WH40k dreadnought question

[dragon]

Quick question on dreadnoughts. How much personality if left in the dreadnaughts when they are created? I am asking as having read mutiple different stories they each had a different level of self awareness. It Heroes of the Space Marines one of the Dreadnaughts was in charge of a unit. Yet in other books they are barely coherent.

[Imperial Overlord]

Dreadnoughts don't have personalities, their pilots do. And those pilots are severely fucked up Space Marines. Loyalist Astartes tend to keep the pilots asleep chemically when they aren't needed, so don't go through long periods of helplessness and sensory deprivation. Some renegades aren't so nice and the dreadnought's in question are really fucked up and murderous due to being conscious and helpless for years at a time in between battles.

As for personality, well Marines are (not entirely fairly) known for not having much and being a member of the living dead isn't going to help that. Everyone deals with their fate differently. Some will continue to be the same person they've always been, others will see themselves as being robbed of a well earned rest and there's everything in between.

[Axiomatic]

Given that what's inside a dreadnaught is a horribly mutilated almost-corpse...I guess it depends on how much of the guy inside they were able to salvage.

[Black Admiral]

Quick question on dreadnoughts. How much personality if left in the dreadnaughts when they are created? I am asking as having read mutiple different stories they each had a different level of self awareness. It Heroes of the Space Marines one of the Dreadnaughts was in charge of a unit. Yet in other books they are barely coherent.

It varies from Dreadnought to Dreadnought, as said. For example, we have Malcharion (Night Lords) from Soul Hunter and Autolochus (Iron Snakes) from Brothers of the Snake, both of whom are fully coherent and aware of their environment (as well as possessed of senses of humour that tend towards biting sarcasm); on the other end, the majority of Chaos Dreadnoughts seem to be completely insane (and there's ones like the Warmonger from the Word Bearers books, who thinks he's still fighting the Heresy).

[Lord Relvenous]

Given that what's inside a dreadnaught is a horribly mutilated almost-corpse...I guess it depends on how much of the guy inside they were able to salvage.

The decision to use a dying Space Marine as a Dreadnought pilot is not made lightly. Dreadnoughts arew incredibly rare, so only the most ideal candidates would be selected for Dreadnought service. Many more Marines are simply given the Emperor's Mercy by the Company Apothecary.

It varies from Dreadnought to Dreadnought, as said. For example, we have Malcharion (Night Lords) from Soul Hunter and Autolochus (Iron Snakes) from Brothers of the Snake, both of whom are fully coherent and aware of their environment (as well as possessed of senses of humour that tend towards biting sarcasm); on the other end, the majority of Chaos Dreadnoughts seem to be completely insane (and there's ones like the Warmonger from the Word Bearers books, who thinks he's still fighting the Heresy).

Also, it seems that even with the limited active time, loyalist Dreadnought pilots suffer mental degredation over time, even with being in stasis often. Whether this is degradation occurs regardless of stasis and is accelerated by activity or if it only occurs during activity I do not know however. Note, in this case activity refers to consciousness, whether or not the pilot's sarcophogas (sp) is hooked up to the chasis.

Sorry for any typos. I'm posting from a new phone.

[Axiomatic]

Given that what's inside a dreadnaught is a horribly mutilated almost-corpse...I guess it depends on how much of the guy inside they were able to salvage.

The decision to use a dying Space Marine as a Dreadnought pilot is not made lightly. Dreadnoughts arew incredibly rare, so only the most ideal candidates would be selected for Dreadnought service. Many more Marines are simply given the Emperor's Mercy by the Company Apothecary.

Yes, but whether or not the candidate is ideal has more to do with how much experience the candidate has than much of the candidate remains to stick in the dred.

[Kojiro]

If I recall correctly, the master of the Callidus shrine has himself put into a dreadnought body in one of the Draco books and he still manages to run a section of the Officio Assassinorum just fine. I think that was in Harlequin, but it's been a loooong time.

I would assume that the main factors affecting a dreadnought pilot would be condition of the brain and length of internment. I imagine once installed, the marines wouldn't remove a pilot unless her was dangerous, even if he was a little confused or befuddled from time to time. I don't know how much knowledge they have of neuroscience- perhaps there are nigh foolproof tests to determine mental stability before interment, perhaps they just make reasonably educated guesses and sometimes time may just not allow such precautions. And yeah, time served- even the best human mind starts to lose it over a long enough time span.

[Imperial Overlord]

If I recall correctly, the master of the Callidus shrine has himself put into a dreadnought body in one of the Draco books and he still manages to run a section of the Officio Assassinorum just fine. I think that was in Harlequin, but it's been a loooong time.

