Is a Holy Avenger worth it?

[Lord Pendragon]

For those paladin players who've made it to high levels and gotten their hands on a Holy Avenger, just how much bang do you get for your buck? On paper it doesn't look particularly impressive, but I'm wondering if it might be more-so in practice? Or do most paladins quest for one simply because of its iconic status?

 

[babomb]

Well, I've never actually gotten a Holy Avenger in game, but what's so unimpressive about it? You get

• +5 to attack and damage
• ability to ignore cold iron DR
• +2d6 damage to evil opponents
• SR 5 + paladin's level to the paladin and everyone within 5' and
• greater dispel magic 1/round (area dispel only) at the paladin's level
  
  all in one tight little package that can't be used against you very effectively if stolen.
  
  I guess you could make it intelligent or add undead bane if you really think it needs more "OOMPH".

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Well, the area Dispel Magic doesn't seem particularly powerful under most circumstances in a standard game. You have to spend a standard action to use it, so you aren't attacking while you're dispelling, and generally I've found that when you want to dispel at those levels, you usually want a targetting dispel. And while it's nice to have any SR, SR level+5 means that an equal level spellcaster will only fail on a 4 or less. Against higher-level casters (it's been my experience that if the party is going to face a spellcaster, he's going to be at least +3 levels above the party) he'll only fail on a 1.

Other than that, it's a +5 holy cold iron longsword. And it seems that for 120k, you'd be better off getting a +1 holy, flaming, bane vs. evil outsiders, keen cold iron longsword and begging the party wizard for a Greater Magic Weapon instead.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

And while it's nice to have any SR, SR level+5 means that an equal level spellcaster will only fail on a 4 or less. Against higher-level casters (it's been my experience that if the party is going to face a spellcaster, he's going to be at least +3 levels above the party) he'll only fail on a 1.

That is a decent point. I don't think making it 10+lvl would be too imbalancing.

 

[Umbran]

And while it's nice to have any SR, SR level+5 means that an equal level spellcaster will only fail on a 4 or less. Against higher-level casters (it's been my experience that if the party is going to face a spellcaster, he's going to be at least +3 levels above the party) he'll only fail on a 1.

Yes, but against all the punk spellcasters set there to soften you up before you reach the BBEG, you've got effective defense. The ability to not be beaten up before you reach the BBEG is about as important as the ability to beat him up when you meet him.

 

[Malachi_rc]

Other than that, it's a +5 holy cold iron longsword. And it seems that for 120k, you'd be better off getting a +1 holy, flaming, bane vs. evil outsiders, keen cold iron longsword and begging the party wizard for a Greater Magic Weapon instead.

I'm not sure how good it is, but past 10th level, i find flaming, shocking, and freezing to be worthless. Too many things aren't affected by them any more, either they are imune or have resistance 5 or more and can basically not be hurt. admiditly, I would give half the bane ability vs outsiders and/or undead (so, +1 +d6), but i doubt thats really necessary because you're already getting the holy power in there.

Then again, i find GMW to be not that good in my campaign with bane weapons: the dm says (and i think this is the right call) that the bane adds to the base, not the GMW enhancement.