Full Witcher 3 Decoctions Catalog and Locations Guide

A complete catalog of all available decoctions in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s next-gen update. Here you will also find detailed instructions on where to find and how to craft all of them and recommendations for which to get as early as possible!

Table of Contents:

• What are Decoctions in The Witcher 3
• How to get the ingredients and craft decoctions
• Full List of all Decoctions in the game
• What are the best Decoctions to use

What are Decoctions in The Witcher 3

Decoctions are a very particular kind of potion, they grant a considerable buff (usually offensive, sometimes defensive) and require monster mutagens to be crafted.

Decoctions build up your Toxicity, which limits the number of decoction effects you can have at the same time. In the early, to mid-game, you will be able to stack one decoction and a couple of potions.

As you progress through the levels and through certain Skills you can unlock, by the time you reach the endgame, you will be able to easily have two active decoctions and even a potion or two all at the same time!

Potions have no level requirements. However, to craft the higher tiers of potions, you will need to defeat powerful monsters to get the required ingredients.

Decoction formulas can be obtained by reading books, buying recipes from merchants, or finding them randomly when looting chests and other objects while exploring the open world of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.

Decoctions are consumables. After you drink one, you have to meditate to replenish the contents of that empty bottle and be able to use the decoction again. When you meditate, you lose the effect of any currently active decoctions and potions.

If you are new to the game, I recommend you take a good look at The Witcher 3 DOs and DONTs guide for a great collection of beginner-friendly tips and recommendations to give you a good start.

How to get the ingredients and craft decoctions

To craft a decoction, you need to first acquire the recipe (formula) for it. Then you can open the Alchemy screen to look at what ingredients you need to gather to craft the decoction.

All Decoction recipes can be found randomly but some have 100% guaranteed s[pot to get them from. In the next segment of the guide, I will show you the exact location of all confirmed spawn and/or purchasable decoction recipes in the game.

Almost all of the decoctions use a unique mutagen, which is usually earned by defeating a creature of the same name. These creatures are often part of Witcher Contracts.

Herbs, and Alchemy items you can obtain by exploring the world, looting chests and finding hidden treasures. You can also purchase nearly every one of the ingredients in a ready-to-use form for a decoction or you can purchase ingredients to craft an item that you need for a decoction.

I have a great list of merchants in The Witcher 3 that you should visit as soon as possible, and some of them as often as possible. Make good use of this list and stock up on herbs and alchemy ingredients.

The Dwarven Spirit is present in all of the decoctions you can craft. You will have more than enough of this alchemy ingredient if you just play the game. Should you ever need to craft it, here’s what you need and where to find the ingredients for Dwarven Spirit.

The ingredients are easy and frequent to loot as you explore. You can also purchase them from merchants and especially from innkeepers.

Full List of all Decoctions in the game

In this segment of the guide, I have listed every single one of the decoctions (in alphabetical order), where and how to obtain the recipes (formulas) to craft them and all of the required ingredients.

Note: This is an enormous project and it is likely that I may have missed a detail here or there. If you spot a missing location or want to provide additional information on a crafting ingredient or anything related to the decoctions, leave a comment or send an email to info@vulkk.com. Thank you!

Alghoul Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad and look for the Books and Scrolls store. It’s on the north side of the square.

Talk to Marcus Hodgson. Buy and read the “Ghouls and Alghouls” book to get the Alghoul Decoction formula.

Good spots for farming mutagens are the Whale Graveyard on Ard Skellig in Skellige and Downwarren (after it gets destroyed as part of the Witches of Crookback bog questline) in Velen. Red mutagens are the rarest to drop by far.

Ancient Leshen Decoction

The Ancient Leshen decoction formula can be found through random drops.

There are two ways to gather the Ancient Leshen mutagen. The first one is by slaying the Ancient Leshen in the “In the Heart of the Woods” quest. You can start this quest by heading to Fayrlund, a village on Ard Skellig, the big middle island in Skellige. The recommended level for this quest is 22.

