The Witcher
Nigredo is an additional, or secondary substance, which is present in some alchemical ingredients in addition to the primary substance. All alchemical ingredients contain one of six basic substances: aether, hydragenum, quebrith, rebis, vermilion, and vitriol. There are also three additional substances: albedo, nigredo, and rubedo. Any given ingredient may contain only a single basic substance and potentially one additional, or secondary substance.
Nigredo potions: If all ingredients used to create a given potion contain nigredo as an additional substance, the resulting potion will positively affect Geralt's coordination and focus, increasing his chances of hitting opponents and giving him a + 20% damage advantage for 4 hours.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Unlike previous games, Nigredo is not simply part of other alchemical ingredients. It is needed to craft the following items:
It is a guaranteed drop from most regular katakans, but that only amounts to two of them (during A Tome Entombed and at Kaer Gelen) in the base game, so for the most part it has to be crafted. In the Blood and Wine expansion, it can also be purchased from alchemists:
- Merchant at the Perfumery
- Wine Merchant at Chuchote Cave, after completing his quest
- Wine Merchant at Dun Tynne Hillside, after completing his quest
Notes
- It is possible to loot all 5 doses necessary for bombs and superior relict oil, but one has to wait all the way to The Night of Long Fangs, when a few more katakans will spawn around Beauclair. However, as that is one of the last main quests in the entire game, this isn't a viable strategy for a standard single playthrough.
Trivia
- In alchemy, the nigredo means "putrefaction" or "decomposition" of the matter, and is the first step Magnum opus process.