Retiring a character is the tactic of causing the player's character to die, in order to immediately play as the character's heir. This may be considered gamey and does not work in real life.
Suicide decision
A suicide decision is available to adults with certain traits. It is accessed by right-clicking the player character's portrait.
Without The Reaper's Due, it requires being 
, and immediately kills the character.
With The Reaper's Due, it requires being or 
(characters who are 
have a different version that requires being or over 100 years old). Begins an event tree, letting you choose among several methods which have different chances of success depending on your character.
Suicide by poison, hanging, or falling will lower general opinion by -50 (inherited by your heir as -25). However, if you have a rival, you can aim for an honorable death in a duel (which you secretly intend to lose). Likewise, characters receive assistance and make their death appear to be an unsolved murder.
You may be able to gain the trait by:
Failed hunt
A failed hunt or a boring book (from the 'bored' event chain) can give the depressed trait.
Death of a loved wife
This technique can be used if your character is male, with the 
or 
trait, and none of (kinslayer, celibate, or eunuch).
Marry a woman who your character likes (50+ opinion):
- Hover over characters in your "marriage ties" list to see your opinion of them
- Any woman of your religion who has 20+ diplomacy and no incompatible traits
- Note that "foreigner" (different culture) penalties are waived between spouses
- Or, seduce a woman to make her your lover (+40 opinion)
Assassinate her. Alternatively, you may be able to execute her for little tyranny if she has no landed relatives or can be excommunicated.
Do not remarry. 64 days after her death, you will receive an event that lets you choose between lustful/incapable or depressed.
Death of a friend or lover
With The Reaper's Due, a set of "mourning events" can occur after the death of a lover, friend, or rival. The lover and friend versions each have an option with a 50% chance to become depressed. It is only possible to get a mourning event once every 10 years.
Encouraging plots against your character
If you believe there is a plot against you, either:
- Fire your spymaster.
- Anger your spymaster, hoping that he joins the plot.
- Try to discover the plot, then appoint a plotter or conspirator as your spymaster.
Do things that make AI plots likely:
- If you have a lover, get them married to a someone who hates you.
- Anger your heir, your heir's spouse, and your heir's parents.
- Gain rivals:
- With Conclave: if you have two 12+ skills, you can make a ward your rival in an event when they are about age 14½.
Tyranny is a quick way to make all your courtiers hate you. Unfortunately, it also makes your vassals hate you, which is dangerous as it encourages factions and the opinion malus from vassals is partially inherited. A safer method is to anger your high-intrigue courtiers by repeatedly granting and revoking an honorary title.
Disease
Lead troops through a province that is suffering an epidemic disease.
With The Reaper's Due, an alternative is to lead troops aboard ships to get 
, though it often takes several years. It is possible to get Scurvy while you already have another disease.
Fire your Court Physician, or anger them to make successful treatment less likely (perhaps by repeatedly revoking and re-granting the title of physician).
Focuses
With Way of Life:
- With the Carousing focus, invite known cannibals to your parties, or at least potential cannibals.
- With the War focus, duel characters who are your rivals,
, 
, or (characters of another religion who are in any Warrior Lodge). The War focus also prepares you to lead troops effectively in battle, which is something you may be more inclined to do if you want your character to die!
Abdication
When a vassal rebels against failed imprisonment or title revocation, they use a CB that forces abdication. You can use this to your advantage and surrender intentionally. It is best if you initiate the war with justification, so your heir does not have negative "inherited opinion" from vassals.
Non-nomadic
Forced rebellions use an Overthrow ruler CB. Upon surrender, your current character will abdicate all titles to their heir (heirs?) and become a courtier.
Abdication does not transfer wealth or artifacts. It is recommended to gift most of your wealth and artifacts before surrendering. If your heir is your firstborn, the simplified form of primogeniture used by courtiers should transfer the remaining goods eventually.
Nomadic
Khans refusing absorption do not use the Overthrow Ruler CB, but instead the Install Self as Khagan CB. Losing this war results in being executed, which has the advantage of transferring wealth and artifacts correctly. However, you will be demoted to king tier, so this is only recommended if you have the power to reinstate your clan as rulers of the khaganate.