How do you create a first person melee system?

I'm completely new to game design, programming, and so on. My goal is to create a first person rpg (though I realize that that is ambitious for a first project). It'll be set in a medieval environment, meaning that many weapons will be melee (maces, swords, etc). I have ideas as to how a melee system would be done, but no idea on how to start. Idea 1: This is my least favorite, because it is inaccurate. Basically, use raycast methods to check the distance between player and enemy. If the distance is small enough, do damage. That one came from a tutorial on youtube, and if I have no other way, I'll use it. Idea 2: Use triggers to check if your weapon hits the enemy, and if it does, deal damage. Straight forward, but I'm not sure how to code it. This one is preferred for me, though, because it seems more accurate. There are probably other ways, but I don't know them. If someone could give me pointers or advice on where to start, I would be grateful. Please note that while I'm not asking for exact code, I wouldn't say no to it ;)