Contents
- 1Introduction: Ascend to Adventure
- 2Chapter 1: The Infinite Staircase
- 3Chapter 2: The Lost City
- 4Chapter 3: When a Star Falls
- 5Chapter 4: Beyond the Crystal Cave
- 6Chapter 5: Pharaoh
- 7Chapter 6: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
- 8Chapter 7: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
- 9Appendix A: Magic Items and Technology
- 10Appendix B: Creatures
- 11Credits
Chapter 1: The Infinite Staircase
The Infinite Staircase ushers travelers to the destinations of their dreams. The impossible staircase winds in a surreal demiplane, ascending to every world, every plane of existence, and the adventure locations found among them. Though stories abound along its many steps, the staircase is the journey, not the destination—an extraordinary means of traversing the multiverse.
This chapter expands on what's written about the Infinite Staircase in the Dungeon Master's Guide and provides tools for using it to convey creatures from one fantastical location to the next.
[image: While traversing the Infinite Staircase, two adventurers happen on the Censer of Dreams, a noble genie's palace]
Staircase Features
The following sections describe features of the Infinite Staircase that are likely to come into play.
Day and Night
The staircase doesn't experience day or night, existing in a perpetual state of twilight. Distant doors, twinkling like stars, provide dim light to the dreamlike realm, as does the staircase itself, which gives off an ambient glow in some stretches.
Doors and Landings
Endless doors along the staircase connect it to destinations throughout the multiverse. These doors function as planar portals (see the Dungeon Master's Guide) and are typically closed, though most are unlocked and don't require portal keys to enter.
Each door on the staircase occupies a landing with at least two staircases connected to it, leading to and from other landings and their respective doors. The doors and their landings are altered by planar magic, taking on characteristics of their destinations. Red light seeps from the seams of a gloomy, jet-black door to the Shadowfell set into a gothic archway; gargoyles perch on its landing, exuding roiling mist from their open mouths. A slippery ramp of deep-blue ice ascends to a frozen portal to the Para-elemental Plane of Ice, while a clammy bridge of basket fungus weaves toward a cavernous door to the Underdark.
Landings are frequent along the staircase but vary in distance from one another. Every landing contains at least one door. Travel between landings can take minutes, hours, or days.
Gravity
On the Infinite Staircase, gravity is a logical force—until it isn't. The direction of its effect is perpendicular to the steps of the nearest staircase. Staircases twist, bend, and invert, occasionally allowing travelers on separate branches to look up at each other or leap from one part of the staircase to another.
A creature that falls off the staircase plummets 1d10 × 50 feet before crashing on the lower steps or the nearest landing below; it takes damage from the fall and lands with the prone condition as normal.
An object dropped on the staircase behaves predictably at first, falling down the steps until it comes to a halt or goes over the edge, at which point it continues "downward" until it collides with the next closest section of the staircase, and so on. Precious items lost in this way sometimes appear on the nearest landing, mysteriously returned to their owners.
Indestructible
The Infinite Staircase is immune to all damage and can't have its form changed by spells like Passwall or similar magic. No one knows who or what built the staircase—or continues to add to it. Its masons are never seen but often heard, their hammers ringing in the distance like rolling thunder.
Movement on the Staircase
The staircase includes a multitude of inclines, not just stairs. Ramps, hovering platforms, and clockwork conveyor belts can all be found along its endless construction.
A traveler can also move along the Infinite Staircase simply by thinking about moving, causing the incline to propel them toward their destination. Steps might roll beneath them like a magical escalator or flatten under them to create a ramp. The walking speed (in feet) of a creature that chooses to move in this way is equal to 10 times its Charisma modifier (minimum speed of 10).
Weather
The Infinite Staircase doesn't have seasons. Its ambient temperature remains constant, comparable to a cool autumn evening with a gentle breeze and breathable air. Storms and extreme weather effects, except those caused by the staircase's denizens and their lairs, are virtually nonexistent.
The Iron Shadow
The portals of the Infinite Staircase often lead to places that exhibit a penchant for creativity—sites where art, invention, philosophy, and magic flourish. Wherever there's a story to be told, the staircase might be found. As creativity wanes in these places, their doors and destinations change, and their landings on the staircase vanish over time. However, one force plays a more active role in their destruction: the Iron Shadow.
