Free Role Playing Game Supplement Review: Yin Yang Panda – Artifacts of the Empire

Yin Yang Panda – Artifacts of the Empire by Łukasz Kołodziej is a free role playing game supplement published by Skavenloft for use with Yin Yang Panda.

The supplement is available as a 15-page PDF for free from DriveThruRPG. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one is the front matter and one the Table of Contents.

The opening page states that this is a splatbook containing basic information of magical items scattered throughout the empire. Suggestions for using them include finding and protecting the artefacts.

Following this are details on creating artefacts, which can be created before a game, or during it with plater input. Five d12 tables follow, for name, legend, shrine, protectors and powers, with each table having three columns.

Famous Artifacts then describes 12 different artefacts for the Dragonfly Empire. Each is given a name, a paragraph on its legend, the shrine where it, or they, are, though sometimes this can be variable, who is or might be protecting the artefacts and what powers they have. The legends of the artefacts often connect; many refer to the first, the Dragon Spheres, and the same beings are involved across many of them, or refer to other artefacts.

Yin Yang Panda – Artifacts of the Empire in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and, though short, these would have been useful given the number of sections. The Table of Contents covers the major sections. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are no illustrations. Presentation could be better.

The supplement basically consists of two different things; the artefact generator and the artefacts. The generator can be used to create an artefact that can then be fleshed out. The artefacts themselves are items that can be useful. Given the nature of the game, the powers given are not really game effects but more narrative. The interconnection of the different legends from the artefacts is good. Yin Yang Panda – Artifacts of the Empire is a useful little supplement for the game and it can be downloaded for free by clicking here.