Heroes of Faerun suffers from quite a few duds in its background lineup, but there are a few gems to be unearthed too. Much of this comes down to the quality of origin feats found in the book.
Heroes of Faerun comes packed with 18 brand new backgrounds. Back in the 2014 rules, backgrounds were probably the least important option for your character, but the 2024 update attaches your ability score increase and an origin feat into the package to make them more important for your character build.
With Heroes of Faerun, we get a load of factions and regions represented through the backgrounds. Many of these have their own origin feat dedicated to that group.
I’ve analysed all the backgrounds to see how well they synergise and who they work best for. You can check out my scores and advice below.
Backgrounds overview
To start with, here’s all the backgrounds from Heroes of Faerun and the important details about each one. I’ve also suggested some classes that work well with each background.
| Name | Recommended classes | Ability scores | Origin feat | Skill proficiencies | Tool proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chondathan freebooter | Barbarian, cleric, druid, ranger | Strength dexterity, wisdom | Skilled | Athletics, sleight of hand | Weaver’s tools |
| Dead magic dweller | Cleric, druid, paladin, ranger | Strength, constitution, wisdom | Healer | Medicine, survival | Leatherworker’s tools |
| Dragon cultist | Artificer, rogue, wizard | Dexterity, constitution, intelligence | Cult of the dragon initiate | Deception, stealth | Calligrapher’s supplies |
| Emerald enclave caretaker | Artificer, cleric, druid, ranger, wizard | Constitution, intelligence, wisdom | Emerald enclave fledgling | Nature, survival | Herbalism kit |
| Flaming fist mercenary | Barbarian, fighter, paladin, warlock, sorcerer | Strength, constitution, charisma | Tough | Intimidation, perception | Smith’s tools |
| Genie touched | Bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, warlock | Dexterity, wisdom, charisma | Magic initiate (wizard) | Perception, persuasion | Glassblower’s tools |
| Harper | Artificer, bard, rogue, sorcerer, warlock | Dexterity, intelligence, charisma | Harper agent | Performance, sleight of hand | Disguise kit |
| Ice fisher | Barbarian, fighter, paladin, ranger | Strength, dexterity, constitution | Alert | Animal handling, athletics | Woodcarver’s tools |
| Knight of the Gauntlet | Eldritch knight, ranger | Strength, intelligence, wisdom | Tyro of the gauntlet | Athletics, medicine | Smith’s tools |
| Lords’ Alliance vassal | Eldritch knight, paladin | Strength, intelligence, charisma | Lords’ alliance agent | Insight, persuasion | Calligrapher’s supplies |
| Moonwell pilgrim | Bard, cleric, druid, ranger | Constitution, wisdom, charisma | Magic initiate (druid) | Nature, performance | Painter’s supplies |
| Mulhorandi tomb raider | Artificer, rogue, wizard | Dexterity, constitution, intelligence | Lucky | Investigation, religion | Mason’s tools |
| Mythalkeeper | None, this is a poor spread of ability scores | Intelligence, wisdom, charisma | Crafter | Arcana, history | Jeweler’s tools |
| Purple dragon squire | Banneret, paladin | Strength, wisdom, charisma | Purple dragon rook | Animal handling, insight | Navigator’s tools |
| Rashemi wanderer | Barbarian, fighter, paladin | Strength, constitution, charisma | Tough | Intimidation, perception | Cartographer’s tools |
| Shadowmasters exile | Artificer, fighter, rogue | Dexterity, intelligence, charisma | Savage attacker | Acrobatics, stealth | Thieves’ tools |
| Spellfire initiate | Artificer, bard, paladin, sorcerer, warlock, wizard | Constitution, intelligence, charisma | Spellfire spark | Arcana, perception | One kind of gaming set |
| Zhentarim mercenary | Barbarian, fighter, paladin, rogue, warlock | Strength, dexterity charisma | Zhentarim ruffian | Intimidation, perception | Forgery kit |
Background analysis
Chondathan freebooter – 3/5
Ability score: Strength, dexterity, wisdom
Origin feat: Skilled
Skills: Athletics, sleight of hand
Tool proficiency: Weaver’s tools
Recommended classes: Barbarian, cleric, druid and ranger
Analysis: Strength and dexterity tend not to work well together unless you’re a barbarian (you tend to want to dump one of these). This means you’re mainly looking to wisdom classes here. Fortunately, all wisdom classes can benefit from dexterity or strength.