The Iron Shadow is a creeping malady that feeds on creativity in all its forms. A rootless, rolling cloud of gloom exhaled by the Shadowfell, the Iron Shadow darkens the doors of the staircase, sapping inspiration, novelty, and motivation from the planes and their inhabitants. It snuffs the spark of innovation and leaves its victims apathetic and dull. Wherever the shadow falls, creativity dies.
Palls of Gloom
Areas of the staircase plagued by the Iron Shadow appear cold and lifeless and are shrouded in palls of magical gloom. A creature that enters the gloom for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain 1 level of exhaustion. If this effect increases a creature's level of exhaustion above 5, the creature becomes a shadow under the Iron Shadow's control. Nothing short of a Wish spell or divine intervention can reverse this transformation.
If an area of bright light created by a spell of 3rd level or higher overlaps with an area of gloom, that gloom disappears for 1 hour. Only a Wish spell can permanently expunge a patch of the Iron Shadow from the staircase.
Umbral Manifestations
Aspects of the Iron Shadow occasionally take on physical forms, manifesting as memory webs, wraiths, or shadow dragons.
Traversing the Staircase
No spell or magic item is required to access the Infinite Staircase, nor do its travelers have to contend with enigmatic rulers who dictate when its doors may open or who may pass through them. Unlike the city of Sigil, the crossroads of the multiverse, gods are free to enter and leave the Infinite Staircase as they please, though many reject it in favor of more direct methods of planar travel. The staircase is neutral ground accessible to all who can find and traverse it.
The act of traversing the staircase isn't any more tiring than walking, and creatures can't become exhausted by traveling along it.
Finding the Staircase
Entrances to the Infinite Staircase usually appear as nondescript doors in dusty, forlorn places that don't get many visitors—or wherever is most convenient for adventure. On any given plane, multiple doors to the Infinite Staircase can exist, but known entrances are closely guarded secrets occasionally protected by devas, sphinxes, yugoloths, and other powerful creatures. Likewise, these creatures sometimes stand watch on the staircase's landings, barring nefarious or unworthy travelers from passing through doorways to sensitive realms.
The Infinite Staircase Entrances table presents several places where an entrance to the Infinite Staircase might exist.
Infinite Staircase Entrances
| d10 | Entrance |
|---|---|
| 1 | Curtain of a long-forgotten stage |
| 2 | Deepest door of an infamous lich's tomb |
| 3 | Door to a giant's outhouse |
| 4 | Fleshy aperture in a mind flayer's laboratory |
| 5 | Grandfather clock in an inventor's workshop |
| 6 | Locked wardrobe in a noble's mansion |
| 7 | Magical painting in the gallery of an esteemed artist |
| 8 | Permeable, sapient mirror in a wizard's tower |
| 9 | Private room in a famous tavern |
| 10 | Tree hollow in an enchanted forest |
Gates of the Moon
One fabled entrance to the staircase rests within the Gates of the Moon—a circular chamber within the shimmering palace Argentil, divine realm of the moon goddess Selûne on the plane of Ysgard. A spiral of silver steps, bathed in moonlight and entwined in dangling ivy, rises from the selenic hall, which some believe to be the base of the Infinite Staircase. Celestials, followers of Selûne, and lovers of the arts abound near the Gates of the Moon, which they regard as a sacred site.
Locating Doors
Traveling to another plane requires locating a door that corresponds to the desired destination. There's no reason to the doors' arrangement, but creatures on the staircase longing for a specific destination feel the tug of its magic pulling them toward where they want to go. Finding the right door is a matter of exploration and time: locating the correct one takes 4d12 hours of travel. If a creature has visited the door before, this time is halved.
Doors along the staircase can lead anywhere. The Infinite Staircase Doors table provides a sampling of doors and destinations that characters might discover while exploring the Infinite Staircase.
