D&D 5E (2014) 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​

 

[Maxperson]

I still want one.

I've owned 3 in my time. It's a shame I sold out completely when it was at $400.00

 

[Scribe]

I've owned 3 in my time. It's a shame I sold out completely when it was at $400.00

 

[Cadence]

Beren and Luthien was a happier ending I think.

Sure, they got their happy ending. (I mean seriously, I'm a huge fan).

But then how did it work out for Dior, Elured, and Elurin? (Although some say the later two made it).

 

[Dire Bare]

OOOOOooooh, right. Ravenloft is dark. Yes. I am a well adjusted person. I did not think Ravenloft was an unrealistically idyllic setting, and totally realized it was grim and dark to normal people like me that are normal.

Serious face edit: some of us stepped away from D&D for a bit in the 2000s to play White Wolf games, so our view of a dark setting definitely goes further than Ravenloft and Witchlight.

Ravenloft IS dark. The World of Darkness games are also dark. Different kinds and degrees, sure. "Dark" is a pretty broad descriptor . . .

Now "grimdark" . . . that has a very specific meaning.

 

[Dire Bare]

I...honestly don't think Exandria is polarizing? It's very standard D&D. That's the whole point: it's broadly appealing. And Netherdeep is pretty easy to slot into any world.

Critical Role isn't really polarizing. Social media exaggerates this sort of thing. Folks who LOVE or HATE Critical Role are LOUD on social media, making it seem like there is some sort of epic battle going on within the fandom. The majority of us aren't so passionate or polarized. Some folks like CR, others dislike, it doesn't even register on the radar for others.

And I strongly suspect that the number of folks who like or love Critical Role far outnumber the crankies who really, really dislike the show and/or setting.

 

[Dire Bare]

I go away for a few hours and there's a zillion more pages. So I don't know if anyone has pointed this out.

So there's an aurumvorax...
View attachment 154034

And... maybe an ebon tiger from Mystara?
View attachment 154036
It's not made of "black fire" like the ebon tiger is (according to the 3e MM), but I could see D&D keeping the ebon/dark part and going for a more crystalline thing. Although my Eberron-loving friend says it reminds him of Irian the Eternal Day.

And this...
View attachment 154037
Looks like maybe a re-imagining of the elemental grue.

The tiger and other animals are the spirit crystal animals that exist within the giant crystal the Radiant Citadel is wrapped around. They represent the stories and myths of the various cultures of the Radiant Citadel, and players can interact with them (beyond just fighting them, that is).

 

[Faolyn]

The tiger and other animals are the spirit crystal animals that exist within the giant crystal the Radiant Citadel is wrapped around. They represent the stories and myths of the various cultures of the Radiant Citadel, and players can interact with them (beyond just fighting them, that is).

Apparently you can offer them gifts, as well. Thanks for the info!

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

The tiger and other animals are the spirit crystal animals that exist within the giant crystal the Radiant Citadel is wrapped around. They represent the stories and myths of the various cultures of the Radiant Citadel, and players can interact with them (beyond just fighting them, that is).

I'm reminded of this scene from Voyager...



B'Elanna Torres, murder hobo. Confirmed

 

[SkidAce]

Yea. I remember this too.

to some it was THE END

Truth.

The circle starts again...

The Circle- Blackmore's Night

 

[Demetrios1453]

On the floating wall in the art

This is why we can't have cool fantasy in D&D. "OH noes, there's a floating wall in the setting, it makes no sense, it must be bad" is the same reaction we get to flying castles, floating islands or anything else that hasn't been done to death a hundred times over in a hundred other books.

I look at that image of the flying wall (and yeah, the point that it might tie into the INVISIBLE MOUNTAINS in an adventure is kinda on point) and think, wow, that's really cool. I wonder why it's like that?

Others look at it and stamp their feet that it cannot possible work and it must be the stupidest thing ever.

Whatever happened to keeping an open mind?

It's really telling when we've seen nothing but the illustration, and have no other information, that there are those who immediately decry it.

Basically, the question that remains unanswered is "Why is there a floating wall/bridge?" Group A believes there will likely be a satisfactory answer and are filled with wonder and interest. Group B believes there cannot be a satisfactory answer, and dislike it immediately. I'm just curious why Group B plays fantasy role-playing games if they immediately shut down any potential for wonder and magic like this. After a particularly stupid explanation? Sure. But why before we have any information?