Range & Line of Sight Rules

Hex-Based Combat • Version 2.0 • 6-Hex-Side Facing System • Shield/Weapon Positioning

"Distance is measured in hexes. Death is measured in mistakes. Know your range. Know your angles. Miss once, and you're scrap."

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Hex Grid Basics

Penance uses a hex grid for movement and combat.

Hex Counting

Range 0: The hex you're standing in
Range 1: The 6 hexes directly adjacent to you
Range 2: The 12 hexes one ring out
Range 3+: Continue counting outward

Do NOT count the hex you're standing in.

Range Diagram

        [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
       [ ][3][3][3][ ]
      [ ][3][2][2][3][ ]
     [ ][3][2][1][2][3][ ]
    [ ][3][2][1][X][1][2][3][ ]
     [ ][3][2][1][2][3][ ]
      [ ][3][2][2][3][ ]
       [ ][3][3][3][ ]
        [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

X = Your Casket
1 = Range 1 (adjacent, 6 hexes)
2 = Range 2 (12 hexes)
3 = Range 3 (18 hexes)

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Range Bands (For To-Hit Modifiers)

Cards specify maximum range, but to-hit modifiers apply based on distance:

Range Band	Distance	To-Hit Modifier	Weapon Examples
Short	0-3 hexes	+0 (no penalty)	Melee, pistols, shotguns
Medium	4-6 hexes	+1 to target number	Rifles, bows, crossbows
Long	7-10 hexes	+2 to target number	Sniper rifles, long bows
Extreme	11+ hexes	+3 to target number	Artillery, siege weapons

How It Works:

Base To-Hit: 5+ (roll 2d6 Attack Dice)
Apply range modifier to target number
Example: Medium range (5 hexes) = need 6+ instead of 5+

Card Range Examples:

Faithful Thrust: "Range: Melee" (1 hex only, Short range modifier +0)
Quick Shot (Pistol): "Range 3" (up to 3 hexes, Short range modifier +0)
Rifle Shot: "Range 8" (up to 8 hexes, Long range modifier +2 if shooting 7-8 hexes)
Sniper Shot: "Range 12" (up to 12 hexes, Extreme range modifier +3 if shooting 11-12 hexes)

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Line of Sight (LOS)

To attack or target an enemy, you must have Line of Sight.

LOS Basics

You have LOS if:

You can draw a straight line from center of your hex to center of target hex
That line does NOT pass through LOS-blocking terrain

LOS is BLOCKED by:

Walls (solid obstacles)
Large terrain (buildings, cliffs)
Dense forests (specifically marked as "blocks LOS")

LOS is NOT blocked by:

Other Caskets (you can shoot past allies/enemies)
Rubble (provides cover, doesn't block)
Light terrain (water, ice, clear ground)

LOS Diagrams

BLOCKED LOS (Wall in the way):
    [ ][T][ ]
    [ ][#][ ]   # = Wall
    [ ][A][ ]   A = Attacker, T = Target

    LOS blocked! Cannot attack.

CLEAR LOS (Rubble provides cover, doesn't block):
    [ ][T][ ]
    [ ][~][ ]   ~ = Rubble
    [ ][A][ ]

    LOS clear! Can attack, but target has +1 Defense (cover).

CLEAR LOS (Can shoot past other Caskets):
    [ ][T][ ]
    [ ][E][ ]   E = Enemy Casket
    [ ][A][ ]

    LOS clear! Other Caskets don't block.

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Cover System (For To-Hit Modifiers)

Cover provides defensive bonuses without blocking LOS.

Cover Rules

If target is:

In or adjacent to cover terrain (forests, rubble)
AND attacker's LOS passes through/near that terrain
Attacker gets +1 to target number (harder to hit)

Cover Terrain Types:

Light Cover (forest, rubble): +1 to target number
Heavy Cover (fortress walls, dense forest): +2 to target number
Other Caskets: +1 to target number if enemy Casket is between you and attacker

Cover does NOT stack:

Use highest cover modifier only (even if multiple cover sources)
Example: Target in forest (+1) AND behind fortress wall (+2) = +2 total (highest)

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Facing & Firing Arcs (6-Hex-Side System)

Caskets have a facing (which direction they're pointed) AND a shield-side/weapon-side.

Hex Facing (6 Directional Sides)

Each Casket occupies 1 hex and faces ONE of the 6 hex sides.

