The release of Dungeons & Dragons: Quests from the Infinite Staircase is approaching, with early access to digital content through D&D Beyond beginning July 9th and the full release following exactly one week later, July 16th. As part of the 50th anniversary releases for Dungeons & Dragons, Quests from the Infinite Staircase provides players with updated versions of six classic adventures – The Lost City, When a Star Falls, Beyond the Crystal Cave, Pharaoh, The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks.
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During a briefing in which senior game designer Justice Ramin Arman provided a preview of the upcoming adventure book, press was introduced to the character of Nafas, Quest from the Infinite Staircase‘s poster child and quest giver. Described as being akin to Marvel’s Watcher, Nafas is a noble genie who was created by the planar wind of the Infinite Staircase when all of the doors were once open. The djinni gets his name from the Persian word for breath, because as Arman describes the character he is the “breath of the multiverse.” He can hear all of the wishes being spoken throughout the realms – every birthday candle blown out, every wish upon a shooting star, every coin tossed into a well. Much like Marvel’s Watcher, Nafas is unable to leave the staircase, and serves instead as a distant observer who wishes to intervene but is stopped by the rules and limitations that prevent him from doing so.
During the session, it was also noted that Nafas is a CR-23 elemental, and that the genie can be a patron for Pact of the Noble Genie Warlocks. A few notes from Arman during the briefing that got me particularly excited to properly spend some time with this character when I get to try out the campaign is that he has a “campaign ending unique ability.” Additionally, we were also warned that players “don’t want to get on his [Nafas’] bad side.”
When elaborating on this warning, Arman revealed that Nafas has the ability to do actions like grant his own wishes, and as such he can wish things along the lines of “I wish you never came here,” forcing the party who has incurred his wrath to leave the Staircase – and who knows where the party could find themselves with power like this sending them away?
Need more insight into Quests from the Infinite Staircase? You can check out all of ComicBook’s coverage for the franchise here.
