3,2,1...Action! is a rules light tabletop RPG built to feel like the movie you have been quoting since you were twelve. Everything runs on a single ten sided die, so there are no charts to memorize and no math to slow the table down. Your character has six stats: Action, Brains, Brawn, Charm, Cool, and Guts. The Game Runner just tells you which one to roll. That is the whole engine.

Two ideas make it sing. Attacks always hit, so combat is about how much damage you deal and how cool you looked doing it, not whether you whiffed. And Luck Points do double duty as your health, your currency for bending a roll, and your fuel for a heroic sacrifice. Spend them wisely or go out in a blaze of glory.

The book also has a fix for the moment a player wants to do something wildly out of character. It is called Fill the Plot Hole in Two Sentences. Justify it, take your bonus or penalty, and keep the scene moving. That is the whole philosophy in miniature: story and fun steal the spotlight from physics.

WHAT IS INSIDE

Complete core rules for players and Game Runners, covering stats, special and passive abilities, inventory, turn order, movement, combat, player death, NPCs, and an end of episode awards ceremony for rewarding your table.

Four genre modules:

Horror brings the Death Clock, a hidden countdown the Game Runner rolls in secret, plus Scare Tactics and a Final Girl bonus for the last player standing.

Vehicular Combat gives cars their own Luck Points and Guts Penalties, along with rules for boarding, hijacking, and getting Wasted.

Western delivers a Quick Draw showdown resolved on duelling Cool Checks.

Fantasy is a demo of the upcoming ruleset, where spells cost Luck Points on a simple 0 to 3 scale.

Plus full weapon and armor lists with damage and movement values, improvised weapon guidance for when you grab a barstool instead, rules for building your own character from scratch, and a printable character sheet.

This streamlined edition also serves as a preview ahead of our Official Expanded Rulebook, coming Winter 2026.

CREDITS

Written by Geo Collazo and John McGuire. Cover by Zack Giallongo. Interior art by Ed Bickford, Tim Burns, Sally Cantirino, Marie Enger, Charles Ferguson Avery, Zack Giallongo, Teresa Guido, Cheese Hasselberger, Dan Smith, Nick Tofani, and Wack! Artwork. Character sheet by Sally Cantirino. Dev editing by Adam Rose. Editing by Meghan Ball. Layout by Tracey Steele.

DETAILS

Approximately 52 pages including covers
Full color cover, black and white interior
All you need is a single d10 to play
Built for one Game Runner and a small group
Great for one shots and short campaigns

Please note: the horror section carries a content warning for body horror and violence and includes a gruesome kill chart. Recommended for teen and adult players.