August's Lone Delver

This month's Lone Delver is another by Liz Danforth from the 5th edition Tunnels and Trolls rulebook. This illustration depicts a classic scene in any fantasy RPG, with the adventurer facing a dangerous monster guarding a locked chest in the middle of an otherwise empty room. Of course there is a nice burning brazier in the corner; maybe to keep the serpent warm? I like the simplicity of the set up, but there are details about the delver that make the image more substantial and memorable. First, the delver is not a human but a hobbit and is significant dwarfed by the snake. The small size of the delver make this seemingly mundane adversary all the more dangerous. Second is the way the delver is dressed. He is not well-equipped but instead wears only a loose jerkin and some pants making him look desperate; that's how I view delvers in general. Why else would you take on a giant snake that will more than likely kill you unless you REALLY needed the money. Third, the delvers weapons are far from the norm, in particular his madu; it's an interesting choice and not one most delvers possess. Of course between his madu and short saber, the hobbit may have a fighting chance.