Fencer example
 

Take as an example Fencer:

ST 9 DX 12 IQ 11 MA 10
Two fine Rapiers(1d+1+1; $400 each!)
Knife, Sword, Fencing, six other skill points

If this fencer takes the double defend option then melee attackers must roll six dice at a minus one DX adjustment to hit him and if they do then they do four hits less damage.

If this fencer takes one attack and one parry then he attacks at adjDX 12 and is attacked at a minus one DX adjustment and the parry stops two hits.

Or this fencer could make two attacks, one of them Shrewd at adjDX 8. His first attack would be 2d+2 damage and the second attack would be only 1d+2 damage. Attacks against him are at the minus one DX adjustment, but no hits are stopped.

Have I read this all correctly?

Re: Fencer example
 

i don't have my book on me, but that checks out according to my memory. I'll try to parse it more carefully later

Re: Fencer example
 

Could be worse. He could have four missile racks and two secondary batteries. :p

Re: Fencer example
 

Actually I don't think this is completely correct.

It looks like all melee attacks are made a -1 DX if the fencer has a fencing weapon in hand. So that part seems separate.

Then, if he takes the defend option, all melee attacks against him ALSO have to roll on 5 dice instead of 4 dice.

These are if the fencer only has one fencing weapon, but he can also use the Two Weapons talent if he is wielding two fencing weapons (either two rapiers or a rapier and main gauche). That talent says, "This talent permits a character fighting with two weapons, on any turn he attacks, to do any one of the following", then it lists three options.

You can attack twice, you can attack once and parry with the second weapon to stop 2 hits, or you can "parry with both weapons, adding an extra die to attempts to hit you and stopping 4 points of damage from any successful attack, but not threatening the enemy."

So you aren't taking the Defend action, you are taking the Attack action and then choosing the optional double parry that the Two Weapons talent offers. So the attacker would still roll 5 dice, instead of 4, and if he hit anyway you would block 4 hits.

Honestly it is still really good. Trying to hit with 5 dice is already super hard. Making it 6 dice is kinda overkill.

Edit: larsdangly is correct below. It should be 4d to attack someone that parries with both weapons, not 5d.

Re: Fencer example
 

1) I concur with Sir Twig, above, that the 'double defend' option is specifically not called double defend. It is a double parry that a person with two weapons talent does as a form of the 'attack' option. Its benefits should not stack with the Defend option; rather, the fencer picking this two weapons option should get: -1 to hit; attack normally rolled on 4d; 4 points of protection vs. melee attacks. If instead he picked the Defend option, its -1 to hot and attacks normally rolled on 5d.

2) second option is correct

3) The damages listed in the 'double attack' option are o.k. if your way of describing the fine rapiers is that they get +1 damage (added to the Fencing damage bonus that yields 1d+2 total). Note the wording is a bit ambiguous, but both attacks are made at adj DX 8. Or, if you wanted you could do the normal attack at DX 12 and the shrewd thrust at DX 4 (though I doubt you'd want to!). Note also it is sort of a judgement call as to whether you can 'shrewd thrust' as part of a 2-weapon-attack action; it doesn't say you can't, but it also goes against the spirit of some other rules that prevent you from stacking simultaneous bennies like this. So, I'd say a GM or group ruling is called for there.

Re: Fencer example
 

Am I correct in assuming all these fencer bonuses only apply for attacks coming from or through one of his front hexes?

Re: Fencer example
 

I can't think of a place where this is explicitly stated, but it seems like an obvious ruling to me.

Re: Fencer example
 

My only question is if you need one hand behind your back in order to use Defend against rear attacks as this isn't stated anywhere in the rules.

Re: Fencer example
 

It never occurred to me that Defend would apply against attacks from your side or rear; is that what anyone is doing?

Re: Fencer example
 

I've done Defend both ways (works side/rear, or doesn't work side/rear). It's not that big a deal if Defend only gives one extra die, but if you stack it with this new talent, the talent's effects dwarf the +2/+4 for attacking from side/rear.

(I would not let the fencer abilities do things except against melee/jab attacks from the front.)