D&D 5E The Next D&D Book is JOURNEYS THROUGH THE RADIANT CITADEL

We peered, poked, squinted, flipped, and enhanced the teaser image that WotC put out last week, and it turns out we got it right -- the next book is, indeed, Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel.

Wraparound cover art by Evyn Fong​

Through the mists of the Ethereal Plane shines the Radiant Citadel. Travelers from across the multiverse flock to this mysterious bastion to share their traditions, stories, and calls for heroes. A crossroads of wonders and adventures, the Radiant Citadel is the first step on the path to legend. Where will your journeys take you?

Journeys through the Radiant Citadel is a collection of thirteen short, stand-alone D&D adventures featuring challenges for character levels 1–14. Each adventure has ties to the Radiant Citadel, a magical city with connections to lands rich with excitement and danger, and each can be run by itself or as part of an ongoing campaign. Explore this rich and varied collection of adventures in magical lands.

• Thirteen new stand-alone adventures spanning levels 1 to 14, each with its own set of maps
• Introduces the Radiant Citadel, a new location on the Ethereal Plane that connects adventurers to richly detailed and distinct corners of the D&D multiverse
• Each adventure can be set in any existing D&D campaign setting or on worlds of your own design
• Introduces eleven new D&D monsters
• There’s a story for every adventuring party, from whimsical and light to dark and foreboding and everything in between

Slated for June 21st (update - I just got a press release which says it's June 21st "in North American stores"; I'm not sure what that means for the rest of us!), it's a 224-page adventure anthology featuring a floating city called the Radiant Citadel. The book is written entirely by people of colour, including Ajit George, who was the first person of Indian heritage to write Indian-inspired material for D&D (in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft). Around 50 POC writers were involved in total in various ways.

The Radiant Citadel is on the ethereal plane and is carved from the giant fossil of an unknown monster. A massive gemstone called the Royal Diamond sits at the core, surrounded by a bunch of smaller Concord Jewels, which are gateways to the Citadel's founding civilizations. DMs can link any world to the citadel by placing a Concord Jewel there.

The Citadel, unlike many D&D locations, is more of a sanctuary than a place of danger. The book's alternate cover features a Dawn Incarnate, a creature which is the embodiment of stories and cultures.

D&D 5E - Here's Radiant Citadel's press release

Dropped in my inbox a short while ago, if you want the official announcement. It's the same info as in the news article on the front page. Dungeons & Dragons Invites You to Explore the Radiant Citadel Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is a new collection of short adventures set in wondrous...

www.enworld.org

The adventures are as follows:

• Salted Legacy
• Written In Blood
• The Fiend of Hollow Mine
• Wages of Vice
• Sins of Our Elders
• Gold for Fools and Princes
• Trail of Destruction
• In the Mists of Manivarsha
• Between Tangled Roots
• Shadow of the Sun
• The Nightsea’s Succor
• Buried Dynasty
• Orchids of the Invisible Mountain

UPDATE -- the press release contains a list of some of the contributors: "Justice Ramin Arman, Dominique Dickey, Ajit A. George, Basheer Ghouse, Alastor Guzman, D. Fox Harrell, T.K. Johnson, Felice Tzehuei Kuan, Surena Marie, Mimi Mondal, Mario Ortegón, Miyuki Jane Pinckard, Pam Punzalan, Erin Roberts, Terry H. Romero, Stephanie Yoon, and many more."

Regular cover by Even Fong

Alternate Cover by Sija Hong​

 

[TwoSix]

Based on the design articles I read about the process behind Candlekeep and reading the fallout with their freelancers then.
"Give us a short adventure, based around this theme, that connects to nothing in the campaign setting."
It's a far cry from Curse of Strahd, which came from a unified thematic, artistic vision. This just screams "we're publishing a bunch of random stuff."

Sure, but Candlekeep was very well received and reviewed. So it's not like this method of production necessarily leads to something undesirable.