The second option is by defeating the Ancient Leshen in the “Dark Legacy” quest, this mission is part of the Heart of Stone Expansion.

Arachas Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad. Talk to the Herbalist that’s near the Signpost. Remember that even NPCs go to sleep so make sure to go on working hours. This merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

The Arachas mutagen is obtainable by beating Arachas as part of the Contract quest “Missing Brother” in Velen. This quest has a suggested level of 33. You can start it by reading the notice board in Inn at the Crossroads.

Archgriffin Decoction

Complete the Contract quest “The Creature from Oxenfurt Forest” to get the Archgriffin mutagen, suggested level is 35. You can pick this quest from Oxenfurt’s notice board.

During the Master Armorer secondary quest you can pick up a contract from the notice board in Crow’s Perch for an archgriffin. The quest is only available when you are told about it during the “Master Armorer” quest with Yoana and the contract’s name is “Griffin in the Highlands”.

Another source of this mutagen is the level 48 Archgriffin in Skellige. He is guarding a treasure in a small island north of Ard Skellig in Skellige.

Basilisk Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad and look for the Books and Scrolls store.

Talk to Marcus Hodgson. Buy and read the book “A Few Remarks on Basilisks and Cockatrices” to get the Basilisk Decoction formula.

There’s a small island near the Lighthouse in Novigrad. This location is a Guarded Treasure spot, the Basilisk guarding the treasure should drop the mutagen.

Chort Decoction

To get the Chort mutagen you must complete the Contract quest “Mysterious Tracks” in Velen. You can pick it up from Lindenvale’s notice board. This quest suggested level is 20.

Cockatrice Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad and look for the Books and Scrolls store.

Talk to Marcus Hodgson, buy and read the “A Few Remarks on Basilisks and Cockatrices” book to get the Cockatrice Decoction formula.

Like most mutagens, you can get the Cockatrice mutagen by killing the respective beast. But first, you must get the right Contract quest. Go to Crow’s Perch and talk to Chet or pick up the Contract from the Notice Board to start the Contract quest “Shrieker”. This is one of the first mutagens that you can get in the game as the quest’ suggested level is 8.

Another location is in Skellige. A level 20 Cockatrice is roaming the sky around this marked area on the image below.

Doppler Decoction

This one is a little tricky. You have to start the Wandering in the Dark quest.

After defeating Nithral you’ll have access to the Elven Mage’s Laboratory. Loot the chest that’s close to the big bookshelf. It contains “The Bear Legend” book, read it to learn the Doppler Decoction Formula.

There’s only one way to obtain the Doppler mutagen. You must complete the Contract quest “An Elusive Thief”. Go to the quest board on Hierarch Square and pick up the note “Contract: Imp”. Then, the “An Elusive Thief” quest will begin automatically. It’s for level 13.

Sparing the Doppler will prevent you from getting the mutagen, as there are no other Dopplers in the game.

Earth Elemental Decoction

Head to the roadside shrine located Southeast of Woesong Bridge in White Orchard. This is a liberation quest; you must defeat the level 2 Ghouls near the shrine. I noticed that sometimes not all enemies appear at once, making it look like the quest is bugged.

To fix this I simply started meditating, this makes the last Ghoul spawn immediately and attack you. Once you defeat, it the villagers (including the Herbalist) will return.

This location is just north of one of the Places of Power in the starting area of the game. The merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

There are two relatively simple ways to obtain the Earth Elemental mutagen. The first one is by going to the quest board on Hierarch Square in Novigrad, and pick the note that says “Contract: Haunted House”. The Contract quest “Doors Slamming Shut” will begin automatically.

The second option is by heading north of the House of Respite in Velen. There’s a treasure guarded by an elemental.

Another place where you can find an Earth Elemental that drops this mutagen in the southwestern (bottom left) part on the map of Kaer Morhen, inside the cave where you find the gauntlets diagram from the Superior Wolven witcher set. This is near the Iron Mine Fast Travel.

Ekhidna Decoction

The Ekhidna decoction formula can be found through random drops.

