# The Structure of the Hero's Quest Campbell (1949) outlines several stages in the Hero's Journey, which RPGs often emulate: 1. **The Call to Adventure**: The hero is invited to leave their ordinary world to undertake a quest. 2. **Refusal of the Call**: Initially, the hero may be hesitant or reluctant to embark on the journey. 3. **Meeting with the Mentor**: The hero encounters a mentor figure who prepares them for the challenges ahead. 4. **Crossing the First Threshold**: The hero leaves the familiar world behind and steps into the unknown. 5. **Trials and Tribulations**: The hero faces various challenges and obstacles, often growing in skill and wisdom. 6. **The Supreme Ordeal**: A significant crisis or confrontation that tests the hero. 7. **Reward and Transformation**: Following the ordeal, the hero achieves a significant victory or obtains a powerful artifact or knowledge. 8. **The Return**: The hero returns to their original world, often changed by their experiences. In RPGs, the Hero's Quest framework provides a narrative skeleton around which campaigns and adventures are structured. Players, through their characters, engage in a series of challenges and growth experiences that mirror the stages of the Hero's Journey. The Dungeon Master (DM) often facilitates this journey, guiding players through these narrative beats while allowing for player agency and spontaneity. The application of the Hero's Quest in RPGs can be seen as a form of interactive storytelling that draws on ancient narrative traditions. It exemplifies the human penchant for myth-making and the psychological need for stories that involve growth, challenges, and transformation. RPGs, through the Hero's Quest framework, offer a unique way of exploring these themes in a collaborative and immersive setting. ##### References: Campbell, J. (1949). *The Hero with a thousand faces*. New York: Pantheon Books.