D&D (2024) Comicbook.com review of Quests from the Infinite Staircase

[Henadic Theologian]

Dungeons & Dragons - Quests from the Infinite Staircase Review: Classic Adventures Cap Off a Decade of D&D

Quests from the Infinite Staircase contains six classic adventures updated for the current edition [...]

comicbook.com

Not going to say I'm surprised. Seems their mostly okay adventures, but with missed opportunities. They also noted how little sense it made to break Desert of Desolation like that, instead of using all of it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They also noted how little sense it made to break Desert of Desolation like that, instead of using all of it.

Stupid thing to say. Pharaoh was written as a stand-alone, and the sequels were terrible, especially the last part. Why would anyone want to republish the garbage that was The Lost Tomb of Martek?!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Stupid thing to say. Pharaoh was written as a stand-alone, and the sequels were terrible, especially the last part. Why would anyone want to republish the garbage that was The Lost Tomb of Martek?!

Another of folks disagree with your assessment, including Comicbook.com clearly.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Another of folks disagree with your assessment, including Comicbook.com clearly.

I doubt they've read it.

And I also expect the writers are too young to remember the time before the lousy sequels existed, and Pharaoh was the brilliant pre-curser to Ravenloft.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I doubt they've read it.

And I also expect the writers are too young to remember the time before the lousy sequels existed, and Pharaoh was the brilliant pre-curser to Ravenloft.

If you read the article, it's clear they had to have read it to form their opinions.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you read the article, it's clear they had to have read it to form their opinions.

There is nothing in the article that indicates they have read The Lost Tomb of Martek. If they had read it they would know why it wasn't included.

 

[Parmandur]

Seems like a fair summary, though I think k the critiques miss a bit:

• the hands-off approach of the framing device is precisely in line with the other anthologies (other than Ghoats of Saltmarsh, which is great), and it works so well because you can mix and match the anthologies so well.
• Lost City was like that in B4, even expanded it is true to the original to leave a path for a DM to follow to build a full Megadungeon with an aspirational high Level main BBEG thst is stated but in no way meant to be faced by a Level 3 party
• Pharoh was a standalone, and frankly probably easier to develop with sensitivity readers in mind with out the post facto trilogy format.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Pharoh was a standalone, and frankly probably easier to develop with sensitivity readers in mind with out the post facto trilogy format

Oasis of the White Palm is particularly tricky with respect to caricatures of real world cultures, although not a bad sandbox.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Seems like a fair summary, though I think k the critiques miss a bit:

• the hands-off approach of the framing device is precisely in line with the other anthologies (other than Ghoats of Saltmarsh, which is great), and it works so well because you can mix and match the anthologies so well.
• Lost City was like that in B4, even expanded it is true to the original to leave a path for a DM to follow to build a full Megadungeon with an aspirational high Level main BBEG thst is stated but in no way meant to be faced by a Level 3 party
• Pharoh was a standalone, and frankly probably easier to develop with sensitivity readers in mind with out the post facto trilogy format.

Zargon should have been added to Barrier Peaks to bring things fully circle

 

[Parmandur]

Zargon should have been added to Barrier Peaks to bring things fully circle

But that's the thing...it's not a campaign, it's an anthology of modules. By having post-Adventure material to build off of, they are being true to B4.

Though making Zargon be responsible for everything in all these Adventures is an interesting idea to develop as a DM...maybe he and Nafas are immortal enemies...dream versus nightmare...