Sigourney Weaver has been a prolific swamp dancer ever since she did Gorillas in the Mist back in '88. If she wants to grace your swamps with her dance, you let her. It's an honor.
I definitely had some specific games and circumstances in mind. The core of the message is "feel free to do what is right for your game, don't be bound by the rules."
Identifying when to throw those last few hit points in the trash and call the fight a "win" for the adventurers is part of what separates a great GM from a good GM.
Your games pacing, the spotlight moment for your heavy hitters, and respecting your players time and emotional investment in a combat scene, are all much more important than the big bads last 10 HP.
Sigourney Weaver has been a prolific swamp dancer ever since she did Gorillas in the Mist back in '88. If she wants to grace your swamps with her dance, you let her. It's an honor.