Powerful Alchemy is a Flame quest that adds Balthazar the Alchemist to your base. The whole thing comes down to two actions: travel to an Ancient Vault on the far western edge of the map, awaken the survivor sleeping inside, then return home and summon him with a Summoning Staff. Finishing it pays 800 XP and unlocks the Alchemist’s workshop and recipes.
Quick answer: Fast travel to Ancient Spire – Springlands, glide northwest past Harvest Homestead to the Ancient Vault – Alchemist, interact with the glowing capsule to awaken Balthazar, then equip the Summoning Staff at your base and place him down.
How to start Powerful Alchemy
The Flame gives you this quest, and it becomes available after you complete The Ancient Spires. Talk to the Flame Altar at any of your bases to pick it up. The trigger can feel random, but once it is active you will see the objective “Find The Alchemist” with a waypoint pinned to Ancient Vault – Alchemist.
Open your Journal and track the quest so the yellow diamond marker stays on your compass. The vault sits on the far western side of the world, so you will want a clean travel route before setting out.
Route to the Ancient Vault – Alchemist
The vault is northwest of both Ancient Spire – Springlands and Braelyn Bridge. Gliding straight off the spire lets you skip the Shroud fog entirely.
Scavengers patrol the outer ruins. Clear them before heading in, and check the southern side of the area for a lore page called Stashed Our Haul, which starts a short Scavenger Stash side quest.
Inside the vault: reaching Balthazar
Head up the stairs and through the main archway. The interior splits left and right, and both paths reach the back chamber, so pick either one.
Summon Balthazar at your base
Awakening the survivor only unlocks him. He has to be physically placed at your base to join. Head up the staircase and out through the large metal doors to leave, then travel back to camp.
Once back at your base, take out the Summoning Staff. Choose Balthazar in the craftspeople menu, then set him within your base’s borders; this finishes Powerful Alchemy.
How to confirm the quest is complete
The quest is complete once it vanishes from your active list and you receive the 800 XP reward. Balthazar then appears at your base as a placed craftsperson, unlocking the Bonemeal at Grinding Stones recipe. He can also prepare potions and mixtures, and gives you access to the Alchemist’s complete set of recipes.
Loot you can grab inside the vault
The chests and side rooms along the way hold gear worth collecting before you leave. Here is what the vault’s chambers can drop and the figures that matter for each.
| Item | Type | Rarity | Key stats |
|---|---|---|---|
 Explosive Powder Ball | Throwable | Common | Item level 10, Fire damage, throw interval 1s |
 Scorching Wand | Wand (Mage) | Common | Overcharge 12%, attack speed 0.6s, mana regen 4 |
 Hunter’s Bow | Bow (Ranger) | Common | Draw speed 1s, arrow speed 20% |
 Blunt Knives | Daggers (Ranger) | Legendary | Parry power 1, attack speed 0.4s |
 Fireball I | Spell (Mage) | Common | Radius 260, mana cost 53, charge 2.5s |
 Health Potion | Consumable | Common | Restores 200 health |
The Explosive Powder Ball shows up in more than one chest here, including a side chamber and the upper scaffolding. Its damage scales with your Dexterity, and it also unlocks the moment you pick up Charcoal. The Scorching Wand sits in an ornate chest across the magma walkway, while the Legendary Blunt Knives are found by gliding down to a ruined rooftop after you exit the central chamber.
What Balthazar brings to your base
Balthazar fills the Alchemist role, and recruiting him is how you open up potions, spells, and the stations that support them. His crafting list is extensive, covering healing items, offensive spells, and the workbenches needed to make them.
- Potions across every tier, from the basic Health Potion up to Ultimate and Ancient variants, plus Mana Potions and Antidotes.
- Fire, ice, lightning, and healing spells such as Fireball, Ice Bolt, Chain Lightning, Blizzard, and Heal Beam.
- Alchemy stations and tools including the Alchemy Station, Laboratory, Grinding Stones, Mortar, and Mill.
- A series of follow-up Alchemist quests, starting with Alchemist Needs Shelter, that expand what he can build.
With Balthazar placed and the Bonemeal recipe unlocked, you are set to start brewing. If you grabbed the Stashed Our Haul note on the way in, the nearby Scavenger Stash side quest is a quick detour worth clearing while you are still in the area.
