With the Update 16 “Clockwork City”, the Transmutation was newly added to the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online. With Update 28 “Markarth”, the set collection and reconstruction were added. MeinMMO shows you in this guide what you need to know about the Transmutation and Reconstruction.
What exactly is Transmutation? In Transmutation, you change the property of a piece of equipment, jewelry, or a weapon.
This way, you can turn an item with a healing effect like “Fortified” into equipment that better suits your offensive playstyle.
What is meant by the term “Reconstruction”? Unlike Transmutation, you do not change the property of an existing item, but create a new item from a known set. This way, you can also get your desired equipment.
You will learn how both works and what you need to do in this guide.
All About Transmutation
How does Transmutation work? For Transmutation, you need Transmutation Crystals. The Transmutation itself can only be performed at a Transmutation station. This is a type of crafting station specifically for Transmutation and Reconstruction.
When you interact with this Transmutation station, a menu opens up and you see the various items in your inventory and your bank. With just a few clicks, you can then apply the desired property.
However, you must know the property beforehand if you want it as a result of your Transmutation.
The Transmutation itself costs you 50 crystals and the appropriate property material.
First select the item whose property you want to change. 
Then you can select the desired property.
What are Transmutation Crystals? This is a type of currency that you can use in crafting. Therefore, you will also find them in your inventory (I) under the Currency tab (at the very bottom). Unlike gold, this currency is not directly tradable.
You can have a maximum of 500, with ESO+ 1000 of them. Any Transmutation Crystals you earn beyond that will be lost. So always pay attention to whether you have enough space before opening Transmutation Geodes.
What are Transmutation Geodes? This is what the containers holding the Transmutation Crystals are called. There are different types of Geodes:
- Transmutation Geode (white), 1 Transmutation Crystal
- Transmutation Geode (green), 3 Transmutation Crystals
- Transmutation Geode (blue), 5 Transmutation Crystals
- Transmutation Geode (purple), 10 Transmutation Crystals
- Transmutation Geode (gold), 50 Transmutation Crystals
- Intact Transmutation Geode (blue), 1 – 3 Transmutation Crystals
- Intact Transmutation Geode (purple), 1 – 10 Transmutation Crystals
- Intact Transmutation Geode (gold), 4 – 25 Transmutation Crystals
What do I need Transmutation Crystals for and where do I get them?
What do I need the crystals for? The Transmutation Crystals can only be used in crafting. Here there are 2 purposes:
- Transmutation: Changing the property of a weapon, piece of armor, or jewelry. This costs 50 Transmutation Crystals.
- Reconstruction: Creating a weapon, piece of armor, or jewelry from the set collection. The costs depend on the completeness of the collection. If you only have 1 set item, it costs 75 Transmutation Crystals. If the set is complete, you only need to pay 25 Crystals.
Always pay attention to which of the two options is cheaper for you. Because sometimes it is cheaper to reconstruct a set item than to change the property of an existing item. But also pay attention to your other materials, as enhancers / upgrade materials are also expensive.
Where do I get Transmutation Crystals? Generally, you can earn Transmutation Crystals through various activities.
Here you are guaranteed to receive Transmutation Crystals:
- Daily 1st Random Dungeon via group search
- Daily Rites of the Undaunted
- Weekly Trial Quests
- Leaderboards for arenas, trials, and battlegrounds
- Completion rewards for campaigns in the Alliance War (Cyrodiil)
- The 1st Just Reward of the day
- Maze of Trials (Veteran mode)
- Dragonstar Arena (Veteran mode)
Here you have at least the chance to receive them:
- The last boss of a dungeon
- In the Just Reward (after opening the 1st container)
- In the Random Dungeon, after the first of the day
| Source | Amount of Crystals | Time |
| PvE: | ||
| Random Dungeon (normal) | 10 | every 20 hours |
| Random Dungeon (veteran) | 10 | every 20 hours |
| Rites (normal) | 1-3-5 | every day |
| Rites (veteran) | 2 | every day |
| Rites (veteran, HM) | 5 | every day |
| Trials Quest Completion | 5 | every 7 days |
| Maze of Trials (veteran) | 4 | every 7 days |
| Dragonstar Arena (veteran) | 5 | every 7 days |
| Blackrose Prison (veteran) | 5 | every 7 days |
| PvP (Cyrodiil): | ||
| Just Reward (1st chest) | 4-25 | every 20 hours |
| Just Reward | Chance for 4-25 | always |
| Alliance War (small campaign, 7 days) | 10 | 7 days |
| Alliance War (large campaign, 30 days) | 50 | 30 days |
| PvP (Battlegrounds) | ||
| Reward Box from Battle Master Rynin | 1 | every 20 hours |
Which source is worth it the most? My personal recommendation is to long-term take the campaign rewards on as many characters as possible. For this, you must reach reward level 1 in the Alliance War. As a reward for the large campaigns, you receive 50 Transmutation Crystals.
If you need Transmutation Stones in the short term, in my experience it is most relaxed to run the daily random dungeon (normal). You can also do this with all your characters.
Once you have unlocked all character slots, that would be 180 Transmutation Stones per day.
You want to farm Transmutation Crystals? Then follow the link to our guide:
ESO: Guide to Farming Transmutation Crystals
How do I keep track of my rewards? You can of course take notes. But it is easier to help yourself with add-ons. For example, the add-on WPamA gives you a cross-character overview.
Here you can see all rewards, beyond the Transmutation topic as well.
However, you first need to assign a key to the add-on. You can do this in your settings under Controls → Extensions. Then you can navigate through the different categories using the button.
What is a Transmutation station?
