D&D 5E Is Paladine Bahamut? Is Takhisis Tiamat? Fizban's Treasury Might Reveal The Answer!

According to WotC's James Wyatt, Fizban's Treasury of Dragons introduces a new cosmology for dragon gods, where the same beings, including Fizban, echo across various D&D campaign settings with alternate versions of themselves (presumably like Paladine/Bahamut, or Takhisis/Tiamat). Also... the various version can merge into one single form.

Takhisis is the five-headed dragon god of evil from the Dragonlance setting. Paladine is the platinum dragon god of good (and also Fizban's alter-ego).

Additionally, the book will contain psychic gem dragons, with stats for all four age categories of the five varieties (traditionally there are Amethyst, Crystal, Emerald, Sapphire, and Topaz), plus Dragonborn characters based on metallic, chromatic, and gem dragons.

D&D 5E - Check out Fizban's Alternate Cover!

WotC's James Wyatt talked to Polygon about Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, which also revealed the alternate cover, which you can only get from hobby stores. https://www.enworld.org/threads/fizbans-treasury-the-dragon-book-now-has-a-description-and-a-feat.681399/

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Fizban's Treasury: The Dragon Book Now Has A Description... And A Feat

Courtesy of Amazon, we now have a description for Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, the October D&D hardcover. The book introduces gem dragons, dragon-themed player options, and plenty of draconic lore! This joins September's The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, and November's Strixhaven: Curriculum of...

www.enworld.org

 

[Demetrios1453]

I had no idea when I was 7 how continually applicable that quote would end up being.

Especially when it comes to D&D's planes and deities, where the Theory of Forms is the obvious inspiration. Someone (Jeff Grubb presumably) really was a fan of Plato...

 

[Parmandur]

Especially when it comes to D&D's planes and deities, where the Theory of Forms is the obvious inspiration. Someone (Jeff Grubb presumably) really was a fan of Plato...

Real life matters, too: always applicable.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

So, as far as I can tell, the only time an official D&D adventure ever actually had the possibility of Tiamat being for real killed was in 4E's Last Breath of the Dragon Queen, where the party kills her in her home plane (though in 4E this was Tytherion rather than Avernus). The ending of the adventure features Bahamut himself showing the party visions of how killing Tiamat has destroyed greed and envy and increased the desire to be charitable of all mortals in the multiverse.

Bahamut regards you kindly with his platinum eyes. “When you killed Tiamat, you didn’t just defeat a god. You defeated the very wellspring of greed and envy. No one wants gold coins or other riches for their own sake. That’s why Magister Tulm gives away his extra wealth: He can no longer fathom a reason to keep it. It’s not strictly out of the goodness of his heart, but because he no longer has the concept of greed. There’s still evil in the world, of course. The tree of evil has multiple roots . . . not just greed. But you’ve fundamentally changed the world forever, heroes."

 

[dave2008]

So, as far as I can tell, the only time an official D&D adventure ever actually had the possibility of Tiamat being for real killed was in 4E's Last Breath of the Dragon Queen, where the party kills her in her home plane (though in 4E this was Tytherion rather than Avernus). The ending of the adventure features Bahamut himself showing the party visions of how killing Tiamat has destroyed greed and envy and increased the desire to be charitable of all mortals in the multiverse.

That adventure also gives the option that she wasn't really killed completely. Just like Bahamut, she has a divine spark hidden and she can resurrect just like Bahamut does in the adventure.

 

[dave2008]

However, apparently Hickman and Weis themselves have been on record saying that they oppose the idea of Tiamat being Takhisis or the world of Krynn existing in the same multiverse as other D&D settings.

I've heard that as well. One reason I am glad it is WotC IP and not theirs! It was never their world like they seem to think. It has always been a huge collaboration with the Art being as influential as the novels I think. Not to mention there were many other authors.

 

[Bolares]

It was never their world like they seem to think.

I'm still waiting to see someone handle this kind of stuff better than Keith Baker. He always makes it clear that the world is not his, and that his opinions and takes are not canon (even if we ignore him and create a whole kanon to follow his ideas for the setting).

 

[dave2008]

I'm still waiting to see someone handle this kind of stuff better than Keith Baker. He always makes it clear that the world is not his, and that his opinions and takes are not canon (even if we ignore him and create a whole kanon to follow his ideas for the setting).

I agree, I think he is the gold standard in this regard.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

However, apparently Hickman and Weis themselves have been on record saying that they oppose the idea of Tiamat being Takhisis or the world of Krynn existing in the same multiverse as other D&D settings. WotC at least has been consistent in 5E that every setting is in the same multiverse, going back to the 2E conception (whereas 3E and 4E had different settings in their own multiverses whose planes could differ from those of other multiverses).

They apparently really, really wanted Dragonlance to be a separate IP unconnected to DnD

 

[dave2008]

It is confirmed in the Live Stream: Fizban/Paladine = Bahamut
See Darjr's post here

 

[dave2008]

They apparently really, really wanted Dragonlance to be a separate IP unconnected to DnD

Then they should not have written with the DnD owner, creative team, IP, and resources.