The Single Strongest God Of All Time In D&D 

Ao destroying the tablets was the biggest "I'm not mad I'm just disappointed" moves a dad can make

AO: Gives a god the portfolio of ambition God of ambition: I want more AO: ò.ó

I genuinely love how ao is basically just a really disappointed dad coming home to see his kids made a mess every time he does something

Gods: "Ao? Who is your favourite?" Ao: "I love my children equally." Ao To Primordials: "It's you. By a long shot."

Ao: "Gods can you be quiet for like 5 minutes" Gods: "No" Ao: "Alright that's it you all are getting a time out!"

broke: Ao doesnt give cleric spells woke: godly powers ARE Ao's cleric spells

Ao: There you go, a nice sandbox world for you to play in Gods: * immediately go murderhobo * Ao: Ok, you forced my hand. Choo Choo comes the railroad train

Ao: I'm not happy with what you've been doing, gods. Gods: are...are you mad? Ao: No...just disappointed

The first half of this video: Ao trying various parenting methods

Tyr: "I am the god of justice and I am all powerful" *Ao the god of balance enters the chat* Tyr: "nevermind I'm good" *Tyr has left the chat*

The entity known only as the "Luminous being" is more powerful than Lord Ao. During the time of troubles when it was all over Lord Ao reported the events to the "Luminous being" as a subordinate and called it master. Quote: As Ao watched Midnight and the other gods return home with their faithful, he felt a deep sense of relief. At last, his gods mightstar0t fulfilling the tasks for which they had been created. The overlord was sitting cross-legged and alone, surrounded by a void so vast that not even his gods could comprehend it. Of all the states of being he could assume, this one was his favorite, for he was at once in time and disconnected from it, at once the center of the universe and separate from it. Ao turned his thoughts to Toril, the young world that had consumed so much of his attention lately. Surrounded by a hundred planes of existence and populated by a variety of fabulous beings both sinister and benevolent, it was one of his favorite creations - and one that he had come close to losing, thanks to the inattentiveness of its gods. But in two of its inhabitants - Midnight and Cyric - Ao had found the fabric of the Balance, and he had called upon them to right the world. Fortunately, they had answered his call and bound the fulcrum back together, but it had been a dangerous time for Toril. Never again would he allow his gods to threaten the Balance so severely. Ao closed his eyes and blanked his mind. Soon, he fell within himself and entered the place before time, the time at the edge of the universe, where millions and millions of assignments like his began and ended. A luminous presence greeted him, enveloping his energies within its own. It was both a warm and a cold entity, forgiving and harsh. "And how does your cosmos fare, Ao?" The voice was at once both gentle and admonishing. "They have restored the Balance, Master. The Realms are once again secure." - Avatar Trilogy Book 3 - Waterdeep

16:43 It's assumed that there are more Overgods, one for each sphere who controls the laws and gods of them, created by the so-called "Luminous Being" that like you said, is also assumed to be the DM, but also could be simplified as the one true being with power over the entire cosmology. None of this is confirmed(I'm unsure if other Overgods have been revealed or not), but it's fun to speculate. The D&D universe has always been subject to canon changes, and of course, changes made by each DM to their liking as intended and that's why I love it so much ♥

Elminster actually spoke with Ao, in one of the books. Having gotten "involved with the new Mystra he endded messing the weave. Ao reverses time takes him aside and basicly says keep it in your pants or get unmade your call. (can't remember what book, sorry but it's been years)

What is Ao if not Wizards of the Coast? Changing rules, often switching from edition to edition... THIS is the power of an overgod. The power, and shackles, of trying to balance an universe that every god, and many players, try to break. And still, the rules have no sort of prevalence before the absolute omnipotence of the DM in his universe.

Tyr: I'm all-poweful! Ao: Casually smites and... sheds a Tyr. Bah dun dun TAH!

*Ao:* _allows objectively evil and neutral gods to exist_ *Evil and neutral gods:* _do evil and neutral things_ *Ao:* _surprised pikachu face_

The way you talk about how gods feared Ao's decisions and its impact on the Forgotten Realms makes me think you are an ancient god demoted by Ao.