Nope. He's actually on the run. He swipes the dreadnought (which has the not at all unimportant side effect of killing the Marine inside) to use it as an alternate method of life extension, because he's nearing the point where his faculties and memories may become impaired.

[Lost Soal]

I would assume that the main factors affecting a dreadnought pilot would be condition of the brain and length of internment. I imagine once installed, the marines wouldn't remove a pilot unless her was dangerous, even if he was a little confused or befuddled from time to time. I don't know how much knowledge they have of neuroscience- perhaps there are nigh foolproof tests to determine mental stability before interment, perhaps they just make reasonably educated guesses and sometimes time may just not allow such precautions. And yeah, time served- even the best human mind starts to lose it over a long enough time span.

One of the Blood Angels successors Chapter Masters was a Dreadnought in Red Fury. He was of sound mind and, obviously, would not be in stasis when not fighting.

[Night_stalker]

Honestly, I believe that unless they're needed for combat, or fulfill some vital role in the Chapter, the Loyalists keep their Dreadnoughts in stasis. Chaos doesn't I believe, and considering most of them are utterly insane, yeah keeping them in stasis for long periods is required for lucidity to be maintained.

[Eviscerator]

The short story Into The Maelstrom makes references to "maddened members of the Red Corsairs encased forevercoffins of adamantium sealed up --- until battle called.

It also sa that this "coffin" is supposed to be hooked to a dreadnought's life support to keep a man alive indefinteily. However, it also says "But what if a man was locked inside and left to rot for all eternity?"

To save trouble, it would seem that CSM chapters remove their pilots from their 'naughts, rather then chain up the whole shebang.

[open_sketchbook]

Actually, they pull the pilot's coffin out, chain it to one wall, then chain the dreadnought to the other wall. Just to be on the safe side.

[Eviscerator]

In wh40k it would seem that it'd be prudent to store said pilot and machine far away, psychically shielded or else LOL TEH DAEMONZ might awaken and you got some Dreadnaughts in your base. Killing your CSMs.

To be even safer i suppose they'd drain the fuel tank, take out the battery or something lik that.

[Kojiro]

Nope. He's actually on the run. He swipes the dreadnought (which has the not at all unimportant side effect of killing the Marine inside) to use it as an alternate method of life extension, because he's nearing the point where his faculties and memories may become impaired.

Sorry about that, it's been about 10 years since I last read it. I just remembered the guy had got himself one. I'd swear he was still running things but memory is hardly reliable after such times. Still, if I recall he was still compus mentus, which is what I was getting at. How in the hell do you swipe a dreadnought from Space Marines anyway? I can't see it being stolen from a marine base or ship.

[Lord Revan]

based on DoW the since interment might affect the personality pilot as well Spoiler

when first powered up after interment Davian Thule was down right senile (though his combat abilities weren't impared), but in Chaos Rising he's alot closer to his pre-dreadnaught personality

[Imperial Overlord]

Sorry about that, it's been about 10 years since I last read it. I just remembered the guy had got himself one. I'd swear he was still running things but memory is hardly reliable after such times. Still, if I recall he was still compus mentus, which is what I was getting at. How in the hell do you swipe a dreadnought from Space Marines anyway? I can't see it being stolen from a marine base or ship.

Well if you have Assassins as agents, stalk, wait for moment of opportunity to occur, kill, steal. That does involve dropping Space Marines though and they're not going to be happy.

[Cykeisme]

Plenty of good examples here already, just adding one more on the Chaos end of things.. in the novel Dead Sky, Black Sun, Berossus was interned in a dreadnought, but was still the leader of a Grand Company of Iron Warriors.

[Commander Xillian]

Honestly, I believe that unless they're needed for combat, or fulfill some vital role in the Chapter, the Loyalists keep their Dreadnoughts in stasis. Chaos doesn't I believe, and considering most of them are utterly insane, yeah keeping them in stasis for long periods is required for lucidity to be maintained.

Actually, Chaos more so. Because being in a dred is a punishment more or less, the Chaos guys inside hate it. And I mean, HATE it. They have to be disassembled, Chained down, and otherwise drugged into a stupor for any semblance of safety, or they could damn well butcher their entire company they're attached to before being subdued or brought down.

Also, on the subject of the Dreds personality, yes, it is varried from Dred to Dred. Bjorn the Fel-Handed, from what I remember, is on his way out mentally, taking more and more time to sleep. But he does wake up, and he is still as sharp as they day he was put in. From a source I can't place, I'll see if i can dig it up, most Dreds tend to be active 100% within the first few years, slowly going more and more comatose, until the point where they only wake up when needed.