# Ember — Flamekin Monster Slayer Ranger (1)

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## Vibe

An old flamekin in a dusty leather hunting booth on the edge of a fire-plane settlement. His face is cracked obsidian, his hands scarred by a thousand hunts. He doesn't say much. He watches. His javelins rest point-down in a quiver made from a magma lizard's hide. When he speaks, it's about tracks, trails, and which fiends are passing through the neighborhood.

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## Quick Reference (Level 1)

| Stat | Score | Mod |
|------|-------|-----|
| STR | 14 | +2 |
| DEX | 15 | +2 |
| CON | 13 | +1 |
| INT | 8 | -1 |
| WIS | 14 | +2 |
| CHA | 10 | +0 |

- **HP:** 11 (1d10+1)
- **AC:** 14 (Leather + DEX)
- **Initiative:** +2
- **Speed:** 30 ft
- **HD:** 1d10
- **Proficiency Bonus:** +2

### Skills

| Skill | Mod | Source |
|-------|-----|--------|
| Acrobatics (DEX) | +2 | — |
| Animal Handling (WIS) | +4 | Ranger |
| Athletics (STR) | +4 | Outlander |
| Insight (WIS) | +4 | Outlander |
| Investigation (INT) | -1 | — |
| Perception (WIS) | +6 | Ranger (expertise via Deft Explorer) |
| Stealth (DEX) | +4 | Ranger |
| Survival (WIS) | +4 | Outlander |
| Nature (INT) | +1 | Ranger |

### Saves
- **STR** +4 | **DEX** +2 | **CON** +1 | **INT** -1 | **WIS** +4 | **CHA** +0

### Combat

- **Javelin (thrown/melee):** +4 to hit, 1d6+2 piercing (range 30/120) — or 1d8+2 thrown one-handed
- **Javelin of Lightning:** Same as javelin, plus 1/day: speak command word, throw, turn into a lightning bolt — each creature in a 5×120 ft line: DC 13 DEX save or 4d6 lightning, half on success
- **Dagger:** +4 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing (range 20/60)
- **Unarmed:** +4 to hit, 1+2 bludgeoning

### Features

**Custom Lineage (Flamekin)**
- **Size:** Medium
- **Darkvision:** 60 ft
- **Fire Resistance**
- **Skill:** Perception
- **Feat:** **Sharpshooter** (works with thrown javelins — ignore half/three-quarters cover, no long-range penalty for javelins)

**Ranger (2024 PHB)**
- **Fighting Style:** Archery (+2 to attack with ranged weapons — applies to thrown javelins)
- **Deft Explorer:** Expertise in Perception, know Canta (Primordial) and Ignan, advantage on tracking elementals and fiends
- **Monster Slayer (at 3):** Hunter's Sense, Slayer's Prey

**Outlander**
- Proficiency: Athletics, Survival
- Tool: Musical Instrument (bone flute)
- Feature: **Wanderer** — Excellent memory for maps and geography; can always recall general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features; can find food and fresh water for up to six creatures per day

**Languages:** Common, Primordial, Ignan

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## Background: The Ember-Warden

Ember has been a monster slayer in the fire plane for over two centuries. His specialty: fiends — devils and demons who leak through planar boundaries into the City of Brass and the Sea of Fire. He runs a hunting booth on the obsidian flats: a bone-and-leather lean-to where adventurers and merchants hire him to clear paths, identify tracks, and put down things that shouldn't be here.

He's grumpy, efficient, and has seen more young adventurers die in his home plane than he cares to count. The party is just another group of stranded souls — but they seem competent, and he's got a soft spot for people who respect his home.

**Personality:** "Track the beast, kill the beast, move on. There's always another." Gruff, patient with work, no patience for fools. Speaks in fragments and observations.

**Ideal:** "The fire plane is my home. I keep it clean of things that don't belong."

**Bond:** "I made a promise to an old friend I won't speak of. The fiends remind me of that promise."

**Flaw:** "I judge outsiders too harshly. Most of them don't last, so I assume none will."

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## Inventory

### Carried
- Leather armor (AC 11 + DEX)
- 5 javelins (bone-tipped, obsidian-sharp)
- **Javelin of Lightning** (uncommon, +1 javelin base, 1/day lightning bolt)
- **Eversmoking Bottle** (uncommon — action to open: 60 ft radius smoke, blocks vision, lasts 10 minutes; can be closed early. No attunement.)
- **Brazier of Commanding Fire Elementals** (rare — attuned. Requires fire-aligned creature. 1/day: action to summon a fire elemental for 1 hour, obeys. Also carries 5 charges of Control/Conjure Elemental spells. +1 fire damage to ranged attacks while attuned? DM says no, but use the brazier as a campfire/lantern passively.)
- 2 daggers
- Bone flute (Outlander tool)
- Hunting trap
- Waterskin (fire-plane equivalent: insulated obsidian flask)
- Whetstone, flint & steel
- Pouch: 15 gp (fire-plane trade: obsidian chips, brass disks)

### Personality Details

**Appearance:** Craggy obsidian-grey skin with glowing amber cracks along his jaw and hands. Eyes are molten orange. Short-cropped smoky hair, no beard. Wears a patched leather hunting coat over a faded tunic. His weapons are old but meticulously maintained.

**Voice:** Low, gravelly, measured. Like a fire that's been burning low for a long time. Uses one-syllable words where possible.

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## Leveling Path (suggestion)

| Level | Choice |
|-------|--------|
| 2 | Spellcasting (pick: Hunter's Mark, Absorb Elements, Cure Wounds, Zephyr Strike, Ensnaring Strike) |
| 3 | **Monster Slayer** — Hunter's Sense, Slayer's Prey, +1 spell known |
| 4 | ASI: DEX 17+1 = 18 (or War Caster for concentration) |
| 5 | Extra Attack, 2nd level spells |

### Notes for you
- **Sharpshooter + Archery fighting style** = javelins at full range with no cover penalty and +2 to hit. At level 5, two javelins/round. With Hunter's Mark + Slayer's Prey, you can stack damage quickly.
- **Brazier** lets you summon a CR 5 fire elemental once/day — excellent ally for the fire plane itself.
- **Eversmoking Bottle** gives you cover to reposition, hide, or disengage. Pairs well with ranged focus.
- **Javelin of Lightning** gives you an AoE option before Extra Attack comes online.