D&D 5E A traditionalist at heart, a NEW mechanic I desperately want from 5e.

[Abstruse]

The other trope I'm thinking of is that of a "mind fight" between fighters. This is much less common, but when done well, it's really cool. I can't remember the title, but there's a Jet li movie where the entire fight takes place in the minds of the two duelists, with one surrendering in defeat, just based on their stances and their knowledge of one another's fighting styles.

I don't think there's a mechanic present for either of these two tropes.

I don't know which Jet Li movie you're talking about off the top of my head, but I do know at least one other example of that trope. It was in an episode of Leverage, when the team is up against a rival team and Elliot (the resident badass bruiser) is up against the bruiser for their team. She takes a fighting stance and Elliot then runs through how the entire fight will go based on the stance she took, so he changes his stance (and thus another fighting style)...and she runs through how the entire fight will go based on that and changes her stance/style...and they go through it like five or six times without ever throwing a punch, just staring at each other from a good fifteen feet away in a hallway.

 

[Trance-Zg]

This is where it is useful for Bloodied to (usually) be an overt sign.

If your party hits it fives times and it isn't yet Bloodied, well, you know you might be in trouble.

There was no need for bloodied condition for that case in any way?

After few hits we usually asked DM; How does he look like? If he said that he didn't break a sweat, you know you should RUUUN.

 

[pogre]

Back in the O-D&D days we just had dungeon levels to help convey the danger level. Those original mega-dungeons had their problems, but they really solved a lot of game problems too.

In my campaign I use description just as others have suggested. We have developed a meta-gaming code these days. If someone hits the monster for big damage and I reply that the monster smiles back at him. That's the clue they better run away this time.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

I don't know which Jet Li movie you're talking about off the top of my head, but I do know at least one other example of that trope. It was in an episode of Leverage, when the team is up against a rival team and Elliot (the resident badass bruiser) is up against the bruiser for their team. She takes a fighting stance and Elliot then runs through how the entire fight will go based on the stance she took, so he changes his stance (and thus another fighting style)...and she runs through how the entire fight will go based on that and changes her stance/style...and they go through it like five or six times without ever throwing a punch, just staring at each other from a good fifteen feet away in a hallway.

That is so awesome!