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Preferably in bulk, or a low-quantity but restocking merchant would be best. I am not opposed to making them, but Alchemy is not one of my major skills. This won't be hard to rectify necessarily, but it would inconveniently cramp my short term in-game plans.

Also, are there any merchants who carry the needed ingredients (see wiki for details)? I know the wiki states that it is found randomly in some vendors inventory, but I don't want to go searching thru every alchemist's shop inventory. Again, not opposed to doing this in the long run, but it immediately cramps my current in-game schemes.

And yes, I know that by comparison Fortify Strength is better than Feather. HOWEVER.... even Sigil stones (transcendent mind you) have a greater weight reduction value than a Fortify Strength transcendent sigil stone does (125 points of Feather to 12 points of Strength). Now, I don't know about potions, and if Feather wins the battle of the numbers here as well, but I am looking at carrying around several Expert level Feather potions as a part of my basic kit.

So... know of any good shops?

I know this doesn't really answer your question, but would an Ease Burden spell work for your short term plans? It's a 50pts/240sec Feather. It's only an apprentice skill level (25+) Alteration spell. You can get one fairly cheaply at Edgar's Discount Spells in the Market District of the IC.

Do feather spells stack like enchantments and potions do? because if so, it would be an excellent alternative. Alteration isn't one of my major skills either, but as the recent Security vs. Alteration thread pointed out, it would be a smarter move.

Yeah, the feather spells will stack, as long as the effects are coming from spells that have different names. They would also stack with any feather potions or enchantments if you were using any.

As for the original question, I think it is fairly random as to what will be in the inventory of alchemy merchants. Going to a place like the Imperial City Market District would be a good start as you might find some ingredients or potions with the desired effects at The Gilded Carafe or The Main Ingredient.

My last visit to the main ingredient revealed that the trader there sells only ingredients and apparatuses, not potions. Not sure if it was a glitch, perhaps someone else can go to that trader and confirm.

You don't want the skills you want to build up to be major skills!!!!! (Alteration being the exception because you want Destruction to be free to build up.)

Go to Skingrad, pick a bunch of grapes and a bunch of tomatoes, or go to Odill farm, Shardrock, and Shetcombe farms and pick a bunch of corn, taters, and carrots (all are in a line from Chorrol to Kvatch because the game designers want you to be a super alchemist). Then (with the four alchemy aparati) hit the make potion button as fast as you can until you run out. Your alchemy score will be higher than if it were a major skill and you will get +5 in Intelligence the next time you level up (and about a zillion dollars in potions). You cannot do that with a major skill. (I pace myself with 10 alchemy points per level to get +5 in Intelligence each level to build my magic reserve.)


Flax seed plus venison or sweetcake = novice feather. Flax are the pretty red and blue flowers all over the place around Skingrad. You can buy the others at most alchemy shops, and most mage guildhouses have venison laying out or in barrels.

The next level uses either water hyacinth or sacred lotus (I forget which), both are very abundant. look in the motes in the Imperial city for the lotus.

I prefer feather enchantments instead of strength because I wear heavy armor and feather decreases the armor weight and makes movement faster. When I use a blade I am usually hitting many many times to build my score, so I don't want strength to increase the damage.

Yes, the feather spells stack, but building Alteration is slow compared to building alchemy so potions are good when you go over the top.

Actually flax + venison is apprentice according to the wiki. I was gonna say that earlier but paused to look at the wiki.

Good info dump, Chicken Slayer. Thanks. I'll give it a go.

And your reasoning of Feather potions over strength potions is very solid and reasonable. Thanks for providing that as well.

I guess I jack my alchemy up to Apprentice level before I ever make a feather potion. I get my sweetcake in the Anvil mages guild house, they have two sitting out (and thre venison steaks). I make the first named potion with flax and sweetcake and then make the rest with venison using the same name to have the same lighter bottle weight.