Infinite Staircase Doors
| d100 | Door on the Staircase | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| 01–03 | Webbed mouth of a pitch-black cavern | Cave in the Demonweb Pits, a spidery layer of the Abyss |
| 04–06 | Rusty metal hatch forged from dulled weapons | Interior of a war machine in Acheron, a plane of infinite battle |
| 07–09 | Trellis covered with vibrant, untamed foliage | Ancient grove on the plane of Arborea |
| 10–12 | Freshly painted barn door | Bucolic homestead on the plane of Arcadia |
| 13–15 | Tent flap made of animal hides | Upset stomach of an herbivorous behemoth in the Beastlands |
| 16–18 | Meticulously carved half doors in two colors | Bustling gnomish factory on the plane of Bytopia |
| 19–21 | Barred jail cell door that locks when closed | Unforgiving prison in the depths of Carceri |
| 22–24 | Cascading waterfall that hums with song | Picturesque grotto on the plane of Elysium |
| 25–27 | Knobless door fitted with a sliding peephole | Seedy, yugoloth-owned tavern on the plane of Gehenna |
| 28–30 | Gray, unassuming door on a colorless landing | Crumbling temple to a forgotten god on the joyless plane of Hades |
| 31–33 | Oblong door that changes material at random | Adamantine githzerai fortress on the chaotic plane of Limbo |
| 34–36 | Ticking portal formed from hundreds of gears | Dusty archives in Mechanus, a plane of absolute law and order |
| 37–39 | Stained-glass door on a landing of pure light | Gleaming temple at the foot of Mount Celestia |
| 40–42 | Obsidian gate with magma-spewing gargoyles | Infernal courthouse in the Nine Hells of Baator |
| 43–45 | Airtight door that screams when it's opened | Derelict windmill wracked by the howling gales of Pandemonium |
| 46–48 | Stone double doors sized for a giant | Forge of a fire giant blacksmith on the rugged plane of Ysgard |
| 49–58 | Sparkling door within a gemstone arch | The Radiant Citadel, a refuge on the Ethereal Plane |
| 59–63 | Silvery threshold etched with stars | Eye socket of a dead god drifting through the Astral Plane |
| 64–68 | Ornate, upright coffin that expels a hostile swarm of bats when opened | Empty crypt in the bowels of Castle Ravenloft, a fortress in the Shadowfell ruled by the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich |
| 69–71 | Dressed marble door featuring a cameo of a crowned lion mounted above its arch | Palace of Heart's Desire, seat of the archfey Zybilna in the Feywild domain of Prismeer |
| 72–74 | Rotating bookshelf that reveals a hidden portal | Broom closet in a tower in Candlekeep, a fortress of tomes on Toril |
| 75–77 | Gilded door marked with a family crest | Floating spire in Sharn, City of Towers, on the world of Eberron |
| 78–80 | Portcullis gate covered with thorny black roses | Dargaard Keep, cursed castle of the death knight Soth on Krynn |
| 81–83 | Circular door curtained with razorvine | The Ubiquitous Wayfarer, a many-portaled tavern in the city of Sigil |
| 84–86 | Drafty portal at the top of a cloudy staircase | Court of a cloud giant duke on the Elemental Plane of Air |
| 87–90 | Rough-hewn tunnel with a mining cart outside | Excavation site on the Elemental Plane of Earth |
| 91–94 | Blisteringly hot brass door | Efreeti-run shop in the City of Brass on the Elemental Plane of Fire |
| 95–98 | Fossilized shark jaws preceded by coral steps | Hut on the back of a dragon turtle on the Elemental Plane of Water |
| 99–00 | Curtain of slime framed by writhing tentacles | Puddle of brine within the folds of a giant brain in the Far Realm |
[image: A cadre of marching modrons encounters a section of the Infinite Staircase engulfed by the Iron Shadow]
Infinite Staircase Encounters
The Infinite Staircase Encounters table presents random encounters and interactions adventurers might have while traversing the Infinite Staircase.
