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Tyger
2011-02-21, 12:41 AM
Say you are a level 11 character, (in this instance Bard 9 / Mindbender 1 / Sublime Chord 1) with a diplomacy skill of 30 total, a bluff of 20 + Glibness, and about 70K GP worth of items.

Could you retire, buy an estate and maybe a minor noble title, with that set of skills and gold? I am writing the character out of a campaign, and that's his plan - to leave this life threatening adventuring stuff to these suicidal people that enjoy having axes thrown at them and falling into magma - a warm beach, cold drinks and concubines are what he's aiming for.

Any rules on the cost of an estate, or what a minor noble title would go for?

Land Outcast
2011-02-21, 01:20 AM
Cerainly you could retire with that money and ability... hell, with that ability and without the money you could get -with enough string-pulling- your estate.

And about prices for estates & noble titles... I get it you mean for D&D 3.5, there I have no idea by RAW.

I'll point you to a thread I found in case it is any good:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161579

Tyger
2011-02-21, 09:25 AM
Good point there, between that diplomacy skill, Dominate Person and Charm Monster, I should be able to talk myself into a minor noble patent in short order.

Coidzor
2011-02-21, 09:55 AM
Say you are a level 11 character, (in this instance Bard 9 / Mindbender 1 / Sublime Chord 1) with a diplomacy skill of 30 total, a bluff of 20 + Glibness, and about 70K GP worth of items.

Could you retire, buy an estate and maybe a minor noble title, with that set of skills and gold?

Yes. He's pretty much the ideal nob (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3065.0) assuming no strong societal forces in any particular direction... And even then, could be competitive in all but the most magical-luddite of societies.

By 11th level, a minor-to-middling hereditary title or marriage into an existing dynasty are well within possibility as things he could acquire through his own innate skills and abilities or as story rewards in most games. Then you add in his swag-based clout...


Any rules on the cost of an estate, or what a minor noble title would go for?

Not as I recall, as the stronghold builder's guide mostly covers the cost of building or buying a fortress/keep rather than the land and serfs to support such a thing. Since such things are generally not sold but traded for political favors or to reward/secure loytalty for actions.

So here it depends a lot on the setting and the DM's prerogative.


a warm beach, cold drinks and concubines are what he's aiming for.

In that case he doesn't want to be a nob, he just wants to move to Acapulco and let his mojo do the rest.

Erom
2011-02-21, 10:18 AM
With those stats and a stated preference for warm climates, he could also earn an estate by carving it out of the wilderness somewhere near whatever passes for your campaign setting's equator. Just think how happy the King will be when he hears that that pesky band of rebels on the kingdoms south border has selected a new leader and taken up banana farming.

Tyger
2011-02-21, 10:22 AM
Yes. He's pretty much the ideal nob (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3065.0) assuming no strong societal forces in any particular direction... And even then, could be competitive in all but the most magical-luddite of societies.

By 11th level, a minor-to-middling hereditary title or marriage into an existing dynasty are well within possibility as things he could acquire through his own innate skills and abilities or as story rewards in most games. Then you add in his swag-based clout...

Good points there.


In that case he doesn't want to be a nob, he just wants to move to Acapulco and let his mojo do the rest.

True, but he very much enjoys the perks that go along with nobility - the access to high society, the ability to tell people what to do (he's a clinical narcissist and has huge control issues) and being bowed to would just make his day. :)

At the end of the day, its all going to come down to handwavium with the DM, as the character is leaving the campaign - I just wanted to write him out in a suitable and feasible manner.

druid91
2011-02-21, 10:22 AM
You don't retire from a life of adventuring.

You die. Or get hideously mauled.

Or you know, realize that fighting monsters isn't the only way to adventure.

And then go socialite. Like a wuss.

And then have political adventures that are boring. Then no-one will pay him any mind until they need political favors.

That happened in a campaign I was in once. We replaced him with his daughter when he became a high up in house Lyrandar.

