Summary

Having a talking sword or shield for yourDungeons & Dragonscharacter can prove to be one of the most fun ways to spice up your build in your campaign. But, if you’re looking for magic items or weapon inspiration in the 2024 Player’s Handbook or Dungeon Master’s Guide, there aren’t really that many options at your disposal.

So, how do you create your own sentient weapons? While there are some broad-stroke tips and tricks for creating and homebrewing your own equipment in Dungeons & Dragons, for this list, we’re going to look at some tips and tricks for specifically homebrewing sentient weapons.

The Sword of Kas, a necrotic, dark-looking blade in Dungeons & Dragons.

10Create Mental Stats

It’s Not All About Looks

Whenever you need to create a sentient item, the first thing you’ll need to do is assign the weapon mental stats, namely Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Physical stats are typically relegated to the weapon’s abilities, so there’s no need to do this.

However, assigning your weapon mental stats can help inform a few things. One, this will inform how you or your DM roleplays the weapon. Two, these stats will also dictate rolls like Persuasion, Deception, and Insight, which can prove important in roleplay encounters. For example, if you’re trying to determine if your weapon can be trusted, a contested Insight-Deception check will be necessary.

A decrepit, scary looking book in Dungeons & Dragons.

9Assign An Alignment

The More Chaotic, The Better

Alignments are often afterthoughts for a lot of players when it comes to character creation, or for NPC creation for Dungeon Masters. However, when creating a sentient weapon, you’re going to want to make sure you assign the item an alignment for two very important reasons.

One, in theory, your Dungeon Master is the one roleplaying the weapon. So, if you’ve created the weapon yourself, telling your DM the alignment of the weapon will help them roleplay the weapon the way you want. Second, coming up with an alignment, either as a DM or player, will help influence almost every other step of the weapon creation process.

Aarakocra Aeromancer from Dungeons & Dragons raises a staff crackling with pink energy.

8Homebrew A Personality

Give It Some Flavor

Based on whatever alignment you’ve assigned the item or other ideas you have for your sentient weapon, you’ll also want to come up with a distinct personality. Every single sentient weapon in the2024 Dungeon Master’s Guidehas a section on personality that usually dictates personality elements like attitude, speaking manner, and more.

So, when creating your own sentient weapon, it’s important to jot down a few notes and ideas about the weapon’s personality for your Dungeon Master. This should also include details like languages and any other mannerisms you want the Dungeon Master to embody.

A paladin imbues their weapon with Divine Smite in Dungeons & Dragons.

7Design Motivations

Best Laid Plans

Motivations and goals are especially important for sentient weapons. After all, just because the weapon is attuned to your player characteror an NPC, doesn’t mean that the weapon doesn’t have machinations of its own. This doesn’t necessarily mean the weapon has to be unaligned with the party, but it can prove interesting.

Ultimately, you’re going to want to jot down some notes on what the weapon wants. Is the weapon a cage for a powerful mage that wants to break free? Does the weapon thirst for blood? Whatever the answer, make sure you have a clear aim in mind for your sentient weapon.

An orc and an elf fight side-by-side with a dragonborne monk in Dungeons & Dragons.

6Write A Backstory

Everyone’s Got One

Backstories are the cornerstone of any great player character, NPC, or big bad, and sentient weapons are no exception. Backstories for weapons can take on many forms, but almost every single one has similar elements underpinning the key idea behind the weapon.

First, ask yourself where the weapon was forged or how it was created. Then, tie this history into its motivation and personality to create a fully fleshed-out sentience. This can also prove helpful when it comes to letting your DM roleplay the weapon for you.

A glowing, oragne orb with a dragon’s tail curled around it in Dungeons & Dragons.

5Create Special Abilities

Make It Stand Out

Having a sentient sword that doesn’t do anything more than hack or slash can prove a bit boring. Ultimately, if a weapon is sentient, it probably has some kind of magical ability or usage.

While, of course, you’ll want to make sure these features are balanced, you shouldn’t have a sentient weapon that doesn’t have some kind of magical effect imbued into it. Examples of magical or special abilities that are perfect for sentient weapons include mimicking the effects of spells, being able to magically return to their owner, or providing stat bonuses when attuned.

A spellbook and group of components in a pouch in Dungeons & Dragons.

4Imbue With Blessings Or Curses

Light And Dark

Though not strictly necessary, another fun element of sentient weapon creation can come in the form of blessings or curses. Depending on the type of class or character you’re playing, you may want to consider tailoring your sentient weapon tonally to your character’s personality.

For example, if you’re playinga duplicitous rogue, perhaps a cursed weapon that gives you powers at a cost might be more tonally right than a holy spear. If you’re creating a sentient weapon as a Dungeon Master, coming up with curses for sentient weapons can be a fun pitfall to throw at your table.

An adventurer looks into a magic mirror in Dungeons & Dragons.

3Sight And Sound

I Spy With My Little Eye

This next tip is relatively straightforward but easy to forget about if you’re not careful. When crafting the stat block for your sentient item, make sure you detail how the weapon can see and hear, if at all. Most of the time, the weapon should have some kind of sight and sound ability.

you may also imbue sentient weapons with special sight and sound abilities like truesight or darkvision, depending on the flavor of the weapon. If you’re not sure how to create sight and sound stats, you can borrow from examples in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide for other sentient weapons.

A mimic, or a fake treasure chest in Dungeons & Dragons.

2Decide How To Destroy

It’s Not Always So Easy

Another commonplace element of a sentient weapon’s stat block comes in the form of rules regarding the weapon’s destruction.While most equipmentin Dungeons & Dragons can be destroyed in a normal fashion, sentient weapons should probably be more difficult to destroy.

For example, you could design your weapon so that it can only be destroyed via a Wish spell, or by bringing the weapon back to a certain location or extraplanar location. Whatever the answer ends up being, it’s important to make sure the weapon is a bit sturdier than most, and can’t be easily lost or destroyed by enemies or allies alike.

A group of dwarves working at a forge, hammering away at metal in Dungeons & Dragons.

1Collaborate With Your DM

Balance Is Everything

At the end of the day, if you’re a player who wants a sentient weapon, you’re going to want to collaborate with your Dungeon Master on the item’s creation. There are two very important reasons for this.

First, your Dungeon Master will likely know how to balance the weapon so that it’s better suited for your campaign. Plus, if you explain to your Dungeon Master the type of sentient weapon you want, the better they’ll know how to roleplay it, meaning your roleplay encounters with your weapon in-game are sure to prove more exciting. Finally, great DMs will pepper in some surprises for you to discover about your weapon, which can be really fun.