Are player limited to action cards?

[King Tycho 0]

Are action cards the only actions that players can take?  Or can players take other actions as well within the scope of there skills, a more basic attack for instance?

[r_b_bergstrom 132]

In the deck of Action cards are a bunch of cards labeled "basic". These are cards everyone has access to, and don't cost an Action advancement.

There's a bunch of different basic actions, including one called "Basic Melee Attack". There's also one called "Perform a Stunt" that covers a wide variety of different skill uses. There's also a couple interesting defensive actions in the mix - more helpful standard actions for non-combat characters than most games will give you. You should definitely take a look through the basic actions if you haven't yet. There should be 3 copies of each in your core set, and 1 of each in the Adventurer's Toolkit.

[BCA 0]

The rules allow for Using a Skill, and the GM is adjudicator for what is needed for this to take place, what circumstance, what dice, and what effect those dice have when the roll is done. 

I guess you could argue that "weapon skill" could be used as a skill check, and adjudicate the results accordingly.  I do not however advocate this, or think it is with the scope of the rules to do so.

I am fairly certain that what the rules intend you to do is indeed simply to use "Basic" action cards provided at character creation.

[apelite 1]

 I think it's worth saying that the basic building block of dice-adjudicated activity in the game is the characteristic check. Pretty much anything* can be done using a characteristic check. You don't need the relevant skill or a particular action. Skills make you better, and actions give you a broader range of specified results. 

 

*Anything that isn't precluded by a lack of expertise, like medicine or channelling.

[King Tycho 0]

It seems one could actually play the game without even using action cards then?  (although I think I would keep them, I just like the idea of giving players the freedom to operate outside the action cards if they have good ideas)

[MaSc 1]

 Players are not restricted in using their action cards.

They have one maneuver and on action each activation, with the option of buying additional maneuvers while suffering fatigue.

Using a skill is one maneuver option. (e.g. climbing a tree, defusing a bomb)

And remember that the Perform a Stunt Action Card is also broad in scope, for doing creative things with your character's abilities.