Alchemy

Alchemy is the process in which new items can be created from existing ones in Dragon Quest games.

In Dragon Quest VIII and IX, the process is controllable by the player and is a means of creating new items manually. Alchemy is a fantastic way to recycle older equipment, with the results often significantly greater than the sum of their parts and well worth resisting the temptation to sell the old scrap off.

Appearances

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Alchemy debuts in the series as a plot element mentioned in IV in relation to Meena and Maya Mahabala's father, the esteemed Mahabala. He is said to have found a way of creating gold using alchemy. This breakthrough led to the rediscovery of the Secret of Evolution, and the demise of the alchemist at the hands of his apprentice.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Alchemy debuts as a player-controlled feature in the eighth game. King Trode repairs the Alchemy Pot he salvaged from the ruins of his castle before the game begins, and presents it to the player aboard the ship sailing to Peregrin Quay. At first, only two ingredients can be combined but the pot will be upgraded to handle three at once after the Pickham incident. In the original PS2 version of the game, the pot will boil as the player walks through towns and the overworld but not in dungeons where the Wagon cannot traverse safely; the pot can be upgraded to instantly complete a concoction as a reward for defeating the Lord of the Dragovians. In the 3DS and Cell phone port the recipe will finish immediately once the ingredients are added, and this feature has been removed from the Lord of the Dragovian's prize list.

Alchemy recipes can be found by reading books and speaking with townsfolk, though some are never fully alluded to and remain up to the player to experiment with the system to discover. In the original version, most formulas taken from tomes only hint towards their required reagents, but in the 3DS port all ingredients are listed in the recipe book once the player gets the initial hint.

Alchemy Recipes

See main article List of alchemy recipes in Dragon Quest VIII

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

In Dragon Quest IX, alchemy usage is fixed to one location and players must use the Krak Pot at Quester's Rest. The Krak Pot does not become available until after the gate east of Stornway opens part-way into the game. Erinn then puts the Krak Pot on the counter for usage.

Alchemy is more involved in IX than in the previous game, featuring significantly more items that only serve as reagents than before. Recipes can be found for both common and rare items via bookshelves and speaking to villagers as before. Players may also choose to manually mix items which may or may not produce a resulting item, encouraging experimentation. If an item is not made, the reagents are returned to the player and are NOT CONSUMED.

Alchemy Recipes

See main article List of alchemy recipes in Dragon Quest IX

Alchemy Ingredients (Reagents)

See main article List of alchemy ingredients in Dragon Quest IX

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

In Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, the Krak Pot must be found on Mt. Krakatroda. It requires the use of recipes, most of which are acquired from rescued Slimes.

Dragon Quest of the Stars

In Stars, the Alchemy pot is run by Squirrils. Players can use alchemy to upgrade certain equipment. Each recipe requires some kind of powder, and usually some alchemic weapon or armor crystals.

It can also be used to remove Awakening from some weapons.

Dragon Quest Tact

In Dragon Quest Tact, Alchemy is used to obtain three random perks on weapons and armor. Players can alchemize 5 items at once, but can only pick 1 combination of perks.