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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Practicum in Advanced Alchemy is a level-24 Skellige side quest for Gremist on Ard Skellig. Complete his three favors—find pimpernel, make spirit at an abandoned distillery, and protect Fritjof during a rain ritual—then return to Gremist and come back the next day. The pimpernel errand includes an optional choice about a succubus; killing her is not required by the walkthrough described below.
How to start Practicum in Advanced Alchemy
Find the druid Gremist at Gedyneith on Ard Skellig. You can hear about him from Otto Bamber near Oxenfurt, from Yolar at Gedyneith, or by encountering Gremist directly. He initially refuses to teach Geralt, then offers instruction in exchange for three favors. The quest guide lists its suggested level as 24.
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The errands can be completed in different orders. Choose the route that suits your location and readiness; none of the three is presented as a required first step.
How to get pimpernel
Search the woods with Witcher Senses and investigate what happened to the missing apprentice. The trail leads to a succubus and a choice about how to deal with her.
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Accept the succubus’ help
You can accept her offer instead of fighting. She leads Geralt to her cave and lets him take the pimpernel. This is the direct option if you want to avoid killing her.
Choose whether to kill the succubus
A druid may urge Geralt to kill her, but the walkthrough describes this as a choice, not a mandatory condition for finishing the pimpernel task. The available guide does not establish a unique reward for killing her, so choose based on how you want to resolve the encounter rather than expecting a specific bonus.
How to make spirit at the abandoned distillery
Travel to the abandoned distillery on Hail Hill. Deal with the hostile occupant or occupants, search the shack for the distiller’s letter, and find the mash by the machinery. The letter, signed Dagfin and addressed to Tjalfe, gives the steps for making spirit. It also says to discard rotten malt in the stream.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- Put the mash in the evaporator.
- Light the fire under the evaporator.
- Cool the condenser by turning the right lever first, then the left.
- Collect the spirit once the process is complete.
The letter’s exact lever instruction is: “Cool the the condenser. FIRST turn the right lever, then the left. NOT the other way around.” The doubled “the” is in the in-game text.
One walkthrough reports that getting the levers wrong at first need not ruin the batch if you eventually complete the right-then-left sequence. Treat that as guide-reported behavior, not a guaranteed result.
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How to recruit Fritjof and defend the ritual
Find Fritjof in Blandare. He will accompany Geralt to Gremist if Geralt helps him perform a rain ritual. At the ritual site, protect Fritjof from attacking foglets until the ritual ends. His wolf helps in the fight. Afterward, Fritjof agrees to go to Gremist.
When to return to Gremist
After completing all three favors, speak to Gremist. The quest objective and walkthrough direct Geralt to return the next day. Go back then to resolve the quest and receive the reward.
Practicum in Advanced Alchemy rewards and unlocks
The quest overview lists a reward value of 240 and five each of the following ingredients. It also lists access to Gremist as a supplier.
| Reward or unlock | What the source lists |
|---|---|
| Quest reward | 240 (quest overview; the source does not specify further context for this figure) |
| Sulfur | 5 |
| Alcohest | 5 |
| Han fiber | 5 |
| Saltpeter | 5 |
| Supplier access | Gremist becomes available to buy from |
| Gwent | A separate walkthrough says Gremist can be played for Gwent: Skellige Style after completion |
Sources differ in how they account for experience. One walkthrough assigns 80 XP to each of the three errands and another 80 XP at the final reward; GameBanshee also reports 80 XP at the end. The quest overview instead lists 240 as the reward. These accounts do not establish one definitive total, so the figures should not be combined into a single confirmed amount.
The detailed walkthrough also describes Gremist as a later source of alchemy supplies and a large amount of Potion of Clearance. It does not give a quantity for those supplies or the potion.
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