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​

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

So fun, colorful Sigil without the Wheel or LoP?

Let's do this.

For real. I love Sigil and the idea of Planescape, but absolutely despise most of the Great Wheel. To me, an interplanar nexus with a variety of creatures and cultures from across the D&D Multiverse that isn't tied down to the Alignment-based baggage of the Great Wheel is an absolute win. And the fact that it's inspired by/based on so many non-European cultures and folklore is just icing on the cake.

 

[Scribe]

Hopefully not getting too tangential, but speaking of analogous cities, personally, I'd love an updated Sigil that is more New Orleans than Victorian London with planar creole replacing planar cant.

And this is exactly why I've come around on this update. I dont want changes.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Honestly it reminds me of Toronto.

I lived in Toronto for 11 years, and I can safely say I've never seen a raccoon painted blue fly away with fruit... never seen it sober, that is.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So far we have have fantasy Thailand, fantasy South Carolina, fantasy Carribean, fantasy Mexico, fantasy Persia (ruled by an Angel), fantasy Philippines, fantasy Mughal India, fantasy China, fantasy Venezuela, Fantasy Mesoamerica. That's 10 out of 15 and none of them the Gazeteers.

And unless new religions are added in the book, they will all worship the Gods of the Forgotten Realms in Adventurer's League, just like the Domains of Delight.

 

[BrokenTwin]

Not overly fond of companies tooting their own horn over diversity (just do it and let others report on it), but I'm really intrigued by a book written entirely from PoC perspectives, so I guess it worked. Don't run D&D much anymore, but if the adventures are interesting enough I can always convert them to my preferred systems. Really hoping the cultural diversity is more than just window dressing.

The setting itself sounds interesting, kind of a low-scale Sigil without the baggage and 90's aesthetics. I've never been fond of 5E's cluttered covers (the alternates are almost always superior). Alternate cover for this one isn't my favorite, but it's still good.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I lived in Toronto for 11 years, and I can safely say I've never seen a raccoon painted blue fly away with fruit... never seen it sober, that is.

You need to get out more.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I want to see the Great Wheel and Sigil and all the other planes in some big “Manual of the Planes” style book myself. And you know what, I want to see how the 5e team would reimagine it with their new design philosophy. I don’t mind change, even if it takes me some time to adjust to it (besides I can always use the old lore if I prefer that). However, I enjoy seeing new ideas and different alternative lore options for my favorite places in the multiverse. The World Axis was my favorite cosmology reimagining.

Heck, it could also double as a book for higher tier adventures, with new monsters, obstacles, magic effects, and various player options. Not that I expect any of this to happen, but it would be awesome if it did.

Regardless, I’ve seen some of the other material talking about RC but honestly it just makes me feel more and more meh, mainly because…..now I REALLY want to see a full blown, brand new setting inspired by some of these tid bits and it’s an adventure anthology instead!

 

[humble minion]

Hopefully not getting too tangential, but speaking of analogous cities, personally, I'd love an updated Sigil that is more New Orleans than Victorian London with planar creole replacing planar cant.

While on the topic, given that historically Spelljammer has a fairly prominent presence of Shou spacefarers, I'm hoping that when SJ comes along for 5e, it gives us a major setting location around a tradeport analogous to 18th-century-Singapore. Spelljammer's genocide elves can play the part of the colonial rulers...

 

[Parmandur]

Disappointing. Yet another meh publication from WoC. It feels this product lacks material depth.

Really feels like quite the opposite.

 

[Parmandur]

So far we have have fantasy Thailand, fantasy South Carolina, fantasy Carribean, fantasy Mexico, fantasy Persia (ruled by an Angel), fantasy Philippines, fantasy Mughal India, fantasy China, fantasy Venezuela, Fantasy Mesoamerica. That's 10 out of 15 and none of them the Gazeteers.

And unless new religions are added in the book, they will all worship the Gods of the Forgotten Realms in Adventurer's League, just like the Domains of Delight.

Ah, no, the Mughal Empire is one of the two Gazateers in the back of the book, no Adventure attached.