We actually talked to him around twice after this. Well three times if you consider that in the campaign ending, when we decided what we were doing I stole grunt(The apprentice war-mage that our warmage took because we wanted more firepower) And used him to help train druid-warmage combos to help with the war effort as we conquered khorvaire. For house Lyrandar.

And shineys.

Noedig
2011-02-21, 10:49 AM
While I haven't quite retired from adventuring in my campaign, I have done some of the other stuff. Im 12th level melee with an odd build, almost no social skills, and loaded with cash. While haven't quite married into the nobility, I have impressed upon them that I am no one to be trifled with, and therefore have some clout with them (being able to wipe out their guard staff does that).

I have a reasonable estate, and some political power in the city it resides in. I also got it on a sweet deal because it was abandoned. Cost me about 5k. I guess what I'm trying to say is that at 11th-12th level, you don't really need all that much to get what you want when you deal with non-hero npcs. So with your money and skill, the possibilities are nigh endless.

Grim Reader
2011-02-21, 11:09 AM
In medieval times, noble titles were not restful. They came with a lot of duties. Throw in D&D monsters, cults and wizards, and the duties of your average noble in the borderlands are likly to be quite hazardous.

Noble titles and estates well inside the Kingdoms borders are a different story of course. Especially in a strong Kingdom. But the safe, restful estates with a pleasant climate and few problems are probably far more expensive than the ones where you got to put your ass on the line. I expect the borderlander lords might consider the court and courtier nobles rather...excessibly concerned about their physical wellbeing.

Another issue is that a minor noble title often came with a liege lord, and his liege lord etc, all the way up to the King. Someone with control issues might easily find that he suddenly has a pressing need to climb the ladder of titles---which will actually result in him aqquiring more and more responsibility...

druid91
2011-02-21, 11:21 AM
Yeah, noble titles are not really the way to go for a life of leisure.


Now, having a friend with a noble title willing to grant you some clout? That's what you should try for. Help out a noble, Perhaps get yourself younger malleable type, who's willing to put you up for room & board.

Ormur
2011-02-21, 07:43 PM
I'd basically give him the landlord feat in exchange for downgrading the rest of his WBL to that of an NPC of the same level.

A small barony with a nice little castle and a town house in some fashionable city. I'd just assume the monarch gave it to him for services rendered (or considering the classes, because he's a devious smooth talker with plenty of enchantments at his disposal). The income of the estate would be enough to pay for the lifestyle expected of his status.

Eldan
2011-02-21, 08:09 PM
Aren't there any southern city-states you can conquer? I mean, with that much gold, hiring a few hundred mercenaries for a few months should be easy. Proceed to ally with whatever passes as low-ranking, unhappy nobility in that place and remove the current leader. Charm the clergy. Become a benevolent tyrant.

Katana_Geldar
2011-02-21, 08:10 PM
I thought an ex-adventurer would buy a tavern. Makes sense, that way you can pick on level 1 characters that get out of line as well as reminisce about the old days.

Tyger
2011-02-21, 09:51 PM
Aren't there any southern city-states you can conquer? I mean, with that much gold, hiring a few hundred mercenaries for a few months should be easy. Proceed to ally with whatever passes as low-ranking, unhappy nobility in that place and remove the current leader. Charm the clergy. Become a benevolent tyrant.

Actually, while this would not at all be his style, he would be damned effective at it. With 8d6 fire damage to all his allies attacks, those basic mercenaries would cut through any opposition like a hot knife through butter.


I thought an ex-adventurer would buy a tavern. Makes sense, that way you can pick on level 1 characters that get out of line as well as reminisce about the old days.

Yeah, but that's too pedestrian for him. Only the finest. :smallbiggrin:

The more I think about this, the more his send off will likely be a charming little estate on a tropical island. If a Court Baron title happens to go along with it, so much the better. But yeah, actual nobility, and all the duties that might have to go along with that, not his cup of tea.