing] skills, you can make Blind Boltheads till they cap at 32. Otherwise you'll have cope with expensive fire crystals and stick with this synth until 32 or 33. Keep in mind, artifical lenses do not stack, tho, they do sell for minimal losses/breakeven at AH or in bazaar. {table}Levels 32-40: __Potion (40)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|Sage, Lizard Tail, Distilled Water|Potion (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:sage.jpg}{image:lizardtail.jpg}{image:distilled.jpg}|{image:potion.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Sprig of Sage__ - __Lizard Tail__ - __Distilled Water__ Head back to Southern San d'Oria and stock up on some sage and distilled water. Then, head out to your favorite lizard spot till your inventory is full with potions. Normally, synths that result in non-stacking items are bad for skilling up, however, the ingredients for potion are so cheap, you can't really pass it up. Plus, they usually sell for breakeven or profit at AH in Jeuno. If you prefer synths that stack, keep reading for an alternate route. {table}Levels 32-40: __Firesand (40)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Earth Crystal|Bomb Ash (x2), Sulfur (x1)|Firesand (x2) {image:Craft Skills/EARTH.jpg}|{image:bombash.jpg}{image:bombash.jpg}{image:sulfur.jpg}|{image:firesand.jpg} {table} - __Earth Crystal__ - __Pinch of Bomb Ash (x2)__ - __Sulfur__ Bomb ash and sulfur are both available in the Metalworks gunpowder room, but keep in mind, sulfur is only available there if Bastok is not last in conquest. Some region sellers also carry sulfur so keep your eye out. Costing almost 2k gil per synth, skilling up on firesand will be expensive. If you cannot sell it at a breakeven price, I highly suggest you keep it in storage for future use. This is especially the case if you're a ranger planning on leveling alchemy so that you can make your own bullets (which you will be able to do consistently after hitting 40 as long as your goldsmithing skill is initiate rank or higher). You can stop synthing firesand/potions around 36 since this is where you can start synthing vitriol... {table}Levels 36-43: __Vitriol (43)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|Treant Bulb (x2)|Vitriol (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:treantbulb.jpg}{image:treantbulb.jpg}|{image:vitriol.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Treant Bulb (x2)__ Pretty straight forward skill up for vitriol, treant bulbs are easily farmed and cheaply bought at AH. After taking your Apprentice exam at level 38, you will be able to start participating in the guild contract for some nice Alchemy skill+ gear as well as the Anima key item. At this point, a note should be said about support crafts and guild points. You will notice that alot of the guild items requested for you to synth will be status weapons (poison baselard, acid claws, etc, etc). Because of this, it is highly recommended you take the time and effort to skill up your goldsmithing and smithing skills (bonework too if you have the gil). This will make your guild point quest alot less stressful. Also, start keeping the usual items used to make status weapons: poison potion, vitriol, animal glue, beeswax (and in the higher levels, venom and paralysis potions). Even if you don't plan on using the guild point items, leveling smithing and goldsmithing will prove invalueable down the road when looking for alchemy synths that can yield you some quick gil (from HQ and +1 synths, of course). {table}Levels 38-45: __Carbon Fiber (45)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Lightning Crystal|Bomb Ash (x4)|Carbon Fiber (x3) {image:Craft Skills/LIGHTNING.jpg}|{image:bombash.jpg}{image:bombash.jpg}{image:bombash.jpg}{image:bombash.jpg}|{image:carbonfiber.jpg} {table} - __Lightning Crystal__ - __Pinch of Bomb Ash (x4)__ Time to camp the gunpowder room npc in Metalworks with some lightning clusters. An alternate route to 45 here involves using all that vitriol you made in making acid bolt heads (requires your Smithing to be at least level 12). You can then turn your bolt heads into bolts with woodworking. {table}Levels 43-50: __Ether (50)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|Bat Wing (x2), Dried Marjoram, Dryad Root, Distilled Water|Ether (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:batwing.jpg}{image:batwing.jpg}{image:driedmarjoram.jpg}{image:dryadroot.jpg}{image:distilled.jpg}|{image:ether.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Bat Wing (x2)__ - __Dried Marjoram__ - __Dryad Root__ - __Distilled Water__ Once again, you're back to a non-stacking synth for skill ups. But like potions, ethers are usually a easy seller in Jeuno. Dryad Roots will be your hardest ingredient to find. You're out of stacking synths until you can attempt holy water and/or silver bullets (bullets require goldsmithing initiate skills) at around 47. {table}Levels 47-51: __Holy Water (51)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Light Crystal|Distilled Water|Holy Water (x1) {image:Craft Skills/LIGHT.jpg}|{image:distilled.jpg}|{image:holywater.jpg} {table} - __Light Crystal__ - __Distilled Water__ If you're in no rush, take the time to research gardening online and attempt to grow your own light crystals, or go light elemental farming. Otherwise, be prepared to spend the gil for this otherwise easy skill up path. As noted earlier, an alternate route here includes skilling up on silver bullets (caps at 52), but it requires your goldsmithing to be at least level 18. However, silver bullets often sell at breakeven/profit in Jeuno. Once capped at 51, go ahead and use the holy water to make some holy bolt heads and then those into holy bolts (requires smithing and woodworking skills). {table}Levels 52-60: __Hi-Potion (60)__{table} {table}Crystal|Ingredients|Yield Water Crystal|sage (x2), malboro vine, distilled water|Hi-Potion (x1) {image:Craft Skills/WATER.jpg}|{image:sage.jpg}{image:sage.jpg}{image:malborovine.jpg}{image:distilled.jpg}|{image:hipotion.jpg} {table} - __Water Crystal__ - __Sage (x2)__ - __Malboro Vine__ - __Distilled Water__ Head back to Southern San d'Oria for some good old sage. This time, camp stroppers in Ordelle's, malboro vines are a 100% drop. Hi-Potions do not stack, but neither do the malboro vines, so suck it up and do some gobbiebag quests if you haven't already. 2004-09-21 15:29:57.675 2004-09-21 15:28:46.711 comment-Alchemy 101-1 Please note that times have changed and many "expensive" items Messiah discusses here are now next to worthless. For example, the holy weapons sell for only 1K more than the mythril versions, so you can't make any money on those synths anymore. Thanks for the great info on what to skill on, though! 2004-06-21 03:38:49.061 2004-06-21 03:38:47.054 Fri Sep 17 10:42:15 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:44:06 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:45:35 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:37:20 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:37:30 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:43:38 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:44:41 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:45:26 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:36:57 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:43:18 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:37:11 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:37:54 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:45:45 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:45:55 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:36:06 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:46:03 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:44:58 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:46:38 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:43:51 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:41:35 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:46:29 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:46:11 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:35:54 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:36:23 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:44:21 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:46:20 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:36:33 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:36:47 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:43:05 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:44:31 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:35:40 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:42:41 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:42:52 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:42:28 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:44:50 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:45:07 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:45:17 CDT 2004 Fri Sep 17 10:41:48 CDT 2004