Characters with no hand-to-hand combat training get only 1 attack/action per melee (15 seconds) at levels 1, 3, and 9. No automatic Parry or Dodge, and each attempt counts as 1 melee action. P.P. and W.P. bonuses apply to combat moves.
Characters with any kind of formal hand-to-hand combat training usually start off with 4 attacks/actiosn per melee round. Each specific Hand-To-Hand Combat skill will indicate how amny attacks the character starts with. This number grows with experience.