1
WYDZIAŁ FILOLOGICZNY
UNIWERSYTETU ŚLĄSKIEGO W KATOWICACH
INSTYTUT KULTUR I LITERATUR ANGLOJĘZYCZNYCH
FILIP JĘDRUSIK
NR ALBUMU: 303567
STRUKTURA FABULARNA ZADAŃ W GRZE WIEDŹMIN 3: DZIKI
GON W ODNIESIENIU DO XX MASTER PLOTS: AND HOW TO
BUILD THEM RONALDA B. TOBIASA
PRACA DYPLOMOWA (LICENCJACKA)
IMIĘ I NAZWISKO
PROMOTORA: dr Bartosz Stopel
SOSNOWIEC 2018 R.
2
FACULTY OF PHILOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF SILESIA IN KATOWICE
INSTITUTE OF ENGLISH CULTURES AND LITEATURES
FILIP JĘDRUSIK
STUDENT INDEX NUMBER: 303567
THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT’S QUESTES’ PLOT STRUCTURE IN
REFERENCE TO XX MASTER PLOTS: AND HOW TO BUILD THEM
BY RONALD B. TOBIAS
B.A. PAPER
ADVISER: dr Bartosz Stopel
SOSNOWIEC 2018 R.
3
Słowa kluczowe: video games, narrative, plot structure, The Witcher
Oświadczenie autora pracy
Ja, niżej podpisany/-a:
Filip Jacenty Jędrusik
autor pracy dyplomowej pt. „STRUKTURA FABULARNA ZADAŃ W
GRZE WIEDŹMIN 3: DZIKI GON W ODNIESIENIU DO XX
MASTER PLOTS: AND HOW TO BUILD THEM RONALD’A B.
TOBIAS’A” (“THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT’S QUESTES’ PLOT
STRUCTURE IN REFERENCE TO XX MASTER PLOTS: AND HOW
TO BUILD THEM BY RONALD B. TOBIAS”)
Numer albumu: 303567,
student Wydziału Filologicznego Uniwersytetu Śląskiego w Katowicach,
kierunku studiów filologia angielska, specjalności Projektowanie rozrywki
interaktywnej oraz lokalizacja gier i oprogramowania (Sprint-Write)
Oświadczam, że ww. praca dyplomowa:
została przygotowana przeze mnie samodzielnie1,
nie narusza praw autorskich w rozumieniu ustawy z dnia 4 lutego 1994 r. o
prawie autorskim i prawach pokrewnych (tekst jednolity Dz. U. z 2006 r. Nr
90, poz. 631, z późn. zm.) oraz dóbr osobistych chronionych prawem
cywilnym,
 nie zawiera danych i informacji, które uzyskałem/-am w sposób niedozwolony,
 nie była podstawą nadania dyplomu uczelni wyższej lub tytułu zawodowego
ani mnie, ani innej osobie.
Oświadczam również, że treść pracy dyplomowej zamieszczonej przeze mnie w
Archiwum Prac Dyplomowych jest identyczna z treścią zawartą w wydrukowanej
wersji pracy.


Jestem świadomy/-a
oświadczenia.
odpowiedzialności
………………………………….
Data
karnej
za
złożenie
………………………………….
Podpis autora pracy
uwzględniając merytoryczny wkład promotora (w ramach prowadzonego seminarium
dyplomowego)
1
fałszywego
4
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 1 .......................................................................................................................... 9
1.1.
General analysis................................................................................................... 9
1.2.
Quest ..................................................................................................................11
1.3.
Adventure...........................................................................................................13
1.4.
Action-based plots ..............................................................................................15
1.5.
Conflict-based plots ............................................................................................19
1.6.
Transformation-based plots ................................................................................21
1.7.
Love-based plots .................................................................................................25
1.8.
Event-based plots ...............................................................................................27
1.9.
Conclusion ..........................................................................................................29
CHAPTER 2 .........................................................................................................................31
2.1.
Introduction........................................................................................................31
2.2.
Quests with elements of Quest plot ....................................................................31
2.3.
Quests with elements of action-based plots ........................................................34
2.4.
Quests with elements of conflict-based plots ......................................................38
2.5.
Quests with elements of transformation-based plots ..........................................39
2.6.
Quests with elements of love-based plots ...........................................................41
2.7.
Main storyline.....................................................................................................43
2.8.
Conclusion ..........................................................................................................46
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................49
SUMMARY IN ENGLISH .......................................................................................................51
STRESZCZENIE W JĘZYKU POLSKIM (SUMMARY IN POLISH) ................................................52
5
INTRODUCTION
This paper aims to analyse plot structures formulated by Ronald B. Tobias in
XX Master Plots: And How to Build Them through comparison with structures of
universal genres presented by Patrick C. Hogan in How Author’s Minds Make Stories,
and further with storyline of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt2. The main intent of this paper
is to answer the question of how quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, developed by a
Polish video game studio CD Project Red, interpret and modify Tobias’ prototypical
plot structures. The modifications involve switching the order of stages, removing and
adding those from other genres, as well as creating new stages that do not exist in any
other plots.
The choice of this topic stems from personal interest, both when it comes to
games in general, role playing video games (RPGs) specifically, and forming,
analysing, and reviewing the usage of plot structures. Moreover, there has been no
research conducted on the connection between contemporary plot structures (such as
those described in XX Master Plots) and the universal genres defined by Hogan. The
methodological approach taken in this study is a mixed methodology based on
ludology, narratology and game studies. Also, while much research has been carried
out on plot structures in literature or even movies, there have been few investigations
into those in interactive entertainment.
This paper tests two main hypotheses, one for each chapter. The first is that
each of plot structures presented in Tobias’ XX Master Plots is based on a modified or
mixed version of one or more of Universal Genres formulated by Hogan. These genres
2
CD Projekt RED, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CDP, 2015)
6
being: heroic, sacrificial, romantic tragicomedies, and plots of revenge, criminal
investigation, familial separation, and seduction. 3 The second is that secondary (side)
quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are designed in a way that most of them can be
assigned to one of Tobias’ Master Plots, usually deeply modified.
The idea behind this paper is that contemporary writers and scriptwriters follow
the method that, amongst many others, William Shakespeare employed in his works,
and which consists in modifying existing elements of universal genres, in order to
make it more interesting to the reader and eliminate the risk of a plot being cliché. An
example of what Shakespeare was doing is presented by Hogan:
Shakespeare sometimes takes up a common motif but alters it in
characteristic and consequential ways. For instance, the killing of an
innocent youth is a fairly widespread cross-cultural motif in heroic
plots. This killing is often performed by the hero or someone else on
the “good” side. As such, it is a common trigger for the epilogue of
suffering. Shakespeare incorporates such a murder with some
frequency. However, he most often attributes this killing to the
enemy or “bad” side (insofar as this is precisely determinable). In
keeping with this propensity, Shakespeare’s plays rarely involve an
epilogue of suffering. 4
Hogan describes procedures and manipulations Shakespeare applies, which he calls
development principles. There are two types of them: one focuses on alteration of basic
prototype (alteration principles), and the second focuses on concretization of existing
prototypes (specification principles), mostly characters. This paper will focus on the
former one, as the aim is to analyse structures of plot events, not characters they
involve. The alteration principles are: discourse manipulation (rearranging the order
of events), multiplication and deletion of events, ellipsis (using understatements
Patrick C. Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2013), 29-33
4
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 50
3
7
instead of giving full information), and insertion of elements that are not native for
certain prototype, usually taken from other prototypes.5
The only addition to the method Shakespeare adapted is that nowadays writers
try adding their own small elements, outside of the fixed set of events from established
prototypes, as there is only a limited number of variations of universal genres;
therefore, more advanced techniques must be used in order to keep newly made stories
interesting to the audience.
The first chapter of the paper is dedicated to the analysis of Tobias’ twenty plot
structures in terms of their basis on the classical archetypical structures (i.a. heroic,
romantic or sacrificial tragi-comedies), discussed by Hogan, and serves as a
background to the game-analysis part of the paper. It focuses on each of the plots in
order to find from which structure, or structures, it draws inspiration. In some cases,
the inspiration is visible at first glance, as in the example of the Tobias’ plot – Love6,
which draws entirely from the romantic comedy, and only abandons the last, optional
phase of the plot – reunion after death. However, in the example of the Escape plot7,
which draws mostly from the Heroic tragedy (imprisonment of hero, death imagery as
the escape attempts fail), then adds its own phase of build-up of suspense as the hero
plans his final attempt to escape, and finally takes a part of the ending phase of the
romantic and heroic comedy – return of hero from exile, preceded by the final,
successful attempt to escape but with some obstacles during which the antagonist is
frequently punished for what he has done. As for limitations, this paper takes into
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 33-34
Ronald B. Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest
Books, 1993), 168-181
7
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 93-98
5
6
8
consideration only the plot structures of universal genres and plots, not character
archetypes.