God of Karens: I'd like to speak to the manager- Ao: I am the MANAGER

Me: "Can I become a god?" Ao: "No." Me: "But why!?" Ao: "You didn't say 'please'. You lost your chance." Me: "You are so fucking petty..."

Ao is actually a halfling divination wizard with the lucky feat.

Ao: All of you are grounded! All of you!! Gods: :0

"He does have a superior." So is Ao assistant regional manager, or assistant *to the* regional manager?

Luminous Being: Are ya winning, son? Ao: Y-yes...?

Ending of The Avatar Trilogy (Waterdeep): (epilogue) "A luminous presence greeted him, enveloping his energies within its own. It was both a warm and a cold entity, for-giving and harsh. "And how does your cosmos fare, Ao?" The voice was at once both gentle and admonishing. "They have restored the Balance, Master. The Realms are once again secure." Ao has a master too.

AO: and this is what happens when a god goes EVEN FURTHER BEYOOOOOOND

I remember listening to “The Dungeoncast” Podcast (Mystra episode?) and how they joked Ao was “Everything Dad” and honestly that seems pretty accurate

What I was expecting Ao to be: an eldritch entity so powerful that all greater and lesser gods had to like team up or something to imprison/weaken him. What Ao actually is: a very powerful and very tired father of several many unruly god children who has to bend the rules of reality to get his kids to behave.

I remember reading the novelization of the Time of Troubles, Waterdeep, book 3 of The Avatar Series. It was just after the mantling of the new divinities- that Ao sits within a void that no god could hope to fathom, his favorite state. He then retreats further into himself to arrive at a time outside of time, where he meets a "warm and cold" entity, "forgiving and harsh". It was "gentle and admonishing" when it asked "And how does your cosmos fare, Ao?" He reports that the balance was restored and the realms are once again secure. It was a nice little insight, also he mentions that Toril was one of his favorite creations, and that the time before time was a place where "millions and millions of assignments like his began and ended." probably in reference to other Overgods and their spheres, with the intimation that Overgods are ended here. Or at least their assignments are. Fired, maybe? I have loads of crazy theories about Ao that include the Phlogiston, the Galleon Nebula, and the giant mysterious script that is written on the inside of the sphere. Also there are parallels to the Lady of Pain, and how she actively discourages her own worship, where Ao simply doesn't need or desire it, is that Luminous Being related?

AO: "Now this looks like a job for me."

I've always wanted a video detailing Elminster Aumar in the Forgotten Realms. His brief mention in the video reminded me of that.

There is another entity even more powerful than AO. I recall Ao having a brief conversation with it in the epilogue of one o the Forgotten Realms novels I read a long time ago. Ao was very respectful and deferential to it, as if speaking to a beloved father or mother. The entity asked Ao how his cosmos is coming along. I don't recall any mention of this entity in any D&D lore.

Edgy minmaxing players watching this: **writing in notebook** “Character... is an... aasimar... of an... overgod”

Is it just me or are the gods of the dungeons and dragons universe more reckless, self-destructive, and Significantly more short sighted than the murder hobos I run into?

I was waiting for this ! Man, You have improved my DnD sessions like 100%

I’m imagining Poor Ao drunk as all the Lower Planes, sitting with other some other Overgods who are taking care of their respective multiverses going on a drunken rant about how much of a headache all his goldly kids have given him by them all constantly being ungrateful little pieces of sh1t. Pharasma’s there just trying to quietly comfort him, meanwhile his master, the Luminous Being is behind the bar, pouring him his 37854335th shot of vodka for the night.

Fun fact: the God depicted in the thumbnail of this video is the Theran God of Deception, Phenax. On the plane of Theros there was once a mortal named Phenax who was crook and subsequently died and was sent to the Underworld of Theros. It is unknown how Phenax created the deal, but Phenax had forged a golden mask to replace his original face and became the first mortal to return to the Realm of Man, not as a demon, but as the first ever Returned. A Returned is basically a zombie, but slightly more intelligent. They have dark grey skin, and next to no memory of who they were before death with the exception of them either remembering what they had done for labor in life or remember nothing besides the fact that they lived. Phenax, being the first of his kind, the first to deny death on his own terms had leveraged that fact and became the first mortal to ascend to godhood. Phenax has the portfolios of Deception, gambling, schemes, cheats and liars, betrayal, isolation, planning, and secrets, and is worshipped mostly by criminals and others who seek to subvert the rules.

