How do you RP marking?

[ourchair]

Seriously.

I understand how the marking mechanic works, and what conditions the mark is supposed to represent in an abstract fashion, but I can't for the life of me, figure out how to RP it.

See, my DM hasn't really figured out how to make combat really intense yet -- we've always had great story events, non-combat encounters and inter-PC roleplaying -- and I'm trying to figure out how to say "Kindly remember that your monsters should try to beat the living out of me, because I have 79 hit points that are asking to be eaten and marking you is the only way to ASK for it."

That is all.

 

[ValhallaGH]

"I kick him in the balls, call his mother a whore, and his father a syphilitic camel. He's now marked." - Fighter
"Cowardly varlet! Face me or face the wrath of my god!" - Paladin

That should get the point across in a way that your DM instantly groks.

Good luck.

 

[fba827]

marks are your taunting (like ValhallaGH said) or maybe it is just your PC focusing so much on that enemy he/she realizes if he drops his guard for a moment towards you that you're poised for a weakspot. Or maybe it's mystical or divine energy that diverts the target's attention (more so in the case of arcane or divine defenders), etc.

 

[Destil]

I'll throw out some examples, but like all flavor text I try and keep this in line with what the player wants.

Fighter: The fighter's attack throws the opponent's game off, distracting them unless they focus on the fighter while putting the fighter in the following position to follow up if they let their guard down.

Paladin: The target radiates a faint glow, threatening to pulse into a blinding burst of radiant energy if the challenge is ignored and interfering with their attacks.

Swordmage: A brand of lighting appears on the target's forehead, crackling with static (full credit for this one goes to the player in my Tuesday night game, a genasi stormsoul swordmage with a lightning/thunder theme).

Warden: The earth and air about the marked targets shift in a subtle way, throwing them off balance and threatening to pull them back into the warden's grasp or unbalance them for an attack.

 

[Istar]

We put a red paperclip on top of the cardboard cut out

 

[Istar]

I bring pink paper clips for the Paladin

 

[avin]

Fighters marking (hello Wow!) is one of my beefs with 4E.

Why should an intelligent oponent focus on Fighter if the strikers are the real menace...? What if, on the curse example, the villain is a cold calm folk that would smile when the Fighter curses his dad?

I find it easier to accept Swordmage, Paladin and Warden marking.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Paper cuts, man ... fear the paper cuts.

Even look the other way for a second, and I'm gonna give you a dozen really painful nicks.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Fighters marking (hello Wow!) is one of my beefs with 4E.

Why should an intelligent oponent focus on Fighter if the strikers are the real menace...? What if, on the curse example, the villain is a cold calm folk that would smile when the Fighter curses his dad?

I find it easier to accept Swordmage, Paladin and Warden marking.

Because the fighter is on top of your sorry ass and if you don't focus on him he will eat you for breakfast, hitting you, pushing you and generally making you really hate him.

In other words, if you don't focus on the fighter he is more dangerous than the Rogue, and you still have the Rogue attacking you!

In my current game my opponents weigh their chances of surviving the Fighter going apeshit on them. If they think they can get away with it, they will attack the Rogue, most of the time, this isn't so. If the fighter has marked several creatures they usually decide to just split - it's not worth it hanging around. He isn't that good at keeping the pressure up.

 

[Gimby]

Fighters marking (hello Wow!) is one of my beefs with 4E.

Why should an intelligent oponent focus on Fighter if the strikers are the real menace...? What if, on the curse example, the villain is a cold calm folk that would smile when the Fighter curses his dad?

I find it easier to accept Swordmage, Paladin and Warden marking.

Well, because if they don't, the fighter hits them - making them as much of a menace as the striker if they are ignored. The calculus seems clear - ignore the fighter and take two striker-level damage sources or ignore the striker and take only one.

Personally, I don't see it so much as cursing as more the marking (same term even) you see in say football or basketball - you move in such a way as to block, harrass and interfere with your opponent. You can't just ignore someone who is marking you in one of these sports.

Now, if the game had simultaneous movement and a "defend other" type system then you could create this organically rather than abstracting it with a "mark", but it doesn't so some abstraction is needed.