Inheritor Background

[Hopeless]

Just ordered the Sword Coast Guide due to learning it has a number of extra backgrounds available for 5e.

One is called the Inheritor, what I'd like to find out is your own views on this background?

I'm looking at this as the background for a character who was left a antique Bastard Sword that's possessed by the ghost of a former owner.

It was originally a +1 Sure Striking Bastard Sword bought during a 3.0 Faerun game and the character that wielded it is intended to be the ghost as this was set prior to the Spellplague and the death of Helm.

That ghost was a Bulwark of Helm who died during the fight against the demons released just before I moved away and couldn't continue running that character.

I'm not sure how the Inheritor works but assume its possible for the inherited item to be a sword and even if its left disenchanted having it home to a LN ghost would make a reasonable subplot for the character who is currently looking like a Paladin but as I said I don't know how this would work best.

What is your view on this and the Inheritor background in particular?

[Mandragola]

I think the idea of the ghost is a cool one. I'm not so sure about having it in the sword. You run the risk of it seeming like you're after a magic weapon from your background (even if this isn't true).

There are ways around this of course. The sword could be broken, or it could be of no use to you - say if you're a sorceror. Or the ghost could be linked to some different kind of thing.

By the way, I don't mean to suggest that you actually are doing this for mechanical reasons. But you're causing yourself problems by doing something that could appear to have that effect. Better not to risk the DM or other players thinking that.

[Arkhios]

By the AL rules (as I've been told) the inherited item may have a Quirk from a table that's found in DMG pg. 142 or alternatively it may shed light as a Beacon (minor property, same book same page). Whether or not the item is magical otherwise.
Ask your DM if it's alright ruling in his game. I don't think it's unreasonable.

[Naanomi]

It is equivalent to the Hermit background in many ways, you trade minor mechanical benefit for minor fluff. We had an alchemist who had tattoos that he 'inherited' that shifted and changed over time with partial formula for alchemical wonders (his mentor put in on him and other apprentices as they fled the lab when the gith invaded it for some reason)

[Panzo]

Inherited a possessed sword? Katana from Suicide Squad? :smalltongue:
Cool idea, weapons are commonly inherited anyway especially between royal families and such. I think all backgrounds provide a lot of character fluff for players to work around and plot hooks for DMs to mess around with too. In terms of brokeness-- I think with DM's discretion, it can be arranged easily.

[Specter]

I'm playing an Eldritch Knight Inheritor, who inherited the Arcane Warrior's Handbook from a friend (basically where he gets his spells from). It's nice.

Don't try to bring some magic item to the table at 1st level, no DM likes that. Instead, make it broken, or unusable due to a curse. Then, a good quest would be searching for those (the one) who can make the sword great again.

[Belac93]

Give it a minor property from the DMG, and explain to everyone why you are doing this (that you aren't just trying to get a magic item from level 1).

[NNescio]

Inherited a possessed sword? Katana from Suicide Squad? :smalltongue:
Cool idea, weapons are commonly inherited anyway especially between royal families and such. I think all backgrounds provide a lot of character fluff for players to work around and plot hooks for DMs to mess around with too. In terms of brokeness-- I think with DM's discretion, it can be arranged easily.

Play a dwarf Fighter 1/Evoker X with an heirloom greatsword. It goes "...headddds..." all the time.

[Oramac]

You run the risk of it seeming like you're after a magic weapon from your background (even if this isn't true).

Technically as it's written, you can get a magic weapon from your inheritance. It's just very poorly worded.

Equipment: Your inheritance, a set of Traveler's Clothes, any items with which you are proficient, and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Very poorly written indeed. My 1st level paladin is technically proficient with a Holy Avenger.

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To the OP: your idea sounds perfectly fine. The ideas before me should work for your game, even if it is AL.