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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Inigo Carmine" data-source="post: 4827366" data-attributes="member: 34044">I haven't used lurkers as much as I'd like to either, but they are great for challenging the party and forcing them to make choices. The first round or two of most battles is chaotic, but after that, things usually settle into place; the defender is out in front pinning down the biggest badguy, the secondary tier melee (battle cleric, warlord, etc) are engaging enemies near the front line and keeping them from the squishier PCs. Lurkers are great because they can turn this dynamic on its head when they pop out of the shadows and believably (instead of DM Deus ex Machina) engage your party from the rear or where they weren't expected.  It then gives the frontline PCs a choice, do they finish cleaning up the close-to-dead enemies in front and hope the squishies can hold their own for a few rounds, or do they go and rescue the squishies, but collapse the front line and give those enemies a tactical advantage as chaos ensues again. I love it.  They're an easy way to keep battles interesting and avoid becoming just a toe-to-toe slug-fest.</blockquote>