Illustrations in Tunnels&Trolls UK1st ed / 4th ed

I'm sure this cover has
it's fans.  I have
really mixed feelings
about it.  I think the letters
(as well as being frighteningly
1970's-modern) are abstracted
maze tunnels.  On the back,
there is nothing, no text,
just torchless black darkness.

Ooh, goodies.  Goodies in the post!  On the advise of some nice folks over at the Trollbridge forum I pointed my browser at Noble Knight Games - where out of print games are normally "sold out", but huzzah!  a copy of Tunnels & Trolls UK 1st edition (T&T4, 1977) was sitting there, no bidding or sniping required.  I just had to lie to myself about the USD to GBP exchange rate and "click" it was mine!

My partner was generally supportive, expecting me to have bought something with a large box and dice.  So when the rulebook arrived, she was pretty amazed that I'd spent $*cough* on a slender A5-sized "pamphlet" (her words).

But now it's mine! 

And who knows, I might be able to offset the purchase against tax ....

It's 48 pages are dotted with illustrations which is the main reason for this post - I wanted to share some of this rare art by Polly Wilson.  I'm a big Liz Danforth fan, so I was surprised at how much I was enjoying this earlier edition artist's work (according to some of my random searches, she may have illustrations in AD&D Fiend Folio - and I'm guessing, White Dwarf, - I may have to investigate further).  I adore freehand inked line art from the games of yore (don't let me start drooling over Russ Nicolson ...)

Okay, here's some pictures:

Above the Foreword by Selwyn Ward on the inside cover you meet these lovely guys... "Welcome!"
It's a Tunnel & those are definitely Trolls   -See what they did there? :)

Some of the spells have
some very cute mnemonic
/archetypal images which
may have influenced John Blanche's
spell pictures in SJ's Sorcery! gamebooks.
Maybe, but hey, who knows?

This illustration reminds us of
the heretical levity that used to make
T&T hard to defend to D&D players.
I like my T&T played very straight
... but I might be in a minority here.

Check out that stippling!  I'm loving Polly Wilson's black and white line art. 
There's more than a few skeletons in this rule book
- reminders of the short lifespan of greedy delvers when faced with the just hand of fair Games Masters

I thought I should scan a whole page to show off those lovely
art noveau borders which now reminds me of the cover of that later
guide to role-playing, Dicing with Dragons.  
Also, the rules on this page are very different from the missile rules in T&T5

Hopefully, I haven't broken too many laws here.
Over the years different flavours of T&T have been published originally  by Flying Buffalo. For up to the minute news see tunnelsandtrolls.com
Assorted titles, old and new, in PDF and book form by numerous writers and publishers can be found on the DriveThru website (T&T search on DTRPG).

(Also click on the Tunnels & Trolls label tag, below this post)

Thanks for browsing, and never be frightened of a high MR!
Actually, no, that's bad advice, high Monster Ratings are never to be taken taken lightly...