D&D Quests from the Infinite Staircase: Release date, adventures, more

The next Dungeons & Dragons book is Quests from the Infinite Staircase, the final adventure for Fifth Edition ahead of a major rules revision. Here’s what to know about this anthology’s adventures and when you’ll be able to get your hands on it.

Like Candlekeep Mysteries and Keys from the Golden Vault before it, Quests from the Infinite Staircase is a collection of shorter adventures rather than one long campaign like Curse of Strahd or this year’s Vecna: Eve of Ruin.

What sets this book apart, though, are the adventures themselves: All six are classic adventures from D&D history that have been remastered for 5e. This even includes modules written by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, making it a perfect fit for the game’s 50th anniversary year.

When does Quests from the Infinite Staircase release?

Quests from the Infinite Staircase releases on July 16, 2024. Like other recent D&D books, it will be available early starting on July 9 for those who preorder it on D&D Beyond or from local game stores.

Early access for this book is a bit shorter than the usual two weeks. Wizards has confirmed this is due to the Fourth of July holiday in the US.

This makes Quests from the Infinite Staircase the final 5e book before the new Core Rulebooks begin releasing in September 2024.

What is the Infinite Staircase?

Wizards of the Coast

The idea of the Infinite Staircase has been around since Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition, where it’s part of the Planescape campaign setting.

As the name suggests, it is an extradimensional staircase that winds on and on forever. It’s full of doors leading to different dimensions, providing a great way to explore the multiverse.

This makes it a useful tool for Dungeon Masters hoping to incorporate the book’s adventures into an existing campaign. Instead of requiring a high-level spell or powerful ally, players simply need to come across the right door to gain access to the Infinite Staircase.

Wizards of the Coast

The Infinite Staircase is also home to Nafas, a noble genie created from the planar winds that blow in whenever someone opens Staircase’s doors.

Nafas is a benevolent observer whose connection to the multiverse allows him to hear wishes. However, he’s unable to actually leave the Staircase, which means he must rely on adventurers to grant wishes for him.

The designers have compared Nafas to Marvel’s The Watcher, who fans may recognize from the What If…? series.

What to know about each adventure

As mentioned, Quests from the Infinite Staircase’s adventures come from past editions of Dungeons & Dragons. All were originally published by TSR, the game publishing company founded by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye.

These adventures have been remastered for this collection, with the designers adjusting things like encounters to fit 5e’s rules while keeping the bulk of the module intact.

The Lost City

Wizards of the Coast

The original The Lost City module was written by Tom Moldvay and published in 1982. It takes place in a ruined city populated by Cynidiceans, remnants of a lost civilization who have split into factions. Each faction wears masks and worships an ancient god, hoping to restore Cynidicea to its former glory.

There are three main factions that players can actually join, gaining rewards for doing so. In the original, these factions were divided by gender, a restriction that has been lifted for this version. It’s also now easier to join, with the rules surrounding it being clearer.

As for the adventure itself, The Lost City is a huge dungeon crawl that starts with the players getting trapped in a ziggurat and having to find their way out. The remaster also expands the role of a cult worshipping Zargon, a monster responsible for the fall of Cynidicea.

The Lost City takes players from levels 1 through 4.

When a Star Falls

Another First Edition adventure, When a Star Falls was written by Graeme Morris and published in 1984. It’s one of the first D&D adventures to come from a UK-based designer, which the modern developers note may have influenced the module’s focus on narrative over gameplay, which the US TSR team usually favored.

In it, the party is tasked with retrieving a fallen star to prevent its power from falling into the wrong hands. This quest takes players to a subterranean world that includes zombies, a living web that feeds on memories and releases them when it dies, and a dragon.

When a Star Falls takes players from levels 4 through 6.

Beyond the Crystal Cave

Wizards of the Coast

Beyond the Crystal Cave is originally a 1983 adventure by British designers Dave J. Browne, Tom Kirby, and Graeme Morris. It takes heavy inspiration from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, following two young lovers who run away from their disapproving parents.

Notably, a good portion of this adventure can be completed without combat, making it perfect for those parties that prefer to take the diplomatic route.

Another major change from the original is that Beyond the Crystal Cave now takes place in the Feywild, which didn’t exist when the module was written. That means players should expect to come across many Fey creatures such as prank-loving leprechauns and philosophical unicorns.

Beyond the Crystal Cave takes players from level 6 to 7.

Pharaoh

Wizards of the Coast

This is one of the first adventures by Tracy and Laura Hickman, a husband and wife duo who published Pharaoh on their own before joining TSR, who republished the adventure in 1982. The Hickmans would go on to create the popular Ravenloft and Dragonlance campaign settings.

In this adventure, the players are besieged by a long-dead Pharaoh, who instructs them to enter their tomb to find a staff and a star gem. These items have the power to break two different curses – one on the land and the other on the Pharoah’s soul.

In addition to making the dungeon even deadlier, the remastered Pharoah has also been subjected to Wizards of the Coast’s inclusion and sensitivity review process to ensure the content meets modern standards. The designers contacted someone who specializes in ancient Egypt and removed some elements that could be considered culturally insensitive.

Pharoah takes players from levels 7 through 9.

The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

Wizards of the Coast

The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is a 1982 adventure written by Gary Gygax himself. It’s related to Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, an abridged version that was released earlier this year as a tournament adventure.

In it, players are sent out to investigate a rumored lost treasure, which many adventurers have died trying to find. Players will have to venture into the wilderness to find the Lost Caverns, eventually reaching the Lesser and Greater Caverns.

Players will also meet Drelnza, daughter of the famous archmage Tasha, who players may recognize from the books Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Vecna: Eve of Ruin.

The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth takes players from levels 9 through 11.

Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks

Wizards of the Coast

Last but not least is Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks, written by Gary Gygax and published in 1980.

What immediately sets this adventure apart is its sci-fi theming. In Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks, players go to a crashed spaceship that’s full of androids, various types of robots, and laser guns.

While there are some minor changes here, the designers say they really wanted to maintain the retrofuturistic aesthetic of the original, which is especially clear from the designs of the combat and worker robots, as well as the silly but deadly nature of the adventure.

Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks takes players from levels 11 through 13.

That’s everything to know about Quests from the Infinite Staircase! Check out the rest of our D&D coverage, including this guide on every subclass in the Player’s Handbook (2024) and what D&D head of art Josh Herman says fans can expect from the Monster Manual (2025).