Chain Codes

Game Masters
#1

Chain Codes

A quick search in here only brings a breif mention by P47 in the Bad Batch thread.

Who’s using them already?
What response have you had from your players?

So, one of my players mentioned possibly going to a doc for a checkup, and it made me start thinking about chain codes (basically, how this would be a nice way to open up some interesting events, should said doc run his code, etc.), and how to standardise them in my game.

Wookieepedia has little more in the subject than any of us could glean from watching Mando & Bad Batch.

For my mind, I’m thinking I’ll use them as something along the lines of glorified National Insurance or Social Security number, like a BOSS code, but for people, that would be updated every time it’s used, as well as feeding back updates to databases with an older time stamp.

So, they’ll be linked to biometric data, and will contain the following:

  • Basic demographic data (age, species, parents, planet of birth, etc)
  • Medical data (blood type, allergies, chronic conditions)
  • Service history (for anyone ever employed in the Imperial military, any civil service, law enforcement, etc.)
  • Membership of any Officially recognised guilds (Bounty Hunters, hauliers, craftspeople, etc.)
  • Criminal records (time served, outstanding warrants, officially registered bounties, etc.)

That said, as an Empire thing, and a much younger system, their usage will be far less wide spread than a BOSS code.

  • Core World/Inner Rim: Definitely widely used, all citizens have one, all local databases regularly updated centrally via the holonet or data packet messenger (just like BOSS codes)
  • Middle Rim: As above for major trade hubs, systems on major HS lanes, and planets with a heavy Imperial presence. But lesser planets, or unaffiliated systems will have far less take up by the populace, and local databases would be infrequently updated.
  • Outer Rim: most systems would not use them at all, or keep a local database, never mind have regular updates. With the exception being those under Imperial controll, which would still like be less strict than in the core, but databases would have regular updates.
  • Hutt Space: Little to no use at all.
  • Corporate Sector: Zero Use, but probably have their own independent (and no doubt privately run) seperate system of civic registration.

What other thoughts would ya’ll have on the subject?

#2

History and my general take:
Chain Codes appeared first in The Mandalorian, and then their origins were expounded upon in Bad Batch (yay! Worldbuilding! Makes a sentient fighter plane happy). A chain code identifies a particular person and, based on what we see in The Mandalorian, some ancestral information and basic descriptors (like a driver’s license. DOB, height, eye color, hair color).

I don’t think it’s updated with information like doctor’s visits and what-not (although it probably lists some health info, again, like a driver’s license), but it likely would list certain legal statuses, such as, like you say, service history, guild membership, and probably not criminal records, but that could be easily pulled up via a background check on data associated with the code, and certain “code readers” (likely Imperial issue) would automatically flag the code, showing previous arrests and outstanding warrants.

Use:

When a code is scanned, it references a region’s main database, which updates and is updated by the planet’s main database which, in turn, updates and is updated by a central galactic repository, similar to blockchain technology (which I don’t understand very well, but I think it’s close enough). This would make it hard to hack a chain code without falsifying one to start with, and for that you’d need an official able to issue new chain codes.

Codes would be required for travel in most places, depending on the legality or how heavily regulated the travel is (and if it’s your own ship, you’ve likely already cleared those sorts of checks). If an area has any level of alert for the Imperial garrison, chain codes would definitely be required.

Where?

I like your take on where they’re used, but I differ with you in a couple places:
The Outer Rim would have begun implementing them. Saleucami is an Outer Rim world, after all. Anywhere there’s an Imperial presence, chain codes will have been issued even if only on a limited basis.

Coreward, I’d treat it as highly suspicious if you don’t have a chain code, whereas rimward I’d treat it as “Oh, they missed you too? Run down to the local IDCI (Imperial Department of Citizen Identification, or “Id-see”) location and get coded,” but no one would deny service or raise their eyebrows, unless perhaps an Imperial loyalist or someone who recently travelled rimward who’s used to everyone being coded.
(By the way, the use of the term “chain” code is rather apt. Beyond the “chain of information,” it also serves to “chain” those who are coded, as it heavily restricts their freedom and can easily lead to social-credit scores and the like.)

In the Corporate Sector, they probably use both. If they adopt the Empire’s system, they get to make use of all of the Empire’s information, and in addition can use their own system which they do not share with the Empire. The only real question is if the Empire would allow them to use the chain codes, which given their nature, I imagine they would.

Have I used them?

