Dungeons and Dragons Lore: The Infinite Staircase

A mysterious transdimensional pathway, a nexus of planar portals that rivals the city of Sigil, this strange infinite staircase is governed by unknown powers and protected by the Celestial race called the Lillendi.

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#dnd #infinitestaircase #ajpickett #forgottenrealms #advanceddungeonsanddragons #5e

[shawnhowe]

BleuLove
Could the infinite staircase be inside/related to the infinite spire below Sigil?

[purplehaze]

“I have been *climbing....* for THIRTY MINUTES!”

[MisterTutor]

I put a slinky on the the Infinite Staircase :)

[JamesDean-nxnq]

I would have an encounter with an old traveler just sitting on the steps. When the players approach he wouldn't even acknowledge them unless they interact with him first. yes hes obviously alive and not under any kind of status effect but i would make sure to describe him as wearing dirty tattered clothing that was once of a decent or luxury quality. Maybe they ask him what he's doing or if hes lost. I imagine he is on the stairs directly under his one true desires portal landing. But he Knows once he goes in he will never come back. He would speak in a very ancient language. He would not know what year it is. And is not aggressive in any way. i would use it as an example of the actual significance of this location. A window into the human (or humanoid/intelligent) existence. Maybe hes a the god/former god of a distant plane and hes testing the players in some way maybe hes not but hes unable to leave because he too is unable to decide if he should go back to his followers or to his true desire. This location really gets my mind going.

[FranzJosefHaymaker]

The idea of people who pass up their opportunity to their personal heaven wandering the staircase forever is pretty chilling and adds a ton of potential encounters to the location. Obviously it’s protected to a degree but some lone wanderer crazed from years of fruitless searching could be really memorable, especially as they’re were likely a powerful adventurer in their own right

[zoopdterdoobdter]

🤔 What happens to your waste when you're walking the staircase?
Take a piss... stream disappears after 25'.
Asmodeus (as his breakfast is ruined): _"Aww, c'mon!!! Not again!"_

[felixrivera]

5:09 You know. Arcadia has the realm of Osiris, which means there is an afterlife there. As the plane of pleasant productivity, I'm sure that, once a material world produces video games at all, there must be an afterlife where passionate programmers go to spend eternity creating masterpiece games at their own pace without the stress of funding or management. Which means there would be an exponential need for immortalized beta testers. The chocolate would be a bonus of being in a heaven.

[michaelkelligan]

"Dis'em stairs make me Dragonfood, Orcish Shaman

[johngleeman]

As nice as the monster lore is, these fantastic locations vids are a special treat as well. A great reward for players that don't enjoy the grid as much. :3

[tatsusama]

Oh no. I noticed the picture outside your window changing behind you in the opening graphic. Now I'm wondering what I've missed and will be paying attention from every video onward😅

[supersmily]

You can't find your heart's desire on the staircase if it doesn't exist, such as your plane of infinite chocolate and fps games with actually friendly players.

[DustMonkey]

I like this a lot. My setting is essentially closed off from the rest of the planes, and the world’s inhabitants are very much aware of it. Plane shift spells don’t work, and there are nomadic dwarves who are determined to find a way out. As of this video they know about the staircase and want to draw it to the world with their art so they can leave. Thanks again AJ

[zachmiddleton]

This is probably my favorite place in the multiverse that AJ has enlightened me on! Way too cool

[chrissegroves]

Staircase to infinity? One of my favorite parts of The Phantom Tollbooth.

[DaveButtons]

Not sure why this didn’t upload the first time, but aiming for it again...
AJ, thank you for this video. I finally ran a 4 session adventure around the Infinite Staircase and “I returned to now..” to share my notes:

///WARNING: THIS IS FOR DMs ONLY///

PREP WORK///
Get a scratch paper for mapping. For DM USE. Make a Table for Doors/landing and prescribe the landing/surrounding environment near the door.
Then make applicable puzzles for the doors attached to make the doorway interesting to interact with. Think about the group your running for’s taste in puzzles
Then make 4 separate table for Random Encounters for enemies. Some relative to the door/landing and some straight interesting/strange ones you’ve been dying to use. These are going to be pretty much combat oriented, the next two tables is Role-play/interactive based. The second table should be NPC’s. The idea is that these NPC’s can serve as support/distractions and guides. Offering PC’s answers, warnings or simply more problems. They should not start as combat but can lead there if PC’s are murder-hobos. Third, make a Random Encounters table for obstacles and terrain encounters. I made, for an example a crumbling banister and as the PC’s walked down it, the staircase fractured into pieces, causing the PCs to make an interesting effort to regroup and continue to travel.
The last table is strange effects. I had so many interesting ones it needed its own table. Some places make you sleepy, some make you fly. Be creative or check the status effects table for ideas. Do good and bad effects, like an area that gives +X to Intelligence within a range/duration. Keep it fun.

RUNNING THE SESSION///
Make a mark in the centre of your scratch sheet of paper. This is where the PC’s start. Define the number of alternative pathways (optional directions) they can take. Have them decide and draw all lines. Make a separate marking and roll on your door/landing table to determine what the new landing is, then mark it. Roll 2d4 for the amount of time it takes to arrive from point A to point B. This can be hours/days/weeks. I used hours, as to not discourage my groups efforts. DO NOT SHARE THIS WITH THE GROUP YET! Now roll on the 1D4 to determine if the encounter is
1. Combat
2. Terrain/Obstacle
3.NPC
4. Strange effect
*I personally wanted every opportunity to be interesting. If I felt the group was burned out, I’d determine nothing occurred, rather than risk boring rolls. BE THE DM.
Now you roll on the applicable Encounter table to determine what they encounter and begin the scene. I determined every 4hrs the PC’s would make FORT/CON saves (I’m olde-school) or become fatigued.
Anyways, have fun. Share your stories on my comments if you use this or have a story to share. I have plenty more info like this if it’s okay to share and Thank you again, to AJ and the community. You have made me a Master of my stories and sessions.
Cheers,
DavieThePirate

[Zasek]

I love it. being an infinite place makes for some great random encounters. Like a group of mage apprentices who got lost in the mage school library and now can't find their way out, ghosts of people dropped off the side by the Lillendi, parts of the stairwell infested with phase spiders, the list is literally endless.
edit: I'm pretty sure there's a time dragon in there somewhere as well if there's time elementals hanging around.

[kylestark]

Was going to turn in for the day after my shift dodging dangers at the hospital...dash it all AJ.... A coffee and watching the video it is then. Anything for Planescape. Hardly had to twist my arm at all though.

[michaelkelligan]

"Kurkalumaas, i'm sensing someone further down the stairway just entering my thought were right to have me unlock this devotion. Coupled with Contact the Orc shaman has no idea we're present!" Cloak us with invisibility, and i'll begin probing its mind for clues as to why its Huuntar, Supreme Lair Lord and Grand Githyanki of the 63rd generation

[richardofarms]

You should treat us some time with creature combos. Like gold dragons and iron golems. Lich with a creature trapped in its philactory! That kind of stuff logical creature combinations that compliment each other

[alexkregel]

Ben on a similar set of stair case with others in a dream. The stare case had a pressure the higher you climed the harder it was to climb. It remided me of astral travle wis checks for speed.