The second chapter of the paper is dedicated to analysing the most interesting
approaches to Tobias’ structures as supposedly used to develop plots of side quests,
and some specific quests in the main plot of The Witcher 3. This part is to check both
some straightforward interpretations of the structures, and some more creative ways
of interpreting Tobias’ structures, in order to show that quests in The Witcher 3 are
designed in a way that most of them can be assigned to one of Tobias’ XX Master Plots
but with a twist, so that they their basis is not obvious in order to make quests more
interesting to the player. However, due to practical constraints, this paper cannot
provide a comprehensive analysis of all the quests in the game, as there are as many
as 268 of them, just in the base game. Consequently, as previously stated, only the
most distinctive quests, with most inventive variations on the Tobias’ plots are
included in this paper.
9
CHAPTER 1
1.1.
General analysis
According to Patrick C. Hogan, there are three major cross-culturally universal
narrative genres: heroic, sacrificial, and romantic, and four minor universal genres:
revenge, criminal investigation, familial separation, and seduction. 8 Each of the those
has its own specific structure that is analysed below, in order to provide consistent
schemes that will be later used for comparison with actual plots in The Witcher 3: Wild
Hunt.
The heroic genre consists of seven stages: peace, usurpation, exile, foreign
threat, return from exile, internal suffering, and return to society. The plot begins with
legitimate ruler - hero being in power (peace), who soon later is usurped by someone
from his society, sometimes with a help of a foreign power (usurpation). Then, the
hero is either sent on some kind of exile or imprisoned (exile), during this period a
foreign power, sometimes the one that helped the usurper, comes as a danger to the
society. The hero returns or escapes the imprisonment in order to protect their
homeland and to regain the throne, and he or she succeeds (return from exile). The
hero might later be haunted by his past deeds, or by grief, which leads to second exile,
this time internal (internal suffering), after which he or she may finally return to
society.9
The sacrificial genre consists of five stages: peace, violation, punishment,
sacrifice, and normalization. This plot revolves around satisfying basic needs, such as
8
9
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 29
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 30-31
10
nutrition or health. It begins with a group of people or a single representative of that
group, violating a divine law (violation). The violation can either be due to personal
weakness or to external temptation. Then, the whole community is punished for the
deed, usually through famine or plague (punishment). To appease the deity a sacrifice
must be made, which victim is the person guilty of the violation, or the person who
tempted the violator (sacrifice). After the sacrifice, life comes back to normal,
sometimes it even is better than before the violation (normalization). 10
The romantic genre consists of 5 stages: love, obstacle, separation,
accomplishment, and reconciliation. This plot is based on a mix of sexual desire and
attachment, which constitute the romantic love. It begins with two people falling in
love (love), but they face a force which forbids them from being together (obstacle).
This force is usually personified by the family, church, or state. Also, there can be a
rival for the hand of one of the lovers, who is much more preferred by the society. The
lack of social acceptance for the relationship between lovers often leads to exile of one
of them, and imprisonment of the other (separation). The banished one has to perform
a kind of great accomplishment or change their status (accomplishment) in order to for
both of them to be united (reconciliation). 11
The revenge genre is focused around grief and anger, frequently after the loss
of a member of family or a lover, or even adultery, and is often a part of the heroic
narrative. At the end, the revenger often dies, and if they do not, the revenge does not
10
11
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 30-31
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 31
11
let them recover their loved ones, so the grief remains and is even stronger than in the
beginning.12
The criminal investigation genre usually begins with a murder or another type
of serious crime and revolves around looking for the culprit and/or the person
responsible for the assassination plot. It ends with the investigator finding them and
their later punishment.13
The familial separation genre is a variation on the romantic genre, but the force
that drives the hero is just the attachment, without sexual desire. The general structure
of that plot is the same as in the romantic plot, but the hero is separated from his or her
parents or children instead of the lover. The major difference between this plot and the
romantic one, is that this plot’s ending is commonly unsatisfactory, due to the long
detachment.14
The seduction genre is also based on the romantic genre, but instead of
attachment it is driven by sexual desire. It is usually the man who seduces the woman
and promises marriage, but instead he abandons her after the act. The woman pursues
him, and at the end finds him. This plot’s end can be diverse, ranging from the death
of one or both characters to successful marriage. 15
1.2.
Quest
The first of Ronald Tobias’ plots is Quest, which seems to have the most basic
structure, very often seen in contemporary works. However, its connection to Hogan’s
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 32
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 32
14
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories,31
15
Hogan, How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, 31-32
12
13
12
universal genres is not that simple, as Quest combines the structure of the heroic genre
with elements of romantic, sacrificial, and revenge genres.
Quest begins with the hero at state of peace, usually at home, which is parallel
to the first stage of heroic genre – peace. But the tranquillity is shaken as the hero
either realizes that he or she is unhappy in their current state, or some external power
makes them leave their home, and search for a certain object that is going to change
their life. That element can be compared to the goal of the sacrificial genre – regaining
a standard of life but instead of a general satisfaction of needs in terms of Quest the
goal is objectified and can take varied shapes, from immortality or the Holy Grail, to
maturity.
The next step is the first adventure on the way to the goal - the first obstacle,
whose objective is to motivate the hero to set off for the quest and to strengthen their
belief that this is the right thing to do. It is followed by a series of obstacles the hero
has to overcome in order to learn more about their goal and about themselves, and
those are the first steps to the internal change of hero’s character. These two steps are
a variation of the obstacle step from the romantic genre, as they are not limited to one
specific power that wants to stop the hero from completing the quest. Also, the first
obstacle is there no to demotivate the hero but on the contrary, to ensure him or her
that their choice is right.
After the hero surmounts all the obstacles, there comes the penultimate stage
of the Quest – finding the object of desire. Often with the object comes the realization
that the goal the hero pursued is not what he or she really needed, so they actually did
not finish their quest, as they have not obtained the object they really wanted. This
stage is closest to the final stage of the revenge genre, because they both involve the
13
hero achieving their goal, even though the goals themselves are much different, and
also can leave the hero with a sense of failure, because they did not get what they
needed (the object of desire in Quest and their loved ones back in revenge genre).
Quest ends with the hero coming back to home or society he or she originates
from, usually deeply changed in character because of lessons learned from the journey,
and its aim is to show the alteration of hero’s personality or realization that they had
everything they really wanted since beginning. It is parallel to the return to society
stage from heroic genre, especially when taking into account the internal suffering
stage which changes the hero’s character, as both of them have him or her end in the
same point they have started the journey but different in terms of their internal
structure.
1.3.
Adventure
Second of Tobias’ plots is Adventure, which is fairly similar to Quest; however,
the structure is rather different, and the emphasis of the story is moved from character
development to the journey itself, as Tobias’ states: “the reader is basically concerned
with the chain of events and with what happens next.”16 Also, the objective is not the
change of character, but success in life in general, such as great fortune or high
standard of life; therefore, the hero does not experience any personality shift, and at
the and is exactly the same person he or she was at the beginning.
Adventure, just like Quest, begins with the hero being peacefully at home but
is quickly and often violently forced to act and begin their journey:
16
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 77
14
(…) the act should impel the character. Oftentimes the character has
no choice but to act. (…) Robin Hood begins his journey as the
prince of thieves only after he shoots one of the king's stags on a bet
and must go on the lam. Lemuel Gulliver gets shipwrecked, as does
Robinson Crusoe (…)17
This stage can be collated with the separation stage of the romantic plot, as in terms of
both the force that is responsible is connected to family or a person holding public
office, as well as with exile from heroic plot, as the hero cannot return to his society,
not necessarily to their lover. However, it sometimes can be the force of nature, like in
the example of Robinson Crusoe, which makes an interesting alteration of the
otherwise similar to romantic stage.
Due to the previous stage, the hero has to quickly adapt to new environment,
hence has to learn abilities and gain knowledge that will be useful for his survival, and
secure access to means that fulfil his or her basic needs. This stage is not directly
reflected in any of the stages of Hogan’s plots, but its closest correlation is with the
urgency to satisfy the basic needs around which the sacrificial genre revolves.
In the final stage the hero returns to society, and thanks to skills he or she has
acquired during separation stage they become very successful, and often their
endeavours leave them with a considerable fortune. This is when the hero’s fate is
sealed, as they usually have their future secured, both in the material and spiritual way.
