Best way to lose a battle...

[Maraxus]

I would really say, that's a bad design choise. Sure you can say: "You should have known the risk, it's your fault." But once you accept, that anything can happen any time, you can just stop playing the game, roll a die and be happy it it shows a 6.

It's the compromise that "something has to happen to prevent infinite battles" - but it's a bad choice. Something a little more complex could have felt a lot better in the context of "little people that fight for you".