An Ekhidna mutagen can be obtained when completing the level 19 Contract quest “Here Comes the Groom”. To get this quest head to the Notice Board in Svorlag, located on the An Skellig island.

Ekimmara Decoction

Head to the Orphans of Crookback Bog. Look for Crone’s House, it’s the big and creepy building in the area.

The chest that’s closest to the entrance contains the book “My Evening with a Vampire”, read it to get the Ekimmara Decoction formula.

You can get an Ekimmara mutagen from an Ekimarra. There are a few contracts involving them in the game and one example is “The Mystery of the Byways Murders” (level 22), which takes place at Byways, in southwestern Velen.

Fiend Decoction

Head to the roadside shrine located Southeast of Woesong Bridge in White Orchard. This is a liberation quest; you must defeat the level 2 Ghouls near the shrine. I noticed that sometimes not all enemies appear at once, making it look like the quest is bugged.

To fix this I simply started meditating, this makes the last Ghoul spawn immediately and attack you. Once you defeat it, the villagers (including the Herbalist) will return.

This location is just north of one of the Places of Power in the starting area of the game. The merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

The earliest Fiend you will probably encounter is in the Crookback Bog, during the “Return to Crookback Bog” quest with the Blood Baron. That’s the first chance you get at a Fiend mutagen.

Another location is a level 22 Fiend guarding a hidden treasure near the Mastercrafted Wolven Silver Sword diagram in southeastern Velen. This one does not always drop it, however.

Foglet Decoction

The Foglet Decoction can be found through random encounters.

To get the Foglet mutagen, you can explore the abandoned town and its surroundings on the “Bald Mountain” main quest. There are a few Flogets in that area before and after the quest (not during).

You can also get Foglet mutagens from the Foglets you fight during the secondary quest “Practicum in Advanced Alchemy”, which you can start by talking to Gremist near Gedyneith on Ard Skellig.

Forktail Decoction

The Forktail Decoction drops randomly.

Other than your regular Forktail encounters, the Forktail mutagen is always dropped by the Forktail object to the quest “Contract: Dragon”. You can pick it up in Skellige, from the Fyresdal notice board. The suggested level is 28.

Grave Hag Decoction

Head to the roadside shrine located Southeast of Woesong Bridge in White Orchard. This is a liberation quest; you must defeat the level 2 Ghouls near the shrine. I noticed that sometimes not all enemies appear at once, making it look like the quest is bugged.

To fix this I simply started meditating, this makes the last Ghoul spawn immediately and attack you. Once you defeat, it the villagers (including the Herbalist) will return.

This location is just north of one of the Places of Power in the starting area of the game. The merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

To craft it, you will need a Grave Hag mutagen. There are a number of ways you can obtain these. Grave Hags are rare monsters. They are higher-level versions of the lowly Water Hags that roam the swamps of Velen, for example.

A source of this mutagen is the Grave Hag from the Contract: The Mery Widow, which you can pick up on Lindenvale’s notice board. This witcher contract quest is for level 10.

The Grave Hag (level 26) in the elven ruins beneath Oxenfurt is a good source. You will visit this place during a late-game main quest. To go to the underground ruins, jump down the well in the southwestern part of the city, near the Western Gate.

Griffin Decoction

After defeating the Royal Griffin in White Orchard (main quest) you will loot a Griffin mutagen, which is required for this decoction.

Griffins are rare to come by in The Witcher 3. If for whatever reason you need to find another, there’s a level 25 griffin west of Fyke Isle and very close to one of the Places of Power in Velen.

Katakan Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad. Talk to the Herbalist that’s near the Signpost. Remember that even NPCs go to sleep so make sure to go on working hours. This merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

A Katakan mutagen can be obtained by completing the level 26 Contract quest “The Oxenfurt Drunk”. Pick up the contract from Oxenfurt’s notice board.

Leshen Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad. Talk to the Herbalist that’s near the Signpost. Remember that even NPCs go to sleep so make sure to go on working hours.

This merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

Leshens aren’t as common as other monsters. To get the mutagen to craft the Leshen Decoction head South of Novigrad to Cunny of the Goose’s notice board and pick up the level 25 “Devil in the Woods” Contract quest.

Nekker Warrior Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad. Talk to the Herbalist that’s near the Signpost. Remember that even NPCs go to sleep so make sure to go on working hours.

This merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

To craft it you must have the Nekker Warrior mutagen. For this one, you’ll have to complete the level 16 Contract quest “Strange Beast”. Go to Larvik, a village located in Hindarsfjall, the small Skellige island on the east. Pick the quest from the Larvik’s notice board, then speak to Thorleif.

Nightwraith Decoction

Head to the roadside shrine located Southeast of Woesong Bridge in White Orchard. This is a liberation quest; you must defeat the level 2 Ghouls near the shrine. I noticed that sometimes not all enemies appear at once, making it look like the quest is bugged.

To fix this I simply started meditating, this makes the last Ghoul spawn immediately and attack you. Once you defeat it, the villagers (including the Herbalist) will return.

This location is just north of one of the Places of Power in the starting area of the game. The merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

You can acquire the Nightwraith fairly early in the game. Go to the small village named Midcopse, which is located in the western area of Velen. Get the level 10 Contract quest “Jenny o’ the Woods” from the notice board.

Noonwraith Decoction

The Noonwraith Decoction formula is one of the easiest to obtain. Just visit Tomira the Herbalist in White Orchard and buy it from her. She also sells other Decoction formulas.

To get the Noonwraith mutagen you can complete the Contract quest “Devil by the Dwell”. Go to the main town in White Orchard and check the notice board. This quest is the first optional contract you can get in the game as it only requires you to be level 2.

Reliever’s Decoction

Go to Hierarch Square in Novigrad. Talk to the Herbalist that’s near the Signpost. Remember that even NPCs go to sleep so make sure to go on working hours. This merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

Good spots for farming mutagens are the Whale Graveyard on Ard Skellig in Skellige and Downwarren (after it gets destroyed as part of the Witches of Crookback bog questline) in Velen. Red mutagens are the rarest to drop by far.

Succubus Decoction

The Succubus Decoction drops randomly.

There are two ways to get the Succubus Mutagen. The first one is by picking up the level 15 Contract quest “Deadly Delights” from Harborside’s notice board in Novigrad.

The second one can be obtained from the “Practicum in Advanced Alchemy” secondary quest. Go to Geydneith, the sacred oak tree on Ard Skellig island, and talk to Gremist. The level suggested for this mission is 24.

There are only two Succubus so sparing both of them means that you won’t be able to get the mutagen.

Troll Decoction

The Troll Decoction formula is one of the easiest to obtain. Just visit Tomira the Herbalist in White Orchard and buy it from her. She also sells other Decoction formulas.

To craft the Troll Decoction you need the respective mutagen. Complete the level 27 Contract quest “Missing Miners”. Go to Blandare, the village in the middle of Ard Skellig. Pick the contract from the notice board.

Water Hag Decoction

Head to the roadside shrine located Southeast of Woesong Bridge in White Orchard. This is a liberation quest; you must defeat the level 2 Ghouls near the shrine. I noticed that sometimes not all enemies appear at once, making it look like the quest is bugged.

To fix this I simply started meditating, this makes the last Ghoul spawn immediately and attack you. Once you defeat it the villagers (including the Herbalist) will return.

This location is just north of one of the Places of Power in the starting area of the game. The merchant also sells other Decoction formulas.

Bilge Hags (not the normal Water Hags) have a chance to drop the Water Hag mutagen. You can get one for sure from the Skellige Contract quest “Muire D’yaeblen”. Pick the Contract quest from the Kaer Trolde notice board.

Werewolf Decoction

The Werewolf decoction formula is obtainable by completing the “In wolf’s clothing” quest. There’s a small catch, in order to obtain the formula you must let Morkvarg live. To start this quest go to the Temple of Freyja on the Hindarfsjall island and talk to Josta, the priestess.