 

[Vaalingrade]

For me as a grumpy old man I of course interpret the Radiant Citadel as a whimsy-comfy place where you can step into a jewel and go to anywhere. No need for adventurous spelljamming, no need for a complex Sigil. Just jump into a jewel and there you are.

was Planeshift not always a spell?

 

[Mort]

The thing about these adventure compilations is that they can accept random submissions from new writers (with largely unproven track records), who will work for hire (i.e. cheap), do very little editorial oversight, and crank out a book that fills a release date placeholder.
I have absolutely no problem with giving new talent a chance, but this is just - something that should be some web articles or Dungeon magazines - not a premium $50 hardcover release.
Between this, Candlekeep, and the Matt Mercer book, does WotC even write anything anymore - or just farming out everything to freelancers?

Candlekeep was a big success story with some VERY good adventures! And the "problem" you are referring to was the exact opposite of lack of editorial oversight. It was a clash between a writer with a distinct vision and a VERY experienced editor. Regrettable, but not lack of oversight at all!

 

[Michael Mattei]

I suppose it's a good thing that Radiant Citadel is a new place. And I suppose the twitter comment about the adventures being "inspired by the writers' connections to real-world cultures and folklore" is a selling point for a large group of potential customers and in line with current WotC products.

For me as a grumpy old man I of course interpret the Radiant Citadel as a whimsy-comfy place where you can step into a jewel and go to anywhere. No need for adventurous spelljamming, no need for a complex Sigil. Just jump into a jewel and there you are.

Now, I don't have need for bought adventures and I don't want a place like the Radiant Citadel in my campaigns. But the book will probably make lots of gamers happy and I don't have to buy it, so all is fine.

What I am worried about though is that this book may well make Spelljammer and Planescape redundant, and I'm no longer as convinced that we get those old settings later on - there's no need for them. Dragonlance and Dark Sun suddenly makes much more sense, which is kind of sad imho.

Considering that the Kinder (ugh) are now in playtesting; I think Dragonlance is pretty much assured. I'd like it if Dark Sun got a new book but they've got to finish the 5e Psion first.

 

[John R Davis]

Definitely sounds promising. I hope the adventures are well-done and the maps are in full color.

Hopefully dialing down the hideous garish colours.

 

[Morrus]

The new piece of info is that the city is apparently ruled by Angels.

That's not the citadel, it's one of the adventures (in the press release, and in this look at 3 of the adventures).

 

[darjr]

I can’t wait for this to hit DMsGuild as well!!!
Imagine the possibilities?
and I wonder with AL support what kind of new adventure type well get, along the lines of the domain adventures for AL.

 

[OblivionDrive]

I suppose it's a good thing that Radiant Citadel is a new place. And I suppose the twitter comment about the adventures being "inspired by the writers' connections to real-world cultures and folklore" is a selling point for a large group of potential customers and in line with current WotC products.

For me as a grumpy old man I of course interpret the Radiant Citadel as a whimsy-comfy place where you can step into a jewel and go to anywhere. No need for adventurous spelljamming, no need for a complex Sigil. Just jump into a jewel and there you are.

Now, I don't have need for bought adventures and I don't want a place like the Radiant Citadel in my campaigns. But the book will probably make lots of gamers happy and I don't have to buy it, so all is fine.

What I am worried about though is that this book may well make Spelljammer and Planescape redundant, and I'm no longer as convinced that we get those old settings later on - there's no need for them. Dragonlance and Dark Sun suddenly makes much more sense, which is kind of sad imho.

It’s already been more or less confirmed that Spelljammer is coming later this year. Unofficially, of course. I do share your concern about Planescape but at the same time who knows?

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

It’s already been more or less confirmed that Spelljammer is coming later this year. Unofficially, of course. I do share your concern about Planescape but at the same time who knows?

I'm not sure about Spelljammer, even less so with the unveiling of this book.

 

[Morrus]

It’s already been more or less confirmed that Spelljammer is coming later this year. Unofficially, of course. I do share your concern about Planescape but at the same time who knows?

Yeah, I was fairly sure about SJ, but I'm now less so.