There are a tremendous amount of mechanics in Crusader Kings 3 that add infinite variables to the game's complex word. In fact, the character that one plays as in this setting is subject to many different influences that determine and possess many different traits, all of which factor into establishing the player's proficiency in a great many areas.
As such, it would be best to know how these variables are classified and what they do. Though, keep in mind that the player is not the only character. Every single other NPC in the game is another full character with free will and infinite potential.
Nobility & Landing Status
All characters are classified by their country's social hierarchy depending on their lineage, though, this can change over time. This determines the opportunities for networking, marriages, and how much others of different castes like the player. There are 2 options for nobility and 2 for landing status.
Nobility
- Noble: character is a member of a dynasty, though can be stripped of this title by various means
- Lowborn: character is not a member of a dynasty, though can become a Noble (and start a dynasty) by gaining a title
Landing Status
- Landed: character owns 1 or more holdings
- Unlanded: character does not own any holdings
Appearance
The character generation has an incredible amount of variation between individuals, which makes each playthrough aesthetically unique and interesting. The game's engine uses a complex DNA system (essentially juggling the traits of the parents) to make decisions about a character's skin, pigmentation, height, facial features, and hair color.
As a player grows, their appearance will further be affected by their age, weight gain (or loss), and traits that they will be picked up along life's winding journey, including injuries that can leave visible scars. Furthermore, there are 13 different ethnicities related to different regions of the world map that can be selected for a character (depending on where they are born and who their parents are):
- West European
- Central European
- Northern European
- Slavic
- Arctic
- Mediterranean
- West African
- East African
- Arabic
- Asian
- North Indian
- South Indian
Opinion
One of the most important mechanics in the game is Opinion, as every single NPC in the game has an opinion of the player as well as everyone else, which affects all of their relationships based on many factors.
General Opinion
General Opinion can also be inherited, meaning that when a character dies, their heir receives a portion of the positive or negative Opinion of their parent. Positive Opinion passes down 25% of its value while Negative Opinion passes down 50% of its value.
Vassal Opinion
Characters prominent enough to have vassals will sometimes be at the mercy of their underlings, as their vassals will contribute tax income and levies based on how much they like their ruler. Additionally, if vassals detest their liege, they can take hostile actions like starting a revolt or planning an assassination.
Attraction
Attraction plays a factor as well, for all male characters under 65 and all female characters under 50 have a higher Opinion of other characters with traits that are considered physically attractive as well as in their preferred sexual designation.
Relations
Every now and then a character will interact with another one enough times for their connection to potentially evolve into 1 of 3 types: friendship, love, or conflict. These more complex connections can occur during childhood, adulthood, and both (lifelong relations). In conjunction with a change of that character's Opinion, there will come some other factors that influence a character's stress as well as fertility. Here are the 3 types of relations broken down with their effects:
Friendship
- Childhood Friend: +60 Opinion
- Adulthood Friend: +60 Opinion (+10 stress when this character dies)
- Lifelong Best Friend: +120 Opinion (+10 stress when this character dies)
Love
- Childhood Crush: +60 Opinion
- Adulthood Lover: +60 Opinion and +25% Fertility (+10 stress when this character dies)
- Lifelong Soulmate:Â +120 Opinion and +25% Fertility (+10 stress when this character dies)
Conflict
- Childhood Bully (or Victim): -20 Opinion
- Adulthood Rival: -60 Opinion (-35 stress when this character dies)
- Lifelong Nemesis:Â -120 Opinion (-35 stress when this character dies)
Tyranny
Characters can gain negative Opinion in the form of Tyranny if they commit actions seen as unjust. The higher one's Tyranny, the more a ruler's vassals and courtiers will dislike them, meaning that liege lords and ladies should always try to keep their Tyranny low in most situations.
Actions That Increase Tyranny
- Imprisoning a character without just cause: +20 tyranny
- Increasing taxes and levies: +20 tyranny per raise
- Revoking a title without just cause: +20 tyranny
- Retracting a vassal: +5 tyranny
- Banishing a vassal: +5 tyranny
- Executing a vassal: +10 tyranny
- Random events:Â depends on the outcome
Over time, Tyranny will slowly decrease, and this process can be quickened with certain traits, actions, perks, and other mechanics. Players can also acquire aspects that decrease the Tyranny gained through unjust actions.
Conditions That Decrease Tyranny
- Base decay: -0.25 tyranny per month
- Venial (Guile dynasty legacy): -0.05 tyranny per month
- Defender of the Faith (Theologian lifestyle perk) & Faith has Righteous doctrine:Â -25% tyranny gain
- Soon Forgiven (Administrator lifestyle perk): -0.15 monthly tyranny
- Easy difficulty: -25% tyranny gain (player only)
- Very easy difficulty: -75% tyranny gain (player only)
- Pursuit of Power tenet: -50% tyranny gain
- Faith is Donyi-Poloism or Sedism & Faith holds holy site Pemako: -20% tyranny gain
- Faith is Bidaism or Siguism & Faith holds holy site Niani: -0.1 monthly tyranny & -20% tyranny gain
- Callous personality trait: -20% tyranny gain
- Palace of Aachen special building: -20% tyranny gain