Limits of Anagathics?

[Duke]

Forgive me if this has been covered before, but I did several searches of my (small) CT collection and the various forums but could find no refernce to any possible limits/side effects of anagathics. Is there an upper limit to their abilities (i.e. a maximum duration of use)? Are there any known side effects?
How about "reverse engineering the formulae for making them rather than purchasing them?
Any suggestions would be most helpful and most appreciated.

 

[jcrocker]

I don't have the CT rules.

But in MegaTraveller, [Player's Manual p16] has the line "However, for each subsequent term in which a supply of anagathics is maintained, the character can remain on that line of the Aging Table instead of advancing one line per term as usual. So, if the character is on the age 34 line, he or she can stay on the age 34 line as long as a constant supply of anagathics is maintained."

It looks like they got tired of immortal characters by the time TNE came around. In that rule set, on p. 33: "After about 60 years of use... ...anagathics begin to turn on their users. The manipulation of the body's growth ability that is used to keep the body constantly renewing itself to maintain youthful cells begins to get out of sync. This is first evidenced by the growth of rather unsightly cysts and tumors, and discoloration of certain body areas where local cell growth is getting out of control."

It goes on from there, progressively worse, physical and psychological problems mounting for most of a page. The last line of the section is "(Three score and ten: it's not just a good idea, it's the *law*.)" Emphasis in original.

MegaTraveller was almost CT v2.0, so you could reasonably take the 'maintain supply and there is no downside' approach of MT. Or, if you want to prevent rampant Dick Clark syndrome among your players, start giving them problems after 60 years of use. If they ever get there, that is, that would be a long campaign...

 

[Droyne668]

I just let 'em stay immortal if they can afford it (sticking to CT/MT). Immortality doesn't help if you're opened up by an angry Aslan or sentenced to life in a prison hulk for smuggling tree krakens...

 

[aramis]

More important for Anagathics is that it only makes 2 of your aging saves... (MT p.16)

So if you do advance on the table, you wind up potentially aging to death even with a supply. Only the wealthiest can become effectively immortal.

And as for 60 years, I've had campaigns lasting 3 months real time cover 5+ years. (OK, we WERE playing 4 days a week.)

A lot depends upon how much "boardgame mode" occurs. I've had single sessions cover as much as 4 months, with trade going on.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I may be remembering this wrong this early in the morning, but I seem to remember TNE having something about cancers showing up with overuse or somesuch. I'll have to check when I get home...

 

[deniable]

I may be remembering this wrong this early in the morning, but I seem to remember TNE having something about cancers showing up with overuse or somesuch. I'll have to check when I get home...

It had a fun little table with physical problems ranging from minor growths to major dis-figuration. Further down were the mental side effects going up to 'Psychopathic behavior.' I've seen PCs who didn't need the drugs for that.

We never really had the anagathics available to make a difference.

 

[pendragonman]

What are you implying? Certainly I am no psychopath. Just because my prefered method of hand to hand is a 10 hp chainsaw and a goalie mask to keep the "debris" out of my face...

 

[ChalkLine]

When you think that nearly all medical science is ultimately aimed at extending life, I've pretty much dumped anagathics. By the higher TLs, I can't see why a PC isn't effectively immortal anyway. One of my friends is a biologist and he says halting cell oxidation and turning off the ageing process in DNA is probably not even that far away. Hopefully, they'll ensure people are sterilised before allowing that sort of regime, or it'll get mighty crowded in here.

 

[BlackBat242]

There are three basic approaches to extending the life-span that would fall under the general concept of "Anagathics".

1. continual drug therapy (Traveller's method): each dose suspends the aging process for a certain period... and when they are not available, aging resumes without any significant side effects.

2. Rejuvenation (Elizabeth Moon's favoured version): a significant medical procedure which results in "turning back the clock", returning the physical body to a specified condition (age). Each "rejuve" has a chance of significant side effects based on how many "years" are being "undone". Repeated "rejuve" cycles can cause problems also, based on the number of procedures as well as the total accumulated years.

3. Prolong (David Weber): a simple procedure done before adolescence which slows the rate at which a being ages. The procedure has increased effectiveness for offspring of those who have received the procedure.

Note that these are indeed all part of "Medical Science".



Chalkline... there are a large number of scientists who question that view. I have seen papers that hold that external factors will continually cause degradation of the cellular reproductive process, and at best whatever corrective processes are applied will only be effective for a few years, needing to be repeated frequently.

Cell oxidation will be re-started by food/drink/environmental contaminants, and radiation etc will damage the DNA causing imperfect cell replication.

Can you really make someone permanently immune to the damaging effects of radiation?



That is the basis for Traveller's Anagathic drugs... that the medical procedures you refer to will have to be repeated frequently (regular doses), and be fairly expensive... too expensive for wide-spread use.

 

[ChalkLine]

You're very right BlackBat, but I'm prone to thinking that humans at TL14 should degrade slower than those at TL9. This is why I delay ageing rolls a term for each TL after 9

 

[Darkhstarr]

I tend to agree you. I don't bother with aging roles per the LBB on higher tech level starting at TL8. Of course one effect of anagathics could be embarrassment-parents who look younger than their kids. Like Corsair Captain Bette Noire age 44 (looks about 30)-her plutocrat mother, age 61 (looks about 20).

I also feel that the side effects of anagathics is equal to their cost(in most cases). The upper TL & price are going to have less problem, if for anything else the people most able to buy them legally are the most able to lay the smack on the manufacturer.

You're very right BlackBat, but I'm prone to thinking that humans at TL14 should degrade slower than those at TL9. This is why I delay ageing rolls a term for each TL after 9

 

[BlackBat242]

I adjust the ageing table to fit an average life-span of 90 @ tl 9, 100 @ tl 10 (LBB-1 standard), 110 @ 11, etc.