The latest Dungeons & Dragons book looks back in time (and space)

Almost every Dungeons The adventure begins with the players stepping through a door. Sometimes it leads to a dragon’s cave full of treasures and dangers. Sometimes it leads to a royal court full of intrigue and deception.

In Quests from the Infinite Staircase, The latest book for Wizards of the Coast’s fifth edition focuses on a space between worlds where there are hundreds of doors, each connected by the titular staircase that allows those brave enough to venture far beyond the places they know.

The staircase is guarded by a noble spirit named Nafas. Sometimes he seeks out heroes to give him tasks, and sometimes wanderers discover his realm by chance. By completing these tasks, they can receive rewards they never imagined.

Quests from the Infinite Staircase remasters six classics Dungeons Adventures for the current edition. They can be inserted into any campaign as quirky one-shots, or form the backbone of a campaign that jumps from world to world. They also give players a chance to see some of the more unusual modules from the game’s early history.

Each adventure begins with advice for the Dungeon Master on how to tie it into his campaign. This can be through a mission from Nafas, through some lightly provided storylines, or as part of an established D&D world. The opening section also mentions when players can level up during the dungeon, with each adventure generally long enough to get players through two or three levels.

Other compilations of this style, such as Stories from the gaping portal or Ghosts of the Salt Marshfocused on adventures that offered a classic experience full of exploration and combat. The adventures collected in this book have some unusual features. In many of them, several factions live in the dungeon, giving players the opportunity to find allies to help them and rivals to challenge as they work on the plot.

Highlights of the endless staircase

Each of the included adventures contains a short text about its historical significance and why the D&D The team decided to update it. They are all worthy of this honor, but I found three standouts in the collection that I really liked. I look forward to adding them to my next campaign.

Pharaoh has swapped the usual damp dungeon for a dusty tomb filled with mummies and other elements from antiquity. It also includes the Labyrinth of Mists, one of the trickiest dungeon segments in the history of D&D. Although this book does not contain the other two adventures in the Desert of Desolaton trilogy, Dungeon Masters who enjoy this story should look for the other two parts. Oasis of the White Palm And The Lost Tomb of Martek for a trilogy inspired by ancient Egypt.

Most dungeon adventures are based on adventure stories by authors such as Tolkien and Howard. Beyond the Crystal Cave cites William Shakespeare as inspiration with ill-fated lovers escaping to the fairy world. It’s also an adventure that focuses on investigation and diplomacy, which is always great to see in an official Fifth Edition product.

The grand finale of the collection is Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. This story brings some science fiction to the Dungeon Master’s fantasy world as players explore a crashed spaceship and try to outsmart the damaged computer that controls it. It’s a great way to wrap up a campaign, send them into space, or just put sufficiently advanced technology that’s indistinguishable from magic in the hands of players.

Quests from the Infinite Staircase will be published digitally and in print on July 16, 2024.