The Single Strongest God Of All Time In D&D

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MUSIC

Killers by Kevin MacLeod

Private Reflection by Kevin MacLeod

Agnus Dei X by Kevin MacLeod

Lost Time by Kevin MacLeod

Dark Times by Kevin MacLeod

Music for Manatees by Kevin MacLeod
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Sources

Polyhedron #94 - Cult of Ao
Faiths & Avatars
On Hallowed Ground
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
Forgotten Realm Campaign Guide (3rd Edition & 4th Edition)

[khornetto]

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

[rock]

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

[gejdudhjdisi]

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

[nonomen]

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

[_Body]

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

[azulira]

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

[rewritable_]

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

[zeinnerp]

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

[stevethemastersword]

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

[rejvaik]

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*

[erickchristensen]

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 ♥

[ryanmcdermott]

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

[azeler]

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.

[travisgendreau]

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)

[ianthegodking]

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

[youcantbeatk]

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

[benikujaku]

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.

[immortalstar]

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

Gods: <:0

Ao: ‘Scept you, you stay...

Helm: :D

Mystra: >:0

[redriot]

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.

[alexandrecaron]

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..."