[BlavikensButcher]

This potion gives +20% damage for -50% vitality and -50% vitality regen. Does anyone else think that this is a terrible trade-off? With Catalysis 2/2, this is +32% damage for -22% vitality and vitality regen. If you drink it, it's like you're begging to die.

[Benzenzimmern]

Well, it's a good potion if you're fast enough not to get hit.

[Vinterberg]

Drink like a man.. Come on, just one more thunderbolt, you can do it! ^^

[Saoe]

You can counter some of those side effects with other potions.

[gaurdian]

Combine it with Quen. In some fights where you got one powerful enemy like the dragon battle, you can avoid hits easily and thunderbolt will come in handy.

[FoggyFishburne]

It's actually not too bad with the mutation spec but eh. Not really my cup of tea. Using quen to compensate is alright but the possitive attributes that you gain are outweighed by the negative. I don't think it's really worth it. Maybe if you're gonna fight a big troll or something? In a 1v1 situation it's alright, I guess ^^

[slimgrin]

It's basically designed for an alchemy build after you've upgraded the relevant skills. Or you can get away with it on easy setting. Otherwise, yeah, you're begging to die.

[antichrist616]

I use it on dark and it's probably the best potion to use, since if you get hit once you're gonna die anyway.

[RSIK4]

"Witchers take this potion before fighting strong, heavily armored opponents. Imbibing Thunderbolt causes witchers to enter into a battle trance. While in this state, witchers attack more efficiently and cause greater damage, while at the same time neglecting their own defense and becoming an easier target."The Thunderbolt potion increases damage inflicted on opponents by 100%, but reduces dodging and parrying efficiency by 50% each.

[Guy N'wah]

It's very effective in Dark mode against enemies who don't play attrition combat and can one-hit you back to Avallach. Vitality means little and the ability to make a quick kill is everything against, say, the Dragon or the Operator's pets.

[Wut the Melon]

I'm working on a mod that overhauls potions and oils to be more 'essential', so alchemy becomes more important again. Still figuring out the exact details, but Thunderbolt would get the largest increase. The main problem is the way the game deals with multiple buffs active at the same time... using a strong potion + a strong oil gets OP very quickly. There is a way to counter that, but it´s a bit buggy.

Curious to see if any of you have any suggestions. I would´ve agreed with OP and said that Thunderbolt is rather too weak as it is, but I suppose it´s already useful in some situations.

[Random drowner]

Wut the Melon said:

I'm working on a mod that overhauls potions and oils to be more 'essential', so alchemy becomes more important again. Still figuring out the exact details, but Thunderbolt would get the largest increase. The main problem is the way the game deals with multiple buffs active at the same time... using a strong potion + a strong oil gets OP very quickly. There is a way to counter that, but it´s a bit buggy.

Curious to see if any of you have any suggestions. I would´ve agreed with OP and said that Thunderbolt is rather too weak as it is, but I suppose it´s already useful in some situations. ›››

Making it taking time to apply oils and giving them a shorter duration in battle perhaps?
Thunderbolt could be like a good + damage and significant nerf to parrying + followed by a real hangover when the potion wares off until you have had a good rest or drink some restoring potion.