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​

 

[Parmandur]

So Journeys through the Radiant Citadel is directed by Ajit George and Wes Schneider.

And do you remember these tweets from @WinningerR on Jun 14th 2021 ?



Knowing that @AriLevitch leaved WotC on Dec 15th 2021, maybe Ajit George took his place and this book in one of the 2 classics announced in new print formats (meaning just adventures to discover the world)

No, that's a different book, the Dragonlance book coming later this year (check out the latest UA credits).

 

[OblivionDrive]

Invincible perfect jackhole the universe thinks is great and awesome despite not earning it?

I know what it means, mate.

No, it means a usually female character who is unrealistically without flaws that’s often a author self-insert. Because of this, it’s also frequently used as a thinly veiled code for misogynistic attitudes too.

Power level was never a part of the original definition. The Lady is a plot device. She’s setting, set dressing and DM’s fiat given form. She’s no more a Mary Sue than any other element of Sigil is.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

But enough of my nagging, I'm happy for all the gamers who will love the Scarlet Citadel.

That's a whole different adventure!

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

In terms of trying to get more cultural diversity into D&D this was a pretty brilliant move by WotC. Instead of trying to revamp older takes or publish one new D&D world, they've used this book to essentially create a new campaign setting where a bunch of different civilizations based on non-European real world cultures (and authored by writers from those cultures) intermingle.

Actually, it could be the element that move the balance from pass to buy for me.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Based on page count, these 13 Adventures are probably ~16 page modules.

That would leave next to no space for the Gazeteers and monsters. I think 10 pages are more likely per adventure.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Agreed. I'm still holding out for Spelljammer to exceed my expectations. Or Darksun.

If Sigil is to "hardcore" you can bet Dark Sun is way past the mark.

At most you will get a new setting called Light Valley that kind of has the same feel as DS but is much happier and colorful. A world run by benevolent immortal mage-kings.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Sigil is in the DMG. Isn’t it?

Not in 5e - or if it is, it's just a short blurb.

There was a ~30-page write up in 4e's DMG2, though.

It's worth noting that Sigil always has a grimey, run-down urban feel. This seems more shiny sparkles Disneyland, in the same way as Strixhaven and Witchlight. This must be what the surveys say modern players like.

Plenty of room for both, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Earn it? She's the Lady of Pain, she's a fundamental force of the multiverse. She didn't earn her power any more than a supermassive black hole "earned" its mass.

The prosecution rests, your honor.

 

[Demetrios1453]

So, I read the description and went "Neat! Another new place to explore." Especially being in the Ethereal, which has definitely been lacking in such major hubs.

And then I read the responses, which were...

I'll only respond to the SJ worries, which are ridiculous. We've already had a UA for it and DL. We know that there are two settings coming out this year. There really isn't time for another UA for a setting that isn't SJ or DL and still get the product out this year. Therefore, our two settings will be SJ and DL. QED.

Although it was mentioned in the previous thread, I haven't seen anyone bring up the Saridor theory in relation to the giant creature that the citadel is built in (upon? around?). Given the mention of crystals, it still remains an intriguing possibility.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So Journeys through the Radiant Citadel is directed by Ajit George and Wes Schneider.

And do you remember these tweets from @WinningerR on Jun 14th 2021 ?



Knowing that @AriLevitch leaved WotC on Dec 15th 2021, maybe Ajit George took his place and this book in one of the 2 classics announced in new print formats (meaning just adventures to discover the world)

This is a new setting, not a classic setting.