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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Saagael" data-source="post: 5952520" data-attributes="member: 84839">Very clever way of doing this, and will probably use it at some point.I hear ya on these points. I avoid extra rolls, unless I'm removing them elsewhere; replacing attack rolls with skill checks, for example. If you've got other ideas I'd love to hear them, and I'm sure other DMs getting into epic tier could find use in them. I really like the point you make about having a dominant strategy, but having to act intelligently to use it.The next encounter the players are in will be a face-off with several dozen monsters and swarms that are invading the characters' home-base. In this combat I'm including 3 NPCs that have so far just been non-combat NPCs. I want to make these NPCs prominent in the fight without overshadowing the players or adding grind.My current idea is to make the NPCs act as combat objectives: Each NPC are in bad situations at the start of combat, and its up to the players to rescue them (skill challenges, most likely). If they succeed, the NPCs act in combat by providing different auras that give nearby characters a buff. I'm still pondering how to add in enemy NPC leaders that act similarly as combat objective, but rather than saving, must be defeated (preferably through some application of smarts and cleverness, rather than just bashing them with sharp pointy things).</blockquote>