Infinite Staircase Encounters
| d100 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–07 | An empyrean ascends the staircase to a goodly realm. Flowers sprout from the steps behind it as it walks. The empyrean waves politely at the party. |
| 08–14 | A section of the staircase ahead is covered in shadowy webbing. The hazard is the Iron Shadow manifesting as a memory web. |
| 15–21 | Three aarakocra return to the Censer of Dreams (detailed later in x) from a faraway plane. The friendly avian travelers invite the characters to accompany them back to the palace. |
| 22–28 | Melvin Manyroads (chaotic good, gnome mage), a planar cartographer, stops to ask the characters if they've seen a particular door on the staircase. |
| 29–35 | 1d4 + 1 bearded devils look for a door that leads behind enemy lines of the Blood War, the eternal conflict between demons and devils. |
| 36–42 | A stubborn dwarf commoner bumps into the characters. He's been wandering the staircase for decades but won't admit he's lost. |
| 43–49 | A masked deva loyal to Selûne offers to guide the characters to a door of their choosing. The angel plays melodies on its harp during the journey. |
| 50–56 | An aspect of the Iron Shadow, a young red shadow dragon, rises from a staircase shrouded in dusk to confront the characters. |
| 57–63 | Inky tendrils writhe from a fleshy door to the Far Realm. Two githyanki warriors struggle to hold the door shut. They call out to the party for aid. |
| 64–70 | A lost unit of the Great Modron March consisting of 1d8 duodrones and 1d6 tridrones proceeds down the staircase, cataloging its every door. |
| 71–77 | The staircase ahead disappears into a 60-foot sphere of gloom created by the Iron Shadow (see the "x" section). |
| 78–84 | A mastiff that wandered through a portal trots up to the party. It drops a stick in front of one of the characters and wags its tail eagerly. |
| 85–91 | A merrow happens on the staircase, flooding it with a deluge of water from an aquatic plane. |
| 92–98 | A nearby door to the Abyss flings open, releasing a hostile swarm of gibberlings. |
| 99–00 | A staircase of pure light materializes before one of the characters, beckoning them to the destination of their heart's desire. If the path is refused, it vanishes and never appears to them again. |
Nafas
Once there was everything, and once there was nothing but air. Then came a breath—a collective sigh exhaled by every plane and every world in one ephemeral gust. Multiversal winds blew into the Infinite Staircase through its doors, coalescing into Nafas (na-FASS), a noble genie infused with cosmic potential.
Nafas is detailed in the following sections and in x.
Breath of the Multiverse
Wisps of twinkling multiversal dust trail Nafas wherever he goes, evidence of the djinni's deep connection to the planes that bore him. Calm, clement, and dressed in billowing fabrics, he drifts along the staircase like a zephyr, admiring its portals and the curious creatures that emerge from them.
Nafas isn't the creator of the Infinite Staircase or its ruler. He doesn't control the staircase or its doors, and he holds no sway over their destinations or who may enter through them. The djinni is a product of the multiverse, a distant observer bound to the realm by the circumstances of his creation.
An unwritten law dictates that there must always be a noble genie to watch over the Infinite Staircase. As a result, Nafas can never leave it. Any attempt to forcibly remove him from the Infinite Staircase, whether by magical means or otherwise, fails.
Cosmic Storyteller
Nafas is a gifted storyteller and a gracious host. He regales visitors to his palace (detailed later in x) with tales of longing that could soften steel and legends of triumph that chase grief from sorrow-laden hearts. Truth threads each captivating story, woven by Nafas from the whims of creatures throughout the multiverse. Carried on the winds, their spoken desires converge in his splendid halls.
Nafas has as many years behind him as the staircase has doors. Seemingly immortal, the djinni has collected and recited countless tales. Some fables repeated throughout the planes are inspired by these true accounts—or corruptions of stories still yet to be resolved—told to travelers who crossed paths with Nafas.
Noble Genie
Nafas is a noble genie, a rare type of genie endowed with the power to reshape reality. A word uttered by Nafas can transform a pauper into a prince, return the dead to life, or bring a meteor's might crashing down on his enemies. Unlike some of his more haughty, aristocratic counterparts that rule over vast demesnes of the Elemental Planes, Nafas's noble title isn't a result of bloodline or inheritance; it's a designation bestowed on him by the multiverse.
As a noble genie, Nafas can grant wishes, a power he doesn't take lightly. The djinni reserves his wish-granting magic for those he deems worthy. When Nafas does grant a wish—the greatest gift the djinni can give—he doesn't twist the benefactor's words or maliciously interpret their intentions, but his circumstances prevent him from freely conferring such gifts to deserving recipients outside the staircase.
