There are a few NPCs that you will be running into first when you enter the world of Sanctuary, and one of them is the Diablo 4 Alchemist.
This NPC will be vital to your success in Diablo 4 as they have been in previous entries, giving players access to all sorts of consumables, crafting abilities, and item refinement. So in this guide, we’ll show you how to unlock the Alchemist in Diablo 4 as well as all the functions that the Alchemist serves in the game.
Update on 12 July 2023: We've updated this article with the latest Diablo 4 Alchemist information, from how you can unlock it, to what you can do at this important crafting vendor.
How To Unlock Diablo 4 Alchemist
Unlocking the Alchemist is fairly straightforward in Diablo 4, with the first step being that players need to reach level 10. After doing so, they will receive a Priority Quest to go see the Alchemist in Kyovashad, the central hub of the Fractured Peaks region.
Once here, payers can head over to the Alchemist in the main area of Kyovashad, who will then ask you to complete the task of upgrading your base Weak Vial to a Tiny Healing Vial. Once you’ve completed this, you’ll gain a hefty chunk of XP, but also the Alchemist will then be unlocked, not just here, but in every town settlement that you visit throughout the game, so you’ll always have access to an Alchemist no matter where you go.
Diablo 4 Alchemist Functions
So you have the alchemist unlocked, but what does it exactly give you? Well, the Alchemist serves a few functions in Diablo 4 that are vital for new and veteran players.
The first thing is the ability to upgrade your healing vial potions. This is extremely important as it’s your primary source of healing. So be sure to collect the resources and save up gold to upgrade this regardless of your skill level.
The next function Alchemists serve is to allow you to craft Elixirs which are consumable items that give your Character specific buffs for a 30-minute duration. This is useful if you need a specific buff such as increased speed or resistances, and as a bonus, Elixirs grant you an increased Exp gain for the duration that it’s in effect. So be sure to keep some Elixers on your side to grant you some hefty buffs to tear through those tough areas such as Strongholds.
Next, we have the Alchemist’s ability to refine our resources. In a nutshell, this means that you can transmute resources into other ones. For instance, taking a cheaper resource and rolling for rare ones or even breaking down rarer resources for cheaper but necessary items.
Ultimately this means that item hoarders can stop and pick up every single item in the game and hasty players will still get rewarded for random items they pick up as they play through Diablo 4 since all items have value and can be refined for something else.
Lastly, there’s the ability to craft Incense, and while we don’t know what this means just yet, it’s likely to have something to do with crafting a specific consumable that has a special effect or buff. Be sure to check back here soon for more information on the Incense crafting in Diablo 4.