Alchemy - why no Hireling?

NicoleOnyxheart · April 2014

As the title says, why doesn't alchemy have a hireling that goes out and gather's alchemical ingredients for you?

as many times as some NPC hired me out to go gather plants and ingredients for them in the singleplayer TES games...i should be able to do the same to a peon....er...apprentice in this game

but really, doesn't this seem odd to others that alchemy doesn't have a hireling available?

Ashtaris · September 2014

I was wondering the same myself the other day. There is a hireling for every craft except Alchemy. Although I realize that all Alchemy mats can be obtained through searching the open world of Tamriel, there are still some more difficult and useful items that would be nice to get from a hireling, like Namira’s Rot, Bugloss, etc.

redspecter23 · September 2014

I thought the same thing myself, but then realized there are no "rare" alchemy materials. A blacksmithng hireling can bring a 3k tempering alloy or 2 dregh wax at 2.5k each from a cloth hireling. I've seen up to 5 oats from a hireling at about 400g each for 2k.

I suppose for a similar return you could get 10+ columbine, lady's smock, namira's rot. At that point, it's quite a potential haul daily, especially if you have 7 alts all with this hireling running every 12 hours. I suppose this might have been the reason to not include an alchemy hireling.

AlexDougherty · September 2014

All the alchemy ingredients are easy to find, even the water, so no need for a hireling.

WarrioroftheWind_ESO · October 2014

Bugloss, Columbine, and Mountain Flower are 'rare' enough because they are the components for the most coveted type of potion in the game. They are ridiculously overpriced on most guild stores and difficult to find unless you devote alot of time to extensive herbing sessions.

I think Alch has no hireling because there is that slot devoted to snakeblood...I don't know why anyone would make a potion with negative effects unless it's a really oddball combination, but the ones I commonly make are 3 effect weapon power, 3 effect spellpower, the 3 restore one, invisibility, and unstoppable. A hireling wouldn't be bad, but I'm guessing they figured the bonus potions perk was good enough.

AlexDougherty · October 2014

WarrioroftheWind_ESO wrote: »

Bugloss, Columbine, and Mountain Flower are 'rare' enough because they are the components for the most coveted type of potion in the game. They are ridiculously overpriced on most guild stores and difficult to find unless you devote alot of time to extensive herbing sessions.

The different areas have different alchemy plants, in a few (one per faction) Bugloss was very common. Columbine and Mountain Flower however are rare no matter which zone.

But there are lists for the frequency of theplants for each zone, which can help.

PS. I'm finding the hollow city has more than average drop rate for columbine and mountain flower.

WarrioroftheWind_ESO · October 2014

;s hollow city isn't that good to farm anymore because people will take only the 'good' plants and leave behind the 'bad' ones. I tried a session in HC and found a glut of wormwood thistle dragonthorn nirnroot and hyacinth, but those are good to make weapon and spellpower pots. Like I said the node-based system is kinda counterproductive for alch in a ES game.

AlexDougherty · October 2014

WarrioroftheWind_ESO wrote: »

;s hollow city isn't that good to farm anymore because people will take only the 'good' plants and leave behind the 'bad' ones. I tried a session in HC and found a glut of wormwood thistle dragonthorn nirnroot and hyacinth, but those are good to make weapon and spellpower pots. Like I said the node-based system is kinda counterproductive for alch in a ES game.

I grab them too, they help raise the level, before hollow city my Alchemy was level 32 now it's 46, I love being able to grab a load of ingredients.

MurkMuffin · October 2014

AlexDougherty wrote: »

All the alchemy ingredients are easy to find, even the water, so no need for a hireling.

Yeah so are all the other ingredients in the game, if you factor in how many avenues you have to gain these ingredients (gathering, decon, hirelings). Yes, alchemists don't have "rare" ingredients per-say, but having multiple means to obtain herbs should happen just like the other professions, especially with the demand for the "specialty" potions being pretty high up there.

Dajiel · October 2014

AlexDougherty wrote: »
All the alchemy ingredients are easy to find, even the water, so no need for a hireling.

Food is ridiculously easy to find and Provisioning has a hireling. "Easy to find" doesn't seem to be a factor there.

Alchemy should have a hireling.

AlexDougherty · October 2014

Dajiel wrote: »

AlexDougherty wrote: »
All the alchemy ingredients are easy to find, even the water, so no need for a hireling.

Food is ridiculously easy to find and Provisioning has a hireling. "Easy to find" doesn't seem to be a factor there.

Alchemy should have a hireling.

Provisioning has ingredients which can only be gotten by hireling, not that I have any objection to an alchemy hireling.

Nestor · October 2014

Keen Eye makes a huge difference in Alchemy (and Clothing too) in finding the mats. Huge difference. This weekend, I gave one of my characters this passive again, and saw all kinds of whisps of smoke. I took my alt through the same area just after and saw nothing, even knowing where to look. Then I added the passive to him, and saw all the Reagents again.