Many tables don't use NPC statblocks, they use actual NPCs with character levels. NPC stands for Non-Player Character. Keep in mind that substituting statblocks is a relatively new thing in D&D's history, and especially players with decades of experience tend to hate them.
The rules of the game are like the physical laws of the universe. People need to understand how the world works around them, and the same is true of players. If they know how sneak attack works (and how to foil it) - just as an example - they expect the bad guys to follow the same rules that they have to follow. Continuing the example, if they are chasing a Rogue, they will expect it to follow the same rules that the group's rogue needs to follow. Giving an NPC rogue the equivalent of sneak attack (they call it something else), without needing to meet the requirements of sneak attack, leads to some players thinking the DM is cheating and out to get them. This is especially true of groups that have had a bad DM in their past (one that saw the game as DM vs Players).
The best way to avoid a repeat of that is for the opponents to follow the same rules that the characters must follow.
As such, at our table, if the enemy is a wizard, then it is an actual wizard character class - the same ones available to the group. Our NPCs have character sheets (it really isn't that tough, and makes them far better rounded than the generic statblocks presented). That also makes planning encounters so much easier. Need a rogue, quickly make one in the character generator (instead of scouring through the monster manual looking for a 'similar' or 'close enough' entry to get a statblock.
That's why the Dev's really should have balanced D&D towards PvP. Instead they (in the recent editions) made rules even more unbalanced in that regard, and if the same rules that the player characters need to follow are suddenly used against them, this unbalance becomes glaring. Not to mention that things like Weapon Masteries become incredibly annoying for players when they are used against them - no melee character likes not being able to get into melee because the ranged enemy keeps pushing them away and how many players like watching their character get knocked prone every single round, or likes having disadvantage every round solely because the enemy used the most common sword in the game?
Once upon a time if you had a 10th level fighter and you faced a 10th level fighter, you could have several bad rounds and still come back from behind to win the fight. Now, with fights lasting only 3 (ish) rounds, it's whomever hits first - wins.
Weapon Masteries also make combat take longer to resolve. 5e combat took a long time to resolve and lasted about 10 rounds per combat. 5e24 combat takes even longer to resolve even though fights are generally over in just 3 rounds now.
I understand your table may work differently, I understand that your experiences might have been different.
TLDR: Baddies should follow the same rules as the player characters, if one can do something, they other should be able to as well. There are many groups that demand this. Weapon Masteries unduly prolong how long it takes to resolve combat (once upon a time, each character got a move and an attack, and if you wanted to take more than one attack, you had to stand still). Players don't like it when Weapon Masteries are used against them (A rogue unable to sneak attack because their opponent uses a longsword (yes I know there's ways around it but the example still holds))
-->An example of a good rule, is a rule that you don't mind applying to you as well as others.<--
Adding to the issue, is that they gave Weapon Masteries to too many classes. If they were going to do it, it should have been fighters only
Weapon masteries add a trivial amount of time. Topple forces another roll. Nick with dual wielder feat can add an extra attack, and therefore an extra roll, those I’ll grant can add some more time. All the others are resolved virtually instantly.
NPCs don’t have to follow PC rules. If your DM chooses to take that extra layer of work upon themselves, and that’s what you all like, that’s great. But saying something “should” work a certain way is just your playstyle preference.
And skimming the monster manual for a stat block is also trivially easy. Easier than make a PC from scratch, I’d say, where you’re going to have to make a bunch of decisions about powers that won’t matter at all.
And, when the idea of monsters not getting masteries has come up in other threads, I like to point out they basically do have them, they just aren’t specifically called out as such. Countless monsters in 24 have effects that just happen along with the hit, where targets are pushed or knocked prone, etc. But since DMs have a lot to juggle, they just describe the effect instead of naming why they can.
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Weapon masteries add a trivial amount of time. Topple forces another roll. Nick with dual wielder feat can add an extra attack, and therefore an extra roll, those I’ll grant can add some more time. All the others are resolved virtually instantly.
NPCs don’t have to follow PC rules. If your DM chooses to take that extra layer of work upon themselves, and that’s what you all like, that’s great. But saying something “should” work a certain way is just your playstyle preference.
And skimming the monster manual for a stat block is also trivially easy. Easier than make a PC from scratch, I’d say, where you’re going to have to make a bunch of decisions about powers that won’t matter at all.
And, when the idea of monsters not getting masteries has come up in other threads, I like to point out they basically do have them, they just aren’t specifically called out as such. Countless monsters in 24 have effects that just happen along with the hit, where targets are pushed or knocked prone, etc. But since DMs have a lot to juggle, they just describe the effect instead of naming why they can.