The adventures in the next Dungeons and Dragons anthology, quests from the Infinite Staircase, are tied together by one “cool, campaign-ending” character. Managing game designer Justice Ramin Arman introduced us to the noble genie Nafas at a Wizards of the Coast press event on June 26.
Releasing worldwide on July 16, Quests from the Infinite Staircase is next up on this year’s DnD release schedule. Rather than tweaking DnD classes and DnD races (like the new Player’s Handbook releasing in September), this book is a collection of standalone adventures. Arman says that each takes around three to four sessions to complete.
If you prefer DnD books that focus on campaigns over one shots, you can link these adventures together with the title’s tie-in setting – The Infinite Staircase. “It is this extradimensional staircase that winds on an infinite expanse”, explains Arman. “It has all these doors that lead to every plane, every world, and places that are hard to get to otherwise.”
New character Nafas is intrinsically tied to the Infinite Staircase, and any adventures that take place there are likely to feature him. You’ll first encounter Nafas on the cover of Quests from the Infinite Staircase. “Nafas is this book’s poster child and primary quest giver”, Arman explains.
Nafas can often be found in The Sensor of Dreams, his palace home on the Infinite Staircase. Arman gives more detail on how he came to live in such a place: “He was created by these planar winds that flowed in through the staircase’s infinite doors. At one point, long long ago, all these doors opened at once, and the air coalesced into this noble genie.”
Stat-wise, Nafas is a CR23 elemental. Arman hints that he also has a few secrets up his sleeve: “he has something very unique in his stat block that I have not seen in a creature up-to-date”. “He can be a very cool, campaign-ending force because of it”, he adds. “You don’t want to get on his bad side – he might say ‘I wish you never came here’ and you’ll find yourself in a tavern miles from the Infinite Staircase.”
Despite his power, Nafas is more likely to be kind than kill you. Heck, he might even agree to be a DnD Warlock Patron. “He’s a gifted storyteller, a great host, and if you visit the palace of a noble genie you’re likely to find good food”, Arman says.
Nafas can also “hear the wishes of creatures spoken across the multiverse”. And, presumably because he’s a pretty decent guy, he wants to help make them happen.
“Due to the circumstances of his creation, Nafas can’t leave the staircase”, Arman says. “He’s a distant observer who wants to intervene but has these rules that prevent him from doing so.” That’s where you come in, eager adventurer.
Granting wishes is a genie standard, but that doesn’t mean Nafas is a stereotype. Nafas (which means ‘breath’ in Persian, by the way) has “a flowing mane of hair” rather than a turban, as well as “an awesome mustache”. He has legs, and he can’t be trapped in a lamp – or any other iron flask, for that matter. “People who come with a preconceived notion of a genie are going to get a rude awakening with this character”, Arman adds.
Quests from the Infinite Staircase may release in mid-July, but players who pre-order it on D&DBeyond or shop in local game stores can get a copy early. This early access release date is July 9.
You can learn more about Quests from the Infinite Staircase in our early preview. For more info on upcoming D&D releases, here’s everything we know about the new One DnD rulebooks. Or, if you want more anthology adventures, check out our Journeys through the Radiant Citadel review.
