How do I describe "being marked" to players?

[WarpZone]

Just ordered 4E, and I'm working with the free preview materials while I wait for it to get here. One thing I can't seem to wrap my brain around is the concept of being "marked."

I understand the mechanics behind the rule, I just can't think how to describe it. "The hobgoblin points at you, and barks 'You're it!' For some reason, this makes you really want to attack him." It just doesn't work. There's no visual metaphor for it.

Maybe it's a miniatures thing, I dunno. But I was hoping to use 4E's streamlined gameplay to introduce some new players to the game. I don't feel like I can do that without describing the combat.

 

[ChupacabraPlus]

I imagine it more like the monster is just bearing down on you, attacking wildly and screaming in your face. It's hard to concentrate on the little guy twirling his fingers in the back when you have some 8 foot brute on top of you.

 

[Torg Smith]

Another way to say it is that the fighter is attacking it with a ferociousness that when the monster turns from him he is distracted while attacking another.

 

[jonrog1]

In GMing I've used:

"That Hobgoblin is raining (blows/arrows) down on you. Unless you deal with him, he's just going to tear you up while you fight the other monsters."

Make it about the monster'sintent or ferocity -- that's what's causing the deleterious modifier.

For those who feel this takes some sort of control away from the players, it's actually analagous to many scenes in movies and actual tactic. Leave that sniper alone to fight on the battlefield, pay the price.

 

[peterparker18974]

Fighters and Paladins and some Soldiers are very skilled in punishing opponents who try to do other things other than focusing on them. All being marked means is that the character trained in marking has his attention set on his mark and if the mark does anything that gives him an opening such as attack someone else or move, the defender will punish him for it.

Its not so much that the marked player or monster wants to the attack the Defender, its that he will be punished by the Defender for letting his or her guard down.

 

[Xorn]

Just ordered 4E, and I'm working with the free preview materials while I wait for it to get here. One thing I can't seem to wrap my brain around is the concept of being "marked."

I understand the mechanics behind the rule, I just can't think how to describe it. "The hobgoblin points at you, and barks 'You're it!' For some reason, this makes you really want to attack him." It just doesn't work. There's no visual metaphor for it.

Maybe it's a miniatures thing, I dunno. But I was hoping to use 4E's streamlined gameplay to introduce some new players to the game. I don't feel like I can do that without describing the combat.

Modern day terms: You have boxing gloves on. There is a guy, also wearing boxing gloves, fighting you. There is another guy, who is loading a blackpowder pistol, to shoot you with.

While the guy with a pistol is clearly a threat--if you turn your attention from the guy on top of you, he'll take advantage of that. So you can't devote your full attention to the guy with a pistol. -2 to attack rolls.

So the hobgoblin soldier doesn't say, "Tag, you're it!" He screams and roars and assaults you with a barrage of attacks from his flail. Doing anything but dealing with him has a penalty.

 

[Clavis]

Just ordered 4E, and I'm working with the free preview materials while I wait for it to get here. One thing I can't seem to wrap my brain around is the concept of being "marked."

I understand the mechanics behind the rule, I just can't think how to describe it. "The hobgoblin points at you, and barks 'You're it!' For some reason, this makes you really want to attack him." It just doesn't work. There's no visual metaphor for it.

Maybe it's a miniatures thing, I dunno. But I was hoping to use 4E's streamlined gameplay to introduce some new players to the game. I don't feel like I can do that without describing the combat.

You can't explain it. Don't try. "Being marked" has no relationship to anything that happens in a real fight. It's bad gamist design (and yes, there's such a thing as good gamist design).

Sorry, somebody had to say it.

 

[peterparker18974]

You can't explain it. Don't try. "Being marked" has no relationship to anything that happens in a real fight. It's bad gamist design (and yes, there's such a thing as good gamist design).

Sorry, somebody had to say it.

Several of us actually did explain it. So please address what you perceive is wrong with our explainations. Instead of telling us we can't explain it.

 

[Wik]

Also, remember to use the 4e "say what it is" concept. In other words, you can describe it as others have done here, but at the end of that description, you say "you're marked".

Just like bloodied. An enemy gets hurt, you can describe it's bleeding nose, but make sure the Players know it's bloodied, so they can use their awesome powers.

 

[WarpZone]

Yeah, see, a lot of you are like "The hobgoblin will hurt you BAD if you attack someone else."

But that's not what happens. What happens is, everyone except the hobgoblin becomes more difficult to hit. You get a -2 penalty on your next attack if it's against anyone but the creature that marked you.

(If I'm wrong about this, please correct me. That's what I got out of the rules on marks.)

Even more awkward is trying to describe what happens when another creature's mark supercedes the original mark... Maybe you're right, maybe there's nothing I can do but hide behind the mechanics... but I feel like that kinda misses the point of role-playing.

Am I just being old-fashioned about this, or is there something I can do?