To get the Werewolf mutagen you just have to do your main story quests. “Ladies of the Wood” is the mission where you can get it. I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t reveal too much about it.

There’s a point in the mission where you need to speak to the ealdorman, once you’ve talked with him look for the oak tree that’s Southeast of the orphanage. There’s a cave next to a Place of Power, a Werewolf is inside it.

Another convenient location to find a Werewolf is near the Mastercrafted Griffin Silver Sword diagram location, East of Fornhala, on Ard Skellig.

Werewolves can be very difficult to defeat due to their incredible health regeneration. Using Moon Dust bombs, Cursed Oil (if you already have it) can be very helpful.

Werewolves are vulnerable to fire but at this point, your Igni sign isn’t powerful enough to do substantial damage (unless you play a dedicated Sign build). You can use Yrden to slow it down and hit it with fast attacks.

Wraith Decoction

The Wraith Decoction drops randomly.

There are plenty of Wraiths in the game, If I am not mistaken, every single one of them has a chance to drop the Wraith mutagen. The most recent one I encountered that dropped it for me, was in an abandoned house south of Blandare in Skellige. But you should be able to get one much, much earlier.

Wyvern Decoction

The Wyvern Decoction drops randomly.

In order to get the Wyvern mutagen you have to complete the sidequest “Patrol Gone Missing” in Velen. Go to the Nilfgaardian Army Group ‘Center’ Camp in the furthest southeast, and check the notice board. This mission’s suggested level is 7.

There are two Draconid nests guarded by two wyverns (level 21) at one of the entrances to the cave where you go to meet Olgierd (Hearts of Stone). The place is up on a hill on the western banks of the Pontar river. The contract’s name is Phantom of the Trade Route” and is for level 23. Quest giver is in Benek, south of the location where you fight the wyverns.

After you defeat the two wyverns and burn the two nests, a Royal Wyvern will appear and engage you in a fight. This is the monster you need for the quest, but if you are there just for the Wyvern mutagen, you don’t have to fight the creature now.

What are the best Decoctions to use

With a large variety of decoctions available and the fact that many of them are for the mid to late game, it is impossible to have a combination of decoctions that will always work and with every encounter and job.

There are a few decoction that are good on their own. There are some that you can combine for even greater results.

The Ekhidna, Ekimmara and Water Hag decoctions go together well with each other as they are all related to HP regen. On its own, Ekhidna is incredibly good not just for Sign Builds, but because while it is active anything you do that costs Stamina, will heal you. Even simple jumping. This could be very helpful in dire situations like the frozen world you visit during the Through Time and Space quest. CD Projekt Red fixed that with Patch 4.01. Stamina is no longer consumed when you jump, thus the Ekhidna decoction no longer heals you while you are shopping around like a rabbit. It’s still a great decoction, just not broken anymore.

You can combine the Ekhidna decoction with the Archgriffin Decoction. While both are active, Strong attacks will consume all of your Stamina and deal extra damage, while you also heal yourself.

The Werewolf decoction has an incredibly fast Stamina regeneration, but it is limited to only nighttime and clear skies.

Fiend decoction is for when you find yourself overwhelmed and overburdened by loot and do not plan to fight anymore, but just want to get to the nearest rich merchant and sell all the stuff you have looted on your journey. This decoction has no gains in combat and you should never waste 50 Toxicity unless you do not plan to fight tough creatures and strong enemies until you drop off your loot.

If you are fighting bandit camps or in any event where multiple enemies are present, the Grave Hag and Leshen decoctions can be very useful.

Specters are a common enemy type in The Witcher 3. You can greatly benefit from the perks provided by the Reliever’s decoction while fighting Wraiths.

If I continue, I will find situations where every single one of the decoctions would fit well. In the end, I find that for my personal preferences, the Vitality Regen decoctions are among the most frequently used ones and if you are struggling to pick a favorite one and don’t want to constantly be choosing, stick with Ekhidna and/or Ekimmara.