Kingdom Come: Deliverance Alchemy and Herbalism Guide

Kingdom Come’s attempts to replicate real-world 1400’s Bohemia for its players is what makes the game so unique and many of its “tried-and-true” systems – like potion-making – feel revamped and fresh. Warhorse’s dedication to base the game in history can be seen all throughout the game’s Alchemy and Herbalism systems. All the plants are real and could be found in Bohemia. In addition, the majority of the potion recipes have their basis in actual recipes folx would use to try to heal themselves back then. Even the system of boiling and distilling has its roots in what people were actually doing in 1400.

While this is all very cool, it can make the game’s Alchemy system more complicated than some of its peers. Luckily, we have compiled everything you need to know about brewing potions, sorting out recipes, and finding the herbs you’ll need.

How to Brew Potions

Learning to brew potions in KC:D is a multistep process. Messing up one step of the brewing process can render your entire batch useless.

Before you even get started with your alchemist training, it is highly recommended that you learn to read. While you can still brew without being literate, it makes it a heck of a lot easier. This means a trip to visit the Scribe in Uzhitz to learn how to read. The quest to do so can be started by talking to the Apothecary in Rattay.

After you can read, simply talk to any Apothecary. They will offer to train you for a small amount of groschen. After their training, you will have access to the many alchemy benches that are sprinkled across the map. *Pro-tip make sure to always use benches in public places so you don’t get a surprise visit from a guard coming to arrest you for trespassing during the middle of your brewing process.

While brewing potions in KC:D can seem intimidating, it is as simple as following a few clear directions after you have a recipe. Each recipe features some combination of timing when you put herbs in, controlling temperature, grinding, and distilling.

Alchemy Recipes

The hardest part about alchemy in KC:D is finding all of the potion recipes. Luckily, we have compiled them all here so you do not need to spend hours of trial and error just to learn how to make Savior Schnapps.

Potion Name	What it does	Recipe Ingredients	Recipe Instructions
Aesop Potion	Increase your Horsemanship by 5 for 10 minutes. Also makes dogs ignore you.	Spirits Wild Boar’s Tusk Wormwood Belladonna *Comfrey	Drop the wormwood and tusk in the cauldron. Boil the wormwood and tusk for two turns. Leave the cauldron to cool. Grind the comfrey. Drop the belladonna and comfrey in the cauldron, but do not boil. Distill.
Amor Potion	Charisma increased by 5 for 10 minutes.	Wine Marigold Chamomile Wormwood *Antlers	First drop in the ground antlers, boil for one turn. Drop in the marigold and chamomile and boil for one more turn. Grind the wormwood and add it, but do not boil
Artemisia Potion	Strength and Warfare are increased by 5 for 10 minutes.	Spirits Wormwood X 2 *Sage	Drop in the sage and boil for one turn. Grind the wormwood. Drop the wormwood in the cauldron and cook for two turns.
Antidote	Cures poisoning	Water Thistle X 2 Nettle Charcoal	Drop the thistle in the cauldron and boil for two turns. Then add the nettles and boil for one turn. Leave to cool. Finally, add the charcoal, but do not boil!
Aqua Vitalis	For 5 minutes attacks will do 50% less damage.	Water Marigold *Dandelion X 2	Boil the dandelions for one turn. Grind the marigold. Add the marigold and boil for one more turn. Distill.
Bane Potion	Poison that gradually depletes 110 Health points.	Wine Wormwood Belladonna X 2 Fly Agaric	Boil the wormwood for two turns. Leave the wormwood to cool Grind the belladonna. Drop the belladonna in the cauldron, but do not boil! Finally, add the fly agaric. Distill.
Bard Potion	Increases Speech by 5 for 10 minutes	Oil Belladonna St. John’s Wort Nettle *Charcoal	Grind the St. John’s wort. Grind the nettles. Throw all the herbs in the pot. Simmer for two turns! Add charcoal so the potion is not poisonous.
Bivoj’s Rage Potion	Increases Strength – increases your damage output by 50%	Wine Sage x 2 Wormwood Save Mushroom	Throw the sage in the cauldron and boil for two turns. Leave to cool. Grind the wormwood. Add the wormwood, but do not boil. For better effect add the cave mushroom. Distill.
Bowman’s Brew	Increases Bow skill by 5 for 10 minutes	Spirits Eyebright X 2 *St. John’s Wort	Drop the Eyebright in the cauldron and boil for three turns. Let the cauldron with the Eyebright cool. Grind the St. John’s wort. Drop the St. John’s wort in the cauldron, but do not boil.
Buck’s Blood Potion	Stamina increases by 50% for 10 minutes.	Oil St John’s Wort Comfrey Dandelion	Grind the St. John’s wort. Drop the St. John’s wort and comfrey into the cauldron and boil for one turn. Leave to cool. Add the dandelions, but do not boil.
Cockerel Potion	Increases Energy by 20	Spirits Valerian *Mint x 2	Grind the mint. Boil the mint for one turn. Add the valerian and boil for two more turns. Distill.
Digestive Potion	Reduces Overstuffing by 20 and cures food-poisoning	Spirits Mint *Chamomile X 2	Grind the chamomile. Drop everything in the cauldron and simmer for one turn.
Dollmaker Potion	Combat Skills are reduced by 5 for 10 minutes and your stamina is lowered by 50%.	Spirits Herb Paris X 2 *Valerian	Drop in the Herb Paris and boil for three turns. Grind the valerian. Leave to cool. Drop the valerian in the cauldron, but do not simmer or boil any longer. Distill.
Embrocation	Increases Agility and Defense by 5 for 10 minutes	Oil Eyebright Poppy Valerian *Wild Boar’s Tusk	Drop the poppy and valerian into the cauldron and simmer for two turns. Grind the eyebright. Drop the eyebright into the cauldron, but do not boil! Finally, drop in the boar’s tusk.
Hair o’ the Dog Potion	Cures drunkenness and hangovers but your Charisma is reduced by 2 for an hour.	Water Mint St. John’s Wort Sage	Boil the St. John’s wort and sage for three turns. Leave to cool. Grind the mint. Put the mint in the cauldron. Distill
Lazarus Potion	In 5 minutes it adds 100 health and dispels hangovers.	Water Comfrey X 2 *Valerian	Boil the valerian for one turn. Grind the comfrey. Add the comfrey to the valerian and boil for one turn. Distill.
Lethean Water	Resets Perk Points.	Spirits Wormwood X 2 Belladonna Fly Agaric	Grind the wormwood. Put the wormwood and belladonna in the cauldron. Brew the wormwood and belladonna for three turns. Add the fly agaric. Distil.
Lullaby Potion	Makes the user fall asleep.	Oil Poppy Thistle Herb Paris	Drop the poppy in the cauldron and boil for one turn. Add the thistle and boil for one more turn. Leave to cool and then add the herb paris.
Marigold Decoction	Within 1 minute it will add 30 health and dispel hangover effects	Water Nettle *Marigold X 2	Drop the nettle in the water and cook for one turn. Leave to cool. Drop in the marigold, but don’t boil it anymore.
Padfoot Potion	Lockpicking, Pickpocketing, and Stealth are increased by 5 for 10 minutes.	Water Valerian Eyebright Chamomile *Cobweb	Drop the cobweb and eyebright in the cauldron. Boil the mixture for three turns. Grind the valerian. Add the valerian to the cauldron and boil for one turn. Leave the cauldron to cool. Grind the chamomile. Add the chamomile to the cauldron, but do not boil.
Poison	Gradually depletes 50 health.	Oil Herb Paris *Thistle	Drop the thistle in the cauldron and boil for one turn. Leave to cool. Add the paris, but do not boil!
Preserver	Keeps food fresh and turns spoiled food back into edible ones.	Oil Nettle Mint St. John’s Wort	Grind the mint. Grind the nettles. Drop the mint and nettles in the cauldron. Boil for one turn. Add the St. John’s wort, but do not boil it anymore. Distill.
Saviour Schnapps	Saves the game.	Wine Belladonna X 2 *Nettles	Prepare wine. Place one handful of nettles into wine. Boil for two turns. Grind two handfuls of belladonna. Place ground belladonna into the cauldron. Boil for one turn. Take phial and collect the schnapps!
Moonshine	Strong alcohol.	Spirits St. John’s Wort Sage Mint	Drop the St. John’s wort in the cauldron and boil for one turn. Grind the sage. Grind the mint. Drop the sage and mint in and boil for one more turn. Distill.

