Club

Most clubs are stout, hardwood sticks, narrow at the grip and wider at the end. This simple weapon has been used since mankind first began using tools. Anyone can find a good stout piece of wood and swing it; hence the club's widespread use.

The club is the ancestor of the mace, since warriors eventually fitted their clubs with spikes and metal heads in order to increase their deadliness.

As centuries passed, cultures began embracing civilization and advanced technology. They looked down on the club as a primitive tool and a barbarian weapon. Peasants often arm themselves with clubs, sometimes adapting them by adding iron spikes, resulting in the morningstar.

Centaurs are often seen wielding clubs, since sylvan settings have ample wood for fashioning such weapons. Ogres also use clubs, since the weapon does not require brains to use or make.

"Despite the lowly status of the club, it is a useful proficiency. A stout tree branch, a wooden chair leg, or a metal rod all may be considered clubs, and all can be found most anywhere. When an adventurer is without a weapon, knowing how to wield a common stick may save his life.

"Clubs are common among adventurers. City guards who do not intend to shed blood use clubs in law enforcement, thieves who wish merely to steal a purse carry them, and humble peasants or street urchins who cannot afford a sword may wield a stout piece of wood. If anyone anticipates a life filled with tavern brawls, proficiency with the club is a must.

"Druids favor clubs, since they can cast shillelagh spells on the wood. Carrying a weapon made of wood, an organic, natural material, is preferable to using iron, since many self-respecting druids will use metal weapons only as a last resort.''

-- Archdruid Heather Rose

The versatility of the club is shown in the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts squads of Saxons wielding clubs as both melee weapons and missile weapons. Some cultures decorate their clubs or even carve the club heads into representations of the creatures they expect to hunt.

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