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This looks like a great boost. Does it work when you take any witcher potion? Or does it only work when you drink a potion 'poison'? I know most witcher potions have toxicity...If so it would be a good skill combined with low tox long duration potions such as cat...especially if you make the nigredo or rubedo cat.

Note: altered metabolism is an offshoot of stamina 4

I think that one will be my next silver expenditure..

I started up the Stamina III - to get endurance regen. initially.

Then went to Intelligence III and IV - to get the 25% duration (for powered-up Yrden).

Then back again to Stamina IV.

Turns out the 20% upgrades to signs from Intelligence III and IV were noticeably effective, my stuns in Aard happen all the time now (with general opponents), whereas with just 2 levels in Aard it was hit and miss. That 25% duration also helped with coup de gra's once the opponent was stunned.

I just completed chap. 2.. what a pathetic script ending.. (..so I haven't gotten back into it for a couple of days now.)

I might test out mutation along with altered metabolism to see if you can get the same effects by eating "raw".

I haven't gotten Mutation yet, but I have played through with Altered Metabolism.

Altered Metabolism doesn't do much.

Only seems to counteract negative effects of potions, and unless you have extreme toxicity - there isn't a lot to actually effect.

Keep it at 1-2 potions (for toxicity generally) and its a wasted "sign"/"spell".

White Honey potions can keep you detoxed on the "go", so you can always keep it under the 1-2 potion toxicity effect.

Might change my opinion of it with Mutation though (..if Altered Metabolism effects raw consumption).

I've finally tried it out with "Mutation" and it seems to work (i.e. I'm not noticing any real detriments from poisoning due to eating the raw ingredients).

The more I've played with "Altered Metabolism", the nicer it is. Its just less stressful to know that you don't have to significantly manage your toxicity level. Need to down two potions in a "pinch" when you already have one potion's-worth of toxicity? No problem.

Good to know. Have you only noticed the enhanced attack and dodge only when toxicity is very high or is it also only with one potion? I was thinking of just keeping white honey and a lot of long duration low toxicity potions and just keep some toxicity level up just for the dodge/attack bonus. Use the white honey if it gets too high or meditate.

Claudius wrote:Good to know. Have you only noticed the enhanced attack and dodge only when toxicity is very high or is it also only with one potion? I was thinking of just keeping white honey and a lot of long duration low toxicity potions and just keep some toxicity level up just for the dodge/attack bonus. Use the white honey if it gets too high or meditate.

Only when high - and it isn't an "enhancement" per se (or at least doesn't seem that way), rather:

Any detriment (to your resistance/effect level for any particular resistance/effect) provided by potion toxicity is:

Poison = negated,
Pain = negated,
Attack = counteracted by 25%,
Bleeding = counteracted by 25%,
Dodge = counteracted by 25%.

EX. 1: For instance say that your toxicity level has caused you poison that is actually damaging you, with Altered Metabolism you no longer have any damage as a result from this. However you can still be poisoned by opponents the same as always.

EX. 2: Now lets say that your attack is reduced by 15% because of potion toxicity levels. With Altered Metabolism your attack is NOT reduced by 15%, (..but it doesn't get 10% better as a result of the calculation difference (25 -15)). Additionally IF a reduction in your attack exceeded 25% (and I'm not sure its possible/haven't tested it), due to potion toxicity, then presumably only up to 25% will be counteracted.

I'll also note that:

White Honey actually REMOVES effects along with toxicity (..effectively leaving you with a "2 drink maximum"). But with Altered Metabolism:

-If you want multiple potions for a particular encounter (that is expected to be very difficult), then you can "load up" with several potions and *hopefully* not incur any detriment. Frankly though I've just started chap. V and really haven't found *any* situation where I need more than 2 (..swallow and sometimes cat eye).

I should emphasize again that none of the above is *certain* just what I've observed, in addition:

While I have taken poison damage by creatures (and pain) with Altered Metabolism, I don't remember ever having an continuous stream of poison damage (or continued effect to pain other than an abrupt single recoil when hit with it once). In this respect then it may actually be removing the standard *duration* of poison and pain from opponents. On the other hand it could just be because I have significant resistance that is "kicking-in" after letting an effect "slip-by" once.

Thats really interesting. I have just been drinking whatever potions I thought I needed for an encounter. Usually a nigredo swallow. Add an albedo tawny owl against beast and wyverns.

I didn't realize there was any penalties aside from eventually dying and the freeking you out graphical effects.

Frankly though I've just started chap. V and really haven't found *any* situation where I need more than 2 (..swallow and sometimes cat eye).

Such a skill would probably be more useful at the advanced level, where enemies are much more difficult, potion effects shorter, and alchemy is crucial.

Claudius wrote:
I didn't realize there was any penalties aside from eventually dying and the freeking you out graphical effects.

By far the most noticeable is from Dodge (at least at lower levels and of course 3+ potions worth of toxicity). You get hit a LOT more.

Attacks are also interrupted more often (i.e. many attacks never progress to the "circular icon"). Note however that opponent's parry & dodge does this as well, so it may seem like a lot of attacks are interrupted by substantial toxicity effects when in reality more than half of the interruptions are usually do to parry's & dodge (though there is an interrelationship between attack and parry/dodge).

Bleeding (to you) however seems to happen a LOT *less* often. I think that except for the "vamp kin" special attack that bleeding as a critical effect happens less often from opponents - particularly because its a "strong" type offensive effect and the ones that have a greater percentage to cause bleeding are usually one-on-one type battles where you can interrupt their attack with a good timing to your own attack. The exception of course is a mob of strong opponents like Bloedzuigers or Royal Wyverns that will eventually get-in several criticals that cause bleeding. Of course your reduced Dodge skill factors into to this..

flix wrote:Such a skill would probably be more useful at the advanced level, where enemies are much more difficult, potion effects shorter, and alchemy is crucial.

Yeah, I agree - it is NOT a necessity in the game on "normal" or "easy" as long as you do take some modest precautions. "Hard" difficulty may be more restrictive.