I'm writing this primarily because a good deal more information is available for the Lands of Porphyra campaign setting and that can change perspective on the value of this work. Godmetals of Porphyra is a short work, and underappreciated. The eponymous godmetals are seven in number, each with different uses. Not all of them are designed to be in the hands of player characters under normal circumstances. Hellstone and Mawine both read like they were designed with evil rogues and assassins in mind. Both have properties to them that a clever DM could apply to traps. Although this book was created in response to Paizo's Skymetals being Product Identity, I feel that an update should be done to make the Godmetals concept more Porphyran. There are 27 deities in Lands of Porphyra, and while some of them ascended during the Calling, in the lore that era took place almost 1,000 years ago. We have 7 godmetals, maybe someday we could have 27. It would be more interesting, though, if the idea were instead expanded beyond the existing special ores and stones to include other divine materials used in crafting. *****

This setting is a reimagining of Lovecraftian pulp fantasy with a bit of Poe and Gothic fantasy added for good measure. There is great attention world-building in the book, with in-universe logic added to help visualize the setting. Of particular interest is the take of the setting on Mythos cults, one of their tricks is that they use the theme of Elementalism well to disguise their true nature (and the authors make a point to note that "Join us and go utterly insane" is very far from how a cult recruiter operates). My favorite aspect of this setting is that it doesn't try to "be everything." Yes, it borrows from Victorian fantasy and Lovecraftian lore, but it doesn't borrow every aspect of that earlier period of fantasy. Of particular note is a lack of outsiders in the setting. It is stated that they are rare, because the main enemies are supposed to be the abominations, cults, and Great Old Ones of the Mythos fantasy. I suppose I should add the caveat that the setting has its own Great Old Ones, too. There are plenty of player options for races and classes, and their use of imaginary mythology has both simplistic and complex approaches. The most common belief system in the setting is a monotheistic one, but it includes saints with a broad scope of morality. The familiar polytheistic approach of D&D is present too, but in a unique way. I think a Ravenloft fan might even be inspired from the approach used with them. This is, after all, a sort of engine for a game about storytelling. The only thing I think that could have made it better is if it had adapted the Sanity rules available in the SRD. But for that matter, any GM running this setting can just look it up as it is freely available, and more details can be found in Unearthed Arcana or the Call of Cthulhu d20 RPG. I enjoyed reading this book, and plan to look for ways to implement ideas from it in future campaigns.

Given that I am a d20 System and Pathfinder player, I didn't buy this book for the rules, but for the flavor. I wanted to put a Pirate movie style campaign ahead using d20 rules and Pirates! as inspiration. In seeking that goal, this book serves admirably. The Good Very solid basis for quasi-historical fantasy. Roleplaying is stressed, with simple advice on how to play several different archetypes. Even from the perspective of playing this as Pathfinder, offering bonus XP or Hero Points rewards instead of Adventure Points makes perfect sense when following this game's advice on how to reward players who understand their archetypes and play well. There is a system in place for adjudicating ships, crewmen, and goods that makes sense in the context of the game world. Unlike in Pirates! or the later game Uncharted Waters, you can't store goods in the hold for as long as you need to get them sold. One really does need to be mindful of what one is storing, and like in Pirates!, one must be mindful of the morale of his men, or the officers will be forced to lead a mutiny. Several Infamous pirate flags are listed in the book, allowing players the inspiration to create their own infamous flag. There is a nice Gazetteer of Ships available too, and of course, unlike in the Pirates! video game, nothing stops the PCs from purchasing ships from ports for their voyages. There is also a system of ship-to-ship combat, complete with strategies before and after boarding. The Character Generation rules in this game are nicely done, giving a good selection of archetypes without encumbering the system with endless character classes. Character combat in the game assumes injuries, not points, so combat feels more realistic and deadly. The Bad The realism of the system is the only thing I have trouble with. I understand that it keeps things moving, but some players might not like the idea of winning a fight only to die later of one's injuries. The life of a pirate is rough indeed. Still, overall, I like this game, even as a system unto itself.