Reduced tracking speed - If the NPC is aiming at the player, the rate at which they correct their aim when the player moves should be limited. For example, if a player dashes behind an NPC about to use a move, they’ll have to take some time to turn around, missing if they don’t turn all the way before the attack launches. Being far away won’t get nearly as much use as the direction to the player will not change as much.
Melee cancelling - Players can now cancel melee attacks during the start-up by blocking or dashing. Once the attack goes out, however, you are committed to the full attack.
I think the best fix is letting more melee attacks interrupt spells. Apply a priority value to all attacks, or just spells. Then say something like blast or beam can be interrupted with knockback (priority 2), but Self explosion is grabs only (priority 3). Priority 1 spells would almost exclusively just be mobility stuff, and that stuff.
Ofc, if the damage received is too low, it won’t matter. Everything has their minimum and that’s 5% for priority 1, 15% for priority 2, and 33% for priority 3. If they do not have one of the aforementioned, then this’ll the another condition. If the damage does less than this, then it won’t work, with the sole exception if it’s one of the aforementioned (knockback, grabs). So it’s either knockback/grab, or it’s above those % numbers.
The % is based on (base HP + (defense/2)). So if you have 1000 base HP, and 1000 defense. It’ll be 5% for 1500 HP for priority 1.
Example (1500 HP):
5% → 75
15% → 225
33% → 495
I think this is doable with power builds, but some weapon techniques or fighting style skills will have knockback innately built in. Note that Ultimate Arts bump the priority tier by 1, with priority 4 being uninterruptible unless if done by a grab.