Moved by the whims of yearning creatures on other planes but trapped within the Infinite Staircase, Nafas relies on adventurers to fulfill the wishes of those beyond the staircase's infinite thresholds. The djinni knows every door on the staircase and its destination, along with the origin of any wish that escapes through a door's seams.
Seeking Wishes
Characters might seek out the djinni to end a lasting effect, resurrect a fallen character, or solve an unsolvable problem. The following are some obstacles that Nafas can wish away:
- Destroying or unmaking a magic item
- Learning the true name of a powerful enemy, such as an angel, an archfey, a demon, or a devil
- Restoring a creature to life
- Undoing a debilitating effect, like being transformed into a tree by a barkburr
Wishes from the Infinite Staircase
Nafas might act as a patron who hires the characters to undertake the adventures in this book. Each adventure includes a "Using the Infinite Staircase" section that frames its central plot as a wish heard by Nafas.
The djinni or one of his messengers—such as a friendly dust mephit formed of glimmering stardust—might appear to the characters along the staircase and invite them to seek rest at his palace. There, Nafas imparts the faraway plea he has heard and escorts the characters to the door where it originated. After the adventure, characters can return to the Infinite Staircase through the same door.
In exchange for fulfilling the wish of a creature beyond his reach, Nafas grants the characters a reward of their own. This reward might take the form of one or more of the following:
- Magical Gift. Nafas bestows a supernatural charm (see the Dungeon Master's Guide) on the party.
- Tale. Nafas recites a story or poem that reveals information pertinent to a higher ambition or plane-spanning quest pursued by the characters.
- Wish. Nafas grants the characters one to three castings of the Wish spell on their behalf. The djinni might require the characters to complete multiple adventures before allotting such a handsome gift.
[image: The noble genie Nafas entertains guests with a thrilling story in his palace]
Censer of Dreams
Nafas beckons weary travelers along the staircase to the Censer of Dreams, a bastion of respite in the continuous expanse. The Censer of Dreams is Nafas's lair. Regional effects for the palace are detailed in appendix B.
Created by Nafas to shelter visitors from other planes, the Censer of Dreams is a testament to the noble genie's generosity and might. Many who stumble on the Infinite Staircase glimpse the djinni's luxurious residence at some point during their journeys. A nexus held aloft by dozens of branching staircases, the palace envelops its visitors in unimaginable comforts.
The Censer of Dreams is a wonder of aeolian architecture shaped by a being of pure wind. Massive, shutterless windows line the bulbous fortress, allowing the djinni and other flying creatures to flit through its airy halls unimpeded. Hewn from smooth marble and perfumed with floral fragrances, its grand chambers hum with the pleasing tones of magical chimes hung from lofty ceilings. Windcatchers rise from the top of the structure to capture the gusts that buffet the palace and the staircases around it at all hours. Suffused with the djinni's magic, these winds batter would-be invaders, sending them over the staircase's edge.
Censer of Dreams Features
The Censer of Dreams has the following features:
- Unseen Stewards. A staff of one hundred invisible zephyrs tends to the palace and its guests. Each of these stewards functions as if created by the Unseen Servant spell; however, the zephyrs are permanent fixtures that last until destroyed, and they can move anywhere in the palace without dissipating. Only Nafas and creatures he designates can command the zephyrs. A destroyed zephyr re-forms in a random location within the palace after 1d4 days.
- Winds. Winds perpetually swirl around the Censer of Dreams and the staircases that lead to it. Creatures on the Infinite Staircase can find the palace by following the direction of the wind.
- Wishes. Fleeting voices can be heard throughout the palace, whispering the desires of creatures throughout the multiverse.
Palace Visitors
Travelers from every world are welcome within the Censer of Dreams. Nafas values all perspectives and rarely refuses entrants, believing that everyone has a story worth telling. However, troublemakers who offend the djinni or threaten the safety of other visitors are ousted from the palace.
Some genies, especially those from the Elemental Plane of Air, pilgrimage to the Censer of Dreams to hear stories from Nafas. Others hope to join his court and one day earn the title of noble genie themselves.
