Alchemy

From SFWiki

This skill represents the character's understanding of alchemical principles as well as his or her ability to brew potions.

Higher ranks in this skill mean that the character will be more successful at brewing potions and is less likely to suffer a mishap. Further, the character will be better able to determine the main ingredients of a given potion he or she does not know how to brew, allowing for replication.

This is a poor choice of skill for starting characters, as the total process of alchemy is complex and draws from other skills (such as Research).