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How to start Practicum in Advanced Alchemy
Find the druid Gremist at Gedyneith on Ard Skellig. You can learn about him from Otto Bamber near Oxenfurt or from Yolar at Gedyneith, or simply encounter him yourself. Gremist initially refuses to teach Geralt alchemy, then offers the three favors that make up the quest.
The quest is listed as a secondary quest with a suggested level of 24. Its three errands can be tackled in differing order, so choose based on which location is most convenient or which challenge you are ready to handle.
How to get pimpernel
Search the woods for the missing apprentice and investigate the succubus situation with Witcher Senses. The encounter gives Geralt a choice: kill the succubus or accept her help. A druid may urge Geralt to kill her, but the walkthrough describes the killing as optional, not a requirement.
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Accept the succubus’ help
If Geralt accepts, the succubus leads him to her cave and allows him to take the pimpernel. This is the route for completing the errand without killing her.
Kill the succubus
Geralt can instead side with the druid and kill the succubus. The available walkthrough does not establish a distinct reward for this branch, so there is no supported reason to expect a unique bonus for choosing it.
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How to make spirit at the abandoned distillery
Travel to the distillery on Hail Hill. Deal with the hostile occupant or occupants, inspect the shack for the distiller’s directions, and retrieve mash near the machinery. Discard the rotten malt in the stream, then follow the letter’s sequence to make the spirit.
- Put the mash in the evaporator.
- Light the fire under the evaporator.
- Cool the condenser by turning the right lever first, then the left lever.
- Collect the spirit once the process is complete.
The in-game letter, signed Dagfin and addressed to Tjalfe, says: “Put the mash in the evaporator.” “Light the fire under the evaporator.” “Cool the the condenser. FIRST turn the right lever, then the left. NOT the other way around.” The duplicated “the” is in the original text.
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A separate quest walkthrough reports that turning the levers in the wrong order need not ruin the batch if you eventually complete the right-then-left sequence. That is guide-reported behavior rather than a guaranteed result.
How to recruit Fritjof and defend the ritual
Find Fritjof in Blandare. He agrees to help Gremist if Geralt assists with a rain ritual. Go with him to the ritual site and protect him while he performs it: foglets attack in waves, and Fritjof’s wolf also helps in the fight. After the ritual ends, Fritjof agrees to accompany Geralt to Gremist.
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When to return to Gremist
After completing all three favors, go back to Gremist. The quest objective is to wait until the next day; the detailed walkthrough likewise says to return after a day. The follow-up conversation resolves the quest and provides the reward.
Practicum in Advanced Alchemy rewards
| Reward or unlock | What the guides list |
|---|---|
| Quest reward listing | 240 (the quest overview’s listed reward; the source does not clarify its XP accounting) |
| Ingredient stacks | 5 sulfur, 5 alcohest, 5 han fiber, and 5 saltpeter |
| Gremist as a supplier | Access to buy from Gremist, including alchemy supplies; the detailed walkthrough also mentions a large amount of Potion of Clearance |
| Gwent | The detailed walkthrough says Gremist becomes an opponent for Gwent: Skellige Style after completion |
XP figures are not consistent across the available guides. One walkthrough assigns 80 XP to each of the three errands and another 80 XP at the final reward, while the quest overview lists a reward of 240 and GameBanshee reports 80 XP at the end alongside the ingredient stacks. The sources do not resolve whether those figures use different accounting, so a definitive total cannot be stated from them.
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