Apothecary Guide 0 to 100

Post by Azureal
For a system so inherently simple, theres a metric arse load of confusion over how to level apothecary. So just last night I decided to zero my current 157 apothecary skill (after spending an hour looking for the talisman trainer) and starting from scratch with the full intention of writing a simple and easy to understand guide explaining how to get the first 100 points in Apothecary. If you havent figured it out by that stage, the next 100 points will be lost on you anyway.

To break it down, the Apothecary skill measures your current skill against the skill of the MAIN INGREDIENT youre using, performs a hidden skillcheck/roll and decides if you gain skill or not. Its that simple. So whilst it has been said that you can continually gain skill from using level 1 mats all the way up to 100 and beyond, you would be entirely at the mercy of the skill check/roll, and it would take forever to gain very much after around level 50. Not to mention the fact that if it were possible to gain too much skill from low level mats, the system would be basically broken/flawed, and the devs responsible would need to be fired/stabbed.

Containers.

Containers work in two ways. The first is obvious, its where the finished potion goes. You can do nothing until a suitable container is placed in the first slot of the apothecary window **PICTURE** Secondly, higher level containers provide a bonus to stability.

Basic Ingredients - Lowest Level Vial

Same Ingedients - Mid Level Vial

Main Ingredients.

These determine what potion you will make and let you know the minimum required skill to make that particular potion.

Stabilizers/Misc.

Stabilizers determine whether or not you will a) create a stable potion and b) succeed at creating a potion. PLEASE NOTE: YOU CAN GAIN SKILL FROM UNSTABLE/VOLATILE CONCOCTIONS.

Gaining Skill from Unstable Potions

I found the hardest level gains between 35-50, as the highest level main ingredient I was able to use was a level 15 Engorged Ribbon Leech, but after a quick search on the AH, I found what I needed and the gains kept flowing. Between 50 and 80 was extremely easy as main ingredients are available in an abundance of types (leech, ticks, dirt, spit) and with varying levels (50, 60, 65 and 75) allowing rapid skill gain **SKILL GAIN BETWEEN 50 AND 65 - 15 POTIONS** Between 85 and 100 wasnt too bad, with enough level 75 main ingredients it was too bad, skill gains slowed down during the 90s, but not enough to cause any major concerns.

Gaining skill in Apothecary is about testing yourself against the hidden skill check/roll. Youre very unlikely to gain a point of skill using level 1 vendor main ingredients at level 60, where as a level 60 main ingedient will basically guarantee a skill gain.
If youre looking at taking up Apothecary as your trade skill, you will either need to take up a gathering skill (cultivating, scavenging or butchering. I use Scavenging) or rely upon the AH to supply you with everything you need. I think most peoples problems arise from the fact that they grind their way through to 50 on the NPC ingredients and then wonder why the skills gains stop/drop off. You MUST keep using the highest possible main ingredients your skill allows.

Its late, and I really should be in bed by now. I will upload the screenshots I took tomorrow at some stage.

**EDIT** Screenshots added.

Critical Success - You Made Something Better! Whilst this is still quite buggy (ie - a crit success most times doesnt produce something better) its always nice when it does give you a potion thats a little better than standard.

Super Critical Success - You Made Something Awesome! And then of course there are super critical success, where you get something even more delicious.