I have been looking into Alchemy for a while now and like it a good deal. I figured out most effects myself, read up on wikis about it, but I cannot find an explanation for the difference in "poison" and "concentrated poison".

What I do know is:
a.) I can create one-shot, one-hit poisons with the Damage Health effect of ingredients. The poison will damage immediately, but only for one attack and has a weak to medium effect. Certain combinations of ingredients lead to stronger poisons.

b.) I can create slow poisons that kill with time by using the Lingering Health Damage effect of ingredients. They will damage over time and are the strongest poisons.

c.) And I can create so called "concentrated poisons" with the Ravage Health effect. Despite their naming are they the weakest poisons.

I assumed the concentrated poisons were those that stayed on your weapon for more than one hit, but I have tested it and there is no difference from a.) - one hit and the poison on the weapon is gone.

Can anyone tell me what these concentrated poisons are and what makes them different?

According to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Concentrated_Poison#Concentrated_Poison they last for twice as many hits... If it's not that then I've no idea

EDIT: Wait, that's the perk

I believe the concentrated poisons reduce the target's maximum health / stamina / magicka for the duration of the poison's effect. So an enemy with 200 magicka, hit with a 40 magicka concentrated poison, will have 160 magicka until the poison wears off. The effect doesn't look too great because the bar shows the proportion of maximum h/s/m the target has left.

No, but thanks. This is the perk in the Alchemy skill tree, which supports the idea of a concentrated poison staying on a weapon for more than one hit. After testing it do these disappear from my weapons just like any other poison.

If these concentrated poisons lasted for 4-5 hits then I would want to get me the perk and could use a poison for 8-10 hits. But if I still have to apply a new poison after every one or two attacks then it is a bit too tedious, imo. Worst case might even be that the perk only works together with these so called concentrated poisons and this would be a total disappointment.

I see poisons as when you want some one dead, I mean really dead. I don't see it as something that is going to work in large scale dungeon brawls. Instead, in situations where you can sneak up to or isolate an enemy, then use the poison.

Thank you, and you are right! I tested it on my Lydia and used a console command to look at the numbers ("getavinfo health"). After hitting her with a concentrated poison of 44 damage did she have a health modifier of -44, meaning that her maximum health went down by 44.

Seems these concentrated poisons should be used against targets that will heal themselves.

Mystery solved.

True, but one can put poisons on a sword, not necessarily strong ones, and it will stick to the blade for a while and keep the wounds open and cause extended bleeding. That sort of thing.

I've only tried poisons on arrows and they only last for that one shot.
Do poisons on swords last for multiple swings or does all the poison come off on the first swipe?
Also, in FO:NV, if you missed with a poisoned throwing spear the poison would stay on that weapon class till you actually hit an enemy. Is it the same in skyrim? Or if you miss that one Daedric Arrow with +50% bow damage for 60s with fully drawn bow, stealth, and a killer poison.... you're ****ed?

in general, all poisened weapons are one-hit then it's over.
So better plan your poisened attack well, and make sure it counts.

If you want to fast-poison your weapon during a fight, then Favourite a poison, and hotkey it.

I haven't tried retreaving a poisened arrow that missed, yet...but I guess it will have lost it's effect, if you find it.
It′s the bow that gets poisened, not the arrow.