Reversals
A reversal is when you turn a successful defensive maneuver into an offensive maneuver. For example, when an opponent tries to take you down by the legs, you sprawl and catch him in a headlock, or you parry an opponent's punch and turn the parry into an armlock.
As opposed to a counterattack, a reversal is executed as one fluid action, rather than two individual actions in succession. Also, most reversals cannot be actively defended against and require the usage of concentration to pull off. They are the most effective maneuvers in close-quarters combat.
To maximize realism, and to highlight how difficult it really is to time these things, I'm currently debating on whether or not I will require a high concentration use roll (4 on a d4) in order to successfully pull off a reversal. In which case, every time you level up your reversal technique, your chances will improve by 25%.
Effort Pools
Effort pools are your lifelines; they are resources you tap into when things get tough. There are two effort pools: stamina and concentration. Stamina is based upon endurance and concentration is based upon focus.
Whenever any action is physically taxing, or whenever you attempt to push your physical limits, your stamina will be reduced, and you will eventually start to be sloppy in your actions. Using actions you are skilled in, however, rarely taxes your stamina.
Any action that requires mental exertion taxes your concentration. It is possible to improve the success rate of any technique by using concentration, in which case you use an exploding d4 and add the result to your attribute. Some techniques require you to tax your concentration in order to use at all.
Effort pools are very small, and you must be judicious in your usage. The only way to replenish these values is to spend combat actions.
Focusing a Technique
I explained how you may tax your concentration in order to improve the success of a technique. However, there is another way to do this. For example, before you fire your gun, you may first stabilize your grip and adjust your aim. In game terms, this is modeled by the expenditure of combat actions. Techniques that spend combat actions to improve your success rate are simply called "Focus Techniques". "Aim" (firearms), "Time Attack" (CQC), and "Gauge Distance" (acrobatics) are all focus techniques. As with concentration usage, using a focus technique adds an exploding d4 value to your attribute.
Movement
There are 4 movement types:
1. Combat Step - Move 1 range at a time. This movement is for safety, as an opponent may not use a response attack against you. A single combat step may be used as a quick evasion, in response to an opponent's combat step, or as a 0 action after a response. On your turn, combat steps may be used in conjunction with a poise or timing technique; opponents rarely stand in one spot while they are observing each other.
2. Dash - A dash is a bursting step, which is good for closing distance. If you are out of attacking range, you may use an attack simultaneously with a dash, but you will suffer an attack penalty. You may also use a dash in order to evade an attack.
3. Run - Unless you plan on barreling into an enemy, this is no good offensively as an extra action must be spent to recover after you stop. Defensively, however, you will be a moving target for ranged attackers and thus more difficult to hit. If you choose to run a distance that cannot be completed in a single turn, you will be considered in a running state until then, and defensive bonuses will apply.
4. Dive - For when shit hits the fan. Defensive bonuses are best for a dive, but you need to spend combat actions to recover from a prone position, unless if your character is able to use the tumble technique. This movement is most applicable during firefights.
Actions
As of right now, players will be able to use 3 actions per round, either for turn actions or response actions. Basic response actions, such as parries, blocks, and dodges, cost 0 actions. However, this is only as long as you still have actions to spare, otherwise you may not use these responses. Counterattacks use 0 actions, unless if they follow up a 0 action response, in which case it will cost 1 action. Counterattacks also follow the rule that you must have remaining actions left in order to use.