Hex Sides (6 possible directions):
         1
      6     2
      5     3
         4

1 = Front (primary facing)
2 = Front-Right
3 = Rear-Right
4 = Rear (directly behind)
5 = Rear-Left
6 = Front-Left

6-Hex-Side Arc System:
         [1]          1 = FRONT (0° - 60°)
      [6] [X] [2]     2 = FRONT-RIGHT (60° - 120°)
      [5]   [3]       3 = REAR-RIGHT (120° - 180°)
         [4]          4 = REAR (180° - 240°)
                      5 = REAR-LEFT (240° - 300°)
X = Your Casket       6 = FRONT-LEFT (300° - 360°)

Rotation:

Free action (once per turn)
Rotate 1 hex-side clockwise or counter-clockwise
Can rotate multiple times by spending 1 SP per additional rotation
Example: Rotate 3 hex-sides = 1 free + 2 SP

Shield Side & Weapon Side

When building your Casket, declare which side has your shield:

Shield-Side Options:

Left-Shield (default): Shield on hex-sides 5, 6, 1 (left + front)
Right-Shield: Shield on hex-sides 1, 2, 3 (right + front)
No Shield: No shield bonuses (if using 2-handed weapon or dual weapons)

Example - Left-Shield Casket:
    [6-Shield][X][2-Weapon]     Shield protects Left + Front
    [5-Shield]   [3-Weapon]     Weapons on Right side
       [4-Rear]

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Facing Modifiers (Detailed 6-Hex System)

Attacking from different hex-sides has specific effects:

Hex Side	Arc Name	To-Hit Mod	Damage Bonus	Defender Defense	Shield Blocks?
1 (Front)	Front	+0	+0	Full Defense	Yes (if shield)
2 (Front-Right)	Weapon Side	+0	+1	-1 Defense	No (weapon exposed)
3 (Rear-Right)	Flank (Weapon)	-1 (easier)	+2	-2 Defense	No
4 (Rear)	Rear	-2 (easier)	+3	-3 Defense	No (blind spot)
5 (Rear-Left)	Flank (Shield)	-1 (easier)	+2	-2 Defense	No
6 (Front-Left)	Shield Side	+1 (harder)	+0	Full Defense +1	Yes (shield covered)

To-Hit Modifier Explanation:

Easier to hit (flanks, rear): -1 or -2 to target number (need lower roll)
- Example: Base 5+, attacking rear (hex 4) = need 3+ instead
Harder to hit (shield-side): +1 to target number (need higher roll)
- Example: Base 5+, attacking shield-side (hex 6) = need 6+ instead
Front/weapon-side: +0 to target number (standard difficulty)

Tactical Considerations:

Shield Side Advantage:

Attacks from shield-side hexes (6, 1) can be blocked with shield
Hex-side 6 (Front-Left with left-shield) grants +1 Defense bonus
Shield-side reactive cards (Deflect, Shield Wall) work on these hexes

Weapon Side Vulnerability:

Attacks from weapon-side hexes (2, 3) cannot be blocked by shields
Hex-side 2 (Front-Right with left-shield) gives attacker +1 damage
You cannot use shield reactive cards against these attacks

Rear Arc (Hex-sides 3, 4, 5):

All rear attacks gain +2 or +3 damage
Cannot use reactive defense cards from rear attacks
Must rotate to defend properly

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Facing Diagrams (6-Hex System)

DIRECT REAR ATTACK (Hex-side 4 - Most Vulnerable):
       [ ]
    [ ][T][  ]   T = Target (facing DOWN ↓)
    [A][ ][  ]   A = Attacker (hex-side 4)
       ↓
    Attacker at hex-side 4 (rear)
    +3 damage, target's Defense -3
    Target CANNOT use reactive defense cards

FLANK ATTACK - WEAPON SIDE (Hex-side 2 or 3):
       [ ]
    [ ][T←][A]   T = Target (left-shield, facing LEFT ←)
       [ ]       A = Attacker (hex-side 2, weapon side)
    Attacker at hex-side 2 (front-right, weapon side)
    +1 damage, target's Defense -1
    Target CANNOT block with shield

SHIELD SIDE ATTACK (Hex-side 6 - Best Defense):
       [ ]
    [A][T→][ ]   T = Target (left-shield, facing RIGHT →)
       [ ]       A = Attacker (hex-side 6, shield side)
    Attacker at hex-side 6 (front-left, shield side)
    +0 damage, target's Defense FULL +1
    Target CAN use shield reactive cards

FRONT ATTACK (Hex-side 1 - Expected):
       [A]
    [ ][T][ ]   T = Target (facing UP ↑)
       [ ]      A = Attacker (hex-side 1)
       ↑
    Attacker at hex-side 1 (front)
    +0 damage, target's Defense FULL
    Target can defend normally

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Elevation & Height

Some hexes are elevated (hills, platforms, buildings).