Also, this stage summarizes the whole journey and shows what the hero had to come
through to end up where he or she is. Tobias shows it on the example of the hero from
The Three Languages by the Brothers Grimm, whom for this text he names Hans:
“(…) Hans moves through successive states of being. He starts out
as dumb Hans (Act One), develops into the young adopted count
(Act Two) and ends up as the pope (Act Three). Each stage depends
17
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 73
15
on the previous one. He also moves through three fathers. Hans starts
out with the irresponsible and intolerant father of Act One, graduates
to an understanding and giving father in Act Two,
and graduates again to be the figurative son of God.”18
This step is a mix of the return from exile stage from heroic genre, and the
accomplishment stage from romantic genre, with some original flavour. From the
former one, it takes the idea of successful return home, in a more powerful and trained
state than before exile. From the latter one it takes the requirement for some
outstanding feat in order to return, which may be e.g. election to a high office, or
managing to survive in harsh environment long enough to be rescued. As for the
original component, Tobias added the aspect of monetary value this success often
brings and stated it as the main goal of the whole Adventure, even if at the beginning
that was not the objective.
1.4.
Action-based plots
Five next plots presented by Tobias (Pursuit, Rescue, Escape, Revenge, and
The Riddle) are all physical, which means that the emphasis is moved from characters
and their development and qualities, which are marginalized, to the action and chase
themselves. Actions performed by characters do not tell the audience about characters,
it is just action for action’s sake, for pure entertainment, and for the constant tension
and risk of pursued getting caught or the mystery getting solved. Moreover, all five
involve the motif of looking for someone or something important for the protagonist,
either a lover, a criminal, a person who hurt you personally, or even freedom as in
Escape plot and solution to the mystery as in The Riddle plot. The base for the analysis
18
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 77
16
and comparison of Pursuit, Rescue, Escape, Revenge, and The Riddle plots will be the
first one – Pursuit.
Pursuit begins with the setup stage which involves introducing pursuer and
pursued. It is also the time when the consequences of eventual catch are determined,
which can range from marriage to death. This step can be connected to the love stage
from romantic plot; however, it is a rather loose interpretation of that stage. Still, what
applies to both is the fact that they concern two people (or two groups), but the link
between them does not have to be positive. It may be a criminal and a victim (on either
side), a pair of lovers etc. The setup stage ends with an event that begins the pursuit,
the type of the event can vary depending on the relationship between chaser and chased
and is a generic stage for most of plots.
The second stage of Pursuit is the chase itself and is the longest and essential
part of the plot, as this is when the actual action takes place. At this stage there can and
should be numerous twists and turns, during which the pursuer gets very close to the
pursued, usually physically, just to lose him or her again soon later. Through this the
sense of tension is built up, which is the central part that holds the audience in the
story. In terms of correlation to universal genres, this step is a mix of revenge and
investigation genres, as both of them have the chase aspect included, only the motif of
the pursuer varies. From the former Pursuit takes the fact that usually both
characters/groups know each other, even if not personally, and from the latter the
multiple twists along the way that alternately get the pursuer closer and further to the
pursued.
Pursuit can end in two very much different ways – either with pursuer catching
the pursued, or with the pursued escaping in a way the chaser has no chance to capture
17
him or her. This stage is connected to both revenge and investigation genres and might
have elements of the last stage of romantic genre, as the ending depends on the
outcome of the chase. From the revenge it could have taken the idea of the chased
getting killed, but it might as well be the chaser who is dead at the end. Same applies
to investigation and romantic plots, as in the first case either character may be
imprisoned, and in the second the characters can get married. What makes this plot
unpredictable and also rather versatile is the fact that both the romantic and
investigation plots can end in exactly opposite way, which usually means that the
pursued escapes without trace, leaving the pursuer empty-handed.19
In Rescue plot, the first stage is similar to that in Pursuit but ends with the
separation of the victim and the protagonist, so takes from the separation stage of the
romantic plot. The second stage is, just like in Pursuit plot, the pursuit of the antagonist
by the protagonist, who wants to rescue the victim. Protagonist actions are reactions
to those of the antagonist. This is, similarly to the second stage of Pursuit, a mix of
revenge and investigation genres. The third stage is the confrontation with the
antagonist which makes it different from the one in the Pursuit plot in which the
pursued does not have to be caught. It is connected to revenge genre and reconciliation
stage of the romantic genre, as it also ends with the confrontation of two powers but
instead of the protagonist, who manages to rescue the victim, the antagonist is
defeated.20
The sequence of events in Escape plot is quite different than in Pursuit, as it
begins with the imprisonment of the hero (coming from exile stage of heroic genre),
19
20
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 79-85
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 86-92
18
followed by hero’s planning of escape. This stage has no precise counterpart in any of
the universal genres, so it can be considered as an original stage. The Escape ends with
the escape itself, after his or her original plan falls apart, and he or she confronts the
antagonist. This stage draws mostly on the return from exile stage of heroic plot, as
the hero escapes from exile (imprisonment), not in order to save the society but to
achieve his or her goal – regaining freedom. 21
The Revenge is based on the revenge genre, as it begins with the crime
committed on the protagonist’s family, which could be a loss of its member of a serious
injury. It then follows with the pursuit of the criminal and plotting of the revenge,
which may be interrupted by a third party, usually the police. The Revenge ends with
the confrontation, which is conducted in a different way than in its counterpart from
the universal genres, as the hero does not necessarily have to but usually succeeds and
does not pay a high emotional price for his or her revenge.22
The target in The Riddle, just like in the Escape plot, is not a person but a bit
of an abstract target – the solution of a riddle. Nowadays, as Tobias states, this plot has
transformed into the mystery plot:
Today the riddle has metamorphosized into the mystery. The short
text of the riddle has become the longer text of the short story and
the novel. But the focus is the same: It is a challenge to the reader to
solve the problem. 23
As films and books are usually not interactive media (in contrast to video games), the
Riddle plot does not directly make readers solve itself but instead keeps them anxious
and uncertain whether it will ever be solved and what will be its repercussions.
21
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 93-98
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 99-110
23
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 113
22
19
The Riddle, just like Pursuit, begins with a generic establishment of characters,
locations, and events. The second stage revolves around gathering clues that will help
resolving the puzzle and might suggest the answer to readers. Its structure is the closest
to criminal investigation genre, as often it literally is the investigation and looking for
a potential culprit. The last stage is the solution of the riddle; therefore, finding out
what actually happened. It does not have a direct counterpart in any of the universal
genres, but it can be compared again to the criminal investigation, as there it also is
the final resolution of investigation.24
1.5.
Conflict-based plots
The following three plots presented by Tobias are Rivalry, Underdog, and
Temptation. All three of them are based on a conflict between two adversaries (but in
case of Temptation the protagonist is torn by the internal conflict). The main difference
between the first two plots is that in the former one both opponents have comparable
strength and weaknesses (even though they can be different), and in the latter the
protagonist is much weaker than his or her rival. The Temptation plot has partially
similar structure but as was previously stated, tells the story about an internal, not
external conflict. The base for the analysis and comparison of competition-based plots
will be the Rivalry plot.
Rivalry plot begins, after a brief period of peace, with both the protagonist and
the antagonist being on a similar power level, which can be treated as a peace stage,
as everything is in order and there is no conflict. Then, the antagonist gains superiority
over the protagonist, which initializes the conflict between them and disrupts the
24
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 111-123
20
balance in power. This step can be compared to the usurpation from heroic genre, as
in both the protagonist gets overpowered by the antagonist.
The second stage involves the hero regaining his or her lost power thanks to
the change of fortune, up to a point where both him or her and the antagonist are again
on the same level. It is rather similar to return from exile from heroic genre. However,
instead of regaining the metaphorical or literal throne, the hero regains strength, skills,
position etc. but does not defeat the antagonist yet.
The final stage is the confrontation between rivals, during which the
protagonist usually defeats the antagonist and restores the balance of power. This stage
once again reminds of the return from exile present in the heroic genre, because the
hero restores the balance but also bears visible elements of the end of the revenge
genre, as the confrontation between protagonist and antagonist takes place. However,
it does not have to end in bloodshed or death, which is usually present in the revenge
genre, and does not leave the protagonist with any guilt over what he or she has done. 25
The Underdog plot is different from Rivalry in the initial distribution of power,
because the antagonist has power over the protagonist since the beginning, even before
the start of the conflict. The structure of both plots is nearly identical, apart from the
ending in which in terms of Underdog the protagonist does not have to overcome his
or her opponent.26
The Temptation is a plot about internal conflict which is provoked by
succumbing to temptation and all the consequences that come with it. The structure of
25
26
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 124-130
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 131-137
21
this plot relies almost entirely on the sacrificial genre but involves small twists. In the
first stage the temptation is determined and the protagonist fails to resist it. It is similar
to the violation stage of the sacrificial genre, as both involve yielding to temptation,
violating some kind of a law, either a divine (sacrificial genre), or earthly one
(temptation plot). The rest of this stage’s elements are generic, because they involve
introducing characters and establishing background to the story. In the second stage,
the positive effects of the deed recede, and the negative ones appear and come into
force. Moreover, the protagonist tries to avoid the latter but fails to. This stage is
similar to the punishment stage of sacrificial genre, as the protagonist suffers the
consequences of what he or she did so it is a form of punishment, even if they don’t
get punished directly by an external force. In the third stage the protagonist manages
to reconcile with his or her choice as they understand the evilness of it, and then repents
for his or her sins which are forgiven; however, they leave a strong emotional mark on
the protagonist. This stage is a merge of sacrifice and normalization stages from the
sacrificial genre. The sacrifice is in a form of repentance for past sins and the
protagonist’s will to improve. It is strictly connected to reconciliation, usually with the
higher power or with himself, which, similarly to endings of Pursuit and Underdog
plots, reinstalls the balance of the world and protagonist’s conscience. 27
1.6.