Ao: I'm gonna make an example of the Gods by trying to temper the tablet so they know what's up. Ao: Rolls die Die: 20 *tablet splits in half* Ao: Oooooooops.

5:17 The key to building a successful pantheon is trust and as our data clearly shows, gods cannot be trusted. The solution: build a brass tower, we’re done here.

Thank you very much for providing these lore videos, MrRhexx. I found you a few months ago and have since watched every single one of the DND ones, and keeping tuned weekly for new ones :)

The moment in the novels, when AO return to his realm and it is revealed that he too has to awnser to another entitiy was realy creepy.

A little question: is AO named after "Alpha and Omega", which is often used as a metaphor for "Beginning and End"?

Can the gods pray to AO for their power like clerics since he has deities in his portfolio?

Ao really reminds me of Guthix in Runescape. a god who was believed to be the weakest as the god of balance and had so few followers, turned out to be so strong he was able to banish all the other gods in a single action and prevent any major influence after that.

Excellent video. One small correction. We had dragonborn in 4th edition. In fact, in 1359 Bahamut began asking followers for that conversion into dragonborns. But the ones from Abeir made their apparition after the Spellplague and the foundation kf Tymanther (the city that was basically transplanted). You get the Platinum Cadre in the Brotherhood of the Griffon novel series so by 4th edition, dragonborn were a playable race.

I literally googled “Greatest god in D&D” minutes before you posted this video and then gave up and assumed you’d have it up next week or something. I was kinda shook when it showed up in my watch list after I came home with food

He takes orders from daddy DM

I know this vid was posted a while ago, but I wanted to thank you for this lore. It is exactly what I needed, and just wanted to let you know I appreciate what you do.

There is a LOT you missed out on. I can't remember most of the books I got these from, so there will be quick descriptions. There is a book where someone tried to combine the daughters of Tyche back together and it was revealed that the Gods of one world were not allowed to interfere with worlds they did not have followers. This was to be enforced by Overgods! I think we got that from the Overgod of the Grayhawk world. After the Avatar Crisis Ao went to the end of Realmsphere and meditate and told his superior that Balance had been restored. When the God of Murder was trying to be reborn by having one of his children being infused with his power, his high priestess tried highjacking the ritual, and AO sent a Solar Planier to stop it. When the Gods were cast down someone tried to use an artifact to capture a falling God and drain him. Ao met Elminster and had him take the God's place. He also swapped out all the picture in Elminsters place to the lewdest ones Elminster had. Elminster and other Chosen must count as Quasidieties because Ao once spoke to a half orc Paladin of Tyr directly and said it was the only time he had ever spoken directly to a mortal. This was when Tethir was getting a mercenary as a queen the people wanted. I am not sure where I got this, but I think when the Mulhorandi were brought over as slaves, the slavers stopped them summoning their Gods Avatars (to become their Prime Aspect there). Ao arranged the Avatars to come via spelljammers.

Wasn't there a point during the times of trouble when Ao just manifested in Elminster's tower and began to drink one of his best wines? When Elminster came and found him, he was a bit angry... Ao took a liking to him, offered him Mystra's place and Elminster declined.

Tiamat counts as a multisphere god, given that she exists in other WotC owned campaign settings. She has even been slain twice. In Krynn she met an ignominious end slain as a mortal woman, and she was slain in the Nentir Vale campaign setting during the Scales of War adventure path. I believe that her slaying in Krynn as the patron of the Lawful Evil Knights of Neraka led to her soul being imprisoned in the Nine Hells, where she slowly climbed the ranks back to divine power.

