Activate mutagens by placing them in the diamond-shaped slots on the Character panel. Next to each slot is a set of square Ability slots. Activated mutagens grant special bonuses to your character statistics. Different types (colors) of mutagens grant different kinds of bonuses.
Each Ability placed in a slot near a mutagen of the same color increases that mutagen's bonus by 100%. So if all three Abilities in a set of slots match their nearby mutagen's color, the mutagen's bonus will be increased by 300%. The magnitude of this bonus can be further increased by the "Synergy" ability in the Alchemy tree. Abilities whose color does not match their nearby mutagen have no effect on the mutagen's bonus – they neither increase nor decrease it.
Usage[]
Up to four mutagens can be active at once (unlocked at levels 4, 9, 16, 28). Each mutagen slot has three Ability slots: each ability placed in a slot connected to a mutagen of the same color increases that mutagen's bonus by 100%.
Regular mutagens[]
Regular mutagens drop from some of the slightly stronger, organic monsters (i.e. no specters, elementa or beasts). That notably excludes the weakest enemies such as drowners and ghouls, while their stronger conterparts (drowned dead and alghouls respectively) may drop them at random. The truly powerful foes that can be looted for special mutagens are also usually unable to drop these, though not all.
In the base game, only the lesser versions can be looted and the higher tiers must be crafted from them. However, monsters in the Blood and Wine expansion can also drop "medium" and greater mutagens.
| Image | Name | Effects |
|---|---|---|
 |
Lesser blue mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Blue mutagen | +7% Sign intensity (then +7% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +28%) |
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Greater blue mutagen | +10% Sign intensity (then +10% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +40%) |
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Lesser green mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Green mutagen | +100 Vitality (then +100 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +400) |
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Greater green mutagen | +150 Vitality (then +150 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +600) |
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Lesser red mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Red mutagen | +7% Attack power (then +7% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +28%) |
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Greater red mutagen | +10% Attack power (then +10% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +40%) |
Special mutagens[]
These mutagens are dropped occasionally by their corresponding monster and act like lesser mutagens, giving lower stats.
| Image | Name | Effects |
|---|---|---|
|
Ancient leshen mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Arachas mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Archgriffin mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Basilisk mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Chort mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Cockatrice mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Doppler mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Earth elemental mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Ekhidna mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Ekimmara mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Fiend mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Foglet mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Forktail mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Grave hag mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Griffin mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Katakan mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Leshen mutagen | +5% Sign intensity (then +5% for every blue ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Nekker warrior mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Nightwraith mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Noonwraith mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Succubus mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Troll mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Water hag mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Werewolf mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
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Wraith mutagen | +50 Vitality (then +50 for every green ability connected to it for a max of +200) |
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Wyvern mutagen | +5% Attack power (then +5% for every red ability connected to it for a max of +20%) |
Notes[]
- With the Blood and Wine expansion, you can dismantle monster mutagens at the Alchemy Lab in the cellar of Corvo Bianco, yielding a lesser mutagen of the corresponding color. If a mutagen is an ingredient for a potion you have not yet obtained, the game will ask you to confirm before dismantling it (i.e. if you are not prompted you can safely dismantle it).
- With the Blood and Wine expansion, you can transform mutagens to different color of same quality (e.g. greater green to greater blue or greater red)
- Originally, all alchemical ingredients, including mutagens, weighed 0.01 , but as of Patch 1.07 they weigh nothing at all.