Transformation-based plots
The next four plots introduced by Tobias are Metamorphosis, Transformation,
Maturation, and Sacrifice. They present the change of the protagonist, either emotional
(Metamorphosis), mental (Transformation), moral (Sacrifice), or mixture of many
27
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 138-145
22
presented gradually (Maturation). The most distinct aspect is that there does not have
to be any external force that will influence the change once it starts, the protagonist
has to handle it and its consequences himself. This condition distincts these plots from
those in which the change is based on series of external events, not a single one –
event-based plots. Moreover, all four of the plots are character plots, so the focus is
not on the events around but on what happens to and inside the protagonist. The base
for the analysis and comparison of transformation-based plots will be the
Metamorphosis plot.
The Metamorphosis plot begins with the protagonist getting the curse which
causes the metamorphosis to take place, but its reason is not known yet. The audience
also learns about the way to lift the curse, and the way the protagonist tries to live
despite the metamorphosis. This is the generic beginning which aim is to introduce the
audience to the situation in the story and to characters that appear in it, and usually
takes place before the actual story begins.
In the first stage of the Metamorphosis plot the antagonist is introduced, who
is usually a victim held against their will with the protagonist to serve as a catalyst to
lift the curse. That is when the antagonist learns about the curse and its effects,
sometimes about the remedy. If one takes into account the relation between the
antagonist and protagonist in this stage, it is similar to the exile stage of the heroic
genre; however, in Metamorphosis roles are switched, as not the protagonist is
imprisoned by the antagonist, but the other way around. It also bears elements of the
sacrifice stage of the sacrificial genre, as that is when characters learn the means to lift
the punishment (sacrificial genre) or curse (Metamorphosis).
23
The second stage shows the evolution of relationship between the protagonist
and the antagonist. Usually the latter begins to understand the protagonist more and
more but also starts to gain control over him, usually due to his or her beauty,
intelligence or kindness. It is also when the love between them starts to appear. It does
not have any direct counterpart in the universal genres but has some elements of the
love stage from the romantic genre, as the feelings between characters appear;
however, they do not address a pair of protagonists, but a protagonist and an
antagonist.
The last stage involves lifting of the protagonist’s curse thanks to the influence
of the antagonist. It may lead to protagonist’s death or reversion to the stage before the
curse. Depending on the outcome, this stage can resemble the end of revenge genre, as
the protagonist dies “thanks to” the antagonist, or the normalisation stage of the
sacrificial genre, as the protagonist comes back to the state before the curse. As the
audience can also learn about the cause of the curse, this stage has some elements of
the generic beginning, because at this stage basic information is brought forth.28
The beginning of Transformation plot is similar to the prologue of
Metamorphosis, as the audience witnesses the event that changes protagonist’s life,
but unlike the curse, it does not have to be a negative event but has to begin the crisis
in protagonist’s character. It has some connection to the internal suffering stage of the
heroic genre, as that is the only stage from universal genres in which the internal
conflict is clearly visible. The second stage shows the change the protagonist
undergoes, and his or her self-examination. It is again closest to the internal suffering
28
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 146-152
24
stage, as the protagonist contemplates his or her deeds and their consequences. The
final stage brings an event that is catalytic for the protagonist and allows him or her
reconcile with themselves and their transformation. It does not have to be entirely
positive for the protagonist but lets him or her continue their life without looking back.
It bears elements of the normalization stage of sacrificial genre, because the
protagonist’s life comes back to normal, but he or she is changed due to the catalytic
event which is similar to the original usage of the stage. However, the ending of
Transformation has elements of the return to society stage of heroic genre, but instead
of society the antagonist, after catharsis, returns to everyday life. 29
The factor that begins the change in Maturation plot is, unlike in the two
previous ones, more natural, may involve death of a parent or a member of the family,
and makes its mark on the protagonist’s psyche. That event is the essence of the first
stage and is similar to one of possible beginnings of the revenge genre, as it also may
involve the loss of a loved one. Instead of embarking on an adventure of revenge, the
young protagonist tries to find his or her place in the world, which smoothly moves
into the second stage. That is when the protagonist faces the cruelty of adult life and
lives through events that shape his or her personality. It is similar to the second stage
of the Transformation plot but also to the Road of Trials form Campbellian Monomyth.
It does not have a direct counterpart in any of the universal genres and is nothing more
than a series of events that happen to the protagonist. The final stage is similar to those
form two previous plots in this subchapter, and involves the protagonist’s
reconciliation with the new self, or rejecting it in order to remain in the childhood.30
29
30
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 153-159
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 160-167
25
The first phase of the Sacrifice plot is when the setting up of the protagonist’s
character takes place in order to make his or her moral change believable. That is also
when the source of the transformation appears (ex. woman). That is a generic set up
stage, with a slight addition of the first stage of seduction genre, as long as the source
is a potential lover. The second stage introduces a strong moral dilemma, during which
the protagonist might try choosing the easy option but ultimately in the final stage will
choose to do the right thing. It is closest to the internal suffering stage of heroic genre
as the protagonist cannot decide what he or she should do next, even if they know the
right answer. The last stage is the sacrifice itself, when the protagonist finally decides
to do the right thing at a great personal cost, sometimes even at the cost of his or her
life. This is a similar stage to sacrifice in sacrificial genre and is a full transposition
from the genre to the plot, only the sacrifice does not have to be one’s life.31
1.7.
Love-based plots
The following two plots presented by Tobias are Love and Forbidden Love.
Both of these involve a relationship between two characters, but in the case of the latter
one lovers’ relationship is not accepted due to social norms or law. This difference is
reflected in the structure of the plot. The base for the analysis and comparison of lovebased plots will be the Love plot, whose structure is very similar to that of the romantic
genre.
The first stage involves the beginning of a love relationship between two main
characters, who at the end of this stage get separated due to unexpected circumstances
31
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 191-200
26
or events. It is a nearly perfect combination of the first three stages of romantic genre:
love, obstacle, and separation, and there is no manipulation in those.
In the second stage, one of the protagonists tries to reunite with the other one
but eventually fails, at least for now. This is the continuation of the obstacle stage of
romantic genre, as it shows the lovers’ will for reunion and the difficulties they have
to come through in order to achieve it.
At the end of the Love plot, one of the lovers manages to surmount all the
obstacles, which finally leads to the reunion of lovers and strengthening of their love.
This stage is another combination of stages of romantic genre but this time
accomplishment, as one of the lovers overcomes all adversities blocking his or her way
to their loved one, and reconciliation, as the protagonists can ultimately come back to
each other and live their lives together. 32
The Forbidden Love plot tells a story of lovers whose relationship is not
accepted by society and may involve adultery, incest, homosexual love etc. In terms
of structure, the first phase is similar to that of romantic genre, as lovers find
themselves and fall for each other, and depending on their attitude they may hide it
from the world or not. Taking into account that their relationship cannot by accepted
by society, the obstacle stage from romantic genre is set by default, but this phase also
contains the love stage from that genre. In the second phase the relationship starts to
crumble, and one or both lovers start coming to their senses about the nature of their
relationship or stop withstanding the societal pressure. It bears some resemblance to
the seduction genre, as in both the relationship fails to endure. Moreover, the third
32
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 168-181
27
phase is similar, as in both lovers are separated by an external power or death, or end
the relationship due to societal pressure or unhappiness. The Forbidden Love rarely
ends in any other way than that.33
1.8.
Event-based plots
The last four plots presented by Tobias are Discovery, Wretched Excess,
Ascension, and Descension. In all of those the change in the character is the effect of
a series of events, not one decisive event as in transformation-based plots; therefore, it
does not happen immediately but over the time. That circumstances shape
protagonist’s personality and psyche, changing him or her forever. The type of change
varies, from a change due to a breakthrough discovery that changes the view of life
(Discovery), through deterioration of psychic health leading to madness (Wretched
Excess), to coming to power and falling from grace (Ascension and Descension) The
base for the analysis and comparison of event-based plots will be the Wretched Excess
plot.
The first phase of the Wretched Excess plot is when the setting up of the
protagonist’s character takes place in order to highlight the change of personality in
next stages. It is when the catalyst is introduced that will be the reason for the character
to change and lead to loss of control. This is a mixture of a generic introduction to the
plot and the beginning of violation of sacrificial genre, as the character does something
that will lead to his or her possible fall into madness.
