EQ2 had some good ideas in this respect with the Ghoulbane quests - you first found, then restored Ghoulbane. The trouble was that the sword was available for all classes who could wield a sword when really it aught to have been Paladin only (dating back to EQ1).
As long as this sort of unique weapon quest exists for all classes I am all for it
You're right though, a Paladin needs the archetypal "holy sword of shining light".