The battle may be over, but its echoes are still shaping the final frontier. Today, we’re excited to share Whispers of Wolf 359, Stephen Near’s first Canon Event Milestone contribution to Continuing Mission for Star Trek Adventures Second Edition.
Inspired by Tony’s Timeline Milestones and their evolution into Canon Event Milestones, Stephen adapted the mechanic with Tony’s permission, drawing on his own campaign set immediately after Wolf 359 and alongside the events of The Next Generation. Covering January through October 2367, this contribution invites you to bring that pivotal era into your own crew’s story. What does moving forward look like when the past is still whispering?
Canon Event Milestone: Whispers of Wolf 359
This Canon Event Milestone is Whispers of Wolf 359, which covers the stretch of time from the episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation 4×01 “Best of Both Worlds: Part 2” to 4×21 “The Drumhead”.
This period takes place immediately after Starfleet’s devastating loss of nearly 40 ships and thousands of lives by the Borg at Wolf 359. Although the Federation prevails, and Starfleet ramps up training new officers and building new ships, the sudden loss of so many at the hands of an alien force sends shockwaves throughout the quadrant. A growing distrust in Starfleet, or lingering doubts in their historic mission of peaceful exploration, now lingers among the ranks of the survivors.
- Weakened Starfleet
The loss of so many ships and thousands of officers in a single engagement has sent shockwaves across Starfleet. Now on the back-foot, Starfleet Command reexamines long-held policies putting pressure on crews across the frontier
- Cracks in the Federation
The Borg incursion has shaken the ideological foundation of the Federation, along with the shared belief in its benefits. From isolated colonies to the core worlds, the cost of Federation membership is being questioned, giving rise to skepticism and dissent.
- Vigilance Before Adventure
The mysteries of the final frontier are viewed with scrutiny instead of wonder, and strange new phenomena are met with a wary eye. Meanwhile, Starfleet fast-tracks construction of battle-ready vessels and expands strategic & tactical projects.
Complication Range: +1 when dealing with aggressor / unknown alien species, +1 when dealing with Starfleet Admiralty
Reconfigurations:
- At the start of the Canon Event, each Main Character may take an extra Cautious (X) Talent on page 149 for the duration of the Canon Event. They may choose any Department, provided they don’t already have Cautious already in that Department, and they cannot choose a Department where they have the Bold (X) Talent.
- Characters can opt to be one of the survivors of Wolf 359 or to have lost someone close to them at the Battle. They must rewrite one of their Values to reflect this loss. By doing so, once per session, the character can invoke a memory of the Battle or of their lost one during a scene. This allows them to re‑roll a single d20 on a task, but the character also suffers a Complication for the remainder of the scene, reflecting a moment of remembrance or a sudden flashback. If the associated Value is ever Challenged and rewritten, this mechanic is no longer in play.