The second stage shows the protagonist’s gradual loss of sanity and control
over his or her life. This is similar to punishment stage of sacrificial genre, as the
33
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 182-190
28
protagonist has to suffer for his deeds, and to internal suffering of heroic genre,
because he or her fight for control over their body with the madness that tries to take
over them. It can even be compared to usurpation stage of heroic genre, as the
protagonist gradually loses power over his or her body and mind.
The Wretched Excess plot can end in two ways: either the protagonist manages
to regain the control over their body and is redeemed or slips deeper into madness that
results in his or her death. The first option is similar to the return from exile stage of
heroic plot, as life comes back to normal, the protagonist regains control over
themselves, and is strengthened by the experience. The second one resembles the
revenge plot’s end in a sense that the protagonist fails to win with the antagonist (which
in this case is his or her insanity) which leads to self-destruction. 34
The first stage of Discovery plot is similar to that of Wretched Excess and
involves presentation of character’s past situation and status, which is a generic
beginning for most genres. Then, an event occurs which makes the protagonist think
over his or her life and changes their point of view on their life, even though they were
rather satisfied with if until now. This stage does not have any direct equivalent in the
universal genres and can be considered to be an original one. The Discovery plot ends
with reconciliation of the protagonist with his or her status, which leaves them
understanding what their life was like and whether they were content or not. This stage
also does not have any direct equivalent in the universal genres, presumably because
none of the universal genres is character-based to the level the Discovery plot is. 35
34
35
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 209-217
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 201-208
29
The first stage of both Ascension and Descension plots are similar to those of
Wretched Excess and Discovery and involves presentation of character’s past situation
and status. The second stage is also the same for both plots and involves a series of
events (or sometimes one but powerful) that make it impossible for the protagonist not
to change. Like the second stage in Discovery, this one does not have a counterpart in
universal genres. The last phase is very much different in Ascension and Descension
plots, as shows how the catalytic event from second stage influenced the protagonist.
In terms of Ascension, the protagonist comes out stronger from the experience, and
might reach a state of higher self-consciousness. It is similar to normalization stage of
sacrificial genre, as the protagonist manages to get back on track with his or her life
and may end up stronger than before the catalytic event. In Descension plot, the
protagonist’s flaw overwhelms them, which leads to a catastrophic end and realization
of their current state of mind and morals, which also is a rather original stage, unusual
for any genres.36
1.9.
Conclusion
After the analysis of XX Master Plots: And How to Build Them by Ronald B.
Tobias it is safe to state that almost every stage of the universal genres, formulated by
Patrick C. Hogan in How Authors’ Minds Make Stories, is visible in contemporary
plots formed by Tobias. The only genre that has no representation is the familial
separation genre, and the only stage is foreign threat from the heroic genre. Also,
Tobias rarely took from one of the minor universal genres – seduction. There was no
dominant stage, but the most prominent element was the revenge genre which was
36
Tobias, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, 218-227
30
used very frequently in various plots. Most of the plots began with a generic set up
stage, which can be translated to a peace stage of heroic and sacrificial genres. All
other
stages
were
present
in
Tobias’
plots
in
various
frequencies.
The second chapter will analyse a selection of most prominent secondary quests from
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by CD Project Red, in terms of their connection to the
prototype plots presented by Tobias in XX Master Plots: And How to Build Them.
31
CHAPTER 2
2.1.
Introduction
In this chapter, seventeen secondary quests and one contract quest from The
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be presented as a research sample for plot structure analysis
and comparison to Tobias’ plots. Moreover, the main storyline as a whole will be
analysed. While researching the quests themselves it became visible that many of them
are very short and simple, so it was difficult to compare and relate them to any of
Tobias’ plots’ structures. Quests with simplified storyline were for example: “Armed
Assault,” during which Geralt has to fight off bandits assaulting a house (a simplified
Rescue plot), “A Tome Entombed,” during which Geralt helps a professor find and
ancient tomb and kills a vampire sleeping inside (a simplified Quest plot), or “Last
Rites,” during which Geralt is asked to put a ring on old woman’s husband’s grave (a
simple Quest plot with a little twist at the end as the old woman turns out to be a
spectre). Therefore, the pool of quests that could be analysed was greatly reduced.
From the remaining quests the most prominent examples which could be matched with
Tobias’ plot structures were chosen and analysed in the following subchapters. It was
difficult to find any quest which would relate to event-based plots, and those that did
were not worth mentioning due to their simplicity.
2.2.
Quests with elements of Quest plot
“A Frying Pan, Spick and Span” is one of the early secondary quests in The
Witcher 3 that can be taken in White Orchard. Geralt, who works as the witcher and is
the protagonist in the game, is asked by an old woman in the village to find her
32
priceless frying pan. Soon, the hero reveals that the man whom the old lady borrowed
the pan was a spy and a murderer. Nevertheless, Geralt returns the precious object to
its rightful owner, who is overcome with joy.
This quest is a variation on the Quest plot, as the hero has to find a precious
object. However, instead of an object that is powerful, that can potentially save the
world or empower him, it is an object that is important for a not really important
character. As we can read in the journal entry in the game: “(…) Geralt would often
take on more banal tasks, ones lesser bards fear mentioning, for they lack the skill
required to make a masterwork of the mundane. By way of example, once in White
Orchard he was hired to retrieve a woman's... frying pan.” 37 This shows that the intent
of creators was to make a pastiche on the traditional quest idea. As most of secondary
quests in the game it has a much more simplified structure, but it meets qualities of the
Quest plot.
Just like the previous quest, “Precious Cargo” can be taken in White Orchard
when Geralt finds a merchant outside the village who asks him to find supplies he had
lost when his horse startled and ran away in the forest. Geralt easily finds the missing
cart, but after a brief glance around it he notices that there are some signs of an attack
of human nature. After retrieving the supplies, the player can either forget about his
discoveries and give the man his supplies back or ask the merchant about them. If the
player does so, the merchant tries flees and Geralt has to pursue him. After a brief
chase, Geralt finds the man lying on the ground, wakes him up, and asks about the
truth. It turns out that the man is a member of Tamerian guerrilla forces and needs the
CD Projekt RED, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, from journal entry to “A Frying Pan, Spick and Span”
(CDP, 2015)
37
33
medicine for his comrades. That is the moment when the witcher has to decide to either
let him go with the medicine, let him go without the medicine, or hand him over to
Nilfgaardians who are the current rulers of the area.
This quest begins like a Quest plot, when the protagonist is given a task to
retrieve a precious object and, what is interesting, can either end like a Quest plot (if
the player decides to just give the “merchant” his wares), or earn elements of a Pursue
plot with a chase of the “suspect” even though before catching him we do not know
his crime. In the second case, the quest can end either like a Pursue plot (when Geralt
hands the guerrilla soldier over to the authorities), like a Quest plot (when Geralt gives
the soldier supplies and lets him go), or in a neutral way, with the suspect set free
without his supplies.
Another quest which has similar structure to Quest plot is “Master Armorers,”
which can be taken in Velen. Geralt finds a dwarf which is told to be one of the best
armorers in Tameria – Fergus, who asks him to forge a masterpiece equipment for the
witcher in exchange for appropriate tools. After defeating a troll guarding the tools and
returning to Fergus, Geralt learns that Yoana, Fergus’ apprentice, is the true master
who decided to reveal her talents to the world. She asks Geralt for help in doing so,
and after delivering materials needed for her armour and a brief test of its quality, the
witcher is promised “the best plate in the world.”
This quest begins as the Quest plot, but after delivering the needed item in the
second stage (which is the last stage in Tobias’ plot), the Quest sequence starts from
the beginning, as the protagonist has to deliver another precious material, but to a
different person. After the delivery comes another obstacle, the test of quality, but its
results do not depend on the protagonist but on the blacksmith – a secondary character.
34
After passing the test, the protagonist is rewarded with a set of armour which can be
perceived as an ending of a Quest plot.
2.3.
Quests with elements of action-based plots
“A Deadly Plot” is a secondary quest that players can take in Novigrad from
Dijkstra, who is a spymaster of Kingdom of Redania and prepares a plot against the
current king – Radovid V. Geralt is asked to find Dijkstra’s co-conspirator who was
undercover as a shoemaker and went missing during a mission. The protagonist
conducts an investigation, finds a damaged shoemaker’s wagon, and using the witcher
senses finds a trail of shoes and other equipment which leads him to trolls’ cave. There
he finds out that the shoemaker – Thaler (an old friend of Geralt) was held captive by
trolls who forced him to make shoes for them. The encounter ends with a fight with
trolls (antagonists in this quest), after they refuse to let Thaler go with Geralt, and with
the hero escorting the spy back to Dijkstra.
