One control structure to rule them all, One constant to find them, One set of conditional brackets to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

Not anymore! If you have a single expression following a control structure, you do not need to waste your time with brackets { }.

if ($gollum == 'halfling') {
$height --;
}

Is the same as:

if ($gollum == 'halfling') $height --;

This can be applied to any control structure statement. For example:

if ($gollum == 'halfling') $height --;
else $height ++;

if ($frodo != 'dead')
echo 'Gosh darnit, roll again Sauron';

foreach ($kill as $count)
echo 'Legolas strikes again, that makes' . $count . 'for me!';

The fewer brackets you have cluttering up your code, the easier it may be to read.