What happens to characters when they retire from adventuring?

I have seen quite a few PCs say “One day I will retire from adventuring and run a tavern” - and you can do that under these rules. However, you might prefer to save up and buy an Inn, under these rules they are much better than taverns :] Just as importantly, you can retire and run any sort of business that you own. There are a few examples of retirees in the game - Quinn is a magical tailor, El runs a mercenary security business, Tansy has a small inn (among other business interests) and Lex has set up the Bowyer business he always wanted.

It is a good to have aspirations and goals, BUT retiring from adventuring is drastic. No adventuring means no loot, no XP and very little to do, apart from hang around the fuzzy threads. So those examples are all from players who have left the game. They each live at the levels described below - but they are working people, and will be looked down on by Aristocrats and Nobles who are of ‘independent means’. Working Aristocrats and Nobles are treated as if they were at the bottom of the social tier. Snobbery lives!

However, it is equally possible to retire completely and not do any work, after all, there are people who can oversee your businesses for you. This should really be the goal of nobles and anyone else who wants to leave a noble legacy for their family. Rather than having BP to invest and grow your business interests, you can use those BP as income and live off them instead of working. Suddenly, your business is in the hands of other people, probably people who have worked for you for years, but they don’t have the drive and determination, nor even the investment skills, than you did. The business isn’t as effective as it was.

You do not have to take all of your BPs as income or investment, you can split between investment and lifestyle income. While you might get more recognition locally, within ‘polite’ society, you will be expected to meet the following conditions to be accepted as a member of any given social tier. You might be treated as if you were a lower tier, or maybe even as an impoverished noble. Snobbery rules!

Note: + (High status families own more that one house)