Ember Knight

It is said the Order of the First Flame rose from the ashes of a forgotten age, when the world stood upon the brink of unending night. An age of silence, when even the stars had dimmed and the gods dared not speak. Their origins, like so much of that time, are veiled in smoke—shrouded by time, buried beneath ruin and memory. What little remains comes to us in fragments: carved symbols scorched into stone, half-sung hymns without names, or the desperate scribblings of madmen who claim to have seen them.

Some believe the Order began as a gathering of those who heard the world’s sorrow as it cooled—a fellowship not of nation or blood, but of purpose. They were the ones who knew: the dark could not be slain, only held at bay. That light must be kindled, not commanded. And so they made a vow, not written nor spoken, but burned into the soul—to tend the First Flame, that ancient ember of hope, of memory, of renewal.

They were known as the Ember Knights.

In the earliest days, they walked as warriors. Proud, defiant, cloaked in smoke and fire. They faced the hungers that gnawed at the edges of the world—things too old for names, too quiet to fear until it was far too late. They fought not for glory, but for time. For breath. For the next dawn.

But darkness does not die.

It changes. It learns to wait. It learns to speak. Where once it came in teeth and talon, it now comes in law, in coin, in silence. It wears crowns. It writes scripture. It waits behind kind eyes. And so the Order, too, changed.

The Ember Knights faded from battlefield and banner. They became watchers. Whisperers. Silent stewards of balance. In distant courts, a single word diverted a war. In forgotten tombs, a glyph was turned the wrong way, and ruin was quietly sealed again. Their battles grew smaller. Stranger. Unseen. But never less important. They did not abandon the flame. They drew it inward, where no blade could reach.

At the heart of their order stood the Flamekeeper. Not a lord. Not a priest. A bearer. A living ember. The title passed in silence, chosen not by rite or inheritance, but by recognition—when one flame knows another. Few see their face. Fewer still speak their name. That is as it should be. For the Flamekeeper is not meant to rule. They are meant to endure.

To most, the Ember Knights are no more than a story. A tale told by tired travelers to warm the cold. A comfort for the old, or a parable for the young who have not yet learned what the dark truly is. But I have seen the signs...

A path once blocked, now clear.
A ruin untouched by looters.
A blade found warm, when it should have rusted.
A choice unmade.
A child saved by no one.

The First Flame still flickers. And where it burns, the Order endures.

---

 From “Ashes and Echoes, Vol. III: Subtle Fires and Shadowed Wars” by Thaelen Morwynd, Lorekeeper of Asterhold

Level 3: Ember Charges

At level 3, you harness an inner flame that manifests through subtle signs—glowing veins, ember-like tattoos, or heat shimmering across your skin—as the First Flame stirs within you. This power is represented by Ember Charges, a flexible resource that fuels your subclass features. Your Ember Charge die is a d4. 

Gaining Ember Charges:

• Combat Momentum. You gain 1 Ember Charge the first time each turn you deal fire damage to a creature or take fire damage from a creature. You do not gain an Ember Charge from attacks or effects that consume Ember Charges.
• Short Rest Conversion. During a short rest, you can convert Hit Dice into Ember Charges on a 1-to-1 basis.
• Capacity and Recovery. You can hold a number of Ember Charges equal to twice your proficiency bonus. When you finish a long rest, you regain Ember Charges equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

Spending Ember Charges:

• Searing Strike. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend one or more Ember Charges to deal additional fire damage. Roll a number of Ember Charge dice equal to the number of charges spent, and add the total to the damage of the attack. This fire damage does not trigger Combat Momentum or generate additional Ember Charges.
• Burning Determination. As part of a 1-hour ritual, you can draw upon the flame within to gain temporary mastery. When the ritual ends, choose one skill, tool, or weapon with which you are not proficient. You gain proficiency in that choice until you finish your next long rest. Each time you perform this ritual, your maximum number of Ember Charges is reduced by 1 until the end of your next long rest. You can perform this ritual multiple times, choosing a different proficiency each time, but your maximum Ember Charges cannot be reduced below 1 in this way.

Level 3: Ignite the Soul

At level 3, you learn to channel your inner flame through spell and steel. You learn the produce flame and green-flame blade cantrips.

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with the casting of one of these cantrips. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for them.

Level 7: The Will of Fire

At level 7, your inner flame grants resilience even in moments of powerlessness. You can use your Second Wind feature even while incapacitated.

In addition, when you use Second Wind, you can immediately end one of the following conditions affecting you: Paralyzed, Petrified, Stunned, or Frightened. If you successfully do so, you also regain a number of Ember Charges equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down), up to your maximum.

Level 10: Ignite the body

When you reach level 10, your inner flame burns even brighter and hotter. Your Ember Charge die increases from a d4 to a d8.

Level 15: From Ashes to Ashes

At level 15, while you have one or more Ember Charges, flames flicker across your armor, weapons, and skin, marking you as one touched by the First Flame.

When a creature within 30 feet of you deals damage to you, you can use your reaction to unleash a retaliatory burst of flame. That creature takes fire damage equal to one roll of your Ember Charge die.

If the result of the roll is equal to or less than your Constitution modifier, you can roll the die again and add the result to the total. You can repeat this process a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once).

Level 18: Ignite the World

When you reach level 18, your inner flame reaches its peak intensity. Your Ember Charge die increases from a d8 to a d12.