So I have a bit of an issue. I've almost finished the game and am on my way out of the brigand cave, the problem is that the antwerp keeps landing on me in the next screen. Is there any way to avoid this thing?

Did you make the foolish mistake of trying to hurt it? Then no, you can't avoid it. But if you go to the next screen and hold your dagger up over your head, you can avoid having the antwerp kill you. Sadly, you'll have to kill it instead, but it's worth watching the result at least one time.

I have played this game many many times over the last 15 years, and I did not know you could even do that. I don't know whether to be excited or ashamed.

In QFG4, Dr. Cranium briefly mentions an Antwerp population explosion in Spielburg valley, indicating that "killing" the Antwerp is canon.

Well, I always feel bad, but I have to watch that at least once every time I play. I just save before I annoy the antwerp so I don't have its blood (or whatever) on my hands at the end of the game. You're welcome! Yeah, it's canon. I'm pretty certain I read a post by Corey Cole on it, so that's good enough for me. :D

I had no idea you could do this either.

Can you do this in the VGA version? How do you get your character to lift up his weapon?

As I recall, click the dagger (or sword) on your character, and he should hold it upwards.

It's been a while, but that sounds right for the VGA version. In the EGA, you just type "hold knife up" or something like that.