Holy Avenger

The paladin's blade that burns evil and shields the righteous.

A holy avenger is a rare kind of magic sword in Dungeons & Dragons, forged to fight evil and prized above all by paladins, in whose hands alone its full powers awaken. In its oldest form a newly forged holy avenger was simply a cold-iron blade; held by a paladin it became a potent holy sword that shielded the wielder and nearby allies from spells, let the paladin dispel magic at will and struck harder against evil and chaotic foes. Blades forged after the Spellplague dealt radiant damage and could serve as a holy symbol; those made after the Second Sundering are deadliest against undead and fiends and still radiate a protective aura for the wielder's allies. In fifth edition it is a legendary +3 weapon that only a paladin can attune to.

Quick Facts

Type

Sword (magic weapon)

Wielders

Paladins

Famous examples

Carsomyr
Crusader (Gareth Dragonsbane)
Clamorour (Piergeiron Paladinson)
Pale Justice
Hill Cleaver (Dragonbait)

Facts from the source article.

Did You Know?

Forging one takes a good-aligned craftsman with the holy aura spell and at least 60,000 gold pieces.
Carsomyr, the greatsword hoarded by the red dragon Firkraag, is one of the most famous holy avengers in the Realms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use a holy avenger?

Paladins. In other hands it is little more than a well-made sword; its protective aura, radiant strikes and other powers only awaken for a paladin, and in fifth edition only a paladin can attune to it.

Is the holy avenger intelligent?

Not as a rule. A few named blades, such as Brightstar of Ravens Bluff, are sentient, but the standard holy avenger is a magic sword, not a thinking companion.