Alchemy, Herbs, and Similar Questions

[Seira Kimura]

Support Issue: Role-Play
The Issue: I'm planning on going into Alchemy, Botany, etc, and have a few questions I can't seem to figure out.

1) Does going into the Alchemist profession (where you use the Misc. Slot) have any benefit? I've noticed you can still search for herbs and stuff without it, so I'm not sure. I know they have a sub-forum, but as far as I can tell, it's just for anyone with the appropriate skills. So do they have a better chance at finding herbs? Or are they the only ones who can, say, mix concoctions?

2) The Alchemy Mixtures index has a few things listed under Explosives and Ingestibles and I know I saw a skill at least to craft Explosives. How do these work? Is there a list somewhere to show what herbs you need to craft things? Or is it just like a guessing game? Use common sense for herbs you think would work to make that based on their effects and try to craft it?

3) Preparation. All the herbs have a preparation time listed. How does one go about preparing herbs?
Link:

[acids]

1) i'm sure that would allow them to be the only ones who can make nomenclature concoctions, as that is the life of an alchemist; one must have alchemy to even be able to go into the task skill of demolitions, also.'

2) most of the alchemy, currently, is under heavy work. truly, alchemy here is the magnum opus of the magnum opus. herbs and other alchemical things are currently in the working as well.

3) one could write out how they took the herb apart, placed it in a mortar and used a pestle to grind it down. that is but one way you could do it, there are many more ways to prepare an herb, though, im sure.


edit--i suggest you pm usiel to look this over, as he is the one who knows more about this than myself. i am just a little soul looking to branch out the alchemy here when the time is right.