How to Play

Player Actions

In Stones, Scrolls, Swords & Sorcery, a character can attempt anything the player can reasonably imagine. The game is intentionally fiction-first, meaning players are encouraged to think about what their character actually does in the world rather than searching their sheet for a specific button or action.

However, imagining something is not the same as accomplishing it.

During play, characters generally operate freely within the narrative. You can walk, speak, investigate, travel, interact with objects, ask questions, or perform ordinary tasks without needing to make Throws. The game only shifts into mechanical resolution when a character attempts something difficult, dangerous, contested, or something another force would reasonably resist.

For example:

• Crossing a room requires no Throw
• Leaping a massive ravine probably does
• Talking to a guard is free
• Convincing a guard to ignore a crime is a Throw
• Picking up a sword is simple
• Fighting an armed criminal will take a Throw

The purpose of Throws is not to limit what players can attempt, but to determine what happens when success is uncertain or consequences matter. Players should always describe what they are trying to do first. From there, the Player or GM will determine:

• Whether a Throw is necessary
• What Skill is appropriate
• What the risks or consequences might be

Importantly, failure does not always mean incompetence. A failed Throw may represent bad luck, outside interference, hesitation, unforeseen complications, escalating danger, or success at a cost. Likewise, a successful Throw does not mean the task was effortless — only that the character

If a character has an Origin related to the task they are doing, they should not need to engage a throw unless the circumstances are extrenuous.