This quest is a variation on the Rescue plot but bears elements of the Riddle.
Moreover, the classical approach to Rescue is modified, as the protagonist does not
know the victim before finding him (the victim, as a character, is hero’s acquaintance,
but the hero is not aware who the victim is). This quest’s elements of the Riddle are in
form of the investigation on the victim’s whereabouts as well as the antagonists, as
both are unknown to the hero at the beginning.
A quest very similar to “A Deadly Plot” is “A Princess in Distress” which has
a similar structure. It begins as a Rescue plot with the Riddle elements, as Geralt has
to find the Princess – a runaway goat which escaped a local pellar. Again, he has to
use Witcher senses to find the escapee and bring it back to its owner. This quest is once
35
more a modification of a Rescue plot and is a clear pastiche of “traditional” missions
during which you have to rescue a princess in danger, as the goat itself name is
Princess.
Another secondary quest with Rescue plot elements is “Spooked Mare,” which
is given by a peasant in the east of Oxenfurt. He tells Geralt that his horse had been
stolen by a forest spook and asks witcher to find it. Using his Witcher senses, Geralt
finds the horse’s trail and follows it to a camp of Scoia’tael – elven rebels. There, he
can either convince its commander to release one horse, buy all horses back, kill all
the elves, or agree that Scoia’tael need horses more than peasants do. This quest, just
like the previous one is based on Rescue and Riddle plots, and shares structural
similarities with the above plot, apart from the ending in which Geralt decides not to
bring horses back to the peasant, which does not match the ending of Rescue plot as
the protagonists “sides” with the presumable antagonist – the elves.
A side quest which has elements of the Pursuit plot is “Faithful Friend,” which
can be taken in the White Orchard. Geralt witnesses a local man thrown from his horse.
If the protagonist decides to follow the anima, he finds it near a Tamerian soldier: “The
horse belonged to a soldier returning from war. It turned out it had run off to seek its
beloved master.” It is a very brief variation on the Pursuit plot, as it involves all the
three stages (introduction, pursuit, and “catching” the pursued), but the ending is
changed as it turned out that the pursued animal did not escape its owner but returned
to him.
“Following the Thread” is a secondary quest that players can take in Novigrad,
but takes place in both Novigrad and Skellige, and at first seems to be a contract on a
monster but develops into a well-developed quest. In Novigrad docks, Geralt met his
36
friend, fellow witcher – Lambert, who turned out to hunt the same beast Geralt was
supposed to kill. After they fulfilled the contract and solved some issues with the
payment, Geralt learnt that Lambert came to Novigrad for private reasons – to avenge
his friend. Witchers killed the members of the group of assassins until they found their
boss – Jad Karadin. It turned out that Jad was a witcher who went into retirement, got
married, and adopted two kids. The player had two options: believe that Jad has change
convince Lambert that it is not worth killing him or make him pay for his crimes with
his own blood.
As most of quests in The Witcher 3 this one also has the investigation element,
but this time it is similar to the Revenge plot, as the protagonist knows the suspect and
the motifs are strictly connected with vengeance, driven not by the hero, but his friend.
This quest is the closest equivalent of the plot presented by Tobias, but the hero gets
involved during the second stage, after the crime has already been committed and the
revenant (Lambert) has already began his journey of revenge. Another modification is
that a side character is the revenant. In terms of the last stage of the Revenge plot, it is
up to the player whether Lambert fulfils his quest or forgives the wrongdoer.
Therefore, there might not be a physical confrontation between the revenant and the
antagonist, so the criminal may not get his comeuppance.
“A Towerful of Mice” is the penultimate quest in a secondary quest chain
related to Keira Metz, a sorceress. She asks Geralt to help her lift the curse that befell
the Fyke Isle and the tower that stood upon it. The hero, equipped with a magic lamp
that let him see but not speak to the dead, embarked on the boat to the island and after
slashing through some drowners and ghouls managed to reach the encampment with
the tower. During the investigation, Geralt learnt that ghost of Anabelle, daughter of
37
the lord that used to live in the tower during a great famine, was haunting the halls of
the keep. She told him, as she was the only spectre that could communicate with the
witcher, that she was trapped by her love for a fisherman named Graham. Here, the
player has three options: either take her remains to Graham, bring Graham to her, or
just kill the spectre. In the first instance, the ghost turns out to be a plague maiden,
who thanks to Geralt managed to escape her prison and spread plague over the world.
In the second, Anabelle asks Graham to kiss her, he complies, and she drains life from
him, ending her curse but killing Graham in the process. In the last instance, Geralt
kills the maiden, which is the simplest solution to the quest.
This secondary quest also bears elements of the Riddle plot, as involves an
investigation sequence, but what is more important, depending on player’s choice may
have elements of two different plots. If the player decides to take Anabelle’s remains
to Graham, the story gains elements of the Escape plot, the last stage when the
character manages to escape imprisonment. However, instead of the protagonist, a
secondary character escapes, in this instance, the prison of the tower. But all the stages
of Tobias’ Escape plot, in case of “A Towerful of Mice,” happen before the quest
starts, except the final stage of escape itself. If the player decides to bring Graham to
Anabelle, the story receives elements of the Revenge plot, as Anabelle takes Graham’s
life (who, as she tells him, abandoned her during the famine) in order to lift the curse
that befell on her. This can also be perceived as a sacrifice stage of sacrificial genre,
as it involves human sacrifice in order to end a curse.
“The Calm Before the Storm” is a secondary quest during which the player
controls Ciri – Geralt’s “step-daughter.” After being rescued and taken care of by
Skjall – a villager in Hindarsfjall, and his family, she had some time to catch a breath
38
and rest after seemingly escaping The Wild Hunt – a group of elves that was trying to
kidnap her. However, not long after, The Wild Hunt was again on her trail and attacked
the village she was hiding in. Ciri, wounded and weakened, could not fight off the
invaders, and Skjall decided to sacrifice his life for her while she rode off to safety, to
fulfil her destiny.
This quest is a, rather compressed, variation on the Escape plot, even though
on the first glance it does not seem to be one. The protagonist – Ciri, is not imprisoned
literally, as Skjall looks after her but does not restrain her in any way. However, as the
village is invaded by The Wild Hunt it quickly becomes a prison Ciri has to escape in
order not to get captured by the elves. All the stages of the Escape plot come quickly
one after another in this quest, and the second stage – planning escape, is practically
ignored, as the protagonist has no time for it.
2.4.
Quests with elements of conflict-based plots
One of the few quests that has qualities of conflict-based plots is “Iron Maiden”
which takes place in Skellige. Jutta an Dimun – an undefeated shield maiden, tells
Geralt that if he wants to fight with her, first he must find a sword which is located in
a sunken ship’s wreck. After completing the task, Geralt can fight the warrior. If he
loses, Jutta remains undefeated, but if he wins, the shield maiden asks the witcher if
he wants to spend an evening with her. If Geralt declines, the quest ends, but if he
agrees, it turns out that Jutta wanted to spend with Geralt not only an evening but also
night.
This quest is a combination of two or three plots, depending on players choices.
It has a beginning of Quest plot, as the protagonist has to bring an important object to
39
the quest giver, follows as a Rivalry plot, as Geralt has to fight the antagonist, and can
either have the worse ending of the plot (in which the protagonists loses to the
antagonist), or the better one (if he wins against the rival). That is when the quest can
end, or continue with an ending of a Love plot, during which the antagonist turns
changes into the lover.
Other secondary quests with Rivalry and Underdog elements which are worth
mentioning are the groups of quests involving horse racing, 38 fist fighting,39 and
playing Gwent.40 All of those quests have a common, simple structure: the protagonist
has to defeat his opponent (or opponents) in order to become stronger, get better
equipment, or earn money. The only aspect that differs between them is the discipline
he has to prevail in. Those quests are similar to the Underdog plot because in the
beginning of all of those quest chains the protagonist is weaker than his opponent,
either due to low level, or lack of equipment/cards or knowledge. However, as he
learns and becomes stronger they become more and more similar to Rivalry plot,
because the protagonist is getting much stronger and well-equipped than his
opponents.
2.5.
Quests with elements of transformation-based plots
“Fool’s Gold” is a secondary quest that players can take in Velen, after
defending Yontek, a villager, from bandits. After entering the village, Geralt noticed
that it is inhabited by pigs, which immediately attracted his interest, as the animals
“Horse racing,” Official Witcher Wiki, 2 July, 2015, last modified 20 October, 2017, accessed 18
June, 2018, https://witcher.gamepedia.com/Horse_racing
39
“Fistfighting in The Witcher 3,” Official Witcher Wiki, 2 July, 2015, last modified 29 September,
2017, accessed 18 June, 2018, https://witcher.gamepedia.com/Fistfighting_in_The_Witcher_3
40
“Gwent,” Official Witcher Wiki, 15 August, 2014, last modified 23 December, 2017, accessed 17
June, 2018, https://witcher.gamepedia.com/Gwent
38
40
seemed to live in the village’s houses. From Yontek Geralt learnt that the pigs are
indeed villagers but under an influence of a curse, and after brief investigation he
discovered that they had broken into a vault of a forgotten god and escaped with gold
found inside, which led to them getting turned into hogs. The witcher soon later learnt
that in order to lift the curse all coins had to be returned to the underground treasury.
