When Citadel of Light arrived on my doorstep, I was shocked to see what Dragonlance products had now become. In this case. It was a flattened, battered little box containing two small booklets and a colorful two-sided map. Where did the hardcovers and boxed sets of TSR's past go? Maybe my confusion is purely a result of the isolation of my current home (a Coast Guard cutter at sea many months each year) shielding me from many changes in gaming. I had seen the original Saga/'Lance product and hoped it was a one-shot format. Damn progress.
Citadel of Light is a nice, if not very inspired, idea. That idea is expanded as far as TSR can take it. A place of good people with good intentions and a message to spread. Donnie and Marie Osmond must have conceived this. There are bad people who don't want that message spread. If the DM is blessed, the characters will want to join that group. Nothing bad, but this is far from revolutionary or inspirational material. Even the setting looks like a bootlegged ancient Britain. The first book covers setting. An adventure fills the second volume.
For a TSR adventure, much of A Light in the Darkness is what one would expect. It's fairly thorough. There are sections to be read aloud. Two items set it apart from other adventures. First, it is designed around pre-made characters. I have few players who don't frown at that. On the positive side though, there are some provisions for using original PCs. A DM will have to put some extra effort into making sure these characters fit into the story. Yes, some arm-twisting may be necessary to keep the whole story from turning into a colossal charlie fox-trot.
The second difference from other TSR products is the goal: personal development! Collecting vorpal swords, gold and experience points doesn't occur. Serious role-playing is required in some, but not all, scenes. There's plenty of fighting to keep the action going. The scenes are short and direct, like a movie. Linking all the short scenes requires monumental player cooperation. Not likely with my groups. At least once in each session I am left to mutter and sort through papers in a daze, a victim of the players' ability to do things I would never have expected in a millenium of gaming. Again, arm twisting may be required to keep the adventure on track.
The map is colorful and well done. Full color, two-sided and tasteful. I couldn't have asked for more in a gaming map. No vast tracts of cleavage are exposed and the border doesn't look like the Boston Marathon being run by punks and glam-rockers (the execrable map from In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil).
The one aspect that most appeals to me while also driving me to drink, is the packaging. Keen! The new line looks like a normal book and can be shelved as such. I love that. But for Arneson's sake, why does it have to be so bloody flimsy? Most of the Saga/'Lance boxes I've seen in stores are fast on their way to looking like mine does. These products should wear well. My first copy of the AD&D PHB still looks better than Citadel of Light. The color map and two small (5-1/2" x 8-3/8") 96-page booklets aren't very sturdy either. This product may do well in the second-hand game market in future years as collectors search in vain for mint condition copies. My copy certainly won't fetch much on that market.
It should be understood that this is not a bad product. There are many well-done NPCs and a solidly developed premise. As a ready-made campaign-setting, Citadel is good. Several usable new character kits have been added to the setting. The adventure even focuses on character development. Citadel was written by role-players rather than dungeon-crawlers or kill-happy munchkins. This is the material for an entire campaign. The adventure has much to be appreciated and much to change, as well. For $22, there's sufficient info, if not much physical material. If one can find a copy in good shape, it's worth having in the collection.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 3 (Average)
