Cinderstone Memorial
Carved from the hearthstone of a house long since burned to ruin, the Cinderstone Memorial was first shaped by a grieving soldier who could not bear to leave her loyal hound buried in foreign soil. She pressed the stone to the grave and wept, and something in that sorrow — mixed with the lingering warmth of the earth — answered. The beast that rose was not quite the animal she had loved, but it remembered her, and it stayed. Now the stone passes from mourner to mourner, carrying within it the shape of every creature ever called back from its resting place.
Mechanics
A scorched grave-marker figurine that lets the attuned bearer summon a spectral ember-wreathed beast from the memory of a beloved creature, calling it back to fight and protect one last time.
Cinderstone Charges
The Cinderstone Memorial holds 5 charges and regains 1d4+1 expended charges each day at dawn. The stone grows warm when charges are available and cold and dark when fully spent.
Ember Vigil
As a bonus action, you press the figurine to the ground and expend 2 charges. A spectral beast wreathed in pale orange fire rises from the earth in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you. Choose its form when you first attune to the item — it resembles a Medium or smaller animal of your choice (a dog, cat, raven, or similar). It uses the stat block of a Mastiff (MM p. 332) except that it has 30 hit points, immunity to fire damage, and deals an additional 1d6 fire damage on each of its bite attacks. The beast acts on your initiative, immediately after your turn. You can use a bonus action to command it to move up to its speed and take one action (Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help). It remains until reduced to 0 hit points, until you dismiss it as a bonus action, or until 1 hour has passed. When it disappears, it crumbles into a brief shower of warm embers.
Funeral Pyre
When the Ember Vigil beast is reduced to 0 hit points (rather than dismissed), you may expend 1 charge as a reaction to detonate it in a final burst of grief-fueled flame. Each creature within 10 feet of the beast must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. The burst sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet until the start of your next turn.
Undying Loyalty
While the Ember Vigil beast is present and within 30 feet of you, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. This is a passive effect that requires no action.
5 charges
Recharges 1d4+1 at dawn
DM Notes
Balance consideration: The Ember Vigil beast is meaningfully stronger than a standard Mastiff due to its elevated HP, fire immunity, and bonus fire damage — the 2-charge cost appropriately gates frequent use. With 5 charges recharging at 1d4+1 per dawn (average 3.5), players will typically have enough to summon the beast once or twice per adventuring day. The Funeral Pyre reaction costs 1 additional charge and requires the beast to be destroyed rather than dismissed, creating a meaningful risk-reward tension — players must decide whether to spend the extra charge on a death-burst or let the beast fall quietly. The two abilities are never resource-competing since Funeral Pyre only triggers on the beast's death. Confirm the Mastiff stat block with your source material; if unavailable, use AC 12, Speed 40 ft., bite attack +3 to hit, 1d6+1 piercing damage as the base, then apply the item's modifications. The Undying Loyalty advantage against frightened is a small passive that rewards keeping the beast alive rather than sacrificing it early for the Funeral Pyre damage — a satisfying design tension. The 1-hour duration means the beast persists across multiple combat encounters if kept alive, rewarding cautious play.
Generated with: Level 5 · Pet cemetery · Heroic · Fire · Rare