Hexes vs. Squares

[Nifft]

I imagine hexes would have problems with larger creatures as well. If a creature has a 10' by 10' space, do you then make it take up one hex, seven hexes (one central and the six around it), or something else? Maybe three hexes?

Three hexes. Just like with Squares, the critter sits on an intersection.

A 15 ft. critter takes up seven hexes (instead of nine squares). Just like with Squares, the critter does NOT sit on an intersection.

-- N

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I asked my previous DM if he'd be interested in using hexes, and his reply was that "it's too hard to draw straight lines on them." Being that he was incapable of drawing straight lines on a square grid, I just shrugged and didn't pursue it.

IMO, there're plenty of good reasons to use hexes, and the reasons people give for clinging to squares are pretty lame. When my game restarts, I'll be using my hex-battlemat.

 

[Ranger REG]

GURPS has a nice rule to handle the "half a hex" issue which I have adopted for my DND game. If you have an area where you go hex/half hex/hex etc., then a character can fight in a hex if at least half of it is visible.

"Half a hex"??? Sounds weirder than resolving diagonal movement.

Btw, did 3.5 fix the problem of:

ABC
DEF
GHI

where if E is surrounded by D and F and moves to H and then continues moving, both D and F get an AoO against him. If E is surround by G and C and moves to I and continues moving, neither G or C get an AoO against him.

Correction: both G and C gets AoO because E is leaving the square they both threatened.

You did read the better-worded Attack of Opportunity rules, have you?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Correction: both G and C gets AoO because E is leaving the square they both threatened.

I see what he's talking about.

If you use the Withdraw action, only the square you start in is not threatened.

In the first case, no matter which way he moves, he must pass through a second threatened square.

In the second case, if he moves at a diagonal, he gets away clean.

If the grid were rotated 45 degrees, he wouldn't be able to get away without an AoO in case 2. Grid orientation shouldn't have an effect on whether someone lives or dies, so it's an oddity of the system.

-Hyp.

 

[KarinsDad]

"Half a hex"??? Sounds weirder than resolving diagonal movement.

Not any weirder than all of the rooms being on the square system, but all of the corridors being at 45 degree angles and 10 feet wide. How do you handle two groups of opponents in a 10 foot wide corridor when they are at a 45 degree angle from the main rooms (which are also currently drawn on the grid, sheet, whatever)?

Do you use "half a square"?

Do you just line them up side by side, even if they are not in actual squares? How does this affect area effect spells, etc.?

Correction: both G and C gets AoO because E is leaving the square they both threatened.

You did read the better-worded Attack of Opportunity rules, have you?

Not for a withdrawal ("You did read the better-worded Attack of Opportunity rules, have you?").

It appears that the problem still exists in 3.5.

If the grid were rotated 45 degrees, he wouldn't be able to get away without an AoO in case 2. Grid orientation shouldn't have an effect on whether someone lives or dies, so it's an oddity of the system.

Precisely.

 

[Ranger REG]

I concede. But it's minor.

 

[KarinsDad]

I concede. But it's minor.

Agreed.

However, just this evening, we had a fight that ended up like this in hexes (although it is difficult to represent here):

. . . P . . .
. . N . N . .
. P . . . P .
N . . . . . N

where N = NPCs and P = PCs (in hexes, this is a 60 degree angle, not a 45 degree one).

This lasted for several rounds (because everyone was more concerned about getting flanking bonuses than giving them) and jokes were actually made when one player finally busted up the V pattern. However, a few of the NPCs attempted to leave before being killed and each of them got an AoO from at least one PC because they ended up going through a threatened hex while withdrawing. So, it can and does happen (quite often in games where the NPCs do not always fight to the death and both PCs and NPCs attempt to flank a lot).

What's nice about this situation in hexes is that you can choose the perceived weaker of your two opponents to give the AoO. But, one opponent will always get an AoO (assuming no Tumble or other way to avoid movement AoOs), regardless of direction in which you withdrawal.

With squares, depending on situation, either zero, one, or two opponents will get AoOs.

And, there are other freaky things with squares that do not happen with hexes, especially with regard to reach and area of effect (especially cones). With hexes, x spaces away is the same in all directions (a "circle" always looks like a big hex ). You do not have to calculate (or have templates cut out of) weird semi-circular shapes by counting up 1.5 squares diagonally and 1 square horizontally or vertically.

Three hexes. Just like with Squares, the critter sits on an intersection.

A 15 ft. critter takes up seven hexes (instead of nine squares). Just like with Squares, the critter does NOT sit on an intersection.

This would work. Thanks for the idea.

I've always just used two hexes for a large creature, regardless of whether it was large tall or large long.

The examples on page 308 and 309 of the 3.5 DMG (and the corresponding reach rules) are a bit bizarre with regard to long creatures vs. tall creatures. For example, a 10 foot tall creature with a reach weapon can attack 20 feet in front of him. The same creature prone (presumably or another creature of the exact same size but on all fours) with a reach weapon can only attack 10 feet in front of himself.

Why wouldn't the length of the exact same reach weapon be the same in both cases? It's as if large long creatures use medium sized reach weapons and large tall creatures use large sized reach weapons. Very strange.

 

[Quaestor]

Personally, I greatly prefer hex grids. Just a word to those that are concerned with the difficulty of drawing hexes, there is a much better way to do it. Draw a row of squares. Now draw the second row of squares, except offset from the first row by half a square. Repeat until you've filled up the board.

Quaestor the Wanderer

 

[Nifft]

Hex Lovers Unite!!!

Here are some Hex illustrations I made:

 

[Hypersmurf]

Personally, I greatly prefer hex grids. Just a word to those that are concerned with the difficulty of drawing hexes, there is a much better way to do it. Draw a row of squares. Now draw the second row of squares, except offset from the first row by half a square. Repeat until you've filled up the board.

So now only four creatures can threaten another creature (with 5' reach) at any one time?

-Hyp.