D&D: ‘Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel’ – WotC’s First-Ever PoC-Led Book & Other Details

New details emerge for upcoming adventure anthology, Journey through the Radiant Citadel, WotC’s first-ever PoC-led book.

Yesterday, Wizards of the Coast announced Journeys through the Radiant Citadel. An adventure anthology with 13 adventures that take players through to level 14, Radiant Citadel, promises diverse adventures throughout the planes.

And, as we learned yesterday, it’s also the first PoC-led book from Wizards of the Coast. In fact, according to a post from the book’s lead Ajit George, this book is a historic first for many reasons.

Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel‘s Team

In June of 2020, I pitched the idea to Jeremy Crawford and Wes Schneider at the D&D Studio for a book written by Black and brown writers. The idea was to create new places and lands based on our cultures, histories, myths, and lived experiences. To my surprise and joy, they agreed and asked me to co-lead it with Wes Schneider!

Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is an anthology of 13 compelling adventures that introduces 16 new locations, along with characters and monsters. The first location, the titular Radiant Citadel, was created and written by myself. You have never seen anything like it in D&D before.

There is so much we’ve accomplished with this unbelievable book:

• • I am the first-ever PoC Project Lead for a D&D book.
  • This is the first D&D book conceived, created, and written entirely by PoCs: Sixteen writers in total.
  • This is the first D&D book where the cover art and alt-cover art were both created by women of color: Evyn Fong and Sija Hong.
  • The co-Art Director is a woman of color: Emi Tanji.
  • The Marketing Lead is a woman of color: Sara Chan.
  • Two of the rules developers are PoCs: Makenzie De Armas and Taymoor Rehman.
  • One of the editors is a PoC: Jessica Ross.
  • Three cultural consultants are women of color: Nivair H. Gabriel, Jaymee Goh, and Carmen Maria Marin.
  • Almost two-thirds of the artists were PoCs and they created more than two-thirds of the art for the book.
  • One of our narrative design consultants (and also my wife), is a woman of color: Whitney Strix Beltrán. She was with me from the very first day to the very last. I am eternally grateful for all she’s done.
  • Additionally, half of the writers are women and several writers come from the LGBTQIA+ community.

More than 50 Black and brown people came together to work on this book and support its creation. I am overwhelmed by the scope of our accomplishments.

The sixteen writers for the book are: Justice Ramin Arman, Dominique Dickey, Basheer Ghouse, Alastor Guzman, D. Fox Harrell, T.K. Johnson, Felice Tzehuei, Surena Marie, Monidipa Mondal, Mario Ortegón, Miyuki Jane Pinckard, Pam Punzalan, Erin Roberts, Terry Romero, Stephanie Yoon and myself.

Historic firsts for D&D and Wizards of the Coast aside, there are plenty of other details we know, now.

Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel – New Details

Yesterday we also learned a little about the Radiant Citadel itself. According to Polygon, the city is massive and mysterious:

“The city is carved from a massive fossil of mysterious origins — an ancient, likely extinct creature that no one has yet been able to identify. At its core is a colossal gemstone shard known as the Royal Diamond. Surrounding the city is a constellation of 15 smaller gemstones called Concord Jewels. Each of those gems is connected to the Material Plane, and serves as a gateway to 15 of the Citadel’s founding civilizations. They allow for rapid transport to and from the Citadel — but 12 of those gems are missing, and their locations are currently unknown.”

George revealed that Indian rock-cut architecture played a part in the citadel’s design. And with the Concord Jewels scattered around, it’s easy to drop the Radiant Citadel wherever you’re playing.

The Radiant Citadel’s reputation heralds it as a place of peace. It is a respite among the many planes of existence. Beings from different planes and civilizations mix together here. Which makes for exciting Urban Adventures.

But What About The Adventures?

Comicbook.com gave us a look at some of the adventures as well, including a full list of adventures found in the book. At the press event, WotC previewed three different adventures.

• Salted Legacy, written by Surena Marie, and set in Night Market, a Thailand-inspired locale
• Written in Blood, by Erin Roberts, and set in Godsbreath, a region inspired by the black experience in the sourthern US
• Shadow of the Sun, by Justice Arman, set in a Persian-inspired city, Akharin Sangar

Here’s a full list of the adventures in the book.

• 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

Additionally, the book will feature eleven new monsters, and a brand new reward for finishing adventures referred to for now as a Charm.

Journeys through the Radiant Citadel promises high adventure. You won’t even have to wait that long. WotC releases the book June 21st. So get ready for days of high adventure.

Happy Adventuring!

Author: J.R. Zambrano

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and on occasion eats sandwiches. You can ask him about either at [email protected]