Quests from the Infinite Staircase Pre-Review (Part 2)

When a Star Falls

Don’t feel like reading today? Watch this letter instead.

Hail fellow adventurer,

This letter is part 2 of a 6 part series for my pre-review of Quests from the Infinite Staircase, a new and upcoming Dungeons & Dragons releases from Wizards of the Coast.

In part 1, I covered The Lost City, an iconic adventure written by Tom Moldvay.

In today’s letter, we’re exploring the second adventure in Quests from the Infinite Staircase: When a Star Falls.

When a Star Falls is a first edition AD&D adventure (module code UK4), released in 1984 and written by Graeme Morris.

Originally designed for 6–10 player characters between levels 3–5, this adventure takes the party on a quest to recover a fallen star (AKA meteorite). Sounds like an epic quest and the art work on the module’s cover is eye-catching.

When a Star Falls begins at the Tower of the Heavens, an ancient structure standing resolute in the middle of a vast, fast-flowing river. This tower has stood for centuries, home to sages who divine the future by studying the stars.

At the top of the credits page of the original module, there’s text that reads like a short poem. It says:

The shooting-star.... omen of power. To some it was the agent of disaster, but to one old man in his tower it came as no surprise.

The old man this text is referring to is Shalfey, the Elder Sage of the Tower of the Heavens. Shalfey has an innate power that he inherited from the unbroken line of Elder sages that came before him.

Shalfey’s power allows him to read the cryptic letters and text of the ancient books kept in the tower of the heavens, allowing him to see the future by deciphering the prophecies described within these tomes. But, even with this great power, Shalfey cannot turn more than one page at a time within a book limiting his ability to see far into the future.

When a Star Falls starts with a celestial event—an event foretold in one of these ancient books of prophecy. This adventure begins as the characters witness a star plummeting from the sky, and they’re tasked with recovering it. But, this isn’t just any fallen star. According to the sages of astrology, this event is of cosmic significance, and the star holds powerful secrets.

The twist

But, wait! There’s a twist. The power of prophecy is in danger of falling into the wrong hands. Evil forces seek to exploit the star's power, and it’s up to the heroes to ensure that doesn’t happen.

The Tower of the Heavens itself is a marvel, filled with astronomical wonders and ancient secrets. It’s a place where the lines between science and magic blur, and the characters will encounter challenges that test their wits and resolve.

As the characters delve deeper, they’ll uncover the prophecy’s true meaning and face foes who seek to use the star for dark purposes. From cunning rivals to celestial beings, the threats are varied and formidable.

Sidetrek!

Let’s go on a sidetrek for a moment. I find one thing about this AD&D module peculiar. Let me know if you feel the same way.

So, the title of the adventure is When a Star Falls. A falling star is a meteor. It’s a space rock that starts to burn up and cause a nice little streak in the sky as the friction from a planet’s atmosphere heats it up. If the space rock is large enough, it could survive some of this heat death and hit the ground.

A space rock, floating in space, is called a meteoroid.

If and when it hits a planet’s atmosphere, it becomes a meteor as it plummets through the planet’s atmosphere due to gravity, leaving a streak of fire in its wake.

If it survives the atmosphere and is capable of hitting the ground, and it isn’t obliterated from the force of impact, anything that’s left is a meteorite.

There’s not a SINGLE mention of the words meteor or meteorite anywhere in this AD&D. And I mean ANYWHERE in this module (scratches head).

Like ZERO total entries.

Don’t you think that’s a little odd?

OK. End of sidetrek.

What’s possible in the 5e version?

Wizards of the Coast has mentioned the inclusion of updated mechanics that bring new life to the original adventure. There’s a strong emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving, with combat taking a backseat at times. The atmosphere is one of mystery and discovery, perfect for those who love unraveling cosmic mysteries.

Possible crossover with the new DMG?

In a recent video talking about the upcoming and revised Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), Chris Perkins mentions a new layout or re-ordering of the DMG so that it focuses more on new DMs, rather than starting out by talking about governments, and politics in a campaign.

I think this is a great idea. In fact, when I drafted the opening to my upcoming book. Life is Just a Fantasy: A DM’s Blueprint for Dungeons & Dragons¹ I had my friend James read it to see what he thought about it.

James knows what D&D is but has never been a DM. So after he read my opening to the book he was unclear what some of the terms meant. This is valuable feedback, which made me re-think the order of the chapters. Now I have a chapter zero for readers who have never been a DM and are new to table top roleplaying.

More experienced DMs can skip this chapter, or they can read it as a refresher to help reinforce what they already know.

So, it’s possible that WotC may take the DM experience levels into consideration for their newer products in late 2024 and early 2025 to celebrate 50 years of D&D.

For example, there could be asides in the text, with tips on how to handle certain non-combat encounters. Or, it could also help with connecting the dots across products by referencing the DMG from the adventure section of Quests from the Infinite Staircase.

Dungeon Masters will appreciate the detailed guidance provided to help run this adventure smoothly. Tips for navigating this quest include using the star's significance to drive the plot and leveraging the tower's unique setting to create memorable encounters.

This is an interesting statement. What could it mean?

Well, since the character level ranges are an important component of an adventure, allowing the DM to run an enjoyable and balanced game, perhaps WotC has plans to include some kind of DM call-outs and asides where appropriate in the adventure so novice DMs are better prepared before running it?

For example, when WotC mentions that Quests from the Infinite Staircase will contain “tips on the star's significance to drive the plot “ this makes me think this book will call out specific sections for newer DMs. Or, to help more advanced DMs better understand storytelling devices like plot evolution, character arcs, and sub-stories, perhaps even the use of foreshadowing to hint at things to come?

Since I’ve been playing D&D for so long I get pumped up when Wizards of the Coast re-releases older first edition modules for their current ruleset.

What about you? Are you as excited as I am for Quests from the Infinite Staircase?

If you haven’t seen my video for Part 1 of this series where I talk about Tom Moldvay’s B4: The Lost City, be sure to check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss out on freebies and giveaways.

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Footnotes

¹ This is the newest title for my book, formerly titled THE DUNGEON MASTER'S ULTIMATE CAMPAIGN BLUEPRINT FOR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Note that the new title is a working copy and it could change again before publication.