Quests from the Infinite Staircase: DnD Anthology (Deep Dive)
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New book coming in 2024 will feature updated versions of some of DnD’s most beloved adventures
Over the past few years, Wizards of the Coast has released a number of solid DnD anthologies, each of which features short adventure that can be played in a single session or joined together to form a larger campaign narrative. This approach has worked amazingly well in titles like Journey Through the Radiant Citadel, Candlekeep Mysteries and the more recent Keys to the Golden Vault.
Now, a new anthology is coming out in 2024 entitled Quests from the Infinite Staircase. Announced in December 2023 at the PAX Unplugged “50 Years of D&D Adventures” panel, the book will be similar to Tales from the Yawning Portal in that it features six updated versions of classic DnD adventures from past editions. The book will be officially released on July 16th, 2024 and is available for pre-order now from D&D Beyond and Amazon.
So just where will this new staircase lead us to? Below we break down everything we know so far.
What is Quests from the Infinite Staircase about?
Quests from the Infinite Staircase is an anthology that collects six classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures that are updated for the game’s fifth edition. These adventures are designed for characters from Levels 1 to 13 and can be run separately or as part of a complete campaign. They include:
The Lost City: Originally published in 1982 as Module B4, The Lost City was written longtime TSR designer Tom Moldvay. The adventure is designed for 1st to 3rd-level characters and is really focused on new Dungeon Masters, with players exploring the upper floors of an ancient ziggurat located in the depths of a mysterious desert.
When a Star Falls: First published in 1984 as Module UK4, this adventure was written by British RPG designer Graeme Morris. Designed for 4th to 5th level characters, players must recover a fallen star before rival factions are able to get their hands on it, while also dealing with an ancient Tower and a dark prophecy.
Beyond the Crystal Cave: Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this adventure was published in 1983 as Module UK1 and was the first in series of adventures produced by TSR UK. Designed for 6th level characters, players must venture into the forbidden Cave of Echoes to find two star-crossed lovers.
Pharaoh: Released back in 1982 as Module I3, this classic adventure is the first in the popular Desert of Desolation trilogy, which was created by Tracy and Laura Hickman (who would go on to create Ravenloft and Dragonlance). Designed for 7th to 8th-level characters, the adventure finds the players plundering the depths of an ancient pharaoh’s tomb in an Egyptian-themed fantasy kingdom.
The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth: First published in 1976 as Module S4, this adventure was written by Gary Gygax for use in tournament convention play. Designed for 9th to 10th level characters, players explore a series of caverns, including the lair of Witch Queen Iggwilv, (better known to contemporary players as Tasha). Notably, the upcoming 5e adventure Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is based on this original module.
Expedition to the Barrier Peaks: Written by Gary Gygax in 1980 as Module S3, this remains one of the most iconic old school DnD adventures of all time. Designed for Level 11 to 13 characters, it combines classic fantasy elements with some out-of-this-world science fiction technology. It also marks the first appearance of the froghemoth.
Quests from the Infinite Staircase also introduces a new powerful, cosmic character, the noble genie Nafas who hears wishes made throughout the multiverse and recruits heroes to fulfill them (notably Nafas is featured in the concept art Wizards of the Coast unveiled at PAX Unplugged). This new character has never appeared before in the DnD canon and will provide the thematic link between the book’s adventures.
The book will also include 3 new magic items and 6 futuristic technological devices (the latter of which are all taken from the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks adventure).
Additionally, Quest from the Infinite Staircase will feature over 30 new monsters and NPCs, all of which will be given new statblocks that are fully compatible with DnD 5e (including the upcoming 2024 Core Books).
What is the Infinite Staircase?
The Infinite Staircase is not new to DnD and in fact has been mentioned in previous game materials, including most recently in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Essentially, it is a powerful cosmic structure that allows gods and other powerful beings to navigate through the multiverse.
Within DnD lore, it’s also noted that there are an infinite number of interconnected stairways scattered across the planes of existence. For beings who are powerful enough to access these portal, they often an appear in a variety of different ways, including as a simple spiral wooden spiral staircase, a marble ladder, an amber pathway, a pearl-studded road and other more bizarre forms.
Notably, the Infinite Staircase has featured prominently over the years in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, where it has been used by various deities and been directly involved in a number of events which have impacted the world of Toril.
What is Tales from the Infinite Staircase?
In 1998, Wizards of the Coast released a product for AD&D 2nd edition with a similar name entitled Tales from the Infinite Staircase. Like the upcoming Quests from the Infinite Staircase, this particular product was an anthology of eight separate but thematically linked adventures that took players across the planes of existence. At that time, it was really meant to be a crossover product linking the Forgotten Realms to the relatively new Planescape campaign setting.
While the adventures could be played in any order, one recurring focus was on defeating powerful force known as “the Iron Shadow,” which had been smothering creative energy across the multiverse.
The book was written by longtime DnD game designer Monte Cook and was generally well received among critics and players during its release. It’s not clear if any of the material that existed in that particular anthology will make into the new Quests from the Infinite Staircase adventures.
When is Quests from the Infinite Staircase coming out?
Currently, the official release date for Quests for the Infinite Staircase is July 16th, 2024. As with other Wizards of the Coast products, however, you will be able to pre-order the digital and physical bundle via D&D Beyond, which means you’ll be able to access the digital version of the book on July 2nd, 2024.
How much is Quests from the Infinite Staircase?
Wizards of the Coast has recently increased the price of their DnD 5e books, so the print version will retail for $59.95 USD (which is a comparable MSRP to to recent publications). The print and digital bundle will retail for $69.95 USD on D&D Beyond (with a discount for pre-orders).
Notably, you can also purchase the digital only version for $29.99 USD via D&D Beyond.
Are there alternate covers and a collector’s edition?
Given what we’ve seen with other recent D&D products it’s almost certain that we’ll see alternate covers of Quests from the Infinite Staircase. It’s also possible that we may see deluxe covers being created by third-party publishers like Beadle & Grimm’s (which has published collectors editions for various Wizards of the Coast products in the past).
What other tie-in products will be available?
It’s possible we may see additional tie-in products before and after the book’s launch. This could include new WizKid minis, additional promotional adventures and tie-in source materials and artwork.
Wizards of the Coast has also actively been promoting their new Maps VTT via D&D Beyond, so it’s likely that maps, NPCs and encounters from the book will be made available in the online platform.
Final Thoughts
Wizards of the Coast has done a fantastic job with recent adventure anthologies, and their work on books like Tales of the Yawning Portal and Ghosts of Saltmarsh proves that they’re more than capable of porting over classic DnD modules to the modern 5e rules set. As such, we’re expecting big things from Quests from the Infinite Staircase when it finally hits in 2024. In the meantime, you can pre-order now from D&D Beyond and Amazon.
Below is a video from the official DnD YouTube channel that discusses the book in more detail.
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Ollie Delano is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 10 years and currently plays in a weekly game group where he rolls way too many natural 1s and chugs way too much Mountain Dew. His favorite D&D campaign setting is Eberron and his favorite character to play was a Tiefling rogue named Draxiss who enjoys both literal and figurative backstabbing.
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