Is this how marking works?

[Dr_Sage]

I have been played a fighter for 6 levels and took me 4 levels to fully comprehend the distinctions between:

- Combat Challenge basic attack;

- Regular opportunitty attack.

They are very specific and I suggest we all to read them and the way they combine with combat superiority and its feats (potent challenge, devoted challenge etc.)

Cheers!

 

[Destil]

Quick scenario; say the fighter marks an orc with CC and the orc on his turn atks the thief behind him, he triggers the CC and the fighter gets his immediate action on the orc's turn to whack him. Now on the orc leader's turn is next and he has a power that lets the marked orc get a free atk. The marked orc would be a fool to atk the thief again because the fighter would get another atk from CC because the fighter has another immediate action being its the orc leader's turn?

No, you've got them backwards:

Immediate Action (Combat Challange attack) - One per each of the fighter's turns. Once the fighter uses his he can't do it again until he ends his next turn (you can't take immediate reactions on your own turn).

Opportunity Action (Opportunity Attack + Combat Superiority) - The fighter can make one during each opponent's turn. So once a fighter use his opprtunity attack he can't make any more until the opponent who triggered it finished their turn (and thus it can only be made once per opponent per turn).

Your example works if the orc leader grants a free move (not shift). The fighter can takes his opportunity attack as normal, Combat Superiority just takes it to 11. It also works if the fighter makes an opportunity attack against the orc (say he throws a spear at the mage, note he's getting the opportunity attack as a response to the ranged attack, not Combat Challenge), and then gets a free move during orc leader's turn.

 

[aco175]

OK, now if the fighter has an atk close burst 1 and marks 3 enemies, would he only have one CC imediate actions to use on any of the bad guys turns. So if the first tried to atk the thief, the fighter could use it then or wait to see if one of the other bad guys was going to try and atk the wizard and he could use it then, but not at both times.

thank you

 

[Infiniti2000]

Yes, the fighter would only get 1 CC immediate action per round. He'd have to pick and choose his spot if he would get multiple opportunities. If he decides that the rogue can handle a hit but the wizard couldn't, then it would be a good idea to not react to the rogue getting attacked.

 

[NotAYakk]

The rationing of that once/turn punishment is important.

While a defender can often mark multiple opponents, the more opponents they mark the more "thinly" they are spread.

The threat if the mark is ignored (beyond the -2 to attack) becomes less credible if the defender has 3 to 8 creatures marked. Monsters should be more and more willing to ignore it -- especially creatures like soldiers or brutes who are built to take punishment.

A half-decent technique to use is for the non-solders/brutes/etc to delay their action, let the soldiers/brutes provoke the fighter first, and see if they can get away scot-free.

Remember, however, that this only works on the special defender mark-based punishment, not on opportunity attacks. The fighter's ability to get a +wis to hit on OAs, and stop moving creatures who are hit with an OA in their tracks, is a once per opponent's turn ability, not a once per fighter's turn ability.

 

[aco175]

I think that I finally understand most of this, thanks. Now I just have to tell the fighters.