diff --git a/crates/workshop-rs/src/settings/check.rs b/crates/workshop-rs/src/settings/check.rs
index 8d1ed2bc..cd4956c6 100644
--- a/crates/workshop-rs/src/settings/check.rs
+++ b/crates/workshop-rs/src/settings/check.rs
@@ -290,6 +290,9 @@ fn walk_heroes<'a>(teams: &'a [SettingsNode], visit: &mut dyn FnMut(Visit<'a, '_
                         continue;
                     }
                     for inner in children {
+                        if let Some(diagnostic) = unemittable_hero_member(inner, name) {
+                            visit(Visit::Rejected(diagnostic));
+                        }
                         visit(Visit::Member(inner, &HERO));
                     }
                 }
@@ -299,6 +302,50 @@ fn walk_heroes<'a>(teams: &'a [SettingsNode], visit: &mut dyn FnMut(Visit<'a, '_
     }
 }
 
+/// A hero-scoped member the emitter can never spell: the key derives from an
+/// ability slot the hero provably lacks and no reviewed per-hero label row
+/// exists to substitute, so emission fails with a missing-mapping error.
+/// The rejection is reported here so `check` agrees with emission; a hero
+/// absent from gameplay data is not provable and is left to the emit-time
+/// failure the module header documents.
+fn unemittable_hero_member(node: &SettingsNode, hero: &str) -> Option<SettingsDiagnostic> {
+    // `Raw` and `RawGroup` members emit verbatim and never resolve a
+    // display name.
+    if matches!(
+        node,
+        SettingsNode::Raw { .. } | SettingsNode::RawGroup { .. }
+    ) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let key = node.name();
+    let slot = table::ability_slot_for_path(&[
+        PathPart::Part("heroes"),
+        PathPart::Team,
+        PathPart::Hero,
+        PathPart::Part(key),
+    ])?;
+    if table::hero_setting_name(hero, key, "en-US").is_some() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    hero_provably_lacks_slot(hero, slot).then(|| {
+        rejected(
+            node.span(),
+            format!("hero '{hero}' has no '{slot}' ability for settings key '{key}'"),
+            None,
+        )
+    })
+}
+
+fn hero_provably_lacks_slot(hero: &str, slot: &str) -> bool {
+    crate::gameplay::data::builtin_ref()
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|catalog| catalog.hero(&crate::gameplay::HeroId::new(hero)))
+        .is_some_and(|hero| {
+            hero.abilities_in_slot(&crate::gameplay::LogicalSlot::new(slot))
+                .is_empty()
+        })
+}
+
 /// Build the warning for a carried member close to one declared spelling:
 /// a misspelled key names the declared key, a misspelled value under a
 /// catalogued key names the declared enum member.
diff --git a/crates/workshop-rs/tests/audit_regressions.rs b/crates/workshop-rs/tests/audit_regressions.rs
index 9772b2d8..3a36b0e6 100644
--- a/crates/workshop-rs/tests/audit_regressions.rs
+++ b/crates/workshop-rs/tests/audit_regressions.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ use super::common::{catalog, en};
 use super::internal;
 use workshop_rs::parser;
 use workshop_rs::settings::{
-    SettingId, SettingOperationError, SettingTarget, SettingValue, definitions, definitions_by_id,
+    DiagnosticSeverity, SettingId, SettingOperationError, SettingTarget, SettingValue, definitions,
+    definitions_by_id,
 };
 
 /// W1: a leading UTF-8 BOM must not be a lex error.
@@ -255,6 +256,33 @@ fn rowless_hero_composes_templated_labels() {
     internal::assert_emit_round_trip(&program);
 }
 
+/// S5/S6 follow-up: a hero-scoped member whose slot the hero provably
+/// lacks — and which no reviewed label row names — is rejected by `check`
+/// with a diagnostic instead of reaching emission's missing-mapping
+/// failure or a malformed `%1$s` spelling. The rejection keys on the
+/// missing ability, not on the hero lacking generated rows: Doctrine's
+/// `ability1Cooldown%` still emits through the gameplay-name template.
+#[test]
+fn hero_member_without_slot_is_rejected_by_check() {
+    let source = "settings\n{\n    heroes\n    {\n        Team 1\n        {\n            Doctrine\n            {\n                enableAbility3: Off\n            }\n        }\n    }\n}";
+    let program = parser::parse(source, &catalog(), &en()).expect("source parses");
+    let diagnostics = program.settings_diagnostics();
+    assert!(
+        diagnostics.iter().any(|diagnostic| {
+            diagnostic.severity == DiagnosticSeverity::Error
+                && diagnostic.error.to_string().contains("ability3")
+        }),
+        "check must reject the slot-less member with a diagnostic, got {diagnostics:?}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        program.validate().is_err(),
+        "validation must fail on the unemittable member"
+    );
+    internal::assert_emit_round_trip(&internal::parse(
+        "settings\n{\n    heroes\n    {\n        Team 1\n        {\n            Doctrine\n            {\n                ability1Cooldown%: 50%\n            }\n        }\n    }\n}",
+    ));
+}
+
 /// S8: under `wreckingBall` the zh spelling `工程抓钩冷却时间` is the
 /// generated `secondaryFireCooldown%` label — the stale alias must not bind
 /// it to `ability1Cooldown%` (whose zh label is `动力铁球冷却时间`).