Book question: About Geralt and potions
Having just finished reading the dramatic assault on castle Stygga, I couldn't help but wonder about something afterwards: When was the last time Geralt actually used potions to enhance his combat prowess?
The fight in the castle makes no mention of it, yet knowing he would face Vilgefortz again would surely make taking potions a priority, no? Instead, he gets beaten up yet again and only prevails because of luck, more or less. Same thing with the rebellion on Thanedd. The fight at the bridge. Going down the dungeons in Toussant.
He's inherently strong as a witcher, yes, but I got the feeling that Sapkowski "forgot" about all of the other aspects of his life halfway through the Ciri novels, instead focusing more on human relationships and political struggles. Until he met Avallach, I don't think the story had featured any monsters for about three books, either. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, just something I noticed.
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Yeah, there's very little mention of potions in the books. The Witcher games took a lot of liberties with this concept because they made for an interesting game mechanic.
Mvin [OP] 1 points · Dec 2015
My point is that they have been introduced as a powerful and readily available device in the early books, though. One tightly interwoven with the concept of being a witcher. And yet, they're all but forgotten about later on. They aren't used any more without a valid reason given. I wouldn't blame the games for what I would perceive as plot/lore inconsistence in the latter books.
thelightfantastique 3 points · Dec 2015 · Team Triss
It costs money to prepare and usually are for use with doing a monster contract. We read it when taking on the Striga for Foltest.
We can assume that when he was doing work in Toussaint he was able to afford ingredients for potions, if needed, when taking on the contracts. But my feeling is the contracts weren't very hard and so probably didn't need potion prep.
Tomix1990 2 points · Dec 2015
On the other hand, from Time of Contempt it would be really weird and off-put to use potions imo. I mean a fight just randomly broke out on Thanedd, not sth he was expecting to happen and he had no equipment, and after that point he was constantly on the run, always in a hurry with small skirmishes. He wouldn't have any time to prepare potions or in general to any fight.
In Toussant he could've done it but he grew a little cocky, and for the jobs it wasn't needed, plus he gave up on being a witcher, leaving the Path a little....