Hex grid spell templates

[Nifft]

I didn't want to reduce the count for bursts, but I couldn't find any good way to preserve it while keeping a symmetrical shape. Blasts were easier to keep the count on because of the shape I chose, based on a cone. Having the two not match in size wasn't an ideal solution.

Right. IMHO as long as they're close in area it's fine.

So I kept bursts hexagonal, and they do cover less area than their square counterparts. It is somewhat balanced by there being fewer hexes adjacent to a character (6 rather than 8), and by blasts being close. Blasts have a slightly bigger area, but you have to be right there to deliver the spell most of the time.

Ah, see, I actually think blasts already have more tactical value, if you're not limited to a rotationally invariant shape.

With a cone-shapes -- yours or mine -- the caster has a bunch more options. IMHO, those options = tactical power.

Your suggestion of just making an arc-shaped template covering 60 or 90 degrees is good - pivot it around and adjudicate edge cases as with the round template.

What I'd intended to suggest was a fixed hex template, just like yours, but with fewer hexes... I'll just sketch it, it's confusing to describe. Please pardon the crudeness.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Zinovia]

The more I consider this, the more I agree that the two types of spells should be similar to each other in size. I was a bit too focused on the hex count matching the square version when I designed the blast spells. Given the nature of a hex shaped spell rather than square, the burst spells had to be smaller than their square counterparts (since we're lopping off the corners). The blast spells should match them in size.

So I have come up with a revised version, and given up on trying to make a version that aims off the side of a hex. It just looked weird and didn't fit well. The bursts are the same, although I combined them into a single template as was suggested up-thread. They are 7, 19, and 37 hexes total for burst 1, 2, and 3 respectively (vs. 9, 25, and 49 on a square grid). The blast spells are 8 and 19 hexes for burst 3 and burst 5. This corresponds much better to their burst counterparts, while still giving me the cone shape I wanted.

As Nifft suggested, I used a 60 degree arc as the basis, but instead of making it only 6 hexes, I added a couple more at the top, for a total of 8 in a blast 3 spell.

For the blasts, there is a starting hex that is placed adjacent to the caster. Here's what they look like.

Revised Hex Spell templates

 

[Nifft]

Nice. I really like your new Blast 5 template. IMHO the Blast 3 is tactically more flexible as a 6-hex cone than it is as (your) 8-hex cone, but perhaps that's just a matter of taste.

One further note: there are feats which increase the size of blasts & bursts by 1, so it's possible to have a Blast 4, 6 or even 7 (with both Enlarge Spell and the Thunder one).

"Your work is never done", -- N

 

[eamon]

Why not have the caster on the gold colored hex? Wouldn't that be more symmetrical?

Seeing as you've experience with hexes, how does it affect gameplay? Seems to me the more notable difference is a reduction in mobility; it looks harder to "slip through the cracks" and pushes/pulls have fewer options. Flanking, on the other hand is easier.

 

[Zinovia]

Allowing the caster a choice to stand on the gold colored hex or to place it adjacent to him would add some nice flexibility. Naturally, if he is in that hex, the spell wouldn't hit there. If it's adjacent, then it does affect that hex. I like it as a solution for aiming a spell straight off the point of the hex, rather than angling it to one side or the other. Good idea, thanks.

I hadn't considered blast 4, or 6, but IIRC, the newly revised warlock/sorcerer hybrid in my group has the option of increasing the size of spells by a hex (or she will shortly). It's not hard to figure it out, but I can go in and add some other sizes to the template. They are used less often than the defaults, but might be useful. At higher levels, there's a spell for chaos sorcerers (level 20 paragon path spell) that is close blast 2d6 - so it can range in size from blast 2 to blast 12. That could be entertaining (it hits only enemies).

To count these, just go out the stated number of hexes along the 60 degree shape (using the existing template), then add in the extra line of hexes across the top of the wedge.

 

[Zinovia]

Seeing as you've experience with hexes, how does it affect gameplay? Seems to me the more notable difference is a reduction in mobility; it looks harder to "slip through the cracks" and pushes/pulls have fewer options. Flanking, on the other hand is easier.

Flanking is pretty easy to achieve, and for medium sized creatures, very clear as to which hexes provide flank. For larger creatures, we wing it a little, but it's not difficult to judge. I'm not sure that flanking is any easier to achieve than on a square grid. It's true that there are fewer hexes adjacent to a given opponent (6 rather than 8 ).

We trade a little bit of side to side "waddle" in movement with a hex grid for the weirdness of the square root of 2 being factored out of diagonal movement on a square grid. I'd rather that things that are physically further apart also be further apart when counting on the grid, which doesn't happen on diagonals with squares, unless you go back to 1-2-1-2 counts for movement on the diagonal. So by the RAW with a square grid, you do have more mobility than on hex, provided you move diagonally. It's something I dislike about squares. Other than that, I don't think using hexes has much effect on forced movement or mobility however.

Push or pull powers are always straight away or towards the person using that power, so how would hex reduce the options? As for slipping through the cracks, isn't it a bit easier with hex, given that the threatened area from any given foe covers fewer hexes than it would squares?

It's hard for me to judge, since the only time I use squares is the occasional LFR game.

 

[TylerDurden]

4e Square Grid

Do you guys have a similar grid for 4e square grid? I do not typically use hex grid, but love the transparency idea for the game.