project-image

The Cave of Amber Tears Awaits You!

Created by Heart of Arcana

An adventure for the new fantasy RPG from MCDM, Draw Steel! Designed for a group of five 1st-level heroes, this adventure, inspired by Norse myth and folklore, earns the heroes up to 17 victories over the course of 4-6 sessions. *Within the burial mound of a village on the edge of the frigid northern frontier, a decades-long spell of undead transformation reaches its conclusion on the day of Sun Return. Nightmares of the honored dead, risen and bloodthirsty, torment the villagers. Meanwhile, the village chief fitfully recovers from a grievous wound. The heroes, summoned for a feast to commemorate the solar holiday, are secretly tasked with uncovering the source of the nightmares and putting an end to the horrors that stir within the burial mound. But mysteries await the party, as a deeper plot and plan wait to be discovered…* The Cave of Amber Tears 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.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Surveys are out and underway.
6 months ago – Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 10:20:38 PM

Hey all,

Paul here with a very brief update. I sent surveys out about two weeks ago, and nearly everyone has responded! Thank you to everyone who has completed the survey so far!

If you haven't completed your survey, please do, as I'd love to get some of your rewards into your (digital) hands.  

That's all for now. Wishing you all a very happy and healthy holiday!

Grianstad an Gheimhridh Sona Daoibh,
- Paul

Surveys coming soon!
6 months ago – Tue, Dec 09, 2025 at 03:40:24 PM

Salutations backers,

Sending a quick update to let you know that I'll be sending out the "smoke test" surveys in the next few days or so, followed by the general survey to all backers. The "smoke test" surveys are sent to a small percentage of backers to ensure everything is working properly. If everything goes smoothly (and I'm sure it will), then I'll follow up by sending the general survey to everyone else. 

Once you fill out the survey, you'll be able to start receiving some of the digital rewards from the crowdfunding campaign.

Those of you who purchased any of the adventure add-ons, like the Cradle of Fire, the Mausritter adventures, To Defy the Stars, or Tomb of the Crescent Moon, will be able to download these items very soon!



Thank you all for your support.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

Wherever you fare till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!
- Paul Ligorski

The last 24 hours! $5K and a secret stretch goal.
6 months ago – Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 05:01:05 PM

So the last few days have been pretty incredible.

If you missed it, Matt Colville gave my Timescape quest a shoutout in his Draw Steel Ancestry Guide video!

I was also interviewed for a second time by Jon de Nor on Goblin Points.

And for a brief moment, the Cave of Amber Tears crowdfunder was featured on the front page of BackerKit!

At each stage of this project, my expectations have been trampled and set ablaze, and at some point in the last day, they were destroyed further when the project broke through $5K.

With us surpassing $5K, you have unlocked a final secret stretch goal! The Cave of Amber Tears will now be implemented into the Draw Steel Codex, the bespoke virtual tabletop currently in development. This won't occur until after the final PDF is finished, so probably sometime around late March next year. 

Thank you all for your flabbergasting support. I'm truly grateful and in awe of how successful this project has been. 

- Paul

Thank you for $4K! Second stretch goal smashed, and an official editor.
7 months ago – Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 08:09:48 PM

Hello all,

Thank you so much for getting the project to $4K!! That means I get to make a new ancestry - the strange "dwarves" of the wandering manifold known as the Sleeping Lands.

At the moment, I'm calling this ancestry the Argillum. Argilla means clay in Latin, and I think appropriately conveys some of what these weird lil dudes are about. 🖤🤍

Finally, I'm incredibly excited to announce that the Cave of Amber Tears has an official editor in the form of Graeme Bloodworth! Welcome to the draugr party, Graeme!

That's all. How about some more art from Justin?

Best,
- Paul


NOTE: This is for Director's eyes only.

Here's Kvasir, the Demigod of Mead and Poetry, imprisoned in the eikrót and generally not having a good time.

One Week Down, Two-ish to go!
7 months ago – Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 09:39:12 PM

Greetings all,

It's hard to believe that it has only been one week since the crowdfunder launched.

I'm overwhelmed by the incredible support the project has already received.

We smashed through the only (planned) stretch goal for the project, and now the adventure will receive beautiful, professional cartography. When I was planning the crowdfunder, I didn't think it would be possible to raise $3,000, and now we are nearly at $4,000! 😀

If we hit 4K, I'm excited to let you know that I'll include a new ancestry in the adventure - the Argillum, strange onyx and alabaster dwarves that dwell in the wandering manifold known as "Castle Dreamgrasp."

Thank you so much for your support. If you haven't already, please do share the crowdfunder with your friends! ❤️‍🔥

- Paul