CACO Alchemy Leveling Guide: From Novice to Master

Let’s be honest for a second. We’ve all been there. You install a massive Skyrim modlist because you want the game to look next-gen. You start a new character, run to the first alchemy table you see, and mix Wheat and Giant’s Toe.

You wait for the massive XP drop… and nothing happens. The bar barely moves.

Welcome to Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul (CACO).

If you’re reading this, you’ve realized that CACO isn’t just a “tweak”—it’s a complete rewriting of the rules. The old exploits are gone. Spamming expensive potions doesn’t work the same way. The developers of this mod wanted alchemy to feel like a scientific discipline, not a “get rich quick” scheme.

But don’t worry. I’ve spent hundreds of hours staring at bubbling cauldrons so you don’t have to. Here is the definitive, human-tested guide to hitting Level 100 Alchemy in 2026 without losing your mind.

Part 1: The Setup (Don’t Skip This!)

Alchemy in CACO is a marathon, not a sprint. If you don’t set up your XP multipliers first, you are essentially trying to level up with one hand tied behind your back.

1. The “Scholar” Mindset

Before you crush a single mountain flower, do the basics.

• The Mage Stone: It’s strictly required. That 20% XP boost adds up to hours of saved time over a playthrough.

• Sleep: I know, “Ironman” players hate sleeping. But finding a bed (even a bedroll in a bandit camp) gives you the Well Rested bonus. That’s another 10% free XP.

• Aetherial Crown (Mid-Game): If you are serious, complete the Lost to the Ages quest. Stacking the Lover Stone (15%) with the Mage Stone is the ultimate power move.

2. Get Your Tools

This is where 90% of new CACO players get stuck. You walk up to a table, and it says you are missing items. In CACO, you need portable tools in your inventory to unlock specific crafting tiers:

• Mortar and Pestle: You physically cannot grind hard ingredients (like tusks or pearls) without this. You can buy one from Arcadia in Whiterun or craft one at a forge.

• Retort: This is your best friend. It distills potions, making them stronger and longer-lasting. Stronger potions = More XP. Steal one from Farengar’s room in Dragonsreach if you’re short on gold.

Part 2: The Leveling Roadmap (0 to 100)

Forget the “Iron Dagger” equivalent of Alchemy. In CACO, we need to adapt our strategy as we level up.

Phase 1: The “Bartender” Method (Levels 1–25)

In the early game, ingredients are scarce. You don’t want to waste your precious Mountain Flowers on failed experiments. Instead, we are going to make booze.

CACO allows you to distill weak alcohols into strong spirits. This is brilliant because alcohol is everywhere—bandits drop it, inns sell it cheap, and it’s in every cupboard.

• The Loop: Buy/Loot every Ale, Nord Mead, and Wine.

• The Action: Use your Retort to combine them.

• Why it works: You gain steady XP without using a single rare herb. It’s cheap, safe, and effective.

Phase 2: The “Garden Tycoon” (Levels 25–50)

Now we need volume. You cannot rely on scavenging anymore. You need to become a farmer. If you have a Hearthfire house (Lakeview Manor is best) or a modded home with soil plots, plant these immediately:

1. Mora Tapinella (Fungus)

2. Scaly Pholiota (Fungus)

3. Creep Cluster (Plant)

Why this combination? In vanilla Skyrim, this was the “god combination.” In CACO, it was nerfed slightly, but it is still the king of renewable XP. These three grow in massive quantities. Every 3 in-game days, you harvest 50+ of each. Mash them together. The potion isn’t worth millions, but the sheer quantity of XP will rocket you through the mid-game.

Phase 3: The “Deep Dive” (Levels 50–75)

Okay, the fungus farming is getting slow. Now we need to target High-Value Effects. In CACO, XP is tied to the complexity and value of the potion. The highest value effect that is relatively easy to farm is Waterbreathing.

• The Ingredients: Chicken's Egg + Nordic Barnacle + Salmon Roe.

• The Strategy: Take a walk along the northern coast. Start at Dawnstar and walk the shoreline all the way to Solitude.

  • Harvest every Nordic Barnacle from shipwrecks.

  • Look for jumping salmon in waterfalls. Catching them mid-air yields Salmon Roe.

• The Result: A single potion made with Salmon Roe in CACO is worth huge XP chunks. You only need a few dozen of these to clear this bracket.

Phase 4: The “Master of Shadows” (Levels 75–100)

The final stretch is the hardest. To hit 100, we need Invisibility and Paralysis. These are “complex” effects that CACO rewards heavily.

• Recipe A (The Night Owl): Luna Moth Wing + Vampire Dust.

  • Go out at night in the Whiterun plains. Catch every glowing moth you see. They are everywhere.

• Recipe B (The Delver): Chaurus Eggs + Ice Wraith Teeth.

  • This is dangerous but lucrative. One run through a Falmer cave will net you 100+ eggs.

The “Secret Weapon”: Grenades and Bombs

Here is something most guides forget. CACO adds Bombs. If you find Fire Salts, Frost Salts, or Void Salts, do not use them for potions. Go to the “Retort” section of the menu and craft Elemental Bombs.

These are considered “Master” level recipes. Crafting a batch of 10 Fire Bombs gives an absurd amount of XP compared to a standard potion. If you have a stockpile of salts, this is your fast-track ticket to Level 100.

Common Mistakes (How to Save Your Gold)

1. Don’t eat the ingredients! In Vanilla Skyrim, you eat an ingredient to learn the first effect. In CACO, you can adjust the settings, but by default, eating raw ingredients gives you almost nothing. You need to study them or experiment at the table to learn effects.

2. Watch out for “impure” potions. CACO punishes you for making potions with side effects. If you make a “Restore Health” potion that also damages stamina, the value tanks—and so does your XP. Be precise.

3. Ignoring the perk tree. The “Chemist” perk in the CACO tree is vital. It allows you to identify more effects per experiment. Get this as soon as possible.

Still Confused About What to Mix?

Look, I get it. You have 300 pounds of ingredients in your chest—Dragon’s Tongue, Troll Fat, three types of flour—and you have no idea what combines with what. The in-game interface can be clunky.

Instead of trial and error (and wasting valuable herbs), use a calculator designed for this mod.

[👉 Try our Free Skyrim Tools Collection Here]

Simply select the ingredients you have in your inventory, and the tool will instantly tell you:

1. The highest XP potion you can create.

2. Which ingredients are safe to combine (no side effects).

3. How many potions you need to make to hit your next level.

Stop guessing. Start brewing like a Master.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does this guide work for “Vokriinator” builds? A: Yes! If you are running Vokrii, Ordinator, or the Vokriinator Black mix, the leveling XP mechanics are still handled by CACO. The perks might look different, but the method of gaining XP (crafting complex potions) is identical.

Q: Where is the best place to buy ingredients in CACO? A: Solitude has the “Angeline’s Aromatics” shop, which usually has the best stock of rare ingredients. However, the khajiit caravans are the best source for “illegal” ingredients like Moon Sugar and Void Salts.

Q: My potions are worth less than the ingredients! A: This happens at low levels (0-20). Until you get the first few perks and a Retort, your alchemy skill is “amateur.” This is why we recommend the Alcohol Distilling method for the early game—it prevents you from losing money on valuable herbs.