Honestly rhexx thanks for doing this. When i was a kid my family collected forgotten realms right now we have around 280 and i read them all by the start of high school. This has been a blast from the past for the avatar trilogy

Your knowledge of D & D is sublime! Thank you for all your research and hard work! Just wanted to say "WOW"!

The Luminous Being is implied to manage overpowers of the other realms. They apparently are still unknown to their subjects.

So basically he’s the DM

I remember back in the late 70's Dragon Magazine said that Earth was the Forgotten Realm and that Elminster went to Earth to help TSR with the setting. Writers from Dragon Magazine would regularly interview Elminster for lore articals. Elminster owns a beach house I thank. I thought that was so funny and interisting I added it to my campian up to 5e where they had to ruin it.

Just wanted to say a big thank you for all your content and hard work that goes into it i love it and its amazing

Ao: I’m the strongest deity i- The luminous being: *Giornos theme intensifies*

Logic: A polytheistic version of stereotypical medieval Christianity make no sense. Ao: Who decided that?

Amazing video, very immersive and fun to watch, thank you for creating and sharing

Long time watcher, first time writer. Really like your video in general. Love that you showed which sources you used.

I was aware of the lore on Ao and I actually incorporated similar Lore for my own Campaign Settings and any I use. I view the Overgods as the overseers and administrators of God's. Like with Ao being the God of all of Faerun, you have Overdeities for pretty much each campaign setting. If I run a Campaign in say, Ravnica, I'll probably have an Overgod for their that'd probably be named Ravnica and probably is the one responsible for the power of the Guildpact, but only known to the Paruns. In my Original Setting, The Overdeity is known as Solunis. They essentially created Kothrin, the Homebrew Setting I made for my own use, They essentially disconnected it from many of the more popular destinations for Planar Travel. They wanted complete sovereignty with no way for other Overdeities to gain influence without them allowing it like with the Greater and Lower Powers. They essentially made their Plane into a remote and isolated place where their power is uncontested as with Ao and the other Overgods of Toril. Solunis is the only Overgod in Kothrin and severing it from most of the others caused a bit of a problem. It caused damage to reality and the fabric of Space Time that is very difficult even for them to properly fix. Ever since they managed it, they've been reduced in ultimate power, but Solunis is still uncontested in power, the gap is just smaller. Because of this, they personally created the Aeons, essentially powerful planar entities that observe reality and relay all knowledge they gather to them. All Aeons are immune to the powers of any Greater or lower Ranked God. Aeons essentially act as the Ultimate Enforcers of Balance. One side gains traction, the Aeons support the other to push them back until the conflict simmers down. They are strictly Neutral in the sense of being every alignment equally and balancing out like every colour mixing together. I just have something to say about the top Aeons. NEVER MESS WITH ETERNAL OR INFINITE AEONS!!! They're as strong as gods and are the only beings besides gods who can 100 Bypass Divine influence. They're flipping ridiculous and fighting one is like fighting a warp in reality head on. They treat Demon Lords and Ancient Dragons like small animals while even the Celestial Paragons are like small time kids. Demigods and Lesser Gods are probably gonna get thrashed while they give Intermediate and Greater Gods something to fear.

I like how you use magic the gathering art

The luminous being being the DM actually is a good idea

Gods: *misbehaves and won't stop* Ao: You dare challenge me?

I came to the realization that Ao's name could be A(lpha)o(mega).

Ao during the times of trouble: Naughty gods have to be mortals till they can learn to behave

THANK YOU for showing your sources, i always wondered if you were making half of it up for a good story. I promise i'm not calling you a liar, but i enjoy more when you show your sources like a professional. God bless you Mr. Rhexx!

I can't remember where I read it but I think AO called an entity "Master".

Your by far the Best D&D Content creator out there for info!

So... He may be the "natural dweller" of space between Crystal Spheres. You cannot create something from inside of it, as you cannot exist in something that does not exist. Furthermore, he obeys the Luminous Beign, which may be the ovelord of space between Crystal Spheres. They are connected in a way, so learning about one should uncover some facts about the other

Gods: being gods Ao: "No don't do it!"