Where to Obtain Herbs

Herbs are spread all across Warhorse’s recreation of Bohemia. They grow as weeds in fields, as the lone survivors amidst rubble, and in lush forests. As a vital part of alchemy, it is critical for Henry to obtain a significant amount of herbs along his journey. Herbs can be purchased from vendors or found in the wild.

Where to Buy Herbs

Almost every herb can be purchased from the following vendors:

Brother Nicodemus
Apothecary of Rattay – Konyash
Herbalist of Ledetchko – Kunhuta
Herbalist of Neuhof
Herbalist of Samopesh
Herbalist of Talmberg

While the cost of buying herbs might not seem like a lot at face value, it is important to remember that (1) you need a LOT of herbs and (2) money in KC:D is hard to come by. So buying herbs should often be treated only as a last resort or a quick fix when you just need that one last thistle to complete your poison.

How to Find Herbs in the Wild

Every herb in Kingdom Come is associated with a specific ecosystem (or two). If you are not always fast traveling, you will typically be able to find most herbs while just traveling between locations. However, if you are stuck on where to find them here is our guide for which ecosystem each herb belongs in and some notable locations where they grow.

Herb	Ecosystem	Sample Locations
Belladonna	Clearings in leafy woods	Between Rattay and Neuhof in a field.
Chamomile	Found in Fields	North of Rattay on the cliff-side slope between castle walls and the road east of the Miller.
Comfrey	Grows on banks of water and in ditches by fields	North of Merhojed there is a woodland garden next to the bandit camp.
Dandelion	Everywhere – its a weed.	South of Rovna in a series of fields.
Eyebright	Well lit pastures	Forest garden near Samopesh.
Herb Paris	Deep woods.	Forest garden norteast of Uzhitz.
Marigold	Rubble piles, near dung, and in pastures.	South of Ledetchko and on the roads in Talmberg
Mint	In gardens and alongside houses	Monastery in Sasau
Nettle	By water and on the edge of woods	Archery range in Rattay
Poppy	In fields – it is a weed	Field south of Rovna
Sage	Hillsides	Field west of Uzhitz
St. John’s Wort	Leafy woods	Uzhitz Stables
Thistle	Roadside ditches and in shade	Everywhere.
Valerian	Forest paths, marshes, and bogs.	Along the river from Rattay past the Miller
Wormwood	Roadsides and in fields	Fields near the stables in Neuhof

Tips to Grind up your Alchemy and Herbalism

Grinding up your Alchemy and Herbalism can save you a lot of time and greatly improve your ability to be efficient with time. Here are our tips for how to level up these stats as quickly as possible!

Utilize Skill Books and Skill Tutors.
Brew a lot of Saviour Schnapps. You need them anyway and they are one of the easiest potions to make.
Go to the high-density locations for various herbs and pick as many of them in one go as you can.