Frustratingly, the skills are split between strength and dexterity. Skilled is an OK feat, perhaps if you’re missing a rogue or bard to be your skills specialist. In this regard, a ranger probably fits the bill best here.
Dead magic dweller – 2/5
Ability score: Strength, constitution, wisdom
Origin feat: Healer
Skills: Medicine, survival
Tool proficiency: Leather worker’s tools
Recommended classes: Cleric, druid, paladin, ranger
Analysis: Wisdom classes and healers will do best here. Constitution is great for any class so you only need to find a class that either needs strength or wisdom. However, this background favours wisdom because of the 2 skills you gain and the healer feat.
Unfortunately, I don’t really rate the medicine skill while survival is only usually useful in certain types of adventures. When it comes to the healer feat, it relies on using a healer’s kit (which is just inferior to magical healing) or healing spells, but with only a very minor boost to these. That makes this a bit underwhelming.
Dragon cultist – 1/5
Ability score: Dexterity, constitution, intelligence
Origin feat: Cult of the dragon initiate
Skills: Deception, stealth
Tool proficiency: Calligrapher’s supplies
Recommended classes: Artificer, rogue, wizard
Analysis: The ability scores are fine for some classes, but the big problem here is that you’ve got a skill that relies on charisma (not one of the increased ability scores) and a feat that relies on wisdom to instil fear (which again, is not one of the boosted ability scores).
Cult of the Dragon Initiate isn’t great anyway. Learning a language is minor and the extra heroic inspiration would be great, if you could frighten creatures a lot. Problem is, you need to use a whole action for a relatively weak effect and you need a strong wisdom to make this work, but you’re already split between intelligence and charisma as well with this background. Just poor synergy on this background.
Emerald Enclave caretaker – 1/5
Ability score: Constitution, intelligence, wisdom
Origin feat: Emerald Enclave fledgling
Skills: Nature, survival
Tool proficiency: Herbalism kit
Recommended classes: Artificer, cleric, druid, ranger, wizard
Analysis: The main problem here is that the origin feat just isn’t very good. Speak with animals is alright, but many classes you’d take this for already have this on their spell list. The help action buff I can see almost never being used. It’s highly situational and help in combat is generally just a wasted action. You’re also split between intelligence and wisdom skills which never mix well.
Flaming Fist mercenary – 4/5
Ability score: Strength, constitution, charisma
Origin feat: Tough
Skills: Intimidation, perception
Tool proficiency: Smith’s tools
Recommended classes: Barbarian, fighter, paladin, warlock, sorcerer
Analysis: Best on builds that need extra resilience. This can technically be any build, but both a constitution and a tough boost will favour frontline builds best, especially those that need strength or charisma.
Intimidation is a charisma skill though so this is best on charisma builds and perception, while a wisdom skill, is great for any class.
Genie touched – 4/5
Ability score: Dexterity, wisdom, charisma
Origin feat: Magic initiate (wizard)
Skills: Perception, persuasion
Tool proficiency: Glassblower’s tools
Recommended classes: Bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, warlock
Analysis: This works well for wisdom and charisma spellcasters as almost all of this relies on a decent dexterity (other than most paladins). This is because spellcasters can repeat cast those magic initiate spells and they’ll likely appreciate the extra wizard spells.
Perception and persuasion are both great skills but rely on different ability scores that tend not to coincide. Perception is still great on any class though.
