Yes, that's what it means; You know the number on the die but not whether it was a success or fail (which would be the result.) Basically if you see them roll high it makes you want to use it, even if it turns out the high roll might not have saved them anyway. And if they roll borderline (in the 11-14 range) it creates uncertainty as you may want to save it for a clearer "win" by that foe down the road, like a nat 20.
I think OP has already taken the hexes into account.