Alchemy is an often overlooked skill in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim even though it can paralyze enemies for weeks if not months at a time. While climbing up the skill tree for one-handed and two-handed weapons can make the Dragonborn an unstoppable war machine, killing is not always an option when it comes to essential NPCs. This is where Alchemy can step in to make every character in the game fearful of the player character.
Alchemy is so effective in Skyrim because it essentially lets players infinitely boost their abilities. This is especially true when combined with enchantmenting. For instance, if the Dragonborn were to use alchemy to brew a fortify enchantment and smithing potion, enchanted a ring to make smithing extra effective, and then built a sword, that sword would be ludicrously powerful. This process can then be repeated on the grindstone, showing how effective Alchemy is in enhancing strong Skyrim character builds.
But alchemy for alchemy's sake can be just as effective (and again, especially when paired with enchantments). With alchemy, the Dragonborn can produce not just potions but poisons that can deal damage and status effects, such as paralysis and Magicka debuffs. And as the Dragonborn levels up, they can use enchanted armor to brew potions with effects so strong and long-lasting that they borderline break the game.
High-Level Paralysis Potions Can Freeze Annoying Skyrim NPCs
Reddit user Hguols has found a way to utilize the strengths of alchemy in Skyrim to great ends. Instead of killing an NPC who is important for certain storylines, Hguols finds that placing a strongly brewed poison that inflicts incredible 634,739 seconds of paralysis onto the NPC to be a much more effective way of handling one's frustrations. Such a weapon can also be used on Nazeem and other Skyrim NPCs who are too annoying to simply kill. While leaving the cell these NPCs are in can result in the paralysis effect wearing off, this is still undoubtedly a go-to move for players who loathe certain characters.
To replicate something like Hguol's poison, the Dragonborn should first level up alchemy and enchanting by making tons of low-level potions and enchantments. After a while, the Dragonborn can then obtain Muiri's Ring from the "Mourning Never Comes" quest, which can be destroyed to learn the fortify alchemy enchantment. With this, the Dragonborn can create an entire outfit that strongly enhances their alchemical skills before making their paralysis poison. At that point, all the Dragonborn has to do is make a potion with some of Skyrim's best Alchemy ingredients that can induce paralysis, like Imp Stools and Briar Hearts. After that, Ulfric Stormcloak can be paralyzed for the next month and a half and the Civil War of Skyrim can go into a resting period.
Alchemy - along with its sister art enchanting - often goes unappreciated in Skyrim. Many players would rather grind their combat and stealth skills than invest in the scholarly work of alchemy and magic. However, not doing so in doing so would mean missing out on some of the most powerful abilities in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Sources: Reddit/Hguols