After lifting the curse, villagers started accusing Yontek of bringing it upon them. That
was the point where the player had two options: either defend Yontek, or let the angry
mob lynch him.
This quest is very similar to the sacrificial genre, much more than Sacrifice
plot. It very strictly follows its stages; however, the first two of them take place before
the beginning of the quest, and the third one – punishment, is in progress, as the
villages are already under a curse – the punishment for stealing the gold belonging to
an ancient god. The sacrifice stage is returning coins back to the vault which results in
reversing the curse. Afterwards, a stage which can be compared to that of Revenge
plot, when villagers try to punish Yontek for what they think he did. If the player
decides to let them lynch him, the revenge is fulfilled. If not, Yontek escapes the
village and finds another place to live. The last stage can be also translated to the last
stage of the Underdog plot, as if the witcher does not defend Yontek, the underdog
fails to defeat the antagonist, and if he does defend the villager, the underdog escapes
the antagonist (which is a slight modification to the plot structure).
One of the quests which are an interpretation of Metamorphosis plot is “In
Wolf’s Clothing,” which takes place in Skellige. Technically, it is a contract-type
quest, but due to its complexity it can be perceived as a secondary quest. After learning
about a man under a werewolf curse who occupies a temple of Freya and finding out
41
about the cause of the curse Geralt heads to the temple to meet Morkvarg – the
werewolf. When he defeats the beast in combat it turns out that it cannot be killed in a
“conventional” way. The player has two options: kill the werewolf by feeding him his
own flesh or lift the curse by handing him over a fang which Geralt got from Tordar –
one of Morkvarg’s comrades.
As has been stated, this quest is based mainly on the Metamorphosis plot. The
curse is put on Morkvarg before the quest starts, but instead of Geralt (who would be
the “traditional” antagonist according to Tobias), the werewolf is the antagonist. The
second stage of Metamorphosis is omitted, as there is no evolution of relationship,
definitely not of romantic nature. Regardless of the player’s choice, the ending is
somehow in accordance with Tobias’ plot, as in both instances the curse is lifted, even
though the result can be different: the antagonist can die or not.
2.6.
Quests with elements of love-based plots
“The Last Wish” is a secondary quest that players encounter during one of the
main missions on Skellige and is connected to one of two major romance options –
Yennefer, a sorceress, with whom Geralt is connected by a djinn’s spell casted long
time ago. When the couple travelled to Larvik, the sorceress revealed that she wants
to capture a djinn and draw on its power. Geralt agreed to help her and they set off to
find a dead scholar who devoted his life to discover the secrets of djinns. After finding
a part of artefact needed in the ship that sunk years ago, or at least a half of the ship,
Yennefer teleported Geralt and herself near the location of the second part. That was
when she revealed why she wanted to find the djinn – to check whether the feelings
(love) between them were real or just the result of the other djinn’s spell. There, on the
42
top of a mountain in the second part of the sunken ship they found they found a second
part of the seal needed to summon the djinn. After a fight, Yennefer managed to snare
the magic spirit, and persuaded it to grant her the last wish - release Geralt and her
from the spell. After she released the djinn they had a serious talk about their feelings.
To her surprise, she felt no different than before the spell was broken – she still loved
Geralt. They player had the choice to either confess his love or deny it.
This quest, as well as the whole romance between Yennefer and Geralt, is a
deep variation on the Love plot. First of all, the beginning stage happens before the
quest begins, with obstacles and multiple separations, not always forced on them. What
is interesting, the love between them is, we can say, artificial, as it is an effect of a
third party’s spell which bounded them together. The second stage of the Love plot is
also present in this quest, but the obstacle perceived by Yennefer is the spell which
bounds her to Geralt, as due to it she cannot tell whether her feelings are real or
imposed. When the lovers surpass that obstacle in the third stage, they have to face
their real emotions which, surprisingly, turn out to be the same as previously. At least
if the player decides that Geralt should keep loving Yennefer. It is up to the player
whether the love stands that test, but it seems that developers strongly suggest that it
should: “The truth did not disappoint. The captured djinn dispelled its predecessor's
work… and the feelings between Geralt and the sorceress burned on as fiery as ever.”
A quest chain, especially the last quest – “Now or Never,” which is connected
to Love plot is the one related to Triss – one of sorceresses. During the last quest she
wants to evacuate mages from the city of Novigrad, as nearly all magic users are to be
eliminated from the society because of the witch hunt that was enforced in the city by
king Radovid. Triss asks Geralt for help, and the witcher agrees. After slashing through
43
some witch hunters and encountering some minor problems, Triss and Geralt manage
to reach the hideout of the mages. Then, they have to escort them through the sewers
to the port so that they can escape on ships to the Kingdom of Kovir and Poviss where
they would be safe. At the port they are ambushed by another squad of witch hunters,
but they are no match for a witcher and a sorceress. Now the player has to decide
whether tell Triss that he loves her, or let her go. In the former case, they end up making
love on top of the lighthouse. In the latter one, they part ways as Triss sails to Kovir
with the mages.
Most of the quest goes according to the Escape plot; however, Geralt’ motives
can be connected with his love towards Triss (depending on the choice at the end). The
quest is based on a modified Escape plot - a third party is imprisoned, not the hero;
moreover, the imprisonment is not enforced by any authority, but in some sense by the
prisoners themselves, as they are trying to hide from the authorities. The whole
sequence of stages is similar to that of Escape plot, but the first two, imprisonment and
planning of escape happen before the quest begins. If the player decides that Geralt
loves Triss, an extra stage is added, which is the third, last stage of Love plot, during
which lovers reunite.
2.7.
Main storyline
The game begins with a brief flashback, after which the player learns that the
protagonist, Geralt, and his witcher friend, Vesemir just made their way to White
Orchard, a small village in the Kingdom of Tameria (which in the time of the game is
occupied by the Nilfgaardian Empire). They are following Geralt’s lover, a sorceress
– Yennefer. To learn about her whereabouts, they need to kill a griffin that has been
44
attacking villagers, in order to persuade a Nilfgaardian captain to share with them
details about the sorceress’ location. After slaying said monster, we learn that Yennefer
has gone to Vizima, former capital of Tameria where the Nilfgaardian emperor, Emhyr
var Emreis, temporarily resides. Just as they want to leave, Yennefer appears and tells
Geralt to go with her to Vizima for an audience with the emperor. On the way, they
are attacked by The Wild Hunt, a group of spectres who originate from ancient elves,
but they manage to flee. In Vizima, Emhyr gives Geralt a task to find his daughter –
Ciri who is said to be hunted by The Wild Hunt. He departs to Velen an occupied
Tamerian province, while Yennefer goes to islands of Skellige.
The first act takes place in Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige, where Geralt has to
check clues about Ciri’s location. During that, the player has some opportunities to see
the story from her perspective, so learning about true events that happened to her. After
checking all the clues Geralt the first act ends. At the end, Geralt establishes that Uma,
a cursed child must be the key to finding the princess.
The second act, he intends to lift the curse and make the creature, or person,
tell him where Ciri is. Before it has been done, it become clear that a confrontation
with The Wild Hunt will happen. Geralt had to gather his allies who would help him
defend Kaer Morhen, a witcher’s keep from The Wild Hunt. After that, Vesemir
succeeds in lifting the curse from Uma, who turned out to be Avallac’h, kinsman of
elves from The Wild Hunt and Ciri’s tutor. Even though he was very weak, he managed
to tell Geralt where he can find the princess – on the Isle of Mists. After a struggle to
get to the Isle and eventually finding Ciri, they come back to Kaer Morhen to prepare
for the elven assault. Then the battle commences, and in the moment when it is nearly
45
lost, Ciri unleashes her full power forcing White Hunt forces to retreat. But the price
is high, as Ciri’s mentor and Geralt’s friend, Vesemir dies during the battle.
The last act focuses on gathering forces, usually in the form of sorceresses, who
would help Ciri and Geralt in their final battle against The Wild Hunt, and later on the
battle itself (“On Thin Ice”). It begins with Ciri convincing Geralt to help her kill
Imlerith, one of generals of The Wild Hunt. It continues with preparations for the clash
and convincing sorceresses such as Philippa Eilhart in “Blindingly Obvious” to help
the princess. When the battle commences, Ciri and Geralt have to first kill dozens of
Wild Hunt soldiers in order to confront Caranthir, Wild Hunt navigator, and ultimately
Eredin, the King of the Wild Hunt. The penultimate event of the act is Ciri venturing
through a portal with aim to destroy the White Frost, a phenomenon that freezes entire
planets. Depending on player’s choices earlier in the game there are three distinctive
endings: Ciri either dies, or becomes empress of Nilfgaard, or becomes a witcher. 41
This storyline is comprised of stages from multiple of Tobias’ plots, with
usually two or more of them mixed in a single act. The prologue is similar to the first
stage of Pursuit plot, as the pursuer (Geralt) and pursued (Yennefer) are introduced.
