D&D 4E SRM Marking Marked and Other 4Eisms

[Campbell]

I'm having a problem figuring out what "real world" condition marking is supposed to represent. If it's "watching someone like a hawk", then why can someone only be marked by one opponent? Two people should logically be able to gang up on someone and both mark them. Why can you do it to multiple opponents, or at range?

The 'real world' condition marking represents would depend on the ability in question. Would it not ?

 

[Mad Mac]

Hong is not made up!

I was with you until that last bit. I know we all like Hong and everything, but he won't get any better if we keep lying to cover his insecurities.

Marking seems pretty straightforward to me. I can see if being hard to keep track of as a DM, but if it's the main ability for Defenders, I'm sure the players are generally going to be hyperaware of who they have marked.

 

[hossrex]

I'm sure the players are generally going to be hyperaware of who they have marked.

That depends very much on what it does.

Everyone kept track of Dodge until around level five. No one remembered Dodge after level 15. Because it was just 1ac.

If this isn't a fairly big effect (attacker takes much more then 1 damage, 2 damage or etc) it'll begin to fade into the foggy past after lvl 10 or so. To avoid being too powerful at lvl 1, or too weak at lvl 30, it'll have to scale, adding another level of complexity (what level are you, 13 or 14?... I dunno... hold on... how many D6 is each? XD6 for 13, and Xd6 for 14... then 14), or it'll go quickly from being too good, to too useless.

I bet my party forgets to use it very quickly.

 

[Ulthwithian]

Hoss: While I agree with you that it does depend on what it does, this is described as the Defender's primary mechanic in combat. This would lead me to believe that each Defender will have a relevant mark at all levels of play, or else the role is broken.

 

[hong]

Wait, stuff scaling by level counts as "complex" now?

Also, I wonder if a defender can mark multiple foes simultaneously. For when you want that mob to collapse.

 

[HeinorNY]

If it's the paladin version, which is him calling upon his deity to mark you for his divine justice. A supernatural effect that acts like a supernatural effect. Where's the problem?

Paladin: Behold the Power the Righteous God. Attack my allies, foul creature, and be punished! *marks creature*

Fighter: I will mark him too, he won't pass through me and my big ax. *marks same creature

Paladin: No, NOOO. What have you done? My divine challenge, it's gone! But why? How? HOW i ask!

Fighter: Sorry dude. It's just a martial maneuver I learned yesterday, didn't know it was a dispel magic too.

 

[Campbell]

Hoss: While I agree with you that it does depend on what it does, this is described as the Defender's primary mechanic in combat. This would lead me to believe that each Defender will have a relevant mark at all levels of play, or else the role is broken.

This. If marking is ineffectual enough to not be worth tracking than there are bigger problems than tracking .

 

[fafhrd]

Looks like marking is or can be tied to powers.

The fighter retorts with a thicket of blades attack, marking both of the ghosts.

This suggests that it scales. It's also apparent that the fighter, at least, is capable of marking multiple opponents.

 

[Voss]

No. Try reading more carefully, since nothing in the article (nor even the Binding Smite paladin power) forces anyone to attack anyone. Nothing makes a marked target attack anyone in particular. It just makes other targets less appealing, for different reasons based on class (paladins deal damage to you, fighters might get opportunity attacks and such).

But for some reason they have a penalty on their attacks, and magically know who is inflicting that penalty. If all it does is provoke opportunity attacks from the marker, then it makes sense, but if it is imposing wacky penalties for no reason, I'm a little uncomfortable with it.


Not sure about keeping track of all these conditions, too. Its all very well to say that the defender can keep track of marking if you don't want to litter the board (which is its own issue) with markers, but reminding the DM every round that the marked creature shouldn't move away because its flagged by the fighter isn't exactly good times.

 

[FireLance]

Paladin: Behold the Power the Righteous God. Attack my allies, foul creature, and be punished! *marks creature*

Fighter: I will mark him too, he won't pass through me and my big ax. *marks same creature

Paladin: No, NOOO. What have you done? My divine challenge, it's gone! But why? How? HOW i ask!

Fighter: Sorry dude. It's just a martial maneuver I learned yesterday, didn't know it was a dispel magic too.

It's a good point, but I do recall an early playtest report about how being marked by both a paladin and a fighter was too effective a tactic, so the limit of one mark at a time was probably done for game balance reasons. Now, we just have to think of a believable (if not realistic) way to explain it.