Guide to MA Agartha (In prog) - Pretenders

[Salamander8]

Growth 0:
While some people in the advice thread provide solid reasons for picking growth 3, I have to strongly disagree. I feel its a total waste of points, and any reduction of aging problems is unreliable at best. My first year, 2/4 mages ended up with at least one affliction. I might as well have taken death.

No reason to go above standard. Your mages start with old age (by 4 years), and afflictions will happen anyways. There's little benefit to the supply and growth boni. I can't recommend it yet, but I'm going to take another look at 1-2 death scales. It's a thematic fit, and it seems they're going to die anyways.

In the SP game as MA Agartha I previosuly mentioned, I took Growth 2. I have to concur with your assessment of growth vs the Golem Crafters old age problems (and to a lesser extent, the Oracle of the Ancients). It's mid year 4 for my game, and I've lost 6 of these guys to disease brought on by old age, I have 2 that recently became diseased on top of this, and have at least another 6 that have less major afflictions. Two of my Ancient Oracles have minor afflictions from aging as well.