The Transmutation station is comparable to a crafting station. It is needed to use the Transmutation Crystals. Here you can change the properties of already existing armor. Since update 28 Markarth, it is also possible to reconstruct equipment once it is listed in your collection.
You can find a free Transmutation station in the City of Clockwork. You can also acquire it for your home. You can buy it from the writ merchant Rolis Hlaalu. You will find him in each capital of the respective alliance: Daggerfall, Wayrest, and Eldenroot. From him, you can purchase the Transmutation station for 1,250 writs.
After that, you can place and use it in one of your houses.
However, you can also look in the guild stores to see if someone is selling it for gold if you do not possess any writs. Currently (on October 14, 2021), the price in gold is around 850,000 – 1,050,000 gold.
In this article, you will get some tricks on how to fill your coin pouch easier:
What are writs and where do I get them?
Writs are also a type of currency that you receive as a reward for master writs. They themselves are not tradable. However, the items you can purchase with them are not bound and can be sold or traded.
You receive master writs with a certain chance from the rewards of daily crafting dailies. But only if you have maximized the 1st passive skill of the skill line:
- Alchemy: Solvent Proficiency (8/8)
- Blacksmithing: Blacksmithing (10/10)
- Jewelry Crafting: Engraving (5/5)
- Clothing: Tailoring (10/10)
- Woodworking: Woodworking (10/10)
- Provisioning: Recipe Improvement (6/6)
- Enchanting: Power Improvement (10/10)
How and where do I make master writs?
Apart from the consumable items, you need to craft equipment or weapons for master writs. These always belong to a specific set. You can find the specific crafting stations in the open world. If you do not know the locations, this add-on can help you:
This add-on also gives you cross-character information on learned traits and the level of your craft. You can also bind the overview to a key. Alternatively, you can click an icon on your user interface.
Important for your master writs is especially the following function. In the lower right of the overview, you can display all craftable sets and teleport to the way shrine. However, this does cost gold.
There are exceptions: Some sets are crafted on a “different level.” These include the sets at Augvea (Mage Guild) or in the Earth Forge (Warrior Guild). To reach these locations, you must use a portal.
You can find these in a building of the respective guild. But only after you have completed the guild quest line. Not every guild building has the right portal. You are at the right places:
- Portal to Augvea:
- Daggerfall (Deshaan)
- Portal to the Earth Forge
- Riften (Rift)
- Marbruk (Greenshadow)
- Knurr’kha (Harvestmark)
- Evermore (Bankorai)
If you need to craft one of these sets, but have not yet completed the quest line, do not worry. Because there is another way to craft set items. Also at the writ merchant, there are adjustable crafting tables that every player can place in their home.
These crafting tables can be used by any other player, as long as they can visit the home. So ask around in your guild or community if someone has set crafting tables available.
The same goes for equipment sets from the PvP area of Cyrodiil or the Imperial City. Because you can only enter these areas through the campaign. Or you know someone who has the respective crafting tables in their home.
For the master writs themselves, I can also recommend the following add-on. It is particularly worth it if you want to complete a lot of writs at once:
By clicking on the boxes on the right side, you activate the automatic crafting at the corresponding crafting station. If you possess the finished item, the related master writ (unread) is marked in your inventory. You can then select it without worries and submit the quest.
Where do I submit the quests for the master writs? It is not complicated at all. You can find the NPC Rolis Hlaalu in the capitals of the 3 alliances (Daggerfall, Wayrest, Eldenroot) at the location where you usually submit your crafting dailies.
Adjustable crafting tables for your own home
Of course, you can also acquire the mentioned crafting tables. It is similar to the Transmutation station. You can purchase them for 250 writs each at the writ merchant or in the guild store for gold.
Currently (on October 14, 2021), the price is around 200,000 – 250,000 gold per table.
A full collection of all crafting stations can take good time. Or a lot of writs or gold. Until then, you can still use the other crafting options.
How does Reconstruction work?
Reconstruction is also performed at a Transmutation station. Here, however, you do not change an existing item, but create a new item. For this, you must possess the appropriate piece in your set collection.
You can freely choose the property if you have the necessary materials. The costs in Transmutation Crystals may differ compared to Transmutation. This depends on how many parts of an item set you have already recorded in your collection.
Thus, the costs range from 25 – 75 Transmutation Crystals. It is therefore worth completing the collection. Keep an eye on which option is cheaper.
In Reconstruction, you can also select the quality level directly. However, this will cost you the usual amount of enhancers / upgrade materials. Nevertheless, you save a step.
In Reconstruction, you first select the item of the set. 
In the 2nd step, you select property and quality.
Your equipment that you reconstruct automatically has an enchantment. This depends on the type of equipment. Here is an overview:
- Light Armor: Max Magicka
- Medium Armor: Max Stamina
- Heavy Armor: Max Health
You can of course re-enchant your item at any time with another enchantment.
The Set Collection or Sticker Book
Since update 28 Markarth, ESO has the set collection. As soon as you bind an item of an item set, it appears in this collection. You can bind an item directly by right-clicking and “Bind”. The item will also be bound as soon as you destroy, analyze, equip, or sell it.
When selling, however, the item does not appear directly in your collection, but only when it has disappeared from the overview for a buyback. When trading an item to other players, the item must be unbound. Consequently, it will also not appear in your collection if you pass it on.
Until now, you have received the items of the various item sets purely randomly. From update 32 Deadlands onwards, players will only receive items that are still missing in their collection.
If you want to learn more about the upcoming update and what changes it brings, check out this article:
ESO: Everything about the new DLC Deadlands – Release, Content, Sets, and Update 32
