Help! Monsters who Mark targets...

[babinro]

I was just working on a potential encounter for my campaign which is going to include a room filled with armored humanoid 'statues'. In this room will be a floating 'magical' shield in front of one of the statues. Upon trying to touch or grab the shield, the party member will realized they've just stepped within a Gelatinous Cube and all the 'statues' are in actuality warforged soldiers with a captain...

Looking at the Warforged Soldier pg 261 MM1. It says that when the Longsword: Standard at will strikes a target they are marked and refers to Battlefield tactics for more information.

My question is: What does the Warforged Soldier's mark even do?

I couldn't find what monster oriented marks accomplish...as such I don't see why the Player Character has any reason to attack the Warforged soldier that struck it aside from revenge. Do I just apply the penalties as though this were a fighter's mark? The index didn't clear this up for me. If someone knows the answer, it would be great if you could also provide the reference for me to look up too. Thanks!

 

[Timeboxer]

"Marked" is actually a condition -- you're at a -2 to attack anyone except the last person who marked you, and unless otherwise stated it ends at the end of the marker's next turn. You can find out more on the page that describes conditions in combat (the page number of which escapes me currently.)

 

[Wormwood]

Marked is a condition (PHB p. 277)

"You take a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn;t target the creature that marked you"

 

[babinro]

I suck...I guess I didn't need to ask this question. Just looked in the wrong section, conditions pg 277 PHB. Thanks for the quick response!

 

[robsenworldaccount]

happens to the best of us. Gl w/ campaign.