Mentats (Fallout 3)

Mentats are a chem in Fallout 3.

Characteristics
Mentats return in Fallout 3, though they only increase Intelligence and Perception, omitting the Charisma bonus. As in previous games, using them boosts skills based on those attributes (although not to skill points earned on level up as Mentats do not alter base stats).

Mentats are important at the beginning of Fallout 3; particularly with disarming (or alternatively detonating) the Megaton bomb, as indirectly implied by Lucas Simms. Through the base adjustment to Perception, the Mentats can help raise the player's Explosives skill level above the 25 needed to interact with the bomb.

One of three different kinds of Mentats can be won in a quiz pertaining to the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives, these are:
 * Berry Mentats grant a +5 to Intelligence
 * Orange Mentats grant a +5 to Perception
 * Grape Mentats grant a +5 to Charisma

Given that regular Mentats provide the same type and Strength of bonuses as the Berry and Orange versions (and all in one package) practical-minded players may want to choose Grape Mentats when redeeming their prize vouchers. The unique +5 bonus to Charisma (and consequent +10 to Speech and Barter) may come in handy with difficult speech checks or large bartering sessions.

Behind the scenes

 * 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. Also of note is that the pills are colored red. Red-stained lips are a distinguishing characteristic of a Dune Mentat.