Summary
The newDungeons & DragonsanthologyQuests from the Infinite Staircasepresents a greatest hits reel of updated classic adventures, but some of them are more likely to prove truly memorable in a campaign than others. Following in the tradition of books likeTales from the Yawning PortalandGhosts of Saltmarsh,Quests from the Infinite Staircasearranges six adventures that can carry a party from level 1 to 13 when played in sequence. They can also be inserted into other campaigns or played standalone, giving the compilation more flexibility than standard campaign books.
Quests from the Infinite Staircase’s adventures pull from a variety of sources, from the UK branch of 80sDnDpublisher TSR to the mind ofDnDcreator Gary Gygax himself. Consequently, there’s a lot of diversity in how each one plays out, with everything from classic dungeon crawls toexperiences focused on roleplay. Any of the quests could be a good fight for the right party, and even the least standout options still have the potential to be a lot of fun.
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6The Lost Caverns Of Tsojcanth Is A Solid Classic
The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanthis a classic from the pen ofDnDcreator Gary Gygax, and it’s got all the necessary elements for a good old-school time in place. A fun dungeon crawl is packed with interesting and often iconic enemies, from basilisks to fire giants to dragons, and it ties into some story elements involving the iconic spellcaster Iggwilv. Her daughter Drelzna ultimately shows up in the adventure, making for a potentially memorable final encounter and some excellent loot.
Iggwilv is most commonly presented asTasha in modernDungeons & Dragons, focusing on a time before her transformation into a powerful evil figure.
An abbreviated version of this module recently made its return as the tournament-style adventureDescent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, which highlighted some of its encounter strengths while leaving out a lot of details. Even in its expanded form, however,The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanthdoesn’t end up being a standout inQuests from the Infinite Staircase.
Fans of mostly straightforward dungeon crawls can definitely get plenty of fun out of the module, but even for groups that adore the old-school style, it doesn’t offer the most interesting dungeon in the new collection. It’s a classic for a reason, but a lot of that has to do with how many new creatures it introduced when first written and the fact that it’s just a rock-solid experience. As far as the Gygax inclusions go, the other one that makes theQuests from the Infinite Staircasecut definitely feels more innovative today.
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5Beyond The Crystal Cave Focuses On Roleplay
On the opposite end of the spectrum,Beyond the Crystal Caveis an obvious choice forDnDparties more interested in roleplay than combat. A product of TSR’s UK division, which was often more story-oriented,Beyond the Crystal Cavetells a classic Romeo and Juliet story within a Fey setting. Unique creatures abound in this particular adventure, but encounters with them are better resolved with words than with swords.
The setting ofBeyond the Crystal Caveis probably its biggest selling point, and the Feywild’s Eternal Garden is full of both beauty and weirdness. The classic Romeo and Juliet trappings don’t make for the most interesting core plot, however, and anyone who isn’t principally interested in interacting with the creatures of the garden might not have all that much to latch onto. It’s a cool adventure for anyone trying to dodge combat altogether, but when it comes to balanced experiences, a lot of groups might prefer to look elsewhere.
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4Pharaoh Is An Inventive Dungeon Crawl
Pharaohis noteworthy as the first officially publishedDnDadventure by Tracy and Laura Hickman, who made waves shortly after with the iconicRavenloftmodule. The Hickmans stood out at the time thanks to their emphasis on strong storytelling, and although Pharaoh may not be as fully developed in that regard asRavenloft, it’s still a strong start that shows that they were always standouts in the field.
Unsurprisingly,Pharaohdeals with a classic cursed tomb in a pyramid, which the party must successfully navigate to allow the long dead Amun Sa to pass on properly to the afterlife. There’s not necessarily a singular hook that makesPharaohgreat, butthe dungeon is consistently interesting, making use of plenty of clever trapsin addition to the combatant threats within. It also has some vivid set pieces, like a reed boat that floats 10,000 feet above the ground and houses a treasure critical to the party’s success.
