Shield.

This has probably been brought up before - in the Runouw forums, but what about a shield for the player? Those enemies don't stand as much of a chance if you use a shield to block, or even counter their attacks!
Of course, there should be some boundaries to avoid any overpowering:
Idea 1: Some shields may break.
Idea 2: Sometimes you lose hold of your shield, and it may go flying when you block an attack. Go retrieve it!
Idea 3: Certain shields only block certain means of attacking.
Idea 4: Shields have specific weaknesses.
Of course, there should be some boundaries to avoid any overpowering:
Idea 1: Some shields may break.
Idea 2: Sometimes you lose hold of your shield, and it may go flying when you block an attack. Go retrieve it!
Idea 3: Certain shields only block certain means of attacking.
Idea 4: Shields have specific weaknesses.