You make an action roll when your character does something potentially dangerous or troublesome. The possible results of the action roll depend on your character's position. There are three positions: controlled, risky, and desperate. If you're in a controlled position, the possible consequences are less serious. If you're in a desperate position, the consequences can be severe. If you're somewhere in between, it's risky—usually considered the "default" position for most actions.

If there's no danger or trouble at hand, you don't make an action roll. You might make a fortune roll or a downtime roll or the GM will simply say yes—and you accomplish your goal.