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Vanguard Campaign Setting: Token and Map Pack

Added 2025-08-16 20:00:01 +0000 UTC

In this post are the tokens and maps necessary to run the Vanguard Mini-Campaign. The "GM's Guide to Vanguard Mini-Campaign" will come Aug 30.

Mech Bay One - Initial Loading Screen:

Mech Bay One will have several functions in this campaign. At the start, it is simply where the players will begin, basically the screen they'll likely use while building their characters and making their mechs. It's also the first battlemap for the Scuttler infestation in Session 2.

On the left side is empty space, giving strong visual reinforcement that they can in fact "jump" from Mech Bay One into space when the shiels are down.

At the top is Cargo Bay One. This is where the podseed will be stored for the end of Session 1.

For this map: The Vanguard Transport Shuttle. This will be used on Haven Colony map 1 as well as a point of interest/mission defense point. I would start by placing this toward the middle of Mech Bay One.

This is a default Everest module token. I encourage GMs to make custom tokens for each player's frame with a distinct aesthetic, but this can be a good placeholder. Note that the "Everest" text will almost never be visible except at extreme zoom on a Roll20 Battlemap. I would put one of these at the bottom of the map, in the blackened rectangles, one for each player character, until you or they make tokens for their individual mechs.

Unit 434 -- I use Unit 434 as a 'voice of the GM' and vehicle for exposition. This works as a character portrait, and I just use the portrait for the token since that makes it easier to keep track. Note that I'm reducing the size of the token on the map to 1/2 size, and thus fixing the 'portrait in square' issue manually. You might want to tokenize this character art if that would annoy you.

Finally, here's the podseed token. I would leave this on the GM layer, not visible on the map, at the top of Mech Bay One, ready to go for the End of Session 1.

Here's how I arranged the layout for session 1. The Vanguard Transport Ship is "size 2" so should be bigger than one hex. After it is defeated, the Podseed token should seem bigger than the transport shuttle. And Unit 343 I for now am having as 1/2 token size, to help give scale to the vehicles which are more convenient at 1 token size.

Haven Colony

Haven colony will be the first combat sequence of the game.

Next up, the token for the scuttler gen-forger:

This is the most common gen-forger enemy. I generally put 3 of them on the battlemap based on my evasion rating for them (I discuss this at length in the GM's guide), located near the in-tact emergency domes (e-domes), as such:

Finally, on the GM layer, at the very bottom of the map, you can put the Bulwark:

Podseed Crashsite

Here's the podseed crashsite. I add three scuttlers in the jungle by default. You might add more based on your player count and the experience of your players.

Gen-Forger Shrikes:

I would put three of these on the GM layer near the pod, so that they're ready to go at the start of Round 2, when they burst forth from the pod.

I didn't actually use these when I ran the session, but here's some bonus concept art too. (I did not include these two in the .zip to avoid clutter there)

Gen-Forger Shrike:

Gen-Forger Bulwark Beast:

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SESSION 2

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I start Session 2 with the players visiting Med-Bay, giving them a chance to briefly meet Dr. Mira Voss, and take in the 'stakes' of saving the colonists from the planet Haven. This is a roleplay window and a chance to establish NPCs and the ship before the 'shit hits the fan.'

I didn't actually use the above when I was running my game, but I had the above "Death Flag" image ready to go. I think I'd planned to have Dr. Voss talking to some colonists about her time on Terra and relating to some people with an image of her family, emphasizing she's a "dog person." (Maybe the colonist had a pet they have to sort out?). If you don't want to use this here because the start of the session is too chaotic, you might also use it in Session 3 during the Traktor scenes.

Another extra, here's 434 helping out in med bay. I didn't use this shot in my game, but can help set the mood if you decide to include ver.

Outbreak:

This might be too grim for your particular game; I actually opted on the fly to have had some of the colonists in med bay survive, so that the heroism of the player rescue on Haven wouldn't be diminished too much. But it's an option if you want to establish the horror of the attack more.

Here's the hydroponics bay battlemap I used.

Setting up this map isn't too complicated, only a few scuttlers and the players:

You could, if you wanted, switch to this 'brighter' map after the battle ends, although I didn't bother doing this when I ran the session.

Alternatively, you could use this extra dark/spooky version of the map. I opted not to use this one because I was worried players wouldn't be able to see the terrain.

Assuming players have access to the Player's Guide, I decided not to add more art for the science station or Terra Station. The below are options depending on how the fight in hydroponics goes.

The above is Commander Traktor, scientist associated with PDD (Planetary Defense).

Now, do you need Traktor for this session? In my session, a player take 4 damage to the leg by a scuttler during the fight in hydroponics. At the time, I wasn't sure I wanted to do a big PDD scene, but I decided it was worth it in the moment to introduce Traktor. This creates some continuity and buildup for session 3 if you introduce session as the players come in to Terra Station Prime after the return from Haven.

I didn't use this piece, but here's an option for a PDD "suit", a goon in case you need one.

Now we move on to the Alpheratz Podship Battle, the big climax of session 2:

Here's how my battlemap looked at the end of the session! And gives a sense of what we're going for.

This is a fun one. I like to start the battle on this map, as an establishing shot of the alpheratz system. My players rolled fairly well in identifying where the ship was located, so it didn't take long to get going.

And here's the podship map after the podship begins to decloak. I like to switch layers, keeping the players on the same map, as the ship is revealed.

One of the important objectives of this map are the podship pods. These I count as 'buildings' and gave a flat HP of 10. This allows the players to strategically target them to slow the onslaught of 'adds' coming throughout the fight. I place one of these tokens approximately on top of each of the 'pods' on the battlemap, so about 9 total.

One of the first new enemies of this battle is the Volt Leech:

And the next new major new enemy is the Gen-Forger Protomech:

That should be about it for session 2!

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SESSION 3

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Session 3 begins in PDD as the team grapples with the need to identify the next target.

For my players, one had given a Haven colonist boy a tour of Mech Bay One. I decided to use that NPC as one of the people attacked during the hydroponics bay scene, and thus I went with the below art for the scene at the start of session 3. You might opt for something else depending on which NPCs your players gravitate toward in session 2 during the med-bay scene.

Some fun worldbuilding can be introducing Resonance Prime on the way to Mirfak:

After that we get into the three-part battle finale at Mirfak.

Phase 1:

For this one, I just used the Vanguard Shuttle token from Session 1 for the science analysis.

Phase 2:

Battle on the surface of Moby, where the players light up some of the vents.

This is where the most tactically complicated part of the session is likely to be, where I throw at them a number of Gen-Forger mechs.

Looks a little goofy this large, but I think it looks fine on the terrain. I call this one "Landslide"

Here's #2 -- "Sutura"

#3 - Phantom Strike

And an alternate mech (#4 if you need one).

Phase 3 -- The Nerve

To give the players a clearer 'victory condition', I placed a number of "parasite pods" that are controlling Moby, rather than Moby itself being an indigenous gen-forger creature.