Crusader Kings 3: Goverment types Crusader Kings 3 guide, tips

On this page of the Crusader Kings 3 guide, you'll find descriptions and tips on the types of governments you can adopt during the course of the game.

Last update: 01 July 2022

Government type determines how your domain is organized. There are three basic types of government in the game: feudal, clan, and tribal. Each of these systems determines the duties and rights of the ruler and his vassals. Below you will find a description of each government type, along with their most important features, strengths, and weaknesses.

• Feudal goverment
• Clan goverment
• Tribal goverment

Feudal goverment

The feudal government gives the most opportunities to build relations with vassals. In this system, you have access to the Crown Authority law, thanks to which you can gradually increase your control over vassals in the domain. At the same time, you can make personal relations with your subjects by feudal contracts. This is a feature unique to this government, and it allows you to provide privileges or specializations to vassals (for more information on Crown Authority and feudal contracts, check out the Vassals page). In addition, the feudal type of government allows you to create new baronies and introduces the Cadet Branches mechanics.

The feudal system applies mainly in Europe and is often connected with the Christian religion. Its greatest advantage is the possibility to build relations with vassals, mainly through the feudal contracts. It is a tool that gives you a lot of possibilities in domestic politics, as it allows you to both calm dissatisfied vassals and increases your power. At the same time, the feudal government limits expansion to some extent. This is mainly due to the lack of access to special Casus Belli and geographical conditions. When choosing a feudal ruler, somewhere in the middle of Europe, from the beginning of the game, you will have to fabricate claims (or obtain them another way) because your neighbors will have the same faith, meaning you will have no reason for war.

Feudal:

1. Access to the Crown Authority law;
2. Relations with vassals are determined by feudal contracts;
3. Possibility to create new holdings;
4. Possibility to create new cadet branches;
5. It occurs mainly in Europe and is related to the Christian religion.

Clan goverment

Basically, the clan system is very similar to the feudal system. The main difference comes down to how relationships with vassals are build. In the case of a clan system, you do not have access to the feudal contract mechanics and all the benefits that come with it. At the same time, you still have access to Crown Authority levels, which means you can only build relations with vassals on the global level (in the entire kingdom). However, constantly increasing Crown Authority may not be the best idea because, in the clan government, your influence on vassals depends directly on their opinion about you. For neutral opinion, which is level 0, you will receive 15% of tax (contribution level) and 30% of levies from the vassal. Each subsequent positive opinion point increases these values by 0.1% for taxes and 0.3% for levies, respectively. At the same time, each negative point results in a penalty of -0.3% for taxes and 0.4% for levies. In extreme cases, when the vassal's opinion about you is 100, you will receive 25% taxes income from him and as much as 60% for levies. However, if the vassal sincerely hates you (opinion level -100), you will get nothing from him.

Contrary to appearances, this system allows you to create beneficial situations, for example, by focusing only on selected, powerful vassals. You can still create new baronies and Cadet Branches In the case of clan government, you also get access to a special Casus Belli related to the conquest (Conquest CB). Thanks to this CB, you can declare wars for high-rank titles, including Kingdom. You can declare a war for a new kingdom once in the ruler's lifetime, so wage warnings carefully. The clan system is typical for the Middle East.

Clan:

1. Access to the Crown Authority law;
2. Possibility to create new holdings;
3. Conquest CB;
4. Income depending on the opinion of vassals about the ruler;
5. Mainly found in the Middle East, related to Islam;

Tribal goverment

The tribal system differs from its alternatives in a more distinct way. In this case, the levels of the Crown Authority are replaced by the Tribal Authority. Subsequent levels of Tribal Authority:

1. Level 1: opinion of direct vassals 10;
2. Level 2: the possibility of imprisoning a character, the possibility of adopting a feudal or clan system through your senior;
3. Level 3: the possibility of revoking titles and transferring vassals, -10 to direct vassal opinions;
4. Level 4: the possibility to independently adopt a feudal or clan system, -30 to the opinion of direct vassals;

Of course, there is also no access to the mechanics of vassal contracts, which limits the possibilities of building relations with vassals. However, this is not all of the limitations. In the tribal government, you cannot create new baronies and have limited access to holdings. Moreover, you cannot discover innovations at a level higher than the Tribal Era, and the only succession law available is Confederate Partition.

On the other hand, the tribal system greatly increases your expansion possibilities. Usually, you will have both a Conquest CB and a Subjugation CB. In the latter case, you will be able to vassalize other tribal lords. In addition, you will also get the raid mechanic, which allows you to provide yourself with an additional source of gold (more on the page dedicated to gold and buildings). Of course, these options may be limited by the faith, but in most cases the tribal rulers are followers of unreformed pagan faiths that do not impose such restrictions.

Your character's prestige and Level of Fame have an important role in the tribal government. The former is used to pay for Man-at-arms, while the latter influence your income from the vassals.

A specific mechanic for the tribal government is the option to reform the government and change its type to feudal or clan. If you are a dependent ruler, you can adopt a new goverment type from your senior. In this case, you have to be a vassal of the ruler with a feudal or clan system and have Tribal Authority at least on the second level. It is also possible to change the government type on your own, but in this case you need the maximum fourth level of the Tribal Authority. Changing the government on your own allows you to choose between a feudal or clan system. Changing the government is a decision. Basically, there is no decision in the game to change from feudal to clan government and vice versa. Such a change is possible only by succession (your heir has a title of a higher rank and a different system).

Tribal:

1. Access to the Tribal Authority law;
2. Possibility to reform goverment and adopt a feudal or clan system;
3. Conquest CB and Subjugation CB;
4. No possibility to create new holdings;
5. Development level affects only the supply limit and does not increase by itself;
6. Limited access to Innovation (Tribal Era only);
7. Limited succession laws (Confederate Partition only);
8. Man-at-arms for prestige, not for gold;
9. Raids are available;
10. Limited relations with vassals (declaring war cannot be forbidden);
11. Income depending on Level of Fame.