Roach

Roach (Polish: Płotka) is the name Geralt of Rivia, the witcher, gives to all of his horses. His preference is for mares.

Appearances

 * A Grain of Truth
 * Baptism of Fire
 * Season of Storms
 * Something More

Roach is Geralt's companion in The Witcher 3, allowing for fast transportation through the game world. Saddles and blinders help make her faster and more courageous when faced with the perils of the war-torn North. If scared, Roach will rear and knock Geralt off, running away. She can be calmed down using Axii or by simply putting some distance between her and whatever horror caused her to freak out. Of course, killing whatever scares her works, though Geralt's only an acceptable cavalryman, at best.

Beyond transportation, Roach can also carry a single trophy, providing passive combat bonuses, while her saddle bags can be upgraded to improve Geralt's carrying capacity.

Journal entry

 * A horse is more to a witcher than merely a means of locomotion – just ask any bandit who has taken a well-aimed hoof to the head during combat. Additionally, many a witcher has talked over the nuts and bolts of his current contract with his horse while staring at the stars shining above the lonely road, though Few would ever admit to this.


 * Geralt named his every mount Roach, though no one really knows why or what Geralt had in mind with this name. When asked, Geralt would dodge the question or give an evasive answer. Perhaps this had just been the first word that came to his head? Roach, for her part, seemed to accept the name with no reservations.


 * Geralt would grow annoyed and curse whenever Roach panicked and tossed him in the middle of a battle, as well as when she would suddenly turn a different direction than he wanted while he was riding at full gallop towards some urgent destination. In truth, though, he was very attached to her and would never trade her for any other horse. Not even one which, when summoned, would never stand helpless in front of a seemingly easily surmountable obstacle, such as a low fence or stray piece of timber. Nor even one which would sometimes, in some incomprehensible fashion, wind up dancing on some peasant’s roof. ”Well,” Geralt would say with a shrug. “A witcher’s horse isn’t a normal animal. Constant contact with magic beverages and Signs must have left a mark.”


 * While completing a contract in Toussaint, Geralt had the chance to find out exactly how serious Roach took her role and how well-versed in the arcana of the witcher’s trade she was. He also discovered she was an entirely pleasant conversation partner.

Associated quests

 * Equine Phantoms, featured
 * all quests, incidentally


 * Roach appears in one of the ending cinematics of the game.


 * In an illustration after the Prologue and before Chapter 1, Geralt is pictured riding his horse toward Vizima.
 * In an epilogue illustration, Geralt is pictured leading his horse away from smoking, war-torn Vizima. There is no explanation given for the whereabouts of his horse during the course of the game.


 * At the very beginning of "The Price of Neutrality", Geralt's last horse was killed by wolves just before the adventure begins. It was a gray mare called Roach.