Posted May 03, 2021
The following information was observed running version 1.1.9H without the fan patch for economy and dialog.
===BUYING===
*All reagents except nightshade can be purchased.
*Here is a chart showing which shops sell which reagents:
https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Reagents#Ultima.C2.A0IX
(note: the economy patch expands the locations and selection available)
*The magic shop in Britain isn't available until a quest is completed in Cove. Visit the Britain magic shop (NW part of town) to be told of the quest.
===FINDING===
*Nightshade can be found by searching the grass and forested areas on the northern edge of Paws after casting Ethereal sight. Watch for a small white twinkle which signals the presence of nightshade. The twinkle will only appear once for each piece of nightshade so once you see a twinkle make a beeline to it like you're John Miles making a beeline to the magic axe in Jhelom in Ultima V.
Note: the nightshade will not be found in the swamp. It's always on grassy patches with trees.
*Other reagents can be found at random in barrels, chests, bookshelves or out in the wild. Since these can be purchased, I didn't nail down any harvesting strategies.
===BUGS==
*In version 1.19F (the version currently on GOG) and version 1.19H the Create Reagents spell doesn't work properly. It's supposed to drop different reagents based on the terrain you stand on but instead if always drops a black pearl.
Except, I found one spot where it randomly drops any reagent except mandrake and nightshade. The spot is a grassy patch next to a tree in Paws, precisely located at 38 56S, 34 10W. These coordinates are by the south side of a tree. Stand at this location and cast the Create Reagents spell.
*The Minoc magic shop merchant has a bug where sometimes she will hang out outside her shop indefinitely and refuse to sell you anything "come see me at my shoppe when it's open".
This bug is described by various Internet sources as intermittent. My experience with it was the first time I talked to her, she was in her shop and she would sell to me as normal. After I came back to town after retrieving the glyph from Covetous she was outside her shop. Resting in a bed didn't resolve the issue, neither did leaving the Minoc/Cove metroplex by boat and coming back. Every time I checked back throughout the rest of my game, she was always outside her house.
*Buccaneers Den's Guild Shop (access isn't gained right away), near where Raven parks the boat, sells reagents. Many Internet sources say he won't sell you anything once you release the silver serpent which is being exploited for venom in a nearby cave. This appears to be intentional by the developers as the merchant accuses you or ruining their venom smuggling operation. However, the merchant stops selling even if you just find the cave and poke around without actually freeing the serpent. I'm not sure if that is a bug, but I found it to be unexpected which played a part in the great mandrake conspiracy of Ultima 9 discussed below.
====THE MANDRAKE CONSPIRACY=====
(I really have enjoyed Ultima 9 overall, this was just a notable wrinkle in the fun)
Ultima XI's bugs conspired to prevent me from reliably having enough mandrake root, which nearly every spell requires to bind.
The Create Reagents spell should be a source, except...bug. Minoc should be a source, except, at least for me, bug. Buccaneer's Den should be source except by the time I figured out what was going on I had poked around in the silver serpent's cave. I didn't free the serpent, but...bug.
The game further taunted me with a piece on mandrake root on a shelf in house west of Trinsic that could not be picked up.
For these reasons, I felt absolutely no remorse in leveraging an exploit.
Here is how it works.
1) Put a scroll and the required reagents on a binding pentagram like normal.
2) Use the ignite spell to light the candles.
3) When the text input box appears asking you for the spell's incantation, grab the mandrake root (or all the reagents if you want) and drag it onto the Avatar to place it in your inventory.
4) Enter the spells' incantation like normal..
The spell will be added to your spellbook and the reagent(s) you swiped off the pentagram and put in your bag will remain. Bob's your Uncle.
This effectively eliminates the need to acquire any reagents as long as you have one of each type. Or just use it to defeat the mandrake conspiracy if happens to you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can anyone think of anything else to add to this topic of reagents?
===BUYING===
*All reagents except nightshade can be purchased.
*Here is a chart showing which shops sell which reagents:
https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Reagents#Ultima.C2.A0IX
(note: the economy patch expands the locations and selection available)
*The magic shop in Britain isn't available until a quest is completed in Cove. Visit the Britain magic shop (NW part of town) to be told of the quest.
===FINDING===
*Nightshade can be found by searching the grass and forested areas on the northern edge of Paws after casting Ethereal sight. Watch for a small white twinkle which signals the presence of nightshade. The twinkle will only appear once for each piece of nightshade so once you see a twinkle make a beeline to it like you're John Miles making a beeline to the magic axe in Jhelom in Ultima V.
Note: the nightshade will not be found in the swamp. It's always on grassy patches with trees.
*Other reagents can be found at random in barrels, chests, bookshelves or out in the wild. Since these can be purchased, I didn't nail down any harvesting strategies.
===BUGS==
*In version 1.19F (the version currently on GOG) and version 1.19H the Create Reagents spell doesn't work properly. It's supposed to drop different reagents based on the terrain you stand on but instead if always drops a black pearl.
Except, I found one spot where it randomly drops any reagent except mandrake and nightshade. The spot is a grassy patch next to a tree in Paws, precisely located at 38 56S, 34 10W. These coordinates are by the south side of a tree. Stand at this location and cast the Create Reagents spell.
*The Minoc magic shop merchant has a bug where sometimes she will hang out outside her shop indefinitely and refuse to sell you anything "come see me at my shoppe when it's open".
This bug is described by various Internet sources as intermittent. My experience with it was the first time I talked to her, she was in her shop and she would sell to me as normal. After I came back to town after retrieving the glyph from Covetous she was outside her shop. Resting in a bed didn't resolve the issue, neither did leaving the Minoc/Cove metroplex by boat and coming back. Every time I checked back throughout the rest of my game, she was always outside her house.
*Buccaneers Den's Guild Shop (access isn't gained right away), near where Raven parks the boat, sells reagents. Many Internet sources say he won't sell you anything once you release the silver serpent which is being exploited for venom in a nearby cave. This appears to be intentional by the developers as the merchant accuses you or ruining their venom smuggling operation. However, the merchant stops selling even if you just find the cave and poke around without actually freeing the serpent. I'm not sure if that is a bug, but I found it to be unexpected which played a part in the great mandrake conspiracy of Ultima 9 discussed below.
====THE MANDRAKE CONSPIRACY=====
(I really have enjoyed Ultima 9 overall, this was just a notable wrinkle in the fun)
Ultima XI's bugs conspired to prevent me from reliably having enough mandrake root, which nearly every spell requires to bind.
The Create Reagents spell should be a source, except...bug. Minoc should be a source, except, at least for me, bug. Buccaneer's Den should be source except by the time I figured out what was going on I had poked around in the silver serpent's cave. I didn't free the serpent, but...bug.
The game further taunted me with a piece on mandrake root on a shelf in house west of Trinsic that could not be picked up.
For these reasons, I felt absolutely no remorse in leveraging an exploit.
Here is how it works.
1) Put a scroll and the required reagents on a binding pentagram like normal.
2) Use the ignite spell to light the candles.
3) When the text input box appears asking you for the spell's incantation, grab the mandrake root (or all the reagents if you want) and drag it onto the Avatar to place it in your inventory.
4) Enter the spells' incantation like normal..
The spell will be added to your spellbook and the reagent(s) you swiped off the pentagram and put in your bag will remain. Bob's your Uncle.
This effectively eliminates the need to acquire any reagents as long as you have one of each type. Or just use it to defeat the mandrake conspiracy if happens to you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can anyone think of anything else to add to this topic of reagents?
Post edited May 03, 2021 by 6502_Workshop
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