Noteworthy Sites
Amid an endless sea of steps, the Censer of Dreams embodies the boundless potential of a wish granted. Its opulent chambers boast heavenly gardens visited by Celestials, sprawling courtyards paved with silver bricks, and the secret desires of the multiverse.
Foyer
Nafas receives visitors in the foyer—a wide, windowed reception hall that looks out on the Infinite Staircase. As one enters the foyer, they're greeted by a roaring ramp of tangible wind that curls up to the rest of the palace. The updraft supports even the heaviest of creatures, which can easily amble up the windy incline to the areas above. Plush pillows, warm fireplaces, and delectable treats number among the amenities available in the hall.
Den of Chronicles
Tales come alive in the Den of Chronicles, a storyteller's sanctuary. In the carpeted hall, Nafas weaves a never-ending tapestry of tales from the wishes he has heard.
An immense, jeweled censer hangs from the ceiling on a golden chain. Whenever a story begins, sweet-smelling incense wafts from the receptacle and spreads throughout the palace, notifying its visitors that a new chronicle is about to unfold. As the narrator—whether Nafas or another raconteur—speaks, the fumes take the forms of subjects within the story, dancing to each turn of phrase. Meanwhile, animated kettles distribute steaming cups of hot tea to avid listeners seated within the hall.
Nafas delights in hearing the stories of his visitors, especially tales of adventures beyond the Infinite Staircase. Easily moved, the djinni disarms audiences with his booming laugh and profound sobs.
Guest Quarters
The palace's accommodations are individualized oases sprinkled with genie magic. Illusions within each room tailor its contents to the preferences of its guests, transforming it into a personal utopia. A traveler who hails from a snowy tundra might melt at the sight of a rustic mountain lodge, complete with a crackling hearth, a bearskin rug, and the savory scent of dwarven ale. The next room over might appear as a beachside bungalow, a peaceful elven glade, or a wizard's scriptorium. Every room is someone's paradise.
[image: Travelers from all places arrive at the Censer of Dreams, Nafas's palace on the Infinite Staircase]
Well of Destiny
The voices of the multiverse cry out in the Well of Destiny. A sanctum located within the silvery dome that rises from the center of the palace, the Well of Destiny is a magnet for the words of hopeful souls manifesting their desires to the winds. When he isn't entertaining guests, Nafas can usually be found here, seated on his throne: a weightless, high-backed chair sculpted from the clouds that pervade the misty chamber. The djinni reflects on each wish he hears, contemplating the stories behind them.
Each time a wish is spoken somewhere in the multiverse, it echoes in the Well of Destiny, amplified by the Infinite Staircase's ambient magic. The Well of Destiny Wishes table includes examples of wishes that might be heard within the hall or the staircases beyond, inspiring characters to adventure or giving them a reason to seek out Nafas.
Well of Destiny Wishes
| d6 | Wish |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I wish I could find my way back home." |
| 2 | "I wish to find a cure for this magical sickness." |
| 3 | "I wish we could defeat the evil that rules over us." |
| 4 | "I wish I could destroy that artifact once and for all." |
| 5 | "I wish for revenge on the one who wronged me." |
| 6 | "I wish I were free from this cursed prison." |
Staircase Adventures
The adventures in this book take the characters to wondrous realms beyond the Infinite Staircase, but some quests might take place on the staircase itself. The Infinite Staircase Adventures table offers suggestions for stories involving the extradimensional realm.
Infinite Staircase Adventures
| d4 | Adventure |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Iron Shadow spreads to a character's home world, leaving it a gray, apathetic husk. A survivor asks the characters to repair the damage. |
| 2 | For reasons unknown, the masons construct a gloomy staircase to an evil, nightmarish realm. Unsupervised, its doors release horrors that wreak havoc on other worlds. Nafas hires the characters to seal the portals. |
| 3 | A powerful efreeti from the City of Brass sets out to conquer numerous worlds through the doors of the Infinite Staircase. Nafas charges the characters with foiling the efreeti's scheme. |
| 4 | The staircase's doors lose their magic, preventing passage into or out of the planar realm. A traveler along the staircase beseeches the party to solve the mystery so the traveler can return home. |