Extended action

An extended action is an action which takes more than an instant to resolve. For example, a character may wish to search a library for specific occult lore, repair an engine, or break down a door.

The Storyteller, Revised Storyteller and Storytelling systems all contain rules for extended actions. These rules are generally only used when it is important to know how long a task takes to complete, as well as how well it is executed; time-consuming actions in which the character may take as long as she likes are resolved in the normal way.

Typically a player performing an extended action will roll the appropriate dice pool and attempt to achieve a set number of successes. Once the required number of successes are achieved, the task is completed, and the number of rolls indicate how long the character spent doing so. The amount of time each roll represents is determined by the Storyteller or by specific task-related rules, and may be anything from a single turn to days or even weeks.

Extended actions are sometimes also contested actions.