Harper – 2/5
Ability score: Dexterity, intelligence, charisma
Origin feat: Harper agent
Skills: Performance, sleight of hand
Tool proficiency: Disguise kit
Recommended classes: Artificer, bard, rogue, sorcerer, warlock
Analysis: The help action just isn’t worth taking a full action for in almost all cases in combat. This makes for a poor background, even if the ability score increases are alright as a combination. Performance is the least of the charisma skills but sleight of hand is often useful.
Ice fisher – 3/5
Ability score: Strength, dexterity, constitution
Origin feat: Alert
Skills: Animal handling, athletics
Tool proficiency: Woodcarver’s tools
Recommended classes: Barbarian, fighter, paladin, ranger
Analysis: While having options for all physical ability scores can be at least decent for a lot of builds, this has skills, that split between strength and wisdom. I’d also argue that alert is best on a dexterity build which divides a bit between strength and dexterity builds. However, alert can also help a strength build compensate for a lack of dexterity so this is still decent.
Knight of the Gauntlet – 1/5
Ability score: Strength, intelligence, wisdom
Origin feat: Tyro of the gauntlet
Skills: Athletics, medicine
Tool proficiency: Smith’s tools
Recommended classes: Eldritch knight, ranger
Analysis: Strength rarely works well with intelligence or wisdom and intelligence and wisdom never work well together making for a very niche ability score spread. Eldritch knights will do alright here as might a strength ranger (but they tend to be beat investing in dexterity).
Athletics is decent but medicine is a subpar skill in my opinion. Tyro of the gauntlet also has 2 very situational abilities making for a poor origin feat.
Lords’ Alliance vassal – 2/5
Ability score: Strength, intelligence, charisma
Origin feat: Lords’ Alliance agent
Skills: Insight, persuasion
Tool proficiency: Calligrapher’s supplies
Recommended classes: Eldritch knight, paladin
Analysis: Intelligence and charisma never go well together and strength rarely works with intelligence or charisma (but does occasionally). Skills are split between wisdom and charisma which is even more of a divide, but insight can be quite useful on a party face, despite the lack of wisdom.
Lords’ Alliance agent is still a little situational, but not too much at least and the benefits are decent. This is OK on a paladin but poor on everyone else.
Moonwell pilgrim – 4/5
Ability score: Constitution, wisdom, charisma
Origin feat: Magic initiate (druid)
Skills: Nature, performance
Tool proficiency: Painter’s supplies
Recommended classes: Bard, cleric, druid, ranger
Analysis: Constitution will work alongside wisdom or charisma (or any other ability score) so this works well on its own. Magic initiate is great too and druids have a decent bunch of 1st level spells and cantrips to pick from. My only quibble is you have the least important face skill here paired up with an intelligence skill (none of the best classes for this background will be intelligence-based). This makes for a mostly great background, but the skills let it down a little.
Mulhorandi tomb raider – 4/5
Ability score: Dexterity, constitution, intelligence
Origin feat: Lucky
Skills: Investigation, religion
Tool proficiency: Mason’s tools
Recommended classes: Artificer, rogue, wizard
Analysis: Lucky is a great origin feat for anyone and dexterity and constitution are both regularly useful ability scores. Intelligence is more limiting, but generally pairs with the other 2 ability scores just fine.
The skills will work best on an intelligence build though making this best for them. It limits who can benefit from this background a bit, but works well for intelligence classes.
Mythalkeeper – 1/5
Ability score: Intelligence, wisdom, charisma
Origin feat: Crafter
Skills: Arcana, history
Tool proficiency: Jeweler’s tools
Recommended classes: Technically intelligence builds, but this is poor enough I wouldn’t recommend it for nayone.
Analysis: Terrible spread of ability scores. Almost no build wants to optimise 2 of the 3 spellcasting ability scores and crafter just isn’t a great origin feat. I guess this is is slightly better on intelligence builds because of the knowledge skills you get, but this is really just a poor option.