What is interesting, the pursued is only temporary, as in the end of the prologue she is
“caught” by the protagonist, and a new pursued (Ciri) is introduced. The first act is a
mix of the second stage of Pursuit plot and of the Riddle plot, as the protagonist
searches for the pursued; however, her location and history is a mystery for him. A
mystery the protagonist tries to solve for the whole first act. The second act is another
mixture, this time of a Pursuit plot with an original addition of an element of defending
“The Witcher 3 main quests,” Official Witcher Wiki, 20 May, 2015, last modified 4 December,
2017, accessed 22 June, 2018, https://witcher.gamepedia.com/The_Witcher_3_main_quests
41
46
protagonist’s home. After finding allies who could help him in the later part of the act
(interestingly, gathering a party usually happens in the beginning of a story not in the
middle of it), Geralt finally succeeds in reach and find Ciri on the Isle of Mists, and
soon later comes back to Kaer Morhen to defend it from The Wild Hunt. Vesemir’s
death is the point in which the story begins to revolve around Ciri instead of Geralt
and when the story becomes a plot during which Ciri wants to revenge Vesemir by
destroying The Wild Hunt. Therefore, Ciri replaces Geralt as the protagonist, and
Geralt becomes her helper. The third and last act is generally a Revenge plot with a
new protagonist – Ciri, as it combines the second and third stage of the plot (the first
stage happens in the second act). The protagonist, with Geralt’s help, plans revenge,
gathers forces, and systematically eliminates all associates of Eredin, the antagonist.
Interestingly, the final duel with the antagonist is fought by the previous protagonist,
Geralt, not by the protagonist who wanted to fulfil the revenge; nevertheless, the
revenge is complete. However, the story does not end here, but continues in form of
two additional stages, one of which is dependent on player’s choices during the game.
The first one is a compressed interpretation of the whole Sacrifice plot, as Ciri wants
to sacrifice her life for the greater good – to save the world from the White Frost. The
second one may differ: either Ciri dies, which is a fulfilment of Sacrifice plot, or
becomes an empress/a witcher, which can be interpreted as a last stage of Ascension
plot. It can even be said, that whole Ciri’s story, her training, destiny, and end, is an
Ascension plot, as long as it does not end with her death.
2.8.
Conclusion
After the analysis of structure of eighteen quest from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and
comparing them to those from XX Master Plots: And How to Build Them, there are
47
multiple conclusions can be drawn. First of all, quests which are more developed
usually do not follow a strict plot structure of a single but of multiple plots. This can
be a sign of developers’ desire to make their work and stories more interesting to
players via introducing multiple plot twists and genre mixing. However, it may also
be a signal that narrative designers who were responsible for secondary quests did not
know any “standard” plot structures or intentionally did not want to follow them.
Secondly, most of the secondary quests have a very compressed structure. They
usually contain many plot stages in very short periods of time or omit some stages
(which implicitly take place before the quest or even game starts) in order to show the
player only the most captivating and engaging parts of the plot. Thirdly, quests whose
structures are simpler are modified in different ways, for example in character roles
(“A Deadly Plot”), or in circumstances and characteristics of specific stages (“The Last
Wish”). Nearly none of the analysed quest strictly followed any of Tobias’ plots, with
exception of some basic and simple quests (like based on horse racing, fist fighting
etc.), but even in those the structure is simplified to such a degree that they only take
the core idea of a plot rather than following its structure. What is interesting, a large
part of secondary quests follows or are a mixture of action-based plots, which in line
with the genre and subject of the game’s story – adventures of a witcher, a monster
hunter for hire. Fourthly, an interesting structural procedure has been used in the main
storyline, as at the end of the second act up till the end, Geralt who until that time has
been the protagonist, becomes protagonist’s helper, and a new protagonist is
introduced – Ciri, who until then had served the role of the pursued.
To sum up, the hypothesis that each of plot structures presented in Tobias’ XX
Master Plots is based on a modified or mixed version of one or more of Universal
48
Genres formulated by Hogan, proved to be partially true. The vast majority of plots’
stages could be compared or linked to those of Hogan’s genres. However, there were
some instances of phases which have no correlation with any of the Universal Genres
but those were isolated cases. The hypothesis that secondary (side) quests in The
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are designed in a way that most of them can be assigned to one
of Tobias’ Master Plots, usually deeply modified is also semi-true. While simpler
quests are usually too short to be properly analysed, the more developed ones do have
structural connection to one or multiple Tobias’ plots. The only exception are eventbased plots which are nearly non-existent in The Witcher 3. It is true that designers
who were responsible for secondary quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt invented
storylines which can be perceived as major modifications of Tobias’ plots, both in
terms of stages’ order, and in terms of content of specific stages. It is safe to assume
that all measures listed above were taken in order to make the quests more interesting
and entertaining for players. It is an expected move from the side of developers, as it
is in their interest to make the most enjoyable game possible, and an immersive
storyline which cannot be easily predicted is one of better methods to achieve that.
49
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CD Projekt RED. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CDP, 2015.
Hogan, Patrick Colm. “Story Development, Literary Evaluation, and the Place of
Character.” In: How Authors’ Minds Make Stories. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2013, 27-45.
Hogan, Patrick Colm. “A Narrative Idiolect: Shakespeare’s Heroic Stories.” In: How
Authors’ Minds Make Stories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013, 50-56.
Hogan, Patrick Colm. “The Structure of Stories: Some General Principles of Plot.” In:
The Mind and its Stories: Narrative Universals and Human Emotion. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2003, 202-238.
Tobias, Ronald B. 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them. Cincinnati, Ohio:
Writer’s Digest Books, 1993.
“Horse racing.” Official Witcher Wiki. 2 July, 2015, last modified 20 October, 2017,
accessed 18 June, 2018, https://witcher.gamepedia.com/Horse_racing.
“Fistfighting in The Witcher 3.” Official Witcher Wiki. 2 July, 2015, last modified 29
September,
2017,
accessed
18
June,
2018,
https://witcher.gamepedia.com/Fistfighting_in_The_Witcher_3.
“Gwent.” Official Witcher Wiki. 15 August, 2014, last modified 23 December, 2017,
accessed 17 June, 2018, https://witcher.gamepedia.com/Gwent.
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https://witcher.gamepedia.com/The_Witcher_3_main_quests.
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Weber, Philipp. “Making Games Classics: Quest Design in The Witcher 3: Wild
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51
SUMMARY IN ENGLISH
The goal of this paper is to determine how the main storyline and side quest
structure of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt relate to plot structures formulated in XX Master
Plots: And How to Build Them by Ronald B. Tobias. In order to learn more about
structures described by Tobias, the first chapter of this paper contains a comparative
analysis of said structures with plot structures of universal genres which have been
formed by Patrick C. Hogan in How Author’s Minds Make Stories. The second chapter
focuses on analysis of side quests’ and main storyline’s plot structures, in order to
distinguish modifications to structures formulated by Tobias which were implemented
into the game. An attempt is also made to find reasons as to why the modifications
described earlier were used during creation of the game’s plot.
52
STRESZCZENIE W JĘZYKU POLSKIM (SUMMARY IN
POLISH)
Celem pracy jest wykazanie jak główna linia fabularna oraz struktura zadań
pobocznych w grze Wiedźmin 3: Dziki Gon odnoszą się do struktur fabularnych
sformułowanych w XX Master Plots: And How to Build Them przez Ronald’a B.
Tobias’a. Aby lepiej poznać struktury opisane przez Tobias’a, w pierwszej części
pracy przeprowadzono analizę porównawczą tychże struktur ze strukturami
fabularnymi stworzonymi przez Partick’a C. Hogan’a w How Author’s Minds Make
Stories, określanymi jako gatunki uniwersalne. Sprecyzowane zostały także etapy
poszczególnych fabuł, aby łatwiej było je odnieść do zadań w Wiedźminie. Druga
część pracy skupia się na analizie struktur zadań pobocznych oraz głównej linii
fabularnej gry Wiedźmin 3, przeprowadzonej w celu wyróżnienia metod modyfikacji
struktur stworzonych przez Tobias’a, które zostały zastosowane w grze. Podjęta
zostaje również próba znalezienia przyczyn, z powodu których opisane wcześniej
modyfikacje zostały wykorzystane w tworzeniu fabuły gry.