Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel
Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is an epic fantasy adventure supplement for Dungeons & Dragons, written by 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 Ortegon, Miyuki Jane Pinckard, Pam Punzalan, Erin Roberts, Terry H. Romero, and Stephanie Yoon and published by Wizards of the Coast.
By Dave Pierson
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Disclaimer: There is no guarantee tat the light of the Radiant Citadel will be visible to the naked eye on your plane of existence, but know that it is there, whether seen or not.
– Wizards of the Coast, Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel, 2022
Fifteen! Fifteen wondrous civilizations make up the Radiant Citadel; a mysterious city that lies at the heart of the Ethereal Plane. For a few years now, Wizards of the Coast and the Dungeons and Dragons team have been working to bring more inclusivity and diversity to their publications. This new publication is a culmination of some of their actions by bringing together community members with connections to various real-world cultures to assist in writing and developing 13 adventures that, if approached the right way, can broaden and expand you and your players perspectives around fantasy settings.
Each of the 13 adventures presented in Journeys is designed for four to six players, however we all know adjustments are easy to do to meet the needs of your characters. Each short adventure introduces a new location tied to the Radiant Citadel and is versatile enough to lend to any numerous hooks you want to present. Although each adventure can be run individually, combined, the adventures can take your characters from level 1 to 15.
Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel opens with an overview of the citadel itself; the hallmarks, the people, and the many languages that make it great. The Radiant Citadel is touted as the shining beacon of hope in the unending mist and unseen terrors. At the heart of the citadel is the Auroral Diamond – a massive gemstone of unfathomable power. Everything within the city is dependent on this color shifting gemstone and can be used as a key meeting place or launching point into countless adventures. The gazetteer does a great job providing a vivid description of the Radiant Citadel that it’s easy to see characters wanting to hail from within.
One thing this book does well is introduce the many cultures, societies, and lifestyles that permeate the citadel without it seeming like a slap to the face. There is a key part at the beginning that really makes you think about how to do thoughtful introductions. From ensuring you are describing details and not stereotypes to gradual exploration; these are processes that can help you see the world through different lenses. Highlighting what’s familiar instead of embellishing in things you may not know can still make a grand adventure.
I don’t want to spoil the adventures that are presented in the book, but each are unique and encompass a real-world culture that is easily identifiable. What they get right is providing enough background that links to a heritage and provides a pronunciation key to assist the DM. There are hooks to help you link each location to the citadel as your starting point, but again, each adventure is agnostic enough that they can be incorporated into your own homebrew setting very easily. Traveling to and from the Citadel is accomplished through the Concord Jewels and these too can be easily lost and found by your players.
Overall, Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is a solid adventure book and accomplishes what it set out to do; provide a means to a greater variety of adventures that in turn can expand our gaming experience through deeper character development. And you don’t even have to make a big deal about the adventures to accomplish that goal.
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