Starting with Opposite Alignment Minor Items

[the JabberwocK]

Is this allowed?

The current URD states:

Hero players may choose up to five hero characters (no Wizards). There is no provision for
Heroes to start with minion minor items, as these items do not form part of the Hero Player's
decks. (METW 16)

The Wizards Rulebook just states:

4) You may assign up to two non-unique minor items to your starting
characters (i.e., two items total, not two to each character). These
items must come from cards that you have not already committed to
your play deck.

Which doesn't seem to prohibit it.

I have seen comments in other threads about starting with opposite alignment minor items, so I would like to know what the rule on this is. Thanks

[Bandobras Took]

That is an error:

Deck Construction
Only Ringwraith players may include minion characters, resources, and sites in their decks, while only Wizard players may include hero characters, resources, and sites in their decks.
However, there is an exception to this: a Ringwraith player may use any hero item resource card as if it were a minion item resource card. Similarly, a Wizard player may use any minion item resource card as if it were a hero item resource card.

[kober]

The full text is the following:

Deck Construction
Only Ringwraith players may include minion characters, resources, and sites in their decks, while only Wizard players may include hero characters, resources, and sites in their decks.
However, there is an exception o this: a Ringwraith player may use any hero item resource card as if it were a minion item resource card. Similarly, a Wizard player may use any minion item resource card as if it were a hero item resource card. The following apply:
• All normal requirements must be met to play the item.
• All restrictions to movement still apply.
• All bonuses and special abilities are ignored.
• The item is only worth half (round up) of its normal marshalling points.
• The hero version of a unique item is a manifestation of the same minion version of the item and vice versa.

So, for example, even though it's legal for hero characters to start with Foul-smelling Paste they wouldn't be able to use it, correct?

[Bandobras Took]

Correct.

[the JabberwocK]

Thank you. I had thought that it was allowed, but the URD excerpt caused me confusion.

[Mordakai]

The main use of this is taking minor minion rings as hero starting items, just for discarding in case of Rolled Down to the Sea, I think.