Bahamut (Dungeons & Dragons)

D&D Deity


caption=
bgcolor=#000
fgcolor=#fff
name=Bahamut
title=The Platinum Dragon, King of the Good Dragons, Lord of the North Wind, Wyrmking
home=Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
power=Intermediate
alignment=Lawful Good
portfolio=Good dragons, wisdom
domains=Air, Cold, Dragon, Good, Law, Luck, Nobility, Protection, Storm
symbol=Pole star above milky nebula (Bahamut); a reptilian eye superimposed over a square of gold (Xymor); silvery net (Marduk)
alias=Paladine (possibly); Xymor (dragons of Abeir-Toril); Marduk the Justice Bringer (humans of the Old Empires region of Abeir-Toril)
super=Io

In the "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game, Bahamut is a powerful draconic deity, derived from the Bahamut of Arabic mythologyFact|date=April 2008.

Introduced in the 1st Edition of "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" and continuing into 2004's release of "Complete Divine", Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, is the King of the Good Dragons. He is a deity of good dragonkind and a member of the default pantheon of "D&D" gods. His counterpart in "Dragonlance" is Paladine (though many regard the two as separate beings). Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io. He is also referred to as the God of Dragons or the Lord of the North Wind.

In many campaign settings, the draconic pantheon of gods consists of the leader Io, and his children Aasterinian, Bahamut, Chronepsis, Faluzure, and Tiamat. Other draconic gods may be present in different campaign settings. For example, the Forgotten Realms draconic pantheon also includes Astilabor, Garyx, Hlal, Lendys, and Tamara (among others); these five deities have expanded their influence to become venerated in many other campaign settings as well.

Publishing history

Bahamut's personal name is derived from the Bahamut of Arabic mythology, an elephant-headed fish that supports the world.Fact|date=July 2008

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The character was introduced to the game in its first supplement, "Greyhawk" (1975), by Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz. [Gygax, Gary and Robert Kuntz. "" (TSR, 1975)] In this book, he was only known as the "Dragon King", also called the Platinum Dragon, and did not have a personal name.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The character appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977). [Gygax, Gary. "Monster Manual" (TSR, 1977)] In this book, the Platinum Dragon was given the personal name Bahamut.

Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, King of the Good Dragons, and Angel of the Seven Heavens is further described in "Dragon" #38 (1980).

Bahamut's role in the outer planes is detailed in the first edition "Manual of the Planes" (1987). [Grubb, Jeff. "Manual of the Planes" (TSR, 1987)]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

Bahamut was detailed as a deity in the book "Monster Mythology" (1992), including details about his priesthood. [Sargent, Carl. "Monster Mythology" (TSR, 1992)]

Bahamut was actually, initially, first detailed as a deity for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in the original "Draconomicon" (1990). [Findley, Nigel, Christopher Kubasik, Carl Sargent, John Terra, and William Tracy. "Draconomicon". Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990] Bahamut is also described in "Cult of the Dragon" (1998).

His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in "On Hallowed Ground" (1996). [McComb, Colin. "On Hallowed Ground" (TSR, 1996)]

Several draconic children of Bahamut are described in the article "Spawn of Tiamat, Children of Bahamut," in "Dragon" #260 (June 1999). [Strohm, Keith Francis. "Spawn of Tiamat, Children of Bahamut." "Dragon" #260. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999]

Bahamut is described as one of the good deities that celestials can serve in the supplement "Warriors of Heaven" (1999). [Perkins, Christopher. "Warriors of Heaven" (TSR, 1999)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

Bahamut appears in a preview article for the third edition, in "Dragon" #272 (June 2006). [Williams, Skip. "Bahamut and Tiamat." "Dragon" #272 (Paizo Publishing, 2000)] This information is later included in the "Manual of the Planes" (2001), [Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. "Manual of the Planes" (Wizards of the Coast, 2001)]

Bahamut is further detailed as a deity in "Defenders of the Faith" (2000) [Redman, Rich and James Wyatt. "Defenders of the Faith" (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)] and "Deities and Demigods" (2002). [Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. "Deities and Demigods" (Wizards of the Coast, 2002)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

Bahamut's priesthood and his role as a draconic deity are further detailed for this edition in ' (2003), [Colins, Andy, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. ' (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)] "Complete Divine" (2004), [Noonan, David. "Complete Divine" (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)] and "Races of the Dragon" (2006) [Kestrel, Gwendolyn FM, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, and Kolja Raven Liquette. "Races of the Dragon". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006]

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

Bahamut appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for this edition (2008). [Heinsoo, Rob, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt. "Player's Handbook". (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)]

Description

Bahamut is depicted as a massive, long and sinuous dragon with silver-white scales and blue, catlike eyes. According to "Complete Divine" and "Races of the Dragon", the exact color is hard to specify and may depend on Bahamut's mood, ranging from sky-blue to frosty indigo.