Elevation Rules (For To-Hit & Damage)

Higher Ground Advantage:

If you are 1+ levels higher than target:

-1 to target number (easier to hit)
+1 damage to attacks (if hit)
Ignore cover (shoot over it)

Shooting Uphill Penalty:

If you are 1+ levels lower than target:

+1 to target number (harder to hit)
-1 damage to attacks (if hit)

Levels:

Level 0: Ground level (most of map)
Level 1: Hills, platforms (+1 elevation)
Level 2: Towers, rooftops (+2 elevation)

Climbing:

Moving UP 1 level: Costs +1 SP (2 SP total)
Moving DOWN 1 level: Normal cost (1 SP)

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Quick Reference: Range/LOS/Facing Checklist

Before attacking, check:

✅ In range? (Count hexes from you to target)
✅ In firing arc? (Target in front 180° of your facing?)
✅ Have LOS? (No walls blocking straight line?)
✅ Calculate To-Hit Number:
- Base: 5+
- Range modifier: Short +0, Medium +1, Long +2, Extreme +3
- Attacker movement: 0 hexes +0, 1-3 +1, 4-6 +2, 7+ +3
- Defender movement: 0 hexes +0, 1-3 +1, 4-6 +2, 7+ +3
- Hex-side facing: Front +0, Weapon +0, Flank -1, Rear -2, Shield +1
- Cover: Light +1, Heavy +2
- Elevation: Higher -1, Lower +1
✅ Roll 2 Attack Dice (add values, compare to target number)
✅ If hit, apply damage modifiers:
- Strong Hit (7-8): +1 damage
- Critical Hit (9): +2 damage, bypass 1 Defense
- EXECUTION (10): Auto-destroy component, bypass all Defense
- Hex-side bonus: Weapon +1, Flank +2, Rear +3
- Elevation: Higher +1, Lower -1

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Common Situations

Q: Can I shoot through my ally?
A: Yes. Other Caskets (ally or enemy) do NOT block LOS.

Q: Can I shoot an enemy I can't see?
A: No. You must have LOS. Walls/dense forest block attacks.

Q: Does rubble block LOS?
A: No. Rubble provides +1 Defense (cover), but doesn't block LOS.

Q: Do I need LOS to move?
A: Yes. You can't move into hexes you can't see (no blind movement through walls).

Q: Can I attack behind me without rotating?
A: No. You can only attack targets in your front 180° arc. Rotate first (free action).

Q: If I'm surrounded, can I be attacked from all sides?
A: Yes. Enemies attack from whatever facing they're in (front/side/rear). Rear attackers get +2 damage.

Q: I have a shield on my left arm. Which hex-sides does it protect?
A: Left-Shield protects hex-sides 5, 6, and 1 (rear-left, front-left, and front). Hex-sides 2, 3, 4 are vulnerable (weapon side + rear).

Q: Can I block an attack from my weapon-side with my shield?
A: No. Shield reactive cards (Deflect, Shield Wall, etc.) only work if the attack comes from your shield-side hexes.

Q: I'm being attacked from hex-side 4 (direct rear). Can I use Brace for Impact?
A: No. Rear attacks (hex-sides 3, 4, 5) cannot be defended with reactive cards. You must rotate to defend.

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Terrain Types Summary

Terrain	LOS	Movement	Cover	Special
Clear	Pass through	1 SP/hex	No	Baseline
Forest	Pass through	2 SP/hex (difficult)	+1 Def	None
Rubble	Pass through	2 SP/hex (difficult)	+1 Def	None
Wall	BLOCKED	Impassable	N/A	Blocks LOS
Water	Pass through	1 SP/hex	No	Remove 2 Heat/turn
Elevated	Pass through	2 SP/hex (climb up)	No	+1 dmg if higher

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