Nevercast - More on ranged combat

My rough-draft ideas for gunfire/projectile response options. (All responses require that you are actually aware of the attacker. For example, if a sniper is shooting at you, you may not use a response.)

1. Response attack - the same speed vs. speed comparison to see who attacks first. However, since ranged attacks are based upon the focus attribute, compare focus vs. passive defense once it is determined when opponents attack. You may also use a strike to respond if you are within range.

2. Dash - based on reflex, use the dash combat movement to hastily jump out of the way as your opponent is about to attack.

3. Take Cover - based on reflex, adding the cover's passive defense bonus to your attribute comparison. Cover must be no more than (a combat step?) away from you. If you are immediately by cover, then no action use is required, provided that you have actions remaining. You may also drop prone to the ground.

4. Run - based on speed, run out of the way (using the run combat movement) before your opponent attacks. If you are already running when your opponent attacks you, then the attack is compared against your Passive Defense +3, or you may add a dash response on top of that (reflex + passive defense bonus compared instead), or you may use Concentration or an extra combat action to change direction (randomizer applied). I haven't decided on whether or not changing direction on your turn requires an extra action, however the change will nullify any bonuses that your opponents receive if they are aiming at you. (Note: skilled attackers may be able to follow you with their aim while you change directions.)

5. Grab - based on dexterity, if you are within range you may try to grab the opponent’s arm/wrist/etc in order to prevent the attack.

6. Dodge - based on agility, you may only attempt to dodge a muscle-propelled weapon. (Skilled technique only) - you may use your agility to dodge the line of attack for all ranged attacks, including gunfire, before the attack is made, which requires an immense amount of concentration (agility +3 bonus). Counterattack bonus if you are using a ranged attack or if you are within range for a melee attack. At higher skill, concentration use is decreased and you may add a free combat step.

Notes:
* Single-handed shooting has an attack penalty based upon the particular gun you are using, as they all have different amounts of recoil. A .22 may only penalize your attack by 1 point whereas a .44 magnum may penalize by 3 and cause you to drop the weapon on a critical failure. The benefit of shooting one-handed is firing from a profiled stance, which improves your passive defense score, or shooting two guns at once (not terribly effective, despite what movies would like you to think).

* Changing directions while running on your turn may only cost an action to characters who have an agility score less than 8.

* You don’t actually dodge bullets. An extremely skilled combatant dodges the line of fire when the opponent is about to shoot (typically only players who choose the Master profession will have this technique available to them, as their internal arts training provides them with the prerequisites). Take note that training methods in Nevercast are superior to existing real-world methods, thus combatants may reach much higher levels of skill. This is because combat training has been heavily institutionalized and has had more years of scientific research devoted to it, funded primarily by militant technology cults.