Plot Token

A set of ideas/concepts given to the author of any fantasy book, all of which must be used in the book. They include

• The mysterious wizard (often old and bearded)
• The broken weapon
• The powerful but apparently insignificant artifact (ring, stone, whatever)
• A major character must die (or appear to, but re-appear later)

Most of these appear in LordOfTheRings, but they were at least reasonably original there.

I think this was invented by DaveLangford?, a SF critic and author. I first read it in White Dwarf, a UK gaming magazine, probably in 1980 or so