what the deal is with Human Paladins using Maces, over other weapons like Swords!
July 13, 2009 – 11:52 pmPosted by: Harlay
Hello, I was wondering what the deal is with Human Paladins using Maces, over other weapons like Swords! Is it lore-wise wrong for a Human Paladin to wield a Sword. Do you know of any Knights of the Silver Hand Paladins who use a Sword? This is a complicated isssue because some ancient history and DnD influence might be in there.
One Response to “what the deal is with Human Paladins using Maces, over other weapons like Swords!”
By and large, this is something that has been given significance by nerds like you and me. It does have historical significance, but it was never as widespread as it’s made out to be. Back in medieval times, there were certain groups of priests, monks, and that sort of thing that used maces as an ‘out’ when it came to war. They weren’t supposed to fight in wars and the sort, but they did by using maces. You see, blunt trauma didn’t actually tend to cause any bloodshed, so they weren’t doing anything wrong!
There is extremely limited evidence that such a practice was widespread, though. It was really only a very small handful of individuals that actually did that sort of thing. So… Yeah, this is something that almost purely stems from ancient nerd history. It has a little bit of real history to back it up but is largely a load.
Looking at it from an RPG standpoint exclusively: Traditionally, Paladins and their Cleric predecessors used maces in RPG settings. It pretty much predates written (nerd) history. It did manage to wiggle its way into early Warcraft lore, with almost every single Paladin using a mace. At least, the ones we see. In Warcraft III, Uther used a hammer, Arthas used a hammer, and the generic Paladin unit used a hammer. In WoW, low level Paladins are rewarded with Verigan’s Fist, the Destroyer of Worlds. However, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong for Paladins to use other weapons! It’s just an aesthetic choice in Warcraft, not something that has any particular significance. Look at Bolvar Fordragon. He’s a Paladin, and he goes Sword and Board.
If you want to read more deeply into it, something to consider if that the first Paladins in Warcraft were Clerics and Priests that decided to train in the art of war. Priests in WoW don’t train to use swords, but they do train to use Maces. The first Paladins probably tried to adapt many of the skillsets they already had when stepping up from the Priesthood. Uther probably started using a 2Handed Mace rather than a 2Handed Sword because he already knew how to use maces. Maybe not two handed ones, but maces nonetheless. It’s very possible the younger generation of Paladins were the ones that started moving away from the tradition of using Maces. They had the opportunity to train with whatever specialized weapon they wanted, rather than basing their technique off of what they already knew.
By kyrios on Jul 13, 2009