Books, Formulas and Diagrams and all that funky stuff

[Mojokitty65]

Books, Formulas and Diagrams and all that funky stuff

I'm starting all over in TW2 and want to know what is your MUST HAVE Books, Formulas, sword upgrades and Trap and armor/sword Diagrams for crafting? I got all the beatiary ones I could find. I know money is precious when you are starting out. I also got Grapeshot for those Nekker nests and a couple of other ones I can't remember off the top of my head. Most what i got for traps have stun, fire bomb, poison. I also got sword oil for sceptres and wraiths. I'm trying to create this thread as a go-to on the forum for these types of things. If there is one already made then I'm sorry but didn't find it and please don't kill me too much! Just point me in the direction if you can =D

 

[GuyNwah]

I'm going to confine this list to Act I, for now.

Books: There are no really essential books, except for quest items that you come across in the course of play.

Formulas: You get Swallow and Dancing Star, which are both important, to start. You can buy Virga, which I use a lot, from the incense dealer in Flotsam (buy from him before the quest to shut him down). Cedric sells Grapeshot, which you need, and Zerrikanian Sun, which is handy. I think you also get Rook to start. You get Cat (not real useful: you start with enough Cat potions to last you), Tawny Owl, Dragon's Dream, and Red Haze in the course of play.

Diagrams: You get the three levels of the Witcher's Silver Sword in the course of play. Since you can get the second level (Robust) before you have to go outside Flotsam, I wait until I get this one before crafting a sword. You can beat Sendler for a trap diagram (I favor Conflagration). You get the diagram for Kayran Armor in the course of play. This is the only Act I armor I ever bother to craft.

Other stuff: If you do alchemy, you will find yourself running short of Aether and Caelum in Act I. You have to search diligently for Scleroderm and Bryonia to meet your needs for these, or pay the vendors' exorbitant prices. I also pick up all the Snares I can, and use them to create minefields.

 

[dragonbird]

Personally?

I don't bother with the books. Unlike TW1, you can learn what you need just by killing a few of the monsters.

Potions:
- Swallow (must-have)
- Tawny Owl (if I expect to be doing a lot of spell-casting or riposte)
- Wolf (if I have decent critical effects, and the enemy I'm facing is susceptible to them)
- Rook (if I need to boost my damage to take-down as fast as possible, and in the early game)
- Golden Oriole (if I'm facing someone who is going to use critical effects against me, and don't have good resistances on my armour/weapons yet).

Bombs:
- Grapeshot for the quests that need it, and for occasional use.
- Dancing Star for almost every occasion that needs bombs
- Red Haze for those special moments (wraiths and gargoyles in particular)

Traps:
- Snares for special occasions. You never need to craft them though.
- Fury (Rage) as an alternative to Red Haze when you can plan ahead

These are all for Swordsman/Mage builds. For Alchemy, I'd take a lot more.

I forgot about diagrams.
I'll pay for and keep Fire Rune and Diamond Armour Enhancement diagrams, and I'll often pay money for the diagrams for ingredients (leather, oil, hardened leather, studded leather, robust cloth) if I'm planning to do a lot of crafting. All diagrams for making equipment get sold off either immediately, or immediately after making the item concerned.

 

[Mojokitty65]

Thanks for the very useful information for this thread! I like the idea of keeping the info on this thread to chapter one. We can make other ones for the next chapters if you wish and anyone can start it.

 

[dragonbird]

It applies to all chapters, so keep it bookmarked

(And I'm going to move the thread)

 

[Mojokitty65]

It applies to all chapters, so keep it bookmarked

(And I'm going to move the thread)

Sweet!!!

 

[Mojokitty65]

Okay, i'm almost finished with Act 1 (trying to decide Iorveth and Roche) and I used a lot of diagrams and bombs you guys recommend. Some I've been having a lot of fun with are Dancing Star and Dragons Dream on bugs! I love to blow them up and set them on fier, i know to each his own and stuff but the only thing i ever liked about bugs in game is bombing them.I'm weirdly obsessed with incinerating bugs. Now if i could only find a blow torch for spiders! I haven't tried the stenchbulb yet and i'm looking for an opportunity for it. I see what you mean about the traps, they are just everywhere and I missed out on conflageration so I hope to find it later in the game or next playthrough i'll be sure to pick that one from Sendler. I used Fire Rune, Earth Rune and Diamond Armor.