Speaking of this Image...

I used this beautiful image by Bill Willingham from the 1981 Moldvay Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set for a previous post (regarding a B/X campaign that, unfortunately, never made it off the launch pad). Looking at it got me to thinking of a few things I've often thought while looking at this image:

• I love the party composition - for some reason, this always seemed to me like the stereotypical PC party. (No one ever liked playing clerics back in the day - the most you might get beyond this representation is a thief. Halflings? Perish the thought...)
  
  
• A dragon? Not really representative of what a party of adventurers would realistically face at the levels this book covers. (Although, let's face it: we DMs still threw dragons in there - some nerfed hit points, a few out-of-scale magic items, the party had a fighting chance, second-level or not. And if not? Well, it's a big world out there, and not everything is at your level. TPK? You attacked a dragon. I'm not sure what other outcome you were expecting...)
  
  
• What's up with the dwarf? Did he:
  
  
• Not see the dragon there? Or maybe think it wasn't real?
  
  
• Rush in and attack in a bout of dwarven rage, only to suddenly realize (after failing to beat its AC): "Oh, crap - it's a red dragon - we're all going to die!"
  
  
• Get suckered into parlaying with dragon, not realizing he was the decoy so the rest of the party could get a surprise round on it?
  
  
• Love the fighter's stance - and no going for center mass here. That badass is aiming for the eye.
  
  
• That's a wicked cool elf. Don't know why I like her, but I do.
  
  
• Speaking of cool, if that's magic missile the magic-user's casting, that dude is doing it right!
  
  
• That party may be on a short trip to a TPK, but they sure as Hell look awesome doing it. Well, maybe not so much the dwarf*...

My favorite piece of art from the Moldvay Basic Rules book

*But, come on, we all know that player. You know, the guy/girl who's always getting into trouble, making less than optimal tactical choices, and/or generally getting screwed by The Fates (usually through their dice rolls) and ending up at the short end of the proverbial stick... Oh, crap... I am that player!