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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Numion" data-source="post: 3028720" data-attributes="member: 124">I'll just comment a bit on the results. A lot of people are unsatisfied by the encounter. Might this be a reason for D&Ds success compared to more realistic and lethal games where a single blow can kill a baddie no matter how tough they are on a realistic basis? I mean, WFRP, RQ, GURPS and RoleMaster all feature combat systems that make the series of events I described in the set-up, much more likely. In my experience as a DM I've had only once a fight against a BBEG ended on the surprise round (lucky dispel + disintegrate). Every other fight has been a drawn out battle that is barely won by the PCs (well .. they have been defeated a few times too). That's how D&D normally plays due to the hit point mechanic with no death-spirals.However in the systems I listed quick deaths are much more common. They don't require extraordinary luck to pull off. Some systems even allow you to optimize characters for these critical deaths - like a GURPS "eye-stabber". There's no contest when comparing to modern games. Headshots rule in most modern games.</blockquote>