Deep in the mountains of Vasloria, the Rime Legion kobolds safeguard the frozen heart of the long-dead dragon Gryzmithrak—an artifact responsible for sustaining the snow atop the mountain peaks. No one recognized the first drops of melting snow as a sign that the heart's magic was failing. But everyone remembers the avalanche a week later that left the Rime Legion on the brink of ruin. If Shieldmaiden Voss is to be believed, then a threat approaches much worse than avalanches.

Tensions rise as more legionnaires are marked by the Infernal Scar—a symbol of changing times and shifting allegiances. This short adventure is packed with simple, high stakes intrigue and a growing crisis that only the heroes can stop.

Can you uncover what's really going on and put a stop to it before it's too late?

The Great Thaw of Gryzmithrak Spire is a level 1 adventure compatible with MCDM's Draw Steel TTRPG in which the heroes confront an ancient evil to stop an impending climate disaster.

Draw Steel is a heroic fantasy RPG for players that want to embody epic heroes fighting epic monsters. This adventure isn't so much about a trek up a mountain as it is about overcoming unearthed war machines from the Last War of the Rime Legion. It isn't about collecting a dragon's treasure—it's about the melting seals on an ancient prison and defeating an escaping fire elemental reborn as a red dragon. If that sounds cool to you, then this adventure is for you!

We are crafting an adventure that takes advantage of the cool lore of Draw Steel's Vasloria setting, starting with dragons. These dragons are different than your typical d20 dragon—they are elementals given physical form by powerful, concentrated emotion. But players would never learn this cool bit of lore if it didn't matter. We made the elemental roots of this adventure's ambition dragon a key discovery that drives intrigue in the Rime Legion and provides critical context in shaping the players' role in the adventure.

(A pass on layout and map design. Things are still work in progress and the Heart of Gryzmithrak will be much cooler - pun intended - in the final iteration!)

Gryzmithrak Spire PDF

The full color PDF will be about 20 pages and will include at least the following:

• A 3–6 hour adventure that culminates in a climactic fight against an elemental reborn as a red dragon fueled by kobold ambition.
• A minimum of 5 encounters (an investigation, a montage, a puzzle, a negotiation, and an epic combat).

More content may be added depending on funds raised.

Play with a Creator!

Itching to play Draw Steel but you've played through all of the playtest materials? Or maybe you just haven't found a GM to run it for you? Either way, Andie has you covered! Sign up for the Play with the Creator tier and they will run this adventure for you and up to three other players. Compared to a movie, $25 for up to 6 hours of gameplay is an absolute steal.

Design with Shae!

Leave a personal touch on the story! Work with Shae to design an NPC or Encounter for the adventure.  He’ll share his brainstorming and design process and work with you in shaping a facet of the story of your choice. This is a great reward for those who’d like to be a part of shaping one of the first Draw Steel adventures, or those interested in the adventure design process.

Dare we dream? The Crowdfundr is already a smashing success, and any additional funding will go toward unlocking even more Stretch Goals!

UNLOCKED $500: Pregenerated Characters.  Hit the ground running with 5 pregens for the adventure!

UNLOCKED $750: Custom Art.  Commissioned art for 1) Shieldmaiden Voss and 2) Pontifex Burin.

$1000 Calamity Kobold Rival Party: A cohesive set of calamity kobold legionnaires that provide plenty of opportunity for future campaign hooks.

$1250 Korrivost Map: A full map of the Rime Legion's home base: Korrivost Stronghold.

Andie Margolskee—@margomodsgames

Game Designer, Publisher, Former Climate Scientist

Andie is a TTRPG author and storytelling climate scientist who designs complex narratives that feature larger-than-life human problems and prioritize player agency. They're the reason this adventure features an existential threat to humanity delivered via giant snowy boulders.

Shae Dunser - Shaeomar

Writer, Designer, Artist

TTRPG writing brings together all of Shae’s passions of games, story, art, and technology! His adventures feature fantastic characters and settings, with the focus of creating exciting experiences for players. Having written and self-published multiple one shot TTRPG adventures, Draw Steel has caught his attention, becoming his latest canvas for creation!

How are we Using Funds?

Funds raised through this project will be used to commission artists and pay for the design work put in by Andie & Shae.

AI Pledge

We have not and will not use generative AI in any form for this adventure.

Licensing Info

The Great Thaw of Gryzmithrak Spire is an independent product published under the DRAW STEEL Creator License and is not affiliated with MCDM Productions, LLC. DRAW STEEL  © 2024 MCDM Productions, LLC.