RAW it looks like you always have to Block, Dodge, Parry, or Fight Back whenever you are attacked. Is this intended by the rules? My first impression is that this rule would make combat much more damaging than in standard Cairn.
That's a very good point! You can, in fact, "do nothing", i.e., your character uses their Hit Protection to defend themselves. I'll make sure to amend that in the text in the next version!