Melanda: Land of Mystery

Melanda: Land of Mystery is a role-playing game published by Wilmark Dynasty in 1980.

Description

Melanda is a fantasy role-playing system.[1] The game includes rules for character creation, combat, and magic, with descriptions of monsters, equipment, six character races, and the world of Melanda.[1] Ability scores are determined by what skills the character studies as a youth.[1] In the game's rune-carving magic system, a character learns various magic runes that modify and act on each other to create varying effects.[1]

Publication history

Melanda: Land of Mystery was designed by John M. Corradin and Lee C. McCormick and published by Wilmark Dynasty in 1980 as 56 loose-leaf pages, an outer folder, and two dice.[1] The second edition was published in 1981 as a 64-page book.[1]

Reception

C.D. Martin reviewed Melanda: Land of Mystery for Different Worlds magazine and stated that "Melanda is an interesting design that suffers terribly from a lack of development. The people at Wilmark were too close to their work to see the problems it would pose for the average gamer. However, they should not be downhearted. RuneQuest is in its second edition and Tunnels & Trolls is in its fifth (!) incarnation. Someday there may be an expanded second edition Melanda that will live up to its full promise. Until then, fantasy role-players seeking different worlds are advised to try The Fantasy Trip, RuneQuest, or Tunnels & Trolls."[2]

Lawrence Schick called this game "several years ahead of its time", the combat system "quite original" and the magic system "Perhaps the most innovative".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 189. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
  2. ^ Martin, C.D. (November 1981). "Reviews". Different Worlds (16): 42.
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