Monster Marks (what do they do?)

[-Avalon-]

I see so many monsters with marking abilities...

What do these do? What are the effects?

 

[GorTeX]

Any mark by anyone one always applies a -2 penalty to attack rolls if the attack does not include the creature that applied the mark.

If the monster's power (or PC's power for that matter) does not specify anything else but that the power marks the target, then you just apply the -2 penalty to attack rolls.

If there is something else that happens (divine challenge for paladins, combat challenge for fighters, etc), then the power will say so.

(see conditions on PHB page 277...Marked is a condition an has it's rules in the chart).

 

[Nail]

I see so many monsters with marking abilities...

What do these do? What are the effects?

Being "marked" is a condition, like being prone or immobilized or dazed. ...so look up what the condition "marked" does. (Hint: try PH p. 277.)

 

[-Avalon-]

Reason I ask is that the skeleton has under its basic attack "...see also speed of the dead"

Just making sure, as monster rules are a bit different the player rules, that this mark did not grant any extra abilities than the typical -2 penalty

 

[Kordeth]

Reason I ask is that the skeleton has under its basic attack "...see also speed of the dead"

Just making sure, as monster rules are a bit different the player rules, that this mark did not grant any extra abilities than the typical -2 penalty

The "see also speed of the dead" note has nothing to do with the marking; it's there to remind you that the skeleton's basic attack as additional properties when it makes an OA. Notice that the "see also" bit is separated from the "marking" rules by a semicolon, not a comma.