Tiamat and Takhisis

[Doc_Jones]

If you consider the lore and the game aspects separately you could say that Tiamat and Thakisis are different dieties that share some characteristics from a story/lore standpoint, and that for the purposes of gameplay, they share the same template.

[epithet]

Maybe it's been too long since I read any Dragonlance stuff, but I'm not seeing much difference. Both are progenitors of chromatic dragonkind, both are 5 headed dragons, both want to conquer pretty much everything and rule the multiverse. One is an evil god, specializing in dragons and related critters, the other one is the evil god, specializing in, well... evil. That's the only difference I can see.

There's a much greater difference between AD&D orcs and 5e orcs than there is between Tiamat and Takhisis.

[Griogre]

I think what you are missing is that in any current D&D world is that Tiamat is the Queen of Evil *Dragons*. In Dragonlance Takhisis is the Supreme Evil God for *everyone.* In Dragonlance, Takhisis has jurisdiction over all races (or at least those who are evil) not just dragons.

[epithet]

In 4e, if I remember correctly, Bahamut and Tiamat were gods with worshipers of many races. In the current Dragon Queen adventure path, my understanding is that there is a cult of Tiamat worshipers who are human that are running amok. Admittedly, I haven't read the adventure because the next guy whose turn it is to DM in my group plans to run it.

Dragonlance is all about dragons, so it makes sense for the two dragon gods to be the most important divine powers in the setting. I doubt any DM would tell a cleric's player that Bahamut was off limits as a deity because the character isn't a dragon.

It's not just Tiamat or Bahamut, it's also the fact that you have both of them together. You've got The Platinum Dragon that's the icon of good, The Chromatic 5 Headed Dragon as the icon of evil. Both NPCs and their relationship as sibling enemies remain the same. W&H made a world all about dragons, so they took that Platinum/Chromatic thing and made it the central divine theme, but it's still the same Platinum/Chromatic thing that it's always been.

Anyway, I'm not particularly invested in this issue.

[rakshasa]

Tiamat is a minor deity, Takhisis is a greater god that grants spells.

[Three of Swords]

Apparently either Tiamat or Takhisis is also a powerful necromancer, because unholy thread necromancy of a 6-year old thread!

[CaspieBadKid]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in 3.5e didn't they put out rules for divine ranks? I thought that rank was based on your following; the more followers you have, the more powerful you are. By this ruling, the reason Takhisis is the All-powerful evil goddess of the realm IS BECAUSE it's a very dragon dominant setting. Add on top the people who AREN'T dragons and she's winning by a landslide. Put her in a setting that isn't dominated by dragons, she'd be weaker because the primary source of her power comes from her worshippers, and in a non-dragon dominated setting, she just wouldn't have the followers to back it up.

I mean, I could be wrong about this, but it makes sense, given that Tiamat likely immigrated to Toril since Dragons weren't a part of the creator races during the Days of Thunder, and didn't exist until the Dawn age. I mean, even elves and dwarves were immigrants to Abeir-Toril from other worlds, so it wouldn't be that unheard of....