Purple Dragon squire – 2/5
Ability score: Strength, wisdom, charisma
Origin feat: Purple dragon rook
Skills: Animal handling, insight
Tool proficiency: Navigator’s tools
Recommended classes: Banneret, paladin
Analysis: Purple Dragon rook is a decent origin feat, but it is overshadowed by musician, which does a similar thing, but better. While the skills are wisdom skills (which works better for a wisdom build), the skills from Purple Dragon rook that you don’t already get with this background are both charisma skills which splits your capabilities awkwardly. Strength isn’t great for many spellcasters making a paladin and a banneret your best options, but it’s a bit niche, even if it’s alright on those niche builds.
Rashemi wanderer – 4/5
Ability score: Strength, constitution, charisma
Origin feat: Tough
Skills: Intimidation, perception
Tool proficiency: Cartographer’s tools
Recommended classes: Barbarian, bard, fighter, paladin, warlock, sorcerer
Analysis: Most classes will benefit from more HP making tough and constitution a great combination for almost anyone. This can generally match up well with strength or charisma just fine. Perception relies on wisdom, but is great on any class, but intimidation leans towards a charisma build.
Shadowmaster’s exile – 2/5
Ability score: Dexterity, intelligence, charisma
Origin feat: Savage attacker
Skills: Acrobatics, stealth
Tool proficiency: Thieves’ tools
Recommended classes: Artificer, fighter, rogue
Analysis: This relies on a high weapon attack build that also wants to invest in dexterity and one of intelligence and charisma. That’s a tad niche. Savage attacker also benefits higher damage weapons more, which are all strength-based (even then, it’s only OK). The skills and tool proficiency are great for maybe getting an artificer or fighter making up for the lack of a rogue.
Spellfire initiate – 5/5
Ability score: Constitution, intelligence, charisma
Origin feat: Spellfire spark
Skills: Arcana, perception
Tool proficiency: One kind of gaming set
Recommended classes: Artificer, bard, paladin, sorcerer, warlock, wizard
Analysis: Spellfire spark is an excellent origin feat with decent magical damage reduction and a great way to use your bonus action to deal a bit more damage per turn. A lot of spellcasters are looking for more things to do with their bonus action so this can be really useful.
The ability score spread works for most spellcasters too, especially as you want a decent constitution for concentration saving throws.
Zhentarim mercenary – 4/5
Ability score: Strength, dexterity charisma
Origin feat: Zhentarim ruffian
Skills: Intimidation, perception
Tool proficiency: Forgery kit
Recommended classes: Barbarian, fighter, paladin, rogue, warlock
Analysis: Zhentarim ruffian is great on builds that can make a lot of opportunity attacks. You may want Zhentarim tactics to make that possible, but will need to grab that feat at level 4+. The ability scores work well for a more melee-focused build which this will work best for.
Are the backgrounds in Heroes of Faerun any good?
There are some really good backgrounds in here, and they do hit on the flavour of the factions they’re representing. But a lot of the quality here comes down to the quality of the origin feats. Too many of the origin feats are highly situational or are too limited in their use cases. This makes the backgrounds suffer as a result. I can never see myself wanting origin feats like tyro of the gauntlet or harper agent, which automatically rules out those backgrounds. You can check out my analysis on the origin feats from Heroes of Faerun, but in many cases, I was underwhelmed.
This is compounded by the fact that there’s too much incompatibility between ability scores, this includes from skills and feats. This leads to a bunch of a backgrounds that just don’t have great synergy. A lot of these choices come down to flavour, which I can understand, but there has to be a balance with actually having a strong character build with the flavour of that faction.
Sometimes they nail this, like with spellfire initiate, Zhentarim mercenary and Flaming Fist mercenary. It’s just that those great backgrounds are too rare in this bunch.
What did you think of the backgrounds in Heroes of Faerun? Let me know in the comments below.
