The Patriarch is a unique Great Sword from Diablo II: Lord of Destruction.
The last normal unique sword, The Patriarch is a hulking sword that's purely offensive in nature.
The Patriarch has the ability to blind targets, effectively having the same effect as Dim Vision. Although not of much use at close range, it can be used to blind ranged attackers and then escape, without having to worry about their shots.
Strangely enough, The Patriarch also gives a very large boost to the amount of gold dropped by monsters. When compounded with the effects of charms and armor such as Goldskin, a character can get very large amounts of gold, simply dropped by monsters.
Still, the Patriarch is most valued by its enhanced damage and its increase to Strength. It is the most damaging of all unique normal swords (not counting those with added elemental damage), but this ironically dates it. Some unique exceptional and elite items overshadow the Patriarch in damage, making it less useful in later difficulties.
Stats[]
The Patriarch
Great Sword
One-Hand Damage: (24-26) to (40-44)
Two-Hand Damage: (50-55) To (84-92)
Required Level: 29
Required Strength: 100
Required Dexterity: 60
Durability: 50
Sword Class - Normal Attack Speed
+100-120% Enhanced Damage
Hit Blinds Target
+10 To Strength
100% Extra Gold From Monsters
Magic Damage Reduced By 3
Damage Reduced By 3
Normal Swords — Rixot's Keen (Short Sword) • Blood Crescent (Scimitar) • Skewer of Krintiz (Sabre) • Gleamscythe (Falchion) • Griswold's Edge (Broad Sword) • Hellplague (Long Sword) • Culwen's Point (War Sword) • Shadowfang (Two-Handed Sword) • Soulflay (Claymore) • Kinemil's Awl (Giant Sword) • Blacktongue (Bastard Sword) • Ripsaw (Flamberge) • The Patriarch (Great Sword)
Exceptional Swords — Bloodletter (Gladius) • Coldsteel Eye (Cutlass) • Hexfire (Shamshir) • Blade of Ali Baba (Tulwar) • Ginther's Rift (Dimensional Blade) • Headstriker (Battle Sword) • Plague Bearer (Rune Sword) • The Atlantean (Ancient Sword) • Crainte Vomir (Espandon) • Bing Sz Wang (Dacian Falx) • The Vile Husk (Tusk Sword) • Cloudcrack (Gothic Sword) • Todesfaelle Flamme (Zweihander) • Swordguard (Executioner Sword)
Elite Swords — Djinn Slayer (Ataghan) • Bloodmoon (Elegant Blade) • Lightsabre (Phase Blade) • Azurewrath (Phase Blade) • Frostwind (Cryptic Sword) • Flamebellow (Balrog Blade) • Doombringer (Champion Sword) • The Grandfather (Colossus Blade)