In expanding our Taurus Reach campaign region, one option is to draw upon a classic novel series about the Reach. The series is called “Star Trek: Vanguard“, and was written about Starbase 47, also called Vanguard. Set in the 23rd century, the starbase was active between 2263-65, before it was destroyed in a since-classified incident. (Read the novel series if you want the true story!) Another starbase elsewhere was given the designation of 47, and no attempt to rebuild Vanguard was made…until now.

In your campaign timeline, the Federation is rebuilding or has rebuilt Vanguard during the era you are playing in. Likely it took decades or even more than a century before the Federation decided to revive Vanguard, but if you wish to use it in a TOS era campaign, you can fast-track its rebuild by co-opting an existing starbase elsewhere in the region, and renaming it Vanguard.

It is no longer Starbase 47, but simply referred to as Vanguard. It retains the same class of starbase as the original: Watchtower class. You likely won’t need Starbase stats for the majority of adventures, but if you feel the need, there are two write-up variants on our site for the Watchtower (1st Edition, versions 1 and 2), or you can use official 1e stats for Front Line Base from the Command Division sourcebook (p.96), or the Federation Starbase in the Utopia Planitia sourcebook (p.223).

It may not be in the exact location as it once was, but you can choose roughly the same region, or place it where you like in the Taurus Reach frontier. In fact, it may have been moved a safer location, for reasons related to why it was destroyed in the first place. (It need not be the same reason in your campaign as the novels, so feel free to re-invent the reason for the original Vanguard’s destruction; it’s classified, anyway!)

Vanguard can serve as the homebase for a Taurus Reach campaign, either for starbase adventures or ships that explore this frontier region. You can even run a campaign where the station is still being built. Below, I provide some characters that can be adapted to your campaign era for the new Vanguard. Please breathe life into these personalities as you feel appropriate, and draw their stats from either the 1E or 2E Core Rulebooks.

• Commanding Officer: Captain Brian Frame (Human male)
• Executive Officer: Commander Skolo jav Rikurn (Tellurite female)
• Chief of Security: Lieutenant Commander Majid Ashraf (Human male)
• Chief Medical Officer: (Lieutenant Commander) Doctor Shaari zh’Aqis (Aenar female)
• Chief of Operations: Lieutenant Tevek (Vulcan male)

Vanguard has starships assigned to it, of which we will suggest three. You are free to invent other starships, including the PCs’ ship. We will give ship class suggestions based on which era you are playing in.

• U.S.S. Sterling
  • TOS Era: Oberth-class (NCC-987)
  • Lost Era: Columbia-class (NCC-2987)
  • TNG/DS9/Voyager/Lower Decks Era: Nova-class (NCC-72987)
  • Picard Era: Defiant-class (NCC-74987)
• U.S.S. Forseti
  • TOS Era: Miranda-class (NCC-1868)
  • Lost Era: Constellation-class (NCC-2868)
  • TNG/DS9/Voyager/Lower Decks Era: California-class (NCC-75868)
  • Picard Era: Intrepid-class (NCC-74868)
• U.S.S. Edinburgh
  • TOS Era: Constitution-class (NCC-1729)
  • Lost Era: Excelsior-class (NCC-2729)
  • TNG/DS9/Voyager/Lower Decks Era: Nebula-class (NCC-63729)
  • Picard Era: Constitution III-class (NCC-80729)

EDIT: For free adventures set on a starbase, see Starbase Adventures Mission Briefs, which I wrote.