D&D 3.5 | Tiamat and Bahamut are lawful, but what are the rules of the deity?

[EdenNotRaven]

Dear everyone,
I have a question about Tiamat and Bahamut, they are lawful evil \ good.
What are the rules of the deity? how paladin of them should act?
for example:
How Human Half-Gold Dragon Paladin should act if he's a Bahamut believer?
How should Human Half-Red Dragon Paladin of Tyranny act if he's a Tiamat believer?
Do you understand my question...? it's something that I didn't find in any books of 3.5.
Please let me understand the rules and how paladin of them should act.

Thank you,
Best Regards,
Eden

[Eldan]

This may help, if you scroll down a bit:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Bahamut
Sections Clergy, Orders, Dogma, Rites.

It's specific to the Forgotten Realms, but broadly applicable to all settings which have Bahamut. Draconomicon has, I think, also a dragon deities section. You might also want to check Defenders of the Faith, Deities and Demigods and Races of the Dragon.

There's also sources from other editions. You might try to find sources of the second edition books Draconomicon (a different book) and On Hallowed Ground.

[Biggus]

This may help, if you scroll down a bit:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Bahamut
Sections Clergy, Orders, Dogma, Rites.

There's also this for Tiamat: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Church_of_Tiamat



Draconomicon has, I think, also a dragon deities section.


It does, p.32-36.

[EdenNotRaven]

There's also this for Tiamat:
*Link removed*



It does, p.32-36.

Ok, I've read.
But I didn't understand.
How Paladin of tyranny act as a Tiamat believer?
What rites he does do?

[Larstrong]

Ok, I've read.
But I didn't understand.
How Paladin of tyranny act as a Tiamat believer?
What rites he does do?

The link posted above to the forgotten realms wiki explains a good portion of the specific rituals, such as Tithing and the Rite of Respect

As for some RP tips, and maybe some hints of creating some rituals of your own for your paladin, the Cult of Tiamat seems to follow a strict hierarchy. I would figure out where you fit into that hierarchy with your DM, and then your Paladin would probably try to advance in that hierarchy while recruiting new members below them. Think something like a feudal pyramid scheme, where wealth flows up ward and tasks flow downward.

You can also figure out what your Paladins opinion on the hierarchy itself is, and what their goals are for it. Does your Paladin view the hierarchy as necessary for society to function? I.E., the only thing keeping us from anarchy is everyone knowing their place? Someone like this might be less into scheming for advancement and is more of cult workhorse, taking their position and divine duty very seriously. Someone else who sees the hierarchy as more of a way to gain and exert power, preferably personal power, might be more inclined to seek advancement because it makes them more influential.

[Thurbane]

The Living Greyhawk deities document (http://living.greyhawk.fr/Living_Greyhawk/LG_Deities_2-0.pdf) also contains some info on the clergy/dogma of both Bahamut and Tiamat.

[EdenNotRaven]

The link posted above to the forgotten realms wiki explains a good portion of the specific rituals, such as Tithing and the Rite of Respect

As for some RP tips, and maybe some hints of creating some rituals of your own for your paladin, the Cult of Tiamat seems to follow a strict hierarchy. I would figure out where you fit into that hierarchy with your DM, and then your Paladin would probably try to advance in that hierarchy while recruiting new members below them. Think something like a feudal pyramid scheme, where wealth flows up ward and tasks flow downward.

You can also figure out what your Paladins opinion on the hierarchy itself is, and what their goals are for it. Does your Paladin view the hierarchy as necessary for society to function? I.E., the only thing keeping us from anarchy is everyone knowing their place? Someone like this might be less into scheming for advancement and is more of cult workhorse, taking their position and divine duty very seriously. Someone else who sees the hierarchy as more of a way to gain and exert power, preferably personal power, might be more inclined to seek advancement because it makes them more influential.

Would like to hear more RP tips.

[redking]

Would like to hear more RP tips.

Paladin of Bahamut:

As a paladin of Bahamut, you should strive to uphold justice, honor, and valor. You should be willing to defend the weak and fight against evil, especially dragons and dragon-like creatures. You should also be a devout follower of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, and adhere to his teachings.
Your personality should be noble and virtuous, and you should strive to be an inspiration to others. You should act with dignity and respect, and hold yourself to a high standard of behavior. You should also be selfless and willing to put others before yourself, especially those in need.
In combat, you should prioritize protecting your allies and vanquishing evil creatures. You should also make use of your divine powers, such as smite evil and lay on hands, to aid your companions and defeat your foes.

Paladin (Tyranny) of Tiamat:

As a paladin of Tiamat, you should be ruthless and cunning. You should believe in the supremacy of dragons and seek to increase the power and influence of Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons. You should be willing to use any means necessary to achieve your goals, including deception, intimidation, and violence.
Your personality should be domineering and aggressive, and you should seek to assert your dominance over others. You should also be fiercely loyal to Tiamat and her followers, and be willing to betray or even sacrifice others to further her agenda.
In combat, you should prioritize crushing your enemies and spreading fear and chaos. You should make use of your divine powers, such as smite good and lay on hands (which you can use to harm instead of heal), to defeat your enemies and serve the will of Tiamat.

Slogans for your characters to shout out during battle -

Paladin of Bahamut:

"For honor and justice!"
"By the will of Bahamut!"
"In the name of the Platinum Dragon, I will vanquish you!"
"No evil shall go unpunished!"
"Let us stand together, and fight for what is right!"

Paladin of Tiamat:

"For the glory of Tiamat!"
"By the will of the Queen of Dragons!"
"In the name of Tiamat, I will conquer all!"
"No foe can stand against the might of the dragons!"
"Let us dominate, and reign supreme!"

[Tzardok]

Those are pretty good descriptions. I would add two things:

Bahamut is, in addition to god of good dragons, a god of wind. Therefore I'd suggest that his paladins are knight errant-like. Bahamut's paladins travel around, righting wrongs and fighting evil whereever they find it.

Tiamat is also a goddess of greed and conquest. My advice for her paladins: Take. Take, take, take! If you see something you want, and it isn't owned by someone more deserving than you (an evil dragon, a temple of Tiamat, your liege and/or superior, etc.), take it by force.