The magic god artwork caught my attention, well done with your content my man.

I thought there was more material on Ao than on Moander. I stand corrected. That said, Moander could be an interesting topic for a future video.

Ao: "Fine! I'll do it myself."

"3rd edition was during the Time of Troubles" *Baldur's Gate would like to have a Word with you*

I love your videos! Keep making great content!

Super powerful person: "can I become god?" Ao : *bunny meme saying no*

Ao is just the dnd version of the living tribunal

@MrRhexx Please keep doing DnD stuff like this. Your videos on lore, mechanics and history of the Forgotten Realms has saved me hours of research material for my games. Only if you enjoy it of course but the way you present the material makes this so entertaining to watch and listen to. Not to mention I'm sure you enjoy making the content and that makes it much more enjoyable. You should try to do collabs with XP to Level 3 and Runesmith. They do DnD stuff like you and they are pretty good at it. Just like your videos, they are fantastic sources of information.

In the Spell Jammer game it is discussed that many of the Gods powers are limited to within the Crystal Spheres where they have influence, while the ancient powers, or Aberration Gods existed between the spheres...ooooooo.

So basically speaking, Ao is one of many administrators assigned by the Luminous Being to each of their own crystal spheres.

Thank you for doing this series, I really enjoyed it. The deities of Forgotten Realms and the lore behind it has always been something I wanted to know more about!

AO makes an appearance in Tymora's Luck (Forgotten Realms novel). In it it explains AO oversees all the worlds in D&D lore, (Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, even Planescape) and that he has barred gods from 1 world interacting with gods from another. Takhisis cant scheme with or against Bane for example. The plot centers around 2 gods from separate worlds interacting and AOs way of thwarting them. It goes in depth into powers and over powers abilities and hindrances. Lots of gods make a cameo so if you're into deities it's a good read.

Thank you so much. I had always felt like 3rd edition was during the time of troubles. Seeing it in story format is so great. I've just started reading the avatar series and seeing it unfold is surreal

Something tells me I heard of other overgods in other crystal spheres, especially in kyrnn but info escapes me

Ao talked to elminster in the"shadow of the avatar" saga. He tries to help Mystra and AO didnt want that. Thank you for the nice summary :). Next time the choosen of Mystra ? ^^

Great vid keep up the good work!

I forget where but I remember reading In a comic Ao reporting to an elder elder God on the progress of his of his "sphere" and there was other elder gods also reporting in. Always wondered where that was going.

7:52 -- All the other gods were fighting, and Bhaal was like... "I'm gonna' Netflix and chill with every woman in sight. Peace out!"

Fear the power of the Beard! - On an interesting side not, AO invited the Egyptian pantheon into Realmspace. The Imaskari used portals to Earth, & enslaved a bunch of Egyptians who ended up calling themselves Mulhorand, The Mulhorand kept trying to pray to their Gods, So AO invited them over, They sent Avatars on a barge.

This is why I always loved the neutral pantheon in dragonlance. They are quiet working in the background but ever present in everyday life

I like how this also explains why things change between editions, each canon happening one after another and the changing game mechanics are from reality literally shifting, altering the physics of the universe

Ao is like the fed up parent of a bunch of screaming children.

Just in time! watching this while eating lunch

Iyour videos are great and the mystery of the research ! Even though I've read the books its great like a bard telling tales keep it up

Very interesting and great to have this summary !!

Knowing we are essentially gods as dms even in game lore since I’m a first time dm weeeelll hope ao helps me not let the power go to my head

Rhexx could you do a video on the philosophical and biological differences between the primordials and the gods ? Like what were they fighting for what did each side want ? How are primordials not just gods with a different name? Do they have different abilities, restrictions, forms ? I’ve been looking into this but never found anything more substantial than they just both wanted control and didn’t want the other to have that control

Just found your channel few days ago. Love to hear you while i work in my stuff. Any plans on talking about vampires? You just poked my curiosity when you talked about how powerful they are in another video.

Ao seems similar to Marvel’s Living Tribunal. His ruling is absolute, but he answers to an even higher being.