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This is an overview article, listing content appearing in multiple games. |
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Mentats are a brand of nootropic chems in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: The Board Game, and Van Buren.
Background
The chalky red tablets manufactured by Med-Tek Laboratories were a popular recreational drug before the Great War, favored by consumers for their effect on creativity.[1][2] The active ingredient is a powerful nootropic that increases memory-related functions, and speeds other mental processes.[3] Students and those in other fields requiring intensive thought would also take Mentats for its mental benefits, but Mentats would gain a reputation as being a drug for beatniks and armchair philosopher.[4][5][6] The effect of Mentants is temporary, leaving the user tired and sluggish once it wears off. The drug seems to have a profound effect on a developing adolescent mind, which results in a permanent and noticeable intelligence increase.[7][8] Mentats can further be used by those suffering from Alzheimer's disease to curb the degeneration of mind and keep the user sharp and lucid when they would otherwise be delirious and unattentive.[4] However, excessive consumption could also result in health complications, including recurring migraines from withdrawal and even worsening or developing debilitating neurological disorders.[9][10] Coupled with a high addiction rate, Mentats were and still are a double-edged sword.[3]
The high addiction rate of Mentats was of no concern to Med Tek and was designed as such. Med Tek would practice pre-seeding areas it planned on selling to with free drugs to further drive sales of Mentats brand (as well as Fixer).[11] The seeding of areas predominantly targeted school districts, such as Shaw High School, where Principal Ronald Tanner would use both Rusty Burton and the book return system[12] to distribute Mentants around Shaw High school. To further target children, Med Tek started developing enticing fruit-flavored varieties and offering them as prizes to win at the National Archives after completing a basic history quiz.[13][14]
Mentats packages (available both as cardboard packs and tins)[15] sold well, with their popularity surviving the Great War and making them a popular drug across the wasteland. Some chemists even figured out how to iterate on the design and create special blends of Mentats.[16] The professor from Broken Hills allegedly developed an easy method to mass-produce Mentats, likely owing to its ubiquitous nature across the country, even years after production ceased.
Variants
Mentats
Mentats are most useful for characters with low Intelligence and Perception, as they grant a useful bonus for both these SPECIAL stats. The downside however, is that they are addictive.
Grape Mentats
These Mentats do not increase Intelligence and Perception; instead, they only increase Charisma.
Berry Mentats
Berry Mentats do not have the Perception bonus that normal Mentats bring, only increasing Intelligence and in Fallout 4 provide enemy highlighting.
Orange Mentats
Orange Mentats do not have the Intelligence bonus that normal Mentats bring, as they only increase Perception.
Party Time Mentats
Party Time Mentats are a crafted variant of Mentats made by the Courier, requiring a Science skill of 50 and can be produced at any campfire.
Behind the scenes
The name "Mentats" is a reference to Frank Herbert's novel Dune, as in the wake of humanity rejecting artificially intelligent computers and robots, "Mentats" are humans trained for computer-like mathematical and logical computations. The pills are colored red. Red-stained lips are a distinguishing characteristic of a Dune Mentat.
References
- ↑ Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p. 74: "This party drug was once favored for the boost it gave to creativity—tune in, turn on, drop out. Mentats are just the ticket when you need to figure out something particularly perplexing or impress someone with your wits and charm. Mentats also sharpen your Perception, which greatly enhances long-range sniping attacks."
- ↑ Doctor Mobius, "I have such science-arific ideas while those chalky tablets are zipping through my biogel!".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fallout and Fallout 2 item description: "{5300}{}{Mentats}"
"{5301}{}{A pillbox of mind-altering chems. Increases memory related functions, and speeds other mental processes. Highly addictive.}"
(PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout), PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout 2)) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sam Blackwell's bunker terminal entries; Judy's terminal, Mentats Are Key
- ↑ The lecture halls of Vault-Tec University have many hidden stashes of mentats, especially on student sides of rooms.
- ↑ Mentats are a common find at the Big MT Research and Development Center
- ↑ Shaw High School terminal entries; Rusty Burton's school terminal
- ↑ Property of R. Burton
- ↑ Little Yangtze terminals; Little Yangtze log terminal, Elijah's journal - day 4
- ↑ Mobius suffers from acute dementia as a result of extremely prolonged Mentats and Psycho abuse.
- ↑ Med-Tek research terminals: "From: Med-Tek Sales/PR Department
CURRENT PRODUCT SALES:
- MENTATS sales up 24% in school districts
- FIXER sales up 12% in seeded zones
NEW PRODUCT FORECAST:
-PREVENT sales +250% projection 2078
-PREVENT sales +330% 2079" - ↑ Shaw High School rewards Mentats for book return tokens
- ↑ National Archives terminal entries; prize redemption terminal
- ↑ National Archives terminal entries; Administrator Berkeley's terminal, notice u89003
- ↑ Game items
- ↑ Different recipes available in Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4.