Melee and Wizard

Small battles with consequential choices

Steve Jackson’s Melee, published by Metagaming in 1977, presents individual combat on a hex map. Characters divide starting points between Strength and Dexterity, creating a direct tradeoff between physical power and effectiveness in combat. Wizard followed in 1978, adding Intelligence and magical combat. Together, the games formed the foundation of The Fantasy Trip.

A character is a set of decisions

Weapons, armor, positioning, and character construction give these little games their substance. A heavily protected fighter gains security at a cost; a powerful wizard must manage the resources spent on spells. Building a capable character does not remove the need to use that character well.

The games deserve a paired review because each illuminates the other. Melee establishes the physical contest, while Wizard adds a different range of possibilities. The later role-playing framework should be distinguished from these original standalone combat games.

Battleward verdict

Melee and Wizard are especially interesting from a rules designer’s perspective. A few understandable attributes produce decisions that matter during play. The useful lesson is how clearly a game can express a tradeoff without needing a separate procedure for every circumstance.