If a card states "exhaust this card during your turn to ....." Is this an action or because it doesn't have the "tap" symbol is it a free "action"?

No, exhausting the card is not, in itself, an action.

An action is classified as one of the following:

1) performing one of the pre-defined Action options described for a hero (or monster) in the rulebook.

2) using a skill or ability that is preceded by the Action arrow icon.

3) using a skill or ability that explicitly says "as an action, do X."

If the card only says "exhaust" and doesn't say "action" (either literally or via icon) then it does not cost an action.

Please note: There is no such thing as a "free action." There are abilities that require an action to use and there are abilities that do not require an action to use. Using the term "free action" will only serve to cause confusion.

A hero (or monster) gets 2 actions on its turn. The things that count as actions are:

Attack actions

Search actions

Move actions

Revive/Standup Actions

Open/Close Door Actions

Special actions (described by quest rules. "As an action, a figure adjacent to the token may...." or, things like heroic feats with action symbols (like Avric.)

Skill actions- any class card that has the "action arrow" symbol, or that says "as an action..."

"Exhaust" doesn't mean action, it means that the card can only be used once, and then it must refresh before it can be used again.

EDIT: Steve-o wins. He is right that there are no free actions. However, there are abilities that grant "additional" actions, above and beyond the normal 2-per turn limit (see Grisban's heroic feat.) There are also abilities that grant things that would normally require an action, but do not (see the Treasure Hunter class.)

I think Steve-o was mentionning the bit about "no free action" because other games use terms like "tap" and "free actions"

This is not those games, This is Descent. The action icon may look like a tap symbol, but it is not. you do not need to tilt your card to show it's been used, especially if it does not say "exhaust" on it. This means a card with an action icon (like the treasure hunter's Finder's Keepers), could actually be used twice in one turn, as long as you pay all attached costs.

Exhausting a card means you can only use it once in a turn, but if you have multiple cards with exhaust but no action cost (like the bard's Song of Mending, the Apothecary's Brew Elixir or the hexer's Affliction) you could play them all in the same turn (as long as conditions are met), leading to the impression that the hero took more than just 2 actions.

I think Steve-o was mentionning the bit about "no free action" because other games use terms like "tap" and "free actions"

This is not those games, This is Descent. The action icon may look like a tap symbol, but it is not. you do not need to tilt your card to show it's been used, especially if it does not say "exhaust" on it. This means a card with an action icon (like the treasure hunter's Finder's Keepers), could actually be used twice in one turn, as long as you pay all attached costs.

Exhausting a card means you can only use it once in a turn, but if you have multiple cards with exhaust but no action cost (like the bard's Song of Mending, the Apothecary's Brew Elixir or the hexer's Affliction) you could play them all in the same turn (as long as conditions are met), leading to the impression that the hero took more than just 2 actions.

Excellent points. And often misunderstood by new players, especially those coming from games that are used to the black arrow Action icon meaning something completely different.

Excellent points. And often misunderstood by new players, especially those coming from games that are used to the black arrow Action icon meaning something completely different.

Even in our group we often "tap" cards, to show they've been used. This generally works well, except in cases where the card is an "action" card not an "exhaust" card.

"Tapping" cards helps a lot with cards that state "while this card is exhausted" I sometimes play as 4 heroes and it helps to remember.

"Tapping" cards helps a lot with cards that state "while this card is exhausted" I sometimes play as 4 heroes and it helps to remember.

That's exactly what we do. Exhausted = turn card sideways. Spent permanently (like a potion) = flipped over, as per the rules.