Schemes in Crusader Kings 3 have been completely reworked as part of the free update that accompanied the Roads to Power DLC. Players now have more agency over how successful their schemes are and when they attempt them.
With more complexity and micromanagement, however, many players, both old and new, are left wondering about how Schemes work in CK3. This comprehensive guide for CK3 Schemes will cover the various types of plots, how Agents work, and how to keep Schemes secret and successful.
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The Types Of Schemes In Crusader Kings 3
Personal Schemes In Crusader Kings 3
Personal Schemes are the simplest, as no Agents are required and no actions need to be taken other than selecting options when events pop up. They are aimed at winning the opinion or affection of a particular character.
- Sway: Try to improve the Opinion another character has of you.
- Befriend: If characters become friends, they will have very high Opinions of each other and other options are opened up.
- Learn Language: Attempt to learn the language of the target.
- Seduce: Attempt to sleep with a character with the option to become lovers.
- Romance: Characters who are romanced will have very high Opinions of each other, and they may even become soulmates.
- Elope: Convince a lover to move to your court to marry, even if they are already married.
- Convert to Witchcraft: Characters with the Witch Trait can convince others to become a Witch.
Hostile Schemes In Crusader Kings 3
Hostile Schemes make use of Agents and need to be kept secret.
- Murder: Assassinate another character.
- Abduct: Unlocked with the Kidnapper Intrigue Trait and can lead to ransoms.
- Fabricate Hook: Unlocked with the Truth is Relative Intrigue Perk and characters will gain a Hook on the target.
- Claim Throne: Unlocked with the Meritocracy Stewardship Perk and is used on a liege to get a claim that can be pressed via a Faction.
- Steal Artifact: Players must have a claim on an artifact to attempt to steal it.
- Overthrow Regent: Try to become the new regent and gain immense power.
- Seize Realm: Adventurers in Roads to Power can attempt to seize a ream when they have a high level of fame.
Having a high Intrigue stat will help with most Hostile Schemes and many Political Schemes.
Political Schemes In The Roads To Power DLC
Political Schemes are only available with the Roads to Power DLC and to members of Administrative Governments, such as the Byzantine Empire. Some Political Schemes use Agents and should be kept secret. Others use a mix of these or neither.
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Some Political Schemes are hostile, while others help characters, which may benefit the player in one way or another.
- Challenge Status: Attempt to steal Influence and lower their family's status.
- Slander: Lower their chances of being appointed to titles and their Governor Efficiency for 10 years.
- Raid Estate: Gain gold, damage a rival's estate, and potentially kill their family.
- Boundary Dispute: Attempt to take a neighboring county from another Governorship into yours.
- Subsume Governorship: Take a neighbor's Governorship.
- Damage Legitimacy: Lower a liege's Legitimacy.
- Depose: Try to replace an emperor, and decide their fate.
- Foster Legitimacy: Raise a liege's Legitimacy and possibly gain a hook on them.
- Promote: Help a target get appointed to a title.
- Mentor in Governance: Requires a Private Study and improves a target's Governor Trait, while granting small bonuses to the player.
- Ingratiate Family: Requires Fine Living Quarters. Gain Influence and Opinion with the target.
Contract Schemes In Roads To Power
For Landless Adventurers looking to make money in Roads to Power, Contracts are the way forward, and some of them operate as Schemes.
Players can appoint their camp followers as Agents, and most of the time they won't even need convincing. Sometimes these Contract Schemes are purely benign, such as a building project. At other times they are criminal.
How Do Hostile, Contract, & Political Schemes Work In Crusader Kings 3
These Schemes typically require more active management than Personal Schemes and the old system in general. There are many new terms for Schemes, and getting to grips with these will set players up for success in their CK3 games.
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Scheme Success, Potential, Phases, & Secrecy
These are the key terms to know about Schemes in CK3:
- Scheme Success Chance: A Scheme with 80% current Scheme Success has a 20% chance of failing if attempted.
- Scheme Potential: This determines the maximum percentage of Scheme Success and can be increased with better Agents.
- Scheme Phase: At the end of a Scheme Phase, the Success Chance will be boosted, and an Advantage will be gained.
- Scheme Phase Length: A Player's Intrigue and that of their Spymaster can reduce the length of each Scheme Phase. Agents can help lower this too.
- Scheme Secrecy: How likely a Scheme is to remain undetected by a target. Agents can help keep a Scheme secret. Even successful Schemes can be exposed. For example, the world would know your character is a murderer.
- Breach: When a Scheme is breached, the Success Chance is lowered. After 5 breaches, a Scheme fails.
Targets can enact countermeasures, which make them less susceptible to Schemes at the loss of something else. Players can also do this in the Intrigue tab when they are targeted.
What Do Agents Do In CK3 Schemes?
For most non-personal Schemes in CK3, players can appoint up to 5 Agents to help them out. These Agents can help with:
- Increasing the Scheme Potential.
- Lowering the Scheme Phase Length.
- Increasing the Scheme Secrecy.
How well Agents contribute to these three stats depends on their suitability for the job. For example, in a Murder Scheme, an Assassin who improves the Scheme Potential, will benefit from high Prowess & Intrigue, as well as Personality Traits such as Sadistic & Patient.
The three types of Agents can be distributed differently across the 5 slots, and for some Schemes, players will be able to choose what they would like to focus on. To be extra safe, a player might opt for more Agents who improve the Secrecy.
Appointing