3The Lost City Has A Great Atmosphere
Quests from the Infinite Staircasehas a strong opening withThe Lost City, an adventure for1st-levelDnDcharactersthat finds some neat ways to make its dungeon interesting. The remaining descendants of a fallen kingdom have formed strange cultures and factions inside a ziggurat. Right out of the gate,this adventure has a rich atmosphere that makes it undeniably compelling, and that strength only grows as the crawl progresses.
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The Lost Cityfeatures three different factions to interact with — the Guardians of Gorm, Mages of Usamigaras, and Warriors of Madarua. Each of these parties has its own interests and values, and choosing who to entreat with and where to draw alliances can makeThe Lost Cityplay out very differently each time. Everything has a wonderfully pulpy feel, and it’s easy to see how players can get sucked into its strange world.
The original version ofThe Lost Cityencouraged dungeon masters to continue the adventure with a loosely sketched out framework for expansion, an interesting gimmick that made it something of a teaching tool.Quests from the Infinite Staircaserevises this to offer a more discrete add-on option, which makes it feel like a more complete adventure at the cost of what was undeniably a neat concept.The additional portion offers even more loot than the basic adventure, which is already filled to the brim with exciting magic items for low-level players.
2When A Star Falls Has Everything An Adventure Needs
When a Star Fallsis another adventure courtesy of TSR’s UK branch, but it’s one that’s more likely to appeal to just about everyDnDparty thanBeyond The Crystal Caveis.It might bear the most resemblance to modern adventures of anything in the book, balancing roleplay, exploration, and action in a generally irresistible package.
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It shouldn’t take long to pique a party’s interest inWhen a Star Falls, which starts with an attack from a unique enemy called a memory web that’s capable of flooding the party with expository visions. Immediately after, a falling star streaks across the sky, proving that the time for the story’s climactic events is nigh. The adventure doesn’t have any trouble keeping up this kind of momentum, but it also has space for charming interactions like giant beavers and a variety of memorable hostel visitors.
The best part ofWhen a Star Fallsis how it threads together its various pieces, assembling a story with complex options for progression out of pieces that might initially seem disparate. The module includes a healthy dose of options for how various encounters might play out, making it easy to give the party’s decisions some weight. The final challenge that characters can encounter is a young red dragon, making for a classicDnDconfrontation to cap off an adventure that still feels inventive today.
1Expedition To The Barrier Peaks Is Like Nothing Else
The finalDnDadventure inQuests from the Infinite Staircase,Expedition to the Barrier Peaksstands out way more than Gary Gygax’s other included effort.This one diverges significantly from the standard fantasy flair ofDnD, bringing sci-fi into the mixin a way that was unlike anything else the game had seen in 1980. Although the tabletop RPG scene has way more options for sci-fi adventures today,Expedition to the Barrier Peaksremains a cool way to inject that twist into a typicalDnDcampaign.
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In a lot of ways,Expedition to the Barrier Peaksis fairly quaint sci-fi today, and even the new narrative emphasis with a supercomputer called Aphelion 3000 is very2001: A Space Odyssey.Even so, that sensibility can be a major part of its charm, and the added possibilities for interactions with the supercomputer definitely have the potential to add a lot of fun. Taking physical training lessons from robots is memorably endearing, as is a visit to a cinema playing a low-budget sci-fi movie with mind flayers lurking nearby.
As an adventure for 11th- to 13th-level characters,Expedition from the Barrier Peaksoffers the ultimate challenge in the new anthology, and showdowns with foes like a froghemoth elder can be climactic. The revised version cleans up the layout to be a bit more focused, although dungeon masters can always add or improvize as they please. Anyone playing throughQuests from the Infinite Staircaseshould definitely try to see it through to the end for the sake ofExpedition from the Barrier Peaks, which offers aDungeons & Dragonsexperience like no other.
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
