Summary
A lot of the magic items that show up inQuests from the Infinite Staircaseare familiarDungeons & Dragonsinclusions, but the small selection of new additions doesn’t waste much space.Quests from the Infinite Staircaseacts as a compendium of six classicDnDadventures, updated for fifth edition and provided with a new framework in the form of the Infinite Staircase. Some dole out rewards left and right, like the opening adventureThe Lost City, while others are more focused on roleplay than loot.
The final adventure inQuests from the Infinite StaircaseisExpedition to the Barrier Peaks, which shakes things up with a sci-fi twist. Thanks to this module, a few of the more noteworthy items are actually flavored as futuristic technology, operating off of energy cells instead of typical magic. Despite the change in flavor, a party eager for gear isn’t likely to turn up their noses at these options, and they still make great additions toDnD’s library of magic items.
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7The Needler Pistol Is A Fun Sci-Fi Weapon
The needler pistol might not be a must for everyDnDcampaign, but if there are any fans of theHalogames in the party, it could quickly shoot to the top of the list. Although this sci-fi blaster doesn’t function exactly likeHalo’s reliable needler gunsthat hone their shard projectiles in on enemies unfortunate enough to be in proximity, it’s close enough in flavor to be undeniably appealing.
Quests from the Infinite Staircase’s needler pistol fires glowing needles in bursts, dealing piercing damage to anyone with a 15-foot cone of the shot. One energy cell, which slots in at the bottom like a traditional magazine, provides the pistol with 10 charges. There’s no early reloading, however, as an energy cell can only be swapped out once all of its charges have been expended.
6The Robot Controller Is Great For The Right Party
The robot controller is the most situational of all the new magic items and technology inQuests from the Infinite Staircase, but it could be a game-changer in the right campaign.This handheld device can be used to inflict the charmed condition on constructs in the user’s vicinity, allowing remote communication with any construct who ends up under its influence. An energy cell gives the device three charges, one of which is expended for this technique.
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When the situation calls for more aggression,the robot controller can be used to incapacitate constructsinstead, potentially shutting a dangerous foe out of some combat rounds. If a campaign setting doesn’t offer much in the way of constructs, the robot controller won’t be of much use to the party, but any group that’s making its way through Eberron or a similarly tech-friendly setting could hardly ask for more.
5The Staff Of Ruling Is Full Of Miracles
Hailing from theDnDadventure modulePharaoh, the Staff of Ruling is the kind of object that might drive the plot of anIndiana Jonesfilm. In the module’s story, it was buried with the pharaoh Amun Sa, and retrieving it is actually necessary to lift a curse that prevents him from properly moving on to the afterlife. As a final reward, it won’t have much utility within the adventure itself, but it’s a great thing to have around after.
All the Staff of Ruling’s effects have the dynamic effect necessary to strike fear into the hearts of a ruler’s subjects, but they also have a lot more practical use than justshowiness. An orb of lightning can be cast within 60 feet of the staff’s bearer, detonating to inflict lightning damage on anyone who ends up in its radius. Lightning never strikes silently, and there’s also a thunderclap ability that can deafen and frighten anyone who fails a constitution saving throw in a 30-foot radius.
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The most fun feature of the Staff of Ruling is the option to toss it down to turn it into a snake, which can join the initiative order in combat. Snakes don’t have especially impressive stat blocks, but likemage handor other spells, the snake can be used for general utility purposes at the bearer’s command. Creative roleplayers might also be able to get a lot out of this particular Staff of Ruling feature, as long as they don’t have any particular fear of serpents.
4The Antigravity Belt Offers Vertical Versatility
Vertical challenges can be incredibly common inDnD, and the antigravity belt introduced inQuests from the Infinite Staircaseis a great way to trivialize many of them. Expending one of 10 charges provided by an energy cell gives the belt a minute of active lifting power, which can be deactivated at will with a bonus action.
With the belt powered on,it’s possible to rise or descent 20 feet in vertical space, hovering in place at the chosen level. The belt doesn’t offer any horizontal movement, which has to be provided by the wearer propelling themselves off of nearby environmental features. It doesn’t offer the versatility of proper flight, but in the right scenarios, the stable lift that it provides could be even more useful.
3Powered Armor Turns Characters Into Superheros
The most fundamentally ludicrous magic item addition inQuests from the Infinite Staircasehas to be the powered armor, which provides a high-tech suit that a party member can don. Powered by an energy cell, the futuristic gear gets 24 charges out of the cell, with each powering it for an hour.
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Although this might seem best reserved for the most extreme scenarios, powered armor can be useful even for relatively mundane tasks.A character in active powered armor gets advantage on strength checksand doubled carrying capacity, making it easier to move heavy loads in a pinch. It’s also good protective gear for dangerous environments, offering its own sealed atmosphere safe from gases, poisons, and extreme temperatures.
A couple of the armor’s more extreme properties require additional expenditure of charges to activate, but they can definitely still be worth it. In combat, a defensive force field can be activated to reduce incoming damage by a sizable margin. As a bonus action,the suit can be used to fly for one minute, with the caveat that remaining airborne until the last second could result in a nasty fall. Suiting up before any particularly challenging scenario could be a wise course of action, even if it seems a bit absurd in a classic fantasy campaign.
2Heretic Doesn’t Take Any Prisoners
The classic adventure moduleThe Lost Caverns of Tsojcanthfinds its villain in the vampire Drelzna, and defeating this particular foe comes with a couple of interesting magic item acquisitions. One that can be a fascinating addition to anyDnDcampaign is Heretic, a legendary longsword with some powerful abilities countered by an interesting drawback.
In its basic function,Heretic offers a substantial +3 bonus to attack and damage rollsmade with the weapon, but it can also do a lot more with its six ability charges that partly recharge every dawn. Destroy Devotion can be used to paralyze targets who fail a constitution saving throw, and Faith Hunter allows the sword to cast the spellsdetect evil and good,fly, andtrue seeing.
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Heretic is also sentient, however, which can make for some trouble. The sword can communicate with its bearer, and it isn’t likely to simply share recipes. As a chaotic evil entity,Heretic disdains the pious and can erupt into a bloodlust, potentially pushing a good party member down a path toward corruption. Achaotic evil player might have funwith it, but Heretic can be a particularly interesting addition to a campaign when handed off to a character struggling to stick to a righteous lifestyle.
1Daoud’s Wondrous Lanthorn Has Powerful Spells
Drelzna’s other fascinating magic item is Daoud’s Wondrous Lanthorn, an artifact that remains as interesting today as when it first showed up in the original module decades ago. This lantern features four faces fit with gemstone lenses — by default, diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Amethysts, jacinth, and topaz can also be swapped in to modify the lantern’s effects, as the gems included ultimately determine spells that it can cast.
Some of the spells that can be cast with Daoud’s Wondrous Lanthorn are exceptionally useful, likedisintegrateandreverse gravity.Powerful spells also incur significant costs, however, burning through valuable fuel at alarming rates. A party that isn’t absolutely loaded would do best to use the lantern sparingly, but when deployed wisely, it can be exceptionally useful. It also gives off a general light that renders invisibility moot within a 60 foot radius, making it difficult for an invisible creature to get the jump on its bearer.
Like Heretic, the lantern unfortunately comes at a cost.If its flame goes out, its bearer immediately dies. The only way to avoid this grim fate is to have the creature attuned to it give up all other material possessions and then destroy the lantern, requiring an active rejection of power and wealth in the interest of ending its dangerousDungeons & Dragonsinfluence once and for all.
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
