Chems



Chem (a truncation of chemical) is post-apocalyptic slang for drug. Each chem has a specific effect. Many lower some of a player's stats while increasing others. Abusing chems results in addiction. Addiction can result in lowered stats unless you continue to take the drug on a regular basis or get cured by visiting a doctor.

A chem is any chemical, medicinal or otherwise, used to affect changes in a person's behavior or biological systems. Various chems are known to exist in the wasteland. Some beneficial and some not. Remember: Always consult your Vault-Tec certified medical professional before consuming any foreign substance. Severe reactions, such as death or addiction, may occur if used improperly. You have been warned. Enjoy your travels!

Types of Chems
Throughout the Wasteland, multiple types of chems can, and will, be found. Chems can be divided into two groups: Addictive, and Non-Addictive. Usually the Non-Addictive Chems are used far more often by player characters, whereas the Addictive Chems are usually located on or around NPCs.

Addictive Chems
These Chems include:
 * Buffout
 * Jet
 * Med-X
 * Mentats
 * Psycho
 * Any type of alcohol (Beer, Scotch, Vodka, Whiskey, or Wine).

Non-Addictive Chems
These Chems include:
 * Rad Away
 * Rad-X
 * Stimpaks

Curing an Addiction
To cure an addiction, a player has several choices. He or she can:


 * 1) Seek out a Wasteland Doctor and pay them a certain amount of Caps to rid themselves of addiction.
 * 2) Use the My First Laboratory (Fallout 3, after being purchased by the player for either their Megaton Home or their Tenpenny Tower Suite.
 * 3) Take more of the Chem that they are addicted to until one of the above options can be taken.

Resisting Addiction
There are a few ways to resist addiction in Fallout. He or she can:


 * 1) Purchase a perk called Chemist. This allows chems to last twice as long, thus it should prevent addiction a whole lot less. Med:60+.
 * 2) Purchase a perk called Chem Resistant. This perk gives you a 50% resistance to any addicting chems such as Buffout or Jet. Med:60+.
 * 3) Purchase the Fast Metabolism perk. While this perk doesn't help you resist Stimpacks,(which aren't addictive anyway) it will give you a 20% increase in health given from a Stimpack, thus allowing you to use fewer in the future.
 * 4) Not taking the chem at all. This is really the only way to be sure you will never become addicted.

Drug references in Fallout 3
In the release of Fallout 3 in Australia, the game was banned for including references to real drugs. A report was released by the OFLC on why it banned the game. The following is a part of report that was released:

"The game contains the option to take a variety of "chems" using a device which is connected to the character's arm. Upon selection of the device a menu selection screen is displayed. Upon this screen is a list of "chems" that the player can take, by means of selection. These "chems" have positive effects and some negitave effects (lowering of intelligence, or the character may become addicted to the "chem"). The positive effects include increase in strength, stamina, resistance to damage, agility and hit points.

''Corresponding with the list of various "chems" are small visual representation of the drugs, these include syringes, tablets, pill bottles, a crack-type pipe and blister packs. In the Board's view these realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method bring the "science-fiction" drugs in line with "real-world" drugs."''

One of the obvious things the report overlooked was that the "small visual representations" are that of fictional chemicals that have been part of the Fallout series before Fallout 3. It also fails to recognize that the "the device" that displays a menu selection is in fact the player's inventory which would only include things the player has found and picked up or items that have been purchased. Using chems is a personal character choice that is non-essential to the main story.

Another of the reasons for the ban was of the opiate painkiller, morphine being one of the chems that would have been available to use by the player. As a result of the ban Bethesda decided to have morphine renamed to Med-X. Evidence this was a last minute change is the fact Med-X's editor ID is still "Morphine" and Med-X addiction's editor ID is "WithdrawalMorphine".