About a quarter of the time, Bahamut wanders the Oerth in the shape of a human or some other guise. He is said to have been encountered as a frail old hermit, with the seven great golden wyrms that accompany him disguised as seven canaries singing sweetly nearby.

Tiamat & Bahamut

The same edition of "Dungeons & Dragons" that introduced Bahamut also introduced his antithesis. This opposite was named Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon and Queen of Evil Dragons, as well as the mother and deity of all evil dragons. This pairing features prominently in the deity lore of the game, with Tiamat even being featured in the television cartoon adaptation of the game.

This pairing of Tiamat and Bahamut as the antithesis of each other has since recurred in other fantasy settings. In Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy VIII Bahamut [cite web |url=http://ridureyu.tripod.com/ggygax.html |title=Gary Gygax Interview |accessdate=2007-02-19] is portrayed as benevolent, while Tiamat is portrayed as malevolent, keeping close to their origins in D&D [cite web | url=http://flightline.highline.edu/videogame/webcontrib/mythological_accuracy.htm | title=Mythological Accuracy] .

Both also occur in Three Dragon Ante [cite web | url=http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11801.phtml | title=rpgnet review of Three Dragon Ante] , a card game, and Aspects of them have been created as plastic miniatures [cite web | url=http://www.hobbiesandgames.com/Aspect_of_Bahamut_02_60_p/dddq002.htm | title=hobbieandgames.com] .

Relationships

Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io, and a fierce enemy of Tiamat, his evil sister and twin. He respects Heironeous, Moradin, Yondalla, and other lawful good deities. Some myths claim he is the son of Lendys, god of justice, and Tamara, goddess of mercy, but more commonly those deities are said to be among his younger siblings, which also include Aasterinian, Chronepsis (also said to be his uncle), Astilabor, Hlal, Faluzure, Garyx, and Nathair Sgiathach.

Medrinia is a blue-green aquatic dragon said to have been born from the first tear that Bahamut shed after witnessing the desolation left after the first battle between Tiamat and the dragons of good. She dwells in the undersea palace of Sea Reach on the Prime Material Plane, allying with dolphins, sea-horses, and other aquatic dragons to defeat evil and protect good.

Xathanon is a burst of golden energy with draconic shape, said to be a physical embodiment of the Positive Energy Plane. It was created by Bahamut from positive energy long ago, and it serves Draco Paladin unswervingly. It has a special hatred for Dhrakoth the Corruptor, a negative energy being created by Tiamat.

Vanathor, the Golden Harpist, is Bahamut's advisor and bard, appearing as a gold dragon with a swirl of rainbow colors on his breast. The master of all things musical, Vanathor dwells with the Platinum Dragon in his palace. He is on good terms with all the gods of music, especially Corellon Larethian. He sometimes appears as a handsome half-elven bard. Some myths say he was actually a dead god from an ancient pantheon, given new life by Bahamut's magic.

Falx Templamut is a very old silver dragon who is Bahamut's grandson. He has two wives, Big Alice and Sillitellimut. He dwells across the Solnor Ocean from the Flanaess, guarding caves filled with evil forces and beings.

Realm

Bahamut's realm, "Bahamut's Palace", is said to exist "beyond the East Wind." It is unknown to most sages whether this means it is somewhere on the Elemental Plane of Air or somewhere between that plane and the Seven Heavens or Tri-Paradises, but in truth it may be found traveling in a whirlwind between the first four layers of Mount Celestia. It is a wondrous, glittering fortress with windows made from gems set in silver and gold, walls of inlaid copper and ivory, and floors of beaten mithral. When they are not traveling with their master, Bahamut's seven great golden wyrms tend to the palace and its treasures.

Within the palace are open, unkeyed portals leading to all four of the first four layers of the plane as well as the Elemental Plane of Air and the Astral Plane. There are four gates nearby leading to each of the four winds, each guarded by a warden archon. The guardian of the gate to the North Wind is Yonel, the guardian of the gate to the South Wind is Kerkhoutha, the guardian of the gate to the West Wind is Moriel, and the guardian of the gate to the East Wind is Ruhiel.