Yes, in the manner I mention earlier. Interactions with Imperial bureaucracy require chain codes. If you don’t have one, get one.
The specific example: My party of Mandalorian gotabore (engineers), sent by the Mandalorian resistance to build Basilisk war droids, wants to get an official salvage license so that they can salvage without getting arrested by the Empire. It’ll be difficult to get a good license (there are three tiers) since most of them aren’t human, but they can get one of the more restrictive licenses. However, they’ll need good chain codes, which none of them have. They have chain codes, but with… clerical errors.

Luckily, they have a friend on the world who works in the Imperial bureaucracy. He was a friend of the now-deceased father/adoptive father of two of the PCs, so with some pity points they manage to convince him to falsify a few chain codes. Once he’s done that, they have to hire a slicer to insert them into the system and modify some of the meta info (e.g. “when was this made?”), although, in retrospect, with my blockchain theory (formed after this session) that doesn’t work so well. It would’ve made more sense to simply have them add it to the system and go “oh well, we just didn’t have chain codes until now. Never needed one” as an excuse for why it was brand-new.

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#3

I think they could be a cool plot point for any players that are from the outer rim as something like that would most likely not be standardized and or kept out there and having to get one in order to go anywhere in the core worlds would be an entertaining way of pushing players to use aliases. That or to be able to use chain codes as clues for manhunts or bounties.

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#4

After some discussion with, and feedback from, my players, this is what I’ve settled on.

Chain Codes

Chain codes are a living personal document, often used alongside other forms of ID, as a way to confirm the holder of the ID is the ID’s owner. Like a ship’s BoSS Transponder code, but for people, they usually take the form of scannable cryptograph on a small holo projector (working in a similar manner to modern day QRs), that would be updated every time it’s used, as well as feeding back updates to databases with an older time stamp.

Chain codes contain the following:
Basic demographic data (age, species, eye/hair colour, parents, planet of birth, etc)
Medical data (blood type, allergies, chronic conditions) – if updated by a medical professional
Service history (for anyone ever employed in the Imperial military, any civil service, law enforcement, etc.)
Membership of any Officially recognised guilds (Bounty Hunters, hauliers, craftspeople, etc.) – Separate, linked ID usually required.
Criminal records (Prior Convictions, outstanding warrants, officially registered bounties, etc.)

Having only been introduced by the Empire around 20BBY, the usage of Chain Codes varies greatly across the galaxy:

Galactic Core/Inner Rim: Widely used on the vast majority of inhabited worlds. All citizens have one (either assigned at birth, or through enforced subscription when initially rolled out. Anyone without a chain code would find it very difficult to go about daily life in the Core, using it to access a multitude of services, including Public Transport, Education, Healthcare, or any form of Social Support.
Middle Rim: As above for all major trade hubs, most systems on major HS lanes, and any planets with a heavy Imperial presence. But lesser planets, or unaffiliated systems will have far less take up by the populace.
Outer Rim: most systems would not use them at all, or even keep a local database. With the exception being those under Imperial control, but even these would still like be less strict than in the core, as The Empire is aware of the push back most Outer Rim Systems have to bureaucracy.
Hutt Space: Little to no use at all.
Corporate Sector: The CSA have been using their own system of Chain Codes since long before the dawn of The Empire. In order to maintain good relations, they have shared their databases with the Empire, but to what degree they may have redacted data about their own agents and officials is unknown.

The major difference Chain Codes have from BoSS codes, is that the Empire is relying on widespread Code Usage for the spread of data, rather than undergoing the expense of sharing databases via the Holonet, or messenger. This has left the system open to exploitation where their use is less ubiquitous.

Forging a new Chain Code requires a Hard (3) Computers check, although GMs should feel free to add Boost or Setback dice to the check depending on the circumstances.
Editing an existing Chain Code requires the same, however, it should be noted an Edited Chain Code is like to get overwritten if used somewhere with that code on its database, undoing the Character’s hard work.
Threat and Despair on successful checks, may alert anyone reading the code to the fact that it has been tampered with.
Threat on a failed check could damage the Chain Code display. Despair on a failed check could make it completely unusable at the GM’s discretion.

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#5

OK, this may make me sound stupid but what is a BoSS?

#6

Hey, not stupid at all.

BoSS - Bureau of Ships Services.
Basically, the Space DVLA (or DMV in the States), except they’re an 18000 year old dynasty that look after the registration of all Starship Transponder codes, and even The Empire doesn’t mess with them (because they actually perform a very useful galactic service, if you’re in the business of tyrannical rule).

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#7

Good background info on BoSS

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