Anyone Tried Hexes?

[Hardhead]

After playing a game of 4th edition and noticing some wonkiness with the diagonals, I'm strongly considering hexes. Has anyone tried them yet? If so, what are your thoughts?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

While I haven't tried them with 4Ed, I've been using hexes more often than squares for the past 30 years...its my wargaming background.

And it works just fine.

 

[Andur]

Makes AoE's worthless...

 

[Zurai]

Makes AoE's worthless...

How so?

 

[MarauderX]

I once studied the concepts with squares vs. hexes, and went with squares for the sake of simplicity with the system and players. With 3.5 there was a little math involved when firing diagonally in three dimensions, and so we'd pause for a minute or two to determine ranges. I was tempted during 3.5 to change every diagonal as only 5', if only to make the game faster, but was advised not to bother, as most were comfortable and others might exploit it. Hexes were going to be my answer to that, but moving laterally offers some of the same wonkiness that diagonals do - you just aren't moving as far for each hex as if you went perpendicular (as opposed to the 45 degree diagonal with squares).
To summarize, I'd stick with squares. Everyone knows them, uses them, and everyone will compensate using them diagonally. Spells will target the number of opponents/allies they are supposed to, and no one will be afraid of estimating the distance to a target askew from the grid.

 

[Andur]

How so?

Just at random:

Combust Burst 2, Target: Each Creature in Burst. Hit 5d6 + Int fire damage.

Square = potential for 130d6 + 26(Int) fire damage

Hex = potential for 95d6 +19(Int) fire damage

Pretty serious nerf (27% reduction in damage), gets worse the bigger the area.

 

[Zurai]

I can count on zero fingers the number of times I've ever gotten a target in every possible square/hex in an area effect spell in the last 25 years. Yes, I said zero fingers, as in it's never happened and it's never likely to happen. Basing such hyperbolic comments as "hexes make AOEs useless" on a case that will never happen is sheer arrogance.

 

[Nifft]

On the subject of AoEs, 4e's Burst seems both simple and nicely circular, but how do you do 4e's Blast shape?

Cheers, -- N

 

[hong]

A blast is supposed to be the analogue of a cone in 3E, so you could just make it a 60-deg cone on a hexmap.

 

[Nifft]

A blast is supposed to be the analogue of a cone in 3E, so you could just make it a 60-deg cone on a hexmap.

That would work very nicely.

Since you can orient the cone, you can still get the effect of standing at one corner of the battle-line and hitting a line of foes; but you could also be standing one square behind two allies, shooting dudes in front of them without hitting them.

Thanks, -- N