Mentats

Mentats are a nootropic chem in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout Tactics.

Background
The chalky red pills manufactured by Med-Tek were a popular recreational (party) drug before the Great War, favored by consumers for their effect on creativity. The active ingredient is a powerful nootropic that increases memory related functions, and speeds other mental processes. Of course, the effect is temporary, leaving the user tired and sluggish once it wears off. Excessive consumption could also result in health complications, including migraines and even debilitating neurological disorders. Coupled with a high addiction rate, Mentats were a double edged sword.

Despite that, chem packages (available both as cardboard packs and tins) sold well, to the point where the company started developing flavored varieties with slightly different properties. Their popularity survived the Great War and made them a popular drug across the wasteland. Some chemists even figured out how to iterate on the design and create special blends of Mentats.

Mentats


All Mentats increase Intelligence and Perception and are moderately addictive. Mentats in Fallout and Fallout 2 also provide an increase to charisma.

Brilliantly Berry Mentats


Berry Mentats are half as robust as common East Coast Mentats, only increasing ones Intelligence.

Berry Mentats


Another variant of berry flavored Mentats makes one more observant, and able to see living targets more easily.

Glamourously Grape Mentats


These Mentats are potent pills that increase ones Charisma but forgo increasing Intelligent and Perception.

Observantly Orange Mentats


Orange Mentats are similar to Berry Mentats, but reversed; they only increase one's Perception and accuracy in the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System.

Party Time Mentats


Party Time Mentats are a variant crafted by chemists after the Great War. They provide the same bonus to Intelligence and Perception as regular Mentats, but greatly increase ones Charisma.

Behind the scenes
 
 * Originally in Fallout, Mentats were supposed to be taken intravenously with a syringe: the .frm file for this item still exists in the Fallout Demo files.
 * Their name is a reference to Frank Herbert's Dune, where, in the wake of humanity rejecting artificially intelligent computers and robots, Mentats are humans trained for computer-like mathematical and logical computations. Additionally, the pills are colored red — red-stained lips are a distinguishing characteristic of a Dune Mentat.