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I'm DMing a game using the Essentials rules/books.  I see in the Fighter Knight class a power (Defender Aura) that mentions a Marked Enemy.  I've also heard on the PennyArcade/PVP podcasts this marking thing as well.   I can not find in the Essentials books where it discusses who can mark and when.  Can someone point me to the right Essentials book/page or power?  I would also be interested in hearing about Marking in general (who and when) but would really like to see the reference in the books.

Marked is just a condition like Dazed or Slowed, and the effects are explained in the Rules Compendium p232 with the rest of the conditions, or any other book that details them like the PHB or some of the Monster Manuals.

Using strictly the Essentials books, there are very few ways - if any - for a character to be able to Mark something.  I actually think more Essentials monsters can Mark than there are ways for players to do it.  The PHB-style defenders lack the Defender Aura, and instead apply marks to opponents.  PHB Fighters Mark anyone they attack, for instance, while the other flavors of defender generally apply Marks as some kind of minor or free action.   

The defender aura note is to allow both styles of characters on the same battlefield, without creating a situation where an enemy could be double punished by both the aura and the Mark stacking penalties on it.

Sep 19, 2012 -- 5:47AM, dmnoobie wrote:

I'm DMing a game using the Essentials rules/books.  I see in the Fighter Knight class a power (Defender Aura) that mentions a Marked Enemy.  I've also heard on the PennyArcade/PVP podcasts this marking thing as well.   I can not find in the Essentials books where it discusses who can mark and when.  Can someone point me to the right Essentials book/page or power?  I would also be interested in hearing about Marking in general (who and when) but would really like to see the reference in the books.

Marked enemies take -2 to hit anyone but the person who marked them.  I'm sure it's in the rules compendium.

I don't think any essentials classes mark, but plenty of earlier classes do.

Thanks for the replies.   I'm new to DMing (and haven't played the game in 30 years).  Maybe I need to get the PHB, DMG, MM.  But my impression is I would be duplicating a lot of stuff (having those three books and the Essentials books).

There will be some duplication in the PHB, but the class structure is quite different and forms the bulk of the book.

  There would be some rules-element duplication in the DMG, but the bulk of the book is "how to run a game" material that isn't connected to any specific ruleset.

  You can safely skip the MM1 (and MM2) however, since creature design changed enormously by the MM3/MV era and the first two books are thus mostly obsolete. The MV contains most of what was in the MM1 anyway.

Sep 19, 2012 -- 8:50AM, dmnoobie wrote:

Thanks for the replies.   I'm new to DMing (and haven't played the game in 30 years).  Maybe I need to get the PHB, DMG, MM.  But my impression is I would be duplicating a lot of stuff (having those three books and the Essentials books).

The DMG is good for advice, and the PHB has additional classes.  But use the rules compendium for the rules portion.

Though you have insider, so you basicly have everything you need.

Avoid the MM.

I'm getting rid of DDI at end of this month.  I tried to find out who could mark and when using DDI and didn't get much help (but again, I'm not experienced at using DDI and maybe I was doing it wrong).  I also tried to see if I could basically read sections of the PHB (like fighters section) using DDI  and didn't see how I could.  Not sure what DDI does for me as far as the Rules Compendium goes.

Sep 19, 2012 -- 11:04AM, dmnoobie wrote:

I'm getting rid of DDI at end of this month.  I tried to find out who could mark and when using DDI and didn't get much help (but again, I'm not experienced at using DDI and maybe I was doing it wrong).  I also tried to see if I could basically read sections of the PHB (like fighters section) using DDI  and didn't see how I could.  Not sure what DDI does for me as far as the Rules Compendium goes.

You can search for it here.

And you get this.

But the character builder has all the classes in it, from all the books. 

Generally speaking, every non-Essentials Defender class has a feature that allows them to mark, and some of their powers also apply marks.

  There are a few Leader class powers that apply a mark, but it's rarely if ever found among Striker and Controller classes.

Sep 19, 2012 -- 11:28AM, mellored wrote:

Sep 19, 2012 -- 11:04AM, dmnoobie wrote:

I'm getting rid of DDI at end of this month.  I tried to find out who could mark and when using DDI and didn't get much help (but again, I'm not experienced at using DDI and maybe I was doing it wrong).  I also tried to see if I could basically read sections of the PHB (like fighters section) using DDI  and didn't see how I could.  Not sure what DDI does for me as far as the Rules Compendium goes.

You can search for it here.

And you get this.

But the character builder has all the classes in it, from all the books. 

Yes, I found that description of what Marked is, but couldn't see who could do it and when (or with what power) - at least not in any easy way.

Sep 19, 2012 -- 11:32AM, Neutronium_Dragon wrote:

Generally speaking, every non-Essentials Defender class has a feature that allows them to mark, and some of their powers also apply marks. There are a few Leader class powers that apply a mark, but it's rarely if ever found among Striker and Controller classes.

Good to know. Thanks

The Marked condition itself only applies a -2 penalty. The class's class features/powers that mark the enemy themselves are where you find what the character does with the mark.(For example, the Fighter smacks anyone  who tries to shift away, the Shielding Swordmage can reduce damage, the Battlemind can shift/teleport after enemies that shift, etc)

Sep 19, 2012 -- 8:50AM, dmnoobie wrote:

Maybe I need to get the PHB, DMG, MM.  But my impression is I would be duplicating a lot of stuff (having those three books and the Essentials books).

You shouldn't need any book other than the Essentials books, assuming that is what all the players are using.

Sep 22, 2012 -- 4:33PM, Hreth wrote:

Sep 19, 2012 -- 8:50AM, dmnoobie wrote:

Maybe I need to get the PHB, DMG, MM.  But my impression is I would be duplicating a lot of stuff (having those three books and the Essentials books).

You shouldn't need any book other than the Essentials books, assuming that is what all the players are using.

Do not get the MM. Do not get MM2. Get Monster Vault, and then possibly MM3.

(If you feel a need to have a complete collection, then get MM and MM2. But don't use them.)

Actually, if you have a DDI subscription and trust WotC to leave the 4E stuff up online as they currently say they plan to, you don't necessarily need Monster Vault or MM3 either. The statblocks of all the monsters are up in the Compendium and Monster Builder. What you'd get from the books is the fluff, which some people think is vitally important and some other people are quite comfortable doing without.

DO get the DMG, at least as much for advice on how to be gamemaster in a role-playing game as for advice specifically pertaining to 4E D&D. In fact if you were running Rifts or White Wolf or GURPS or any other role-playing game, I'd still tell you to get the 4E DMG. It's that good. And it would be helpful to be familiar with the DMG2 before your PCs hit Paragon.

Since you have one of the two Essentials starter books, you as the DM do not need the PHB - and with a DDI subscription (and trusting WotC to leave 4E stuff up) you don't need it as a player either. If your players start going outside what Essentials covers, I'd recommend the DM use the character builder to build three characters: one single-class of any non-psionic class (or Monk), one single-class psionic (but not Monk), and one hybrid. Just to see the resulting structures. But don't trust the "choose for me" option on anything: it's random and therefore quite often picks things that, in the context of the specific character, are such complete rubbish that they don't even make a decent bad example.