Bahamut's palace is the only known shortcut to the upper layers of the celestial mountain, though he and his servants only permit those who are worthy to pass through.

Dogma

Bahamut's own greatest priority is his endless war with his sister Tiamat. He opposes all her schemes, answering them move for move. He values wisdom, knowledge, prophecies, and song. For a dragon, he is neither vain nor greedy.

Worshippers

Bahamut is revered by all good dragons, but gold, silver, and brass dragons hold him in particularly high regard.

Clergy

Bahamut only accepts good-aligned priests. They may be dragons, half-dragons, or other beings. They strive to constantly yet subtly act on behalf of good. They oppose evil, but their first mandate is to ensure they do no harm in the process.

Temples

Temples to the Platinum Dragon are very rare. Those few that exist are beautiful, elegant edifices characterized by clean, simple architecture and furnishings. Within them will be public rooms in which the faithful can gather and private rooms for meditation and recuperation.

Dragons will not normally build temples, contenting themselves with simple symbols on the wall that they treat as shrines. Bahamut prefers his followers to worship him with deeds, not objects.

Rituals

Most of the quests that Bahamut's followers go on are apt to involve opposing Tiamat in some way. They have few formal rituals. Instead of praying aloud, they count their deeds as prayers, supporting goodness and opposing evil. Bahamut cares little for mere words.

The Rite of Rebirth

Rarely, humans, elves, halflings, or other humanoid races may hear a call, like a faint question in their hearts, asking them if they want to devote themselves completely to Bahamut. Normally it is first heard before adolescence, but sometimes adults hear it as well. Not all those who are called answer, but those who do may undergo the Rite of Rebirth. Those who commit to this demanding ritual put aside all their weapons and equipment, dressing in a simple linen shift. They meditate for a full day and night, their head filled with reminders of all they are giving up. If they elect to go on, they then enter an egg-shaped chamber at dawn and sleep until dawn the next day, emerging as a "dragonborn", a noble, draconic, platinum-scaled version of their previous shape, ready to become a permanent champion against Tiamat and her spawn.

Myths and legends

Vorel

Tiamat's enmity with Bahamut dates back to their creation, when Io made them; they were made with the intention of becoming complements and mates, but their personalities were too much at odds. Tiamat murdered Vorel, her eldest brother, and tried to frame Bahamut for the deed. Io realized who was truly to blame, though, and banished Tiamat from his presence.

The Banishment of Tiamat

Many myths claim that Tiamat lived for a long time on the Prime Material Plane, seeding it with evil dragons and dark magic. Eventually she was banished to the Nine Hells by Bahamut and a sky/sun god (perhaps Pelor or Heironeous).

4th edition changes

The Platinum Dragon has now become a core god in the pantheon (having replaced other gods such as Heironeous and Cuthbert) and chiefly sees worship from lawful good paladins and clerics. The dragonborn race reveres him as a creator god, while other races invoke him for strength and protection. It is also stated that kings are crowned in his name. Bahamut is also stated to take many forms, ranging from his draconic namesake, an old man, to a fully armed paladin warrior in shining platinum plate armor. He has a special feat called "Armor of Bahamut" which allows the player to cancel out an enemy's critical hit once per encounter. His dwelling place in the Astral Sea is Mount Celestia (a reference to the original dwelling of lawful good deities) which he shares with Moradin and Kord. In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, Bahamut is listed as a lesser deity in service to Torm who is identified as the ruler of Mount Celestia.

References

Additional reading

* [http://www.book-of-thoth.com/sections-viewarticle-603.html| Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ]
*Conforti, Steven, ed. "Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign," version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online: [http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip]
* Dargoth [http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/bahamut.htm|Church of Bahamut in Cormyr and the Stonelands]
*Donovan, Dale. "Cult of the Dragon". Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
* Hickman, Tracy, and Margaret Weis. "Dragonlance Adventures" (TSR, 1987).
*McComb, Colin, and Wolfgang Baur. "Planes of Law". Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
*Niles, Douglas and Michael Dobson. "The Throne of Bloodstone." Lake Geneva, WI: 1988.
*Mentzer, Frank. "To the Aid of Falx". Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Hobbies, Inc., 1982.