Growing old with Antigathics

[Leviathan of Maddoc]

I was talking with someone in my gaming group about how retirement works in Fadung Suns and we came to the conclusion that much of the Known worlds dies young or suffers in repose, but that a large number of people just a little more powerful than the PCs take Antigathics and their eventual demise is more a case of injury or disease or failings other than age. That most nobles look like they're in their 40's and few if any die young.

How old to people get in Fading Suns with the assistance of Antigathics or Gentech treatments? What are the other pitfalls of these treatments and how does not aging change social or political issues for Nobles, powerful churchers or guilders?

[Bertjammin]

I need to do some digging but I know that the current (5002) Patriarch has been treated with anti-aging drugs but either they haven't worked or have left him with other medical issues and increasing ill health. And I have a recollection that there is at least one noble who has had sanity issues due to extended lifespan.

I'd assume that it is all Second Republic tech and so therefore considered suspicious and tightly controlled. I guess that it's therefore expensive and only offered to the upper echelons of society. I don't think it's like Warhammer 40k where everyone of rank lives 200+ years, both because of the scarcity, potential religious stigma of using such tech ("Perverting the Pancreator's design of a limited life! See how even the Patriarch suffers for trying to stay the passage of time!!") and the apparently quite frequent (or at least notorious) side effects.

Also in the case of nobility think of the heirs? The Duke/Duchess' sons and daughters are not going to be happy while their parents remain steadfastly sat on their thrones (possibly looking even younger than their children...) although that could be the seed for a host of great dramas.

Mechanically I'd potentially use something like the Cybernetics rules as people extend their life so they become increasingly inhumane (either psychologically as their old acquaintances die, the world changes around them while they stay inviolate and death ceases to lose it's sting or physically as the treatments wreck Pancreator knows what changes and alterations to keep them vital).

[Madmage]

The BII book talks briefly about anti-aging treatments as well as one of the tech books. From what I recall, 150 years of age is pretty normal with the tech, while there are records of people hitting the early 200s. The main issue is cost and how early you start the treatments. It also fails after a certain amount of time but just makes it so you start aging again.

[Angelman]

I discuss this in the Tech chapter in the FSR PG. AT TL6, life expectancy is in the late 90s, while those with access to Lypee55 or similar have their life-exp. as much as double. At TL7, life-exp. is 100 or more, while the privileged sustain themselves for centuries with longevity serums. At TL8, “death cure” medicines are within reach, although scarcity means only the VERY privileged can stave off old age indefinitely.

This overview only tackles the tech capabilities however, and says nothing of production costs and difficulties, ingredients scarcity, infrastructure problems, lack of production facilities, and cultural decorum, which may all influence manufacturing and use of longevity drugs.

Also note that longevity drugs generally only address aging matters (i.e. cellular degregation in replacement cells), and does not necessarily address diseases as such, at least not all of them.

[Leviathan of Maddoc]

I would think that losing parts would be a real concern. There is Nano-technology but even it can be unreliable. You may be as spry as you were in your 30's but you could still lose a duel or have a bad skiing accident or survive an assassination attempt. I think beyond the anti-aging technology being unreliable there's a certain amount of high maintenance technology that goes into keeping your body functional.

And yes, I don't think there's much of anything that allows you to maintain your sanity as you got through decades of more trauma and grief.

[Bertjammin]

[Holz]

I am not sure there are Theurgical or Soma paths.
My guess it would have lots of meditation, where you just "go through" the ages and weak up. Risk are involved as cave falling, house been destroyed and so on.
Or you just become an old man, where all your body functions are slow so you can outlive a certain period of time, before you rejuvenating. I got this idea from Libra Gold Saint of Saint Seya, an anime.

On the hand of people extending their lives, my guess is the more important you are in the House, Church, Guild, Whatever, and power and Influence, they will try to make their lives longer. Since it gets considerably expensive and harder to find the means to, only Princes, Dukes, Bishops, Deans and Emperors might have access.

[Darksyde]

That is an interesting thought Holz. If it is based on importance and position there may be some that don't want it anymore. Meeting the ancient knight of the fief/planet who's kept alive because he's the last of his line to maintain the treaty. Once he dies everything may well explode again for the first time in many generations or some such.