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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9415611" data-attributes="member: 6750502">It's nice to hear from people who worked on the original book. I'm always happy to showcase third party products, particularly when they try something interesting and novel.As for the parts I felt were the most cumbersome for NPC bearers, it's more in that certain things are reworked rather than added onto. Compare this with how Sidekick classes in Tasha's add onto existing stat blocks without significantly revising core features such as starting hit points.For an NPC bearer, Hit Dice are calculated by Size, not class. Small have d6, Medium have d8. The hit points of a bearer are a d10 and recalculated based on the Sentient Weapon's level, and thus recalculate NPC health. While in many cases this can be an improvement, there are some times where it can give the bearer less hit points than they originally had. Take the Thug who is CR 1/2 but has 32 hit points (5d8+10). A 2nd level Sentient Weapon with a 14 Constitution would change their hit points to 20 (2d10+4, max at 1st and average result at 2nd).Furthermore, the NPC bearer uses the Sentient Weapon's Strength or Dexterity for to-hit and damage when wielding them (sidebar in page 6). However, the text specifies that the bearer uses the Weapon's ability scores and proficiency bonus instead of its own (page 10). When I initially read the product, I presumed that the NPC will use their original ability scores when fighting with other weapons. This can feel incongruous when a bearer ends up with very different modifiers when fighting with weapons that are otherwise similar to the Sentient Weapon. However, it seems that the ability scores are outright replaced rather than altered, so this may not be as big a problem as I thought. Still, the wording could be clearer.Additionally, the use of a PC or NPC bearer really affects player build and thus the assignment of ability scores. While I figure most Sentient Weapons are going to prioritize mental stats regardless, making a low Strength/Dexterity Scimitar PC wielded by another PC can't decide to switch to an NPC bearer for plot reasons without suffering in effectiveness. And if a Sentient Weapon prioritized making those stats high when starting with an NPC bearer, if they later decide to have a PC wield them then their score will no longer be useful if the wielder has a higher value.Edit: As for what I wish the NPC bearer could be like instead, I would've gone with something akin to a default stat block template that improves in level that serves as a baseline. Or pick from a limited list of existing stat blocks (Guard, Thug, etc) that serve as general-purpose bearers who instead get simple increases while attuned, like "add flat bonuses to proficient stuff as they increase in Tier." Those are just ideas off the top of my head.</blockquote>

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