Platinum Kobold, the "Chosen" of Bahamut

[jaappleton]

I stumbled across a pretty good concept I want to run with.

I'm going to be playing a Kobold Monk, Way of the Ascendant Dragon from October's UA.

They can do pretty much all Dragonbreath damage types (save Bahamut who can do Radiant, IIRC). Grow wings for a bit. All the cool Dragon things.

.....What if my Kobold scales were Platinum? And I believed myself to be the 'chosen' of Bahamut? Am I ACTUALLY the chosen of Bahamut? Is this just a weird birth defect? Could I eventually gain the notice of Bahamut? These things I'm leaving all up to my DM.

Problem is, my personal knowledge of Bahamut is that he's a red summon materia that casts Gigaflare.

So I ask, what do you think I need to know? Anything I can play up? Bahamut isn't associated with any particular Monastic Orders, is he? Finally, any idea for a name for this Kobold?

[Amnestic]

Finally, any idea for a name for this Kobold?

Tipo, a...creative rewrite of Type-0, also known as Bahamut ZERO. :D

[Waterdeep Merch]

Think "perfect chivalry". Bahamut is a paladin god, even to non-dragons. Espouse all the best aspects of a wise knight. Fight fair, but fight to win. Be compassionate, defend the weak. Never tell a lie, always keep your word. Protect your friends at all costs. Be courageous at all times, know no fear. Respect fair laws, but broker no tyranny.

Bahamut is also very prideful and a bit vain. Insist on being clean and well-manicured. It's alright to live in luxury so long as you earned it. You don't kneel to anyone you don't respect, if you ever kneel to anyone besides Bahamut at all. Tilt when you should withdraw.

EDIT: My bad, Bahamut is specifically known for *not* having the usual dragon greed. He loves collecting knowledge, poetry, and song instead of material goods. Perhaps as his scion you, too, eschew such things (easy enough to accomplish as a monk!).

Another weird thing is that he appears to be a vegetarian. He eats morning dew, honey, and flowers. This works pretty well for an ascetic as well.

He also doesn't usually kill his opponents, he dislikes sullying himself with their blood. That's not to say he won't, and his battle wrath is legendary. But he's not the sort to pick a fight unwisely. This can really help make you more of a team player, since you won't necessarily throw hands the moment someone does something evil in your vicinity. Have a conversation with your rogue about the evils of larceny some time after the danger has passed instead of demanding satisfaction on the spot, or try to lead the fiendish warlock away from their fate with compassion instead of smites.

[RedMage125]

I have a concept for a Kobold Paladin (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?553776-Kobold-Paladin-Ideas) that I have used. Feel free to cherry-pick anything from there, if you like.

My character does not have platinum scales himself, but he is meticulously clean, and polishes and waxes his scales. He wishes to emulate the appearance of metallic dragons. Mine was raised among "normal" kobolds, and his propensity for being brave and selfless (and eschewing cowardly tactics) got him ridiculed by his brethren. He left and eventually heard the calling of Bahamut personally, and strives to be worthy of it.

As far as Bahamut goes, he is a Lawful Good deity. His portfolio includes Nobility and Protection. He favors high ideals of nobility, to include mercy, compassion, and charity. He absolutely favors protection of those who need help, and is staunchly opposed to the machinations of his sister, Tiamat. Depending on which lore you're going with he is either the son of Io, the Ninefold Dragon (chief of the draconic pantheon) or...Io fell in combat during the Dawn War, and was split into 2 deities, Bahamut and Tiamat.

While I don't know of any canon Bahamut-worshiping Monastic Orders, that doesn't mean he isn't a good fit for a deity for a monk of a non-religious order. Or, if your DM is allowing the Dragon UA, maybe you could work with him to create one that your character comes from. They may be a part of the Platinum Knights, Bahamut's knightly order.

Hope that helps.

[Temperjoke]

I believe Bahamut is essentially Paladine in personality, from Dragonlance, if you are more familiar with that book world.

[RedMage125]

I believe Bahamut is essentially Paladine in personality, from Dragonlance, if you are more familiar with that book world.

I mean...yes. That is literally true. Just as Takhisis is Tiamat.

[Kvess]

I am not sure if this is universal, but in campaigns I've run, Kobolds tend to be played as cowardly comic relief characters. I feel it would be amusing to play a Kobold as the comedic straight man: be stoic and serious, take jokes literally, and carry an air of dignity about yourself.

If playing a serious kobold appeals to your warped sense of humour, see if your DM will allow you to reflavour Grovel, Cower, and Beg as Recite, Lecture and Pontificate. Deliver a Captain Picard speech to make your foes question their resolve.

[ezekielraiden]

If playing a serious kobold appeals to your warped sense of humour, see if your DM will allow you to reflavour Grovel, Cower, and Beg as Recite, Lecture and Pontificate. Deliver a Captain Picard speech to make your foes question their resolve.
Okay that's pretty brilliant.

But yes in response to the general OP question: there's nothing stopping you except a DM saying no. And honestly, this seems like the kind of thing Bahamut would totally do. He's a fairly positive, friendly deity, just very Serious. In the Dawn War/4e cosmology. After all, he's the ONLY deity actively doing something to help all the lost souls that don't get to live in their own deity's domain due to the destruction of the Lattice of Heaven. So I could totally see him choosing a Kobold champion. I could even see it being something of a lesson for his other servants: "do not forget these. Even the least may become a great servant through dedication and faith. All life has value."

[RedMage125]

I am not sure if this is universal, but in campaigns I've run, Kobolds tend to be played as cowardly comic relief characters. I feel it would be amusing to play a Kobold as the comedic straight man: be stoic and serious, take jokes literally, and carry an air of dignity about yourself.

If playing a serious kobold appeals to your warped sense of humour, see if your DM will allow you to reflavour Grovel, Cower, and Beg as Recite, Lecture and Pontificate. Deliver a Captain Picard speech to make your foes question their resolve.

Okay, for real, follow the link in post #4 and check it out.

My kobold paladin absolutely plays as the straight man. All the comedy of the character comes from playing him straight. He is not a clown. And I have re-flavored his "Grovel, Cower, Beg" as him dramatically posing and declaring his intent to punish the wicked with righteous fury. And coming from a 3 foot tall squeaky reptilian...the advantage granted comes from enemies ridiculing him, not pitying him.