Lost Art of Alchemy

Lost Art of Alchemy brings the ancient and forgotten science of alchemy back to the stars. With a new perk, unique mechanics, and dozens of custom poultices and poisons, this mod opens up exciting new gameplay options focused on crafting, exploration, and stealthy subterfuge.

FEATURES

New Perk: Alchemy

• While the art of alchemy was lost for many years after the loss of Earth and its incredible variety of life, as humanity explored the stars they found new remedies and poisons they could create from alien plants.
• Each rank unlocks new recipes at the Alchemy Lab and makes poisons last an additional hit.
• Rank 1 adds a 10% chance to harvest additional components from flora and fauna, increasing by 5% per perk rank.
• Rank challenges are tied to crafting poultices or poisons at the Alchemy Lab.

Alchemy Lab & Crafting

• Alchemy is only possible using natural components such as Stimulant (Leaf) or Structural (Bone).
• Factory-made or outpost-produced items are not valid for crafting.
• A tag has been added to eligible ingredients to indicate their use in alchemy.
• 38 new poultices and 40 new poisons can be crafted at the Alchemy Lab.
• The Alchemy Lab is unlocked with Rank 1 of the Alchemy perk.

Item Acquisition

• Noel in The Lodge is now the primary apothecary, selling alchemic items.
• Poultices and poisons can also be found in shops, containers, and wherever chems or meds are typically found.

Poison Mechanics

• Built using rebuilt Skyrim poison code.
• Poisons can be applied to melee weapons, the Fists weapon, and to the Old Earth Hunting Rifle and Old Earth Pistol (via new magazine mods).
• Ranged weapons only deliver one dose of poison per application.

Research Projects

• New research trees unlock recipes and improve existing ones.
• Includes alchemic grenades, smoke bombs, and light grenades.

Unique Weapon: Toxic Knife

• A universe-variable blade hidden near Neon.
• Has a unique appearance and enchantment that doubles poison doses.

Magazines

• New alchemy-themed magazines grant bonuses and unlock recipes.
• Locations are randomized per universe to encourage exploration.

New Backgrounds

Herbalist

• The Settled Systems hold countless useful plants and animals. You spent years training your body and mind with unique mixtures.
  Skills: Alchemy, Wellness, Weight Lifting
  Bonus: +10% beneficial alchemy duration

Venomborn

• Poisons have always been a preferred tool for assassins. You've spent years concocting mixtures that can damage and disable your targets.
  Skills: Alchemy, Stealth, Theft
  Bonus: +10% harmful alchemy magnitude

New Traits

• Snake Blooded: Poison courses through your veins like a second bloodstream. Poisons are 5% stronger and you are immune to most forms of poison, however all non-alchemic items have 30% reduced healing. (Cannot be combined with Pure Hearted.)
• Pure Hearted: Your very presence radiates kindness. Beneficial alchemical effects are 10% stronger, but harmful alchemy is 5% weaker. (Can't be combined with Snake Blooded.)
• Sadistic: There's pleasure in pain—just not your own. Delivering poison face-to-face gives you a rush: +10% movement and critical chance for 5 seconds. Unfortunately, people can sense something’s wrong with you—making persuasion 5% less effective.
• Prepper: You’re never caught unprepared. Begin with +20 carry capacity and an ample supply of poisons and poultices, but future purchases of these products are 20% more expensive.

INTEGRATED PERKS

Scavenging

• Poultices and poisons have been sparsely added to loot lists.

Demolitions

• Unlocks alchemical grenade recipes.
  • Poison grenades deal poison damage.
  • Light grenades generate detection events to distract enemies.
  • Smoke grenades boost stealth and reduce enemy accuracy.
  • Light and smoke grenades can be customized at the workbench.

Theft

• Adds a Poison prompt next to Pickpocket when sneaking.
  • Base success: 23%
  • Each rank of Stealth and Theft increases success by 9% (caps at 95%).
  • Success silently poisons the target.
  • Failure initiates combat.

GAME SETTINGS

• Complex Recipes: Off = Allows non-natural components in recipes.
• Magnitude/Duration Sliders: Adjust strength and duration for poisons, healing, and beneficial effects separately.
• Unarmed Poison: Disables the Fists weapon and unarmed poisoning.
• Reverse Pickpocketing: Disables the poison prompt from pickpocket menu.
• Ranged Poison: Disables ranged poison mods and research projects.

COMPATIBILITY

• Noel container record modified: Makes Noel a vendor. If overwritten, Noel will not sell items but the rest of the mod functions normally.
• Boxing perk modified: Adds Fists weapon when taking rank 1. Enables unarmed poisoning. Safe to overwrite if unarmed poisoning is not needed.
• Natural ingredients modified: Essential to crafting system. Other mods that change these should be loaded before this one.

MOD SUPPORT

Join the Discord for help, feedback, and discussion:
https://discord.gg/h5zEHpBU6z