2. How to Play (updated 2005/10/03)

  1. Action Pool    2. Actions / Reactions    3. Getting Hurt    4. Turns    5. Story Dice 

"It's your turn, what do you do?"'

These familiar words, whether spoken directly or implied through dramatic narrative, mean that the GM has put the focus of the story on your character. A roleplaying game is like a good movie, with a story, lots of action, and a cast of characters. At this point in time, the GM and other players are watching and listening to see what your character will do next. So, what does your character do? Simply put, anything that you say he does, but here are a few guidelines.

Think Fast: Assuming that your GM has done a good job describing the situation, you may have lots of options and choices to make. You can have your character do anything you can imagine and describe, but you also want to do the right thing in the situation. You will find that thinking on your feet is an important skill in this game.

Stay in Character: Legends is a roleplaying game, so you need to think in terms of what your character would do in this situation, not necessarily what you might do. Refer to your character's legend and list of Traits to see how the situation would look to his eyes, and what approach he might take when presented with a problem. Acting like your character also means avoiding discussing game mechanics. This is called "staying in character" and is one of the cornerstones of roleplaying.

When to Roll Dice: The other players and the GM will do the same on their turns. In the end, the group creates a living story. Occasionally the story will come to a crossroads where the outcome of a character's action is uncertain and has the potential to affect the story in a dramatic way. The character might be attempting to fast-talk a suspicious guard, climb a treacherous cliff, or shoot a pistol. At these points in the story you need to say what your character attempts to do rather than stating what he does. You will then need to roll dice to determine whether or not your character was successful. The sections below describe this process in detail.

1. Action Pool (updated 2009/07/21)

  Advantage    Difficulty    Disadvantage    Fumbles 

If your character is attempting to do something significant you will need to spend or roll dice. In general, you can spend dice to accomplish simple tasks, but must roll them when attempting tasks that involve risk. You obtain a pool of dice by declaring a Trio of Traits related to the task at hand. You receive dice equal to the total Ranks of the Traits declared. [ more... ]

2. Actions / Reactions (updated 2006/10/16)

  Assist / Collaborate    Attack / Defend    Hide / Spot    Move    Prepare Action    Recover / Heal 

Actions are made when it is your turn and cost dice from your Action Pool, while reactions are free and can be made at any time. [ more... ]

3. Getting Hurt (updated 2008/03/30)

  Disabilities    Flaws / Critical Flaws 

Steady now, lad. This was a heroic battle, you've earned your pride but don't overdraw it. Lean on me...

Characters in any action story are faced with innumerable dangers and threats to life and limb. Heroes rarely escape their brushes with peril without at least a few bumps and bruises, and the risk serious injury or death is always present. [ more... ]

4. Turns (updated 2009/06/16)

  Taking the Initiative 

Many situations can be resolved by simple dice contests between two characters, however, when things start to get frantic it is important that the GM ensure that every player gets a chance to do something. A "Turn" (or "Round") is an arbitrary amount of time that allows all of the characters to declare and complete one set of Actions. For a tactical melee or fire-fight a good length of time is six (6) seconds, but for strategic fleet combat one Turn might last for days. It is up to the GM to decide how long each Turn lasts, but it usually doesn't matter. [ more... ]

5. Story Dice (updated 06/20)

You can gain additional dice on a roll that is critical to the story, especially if you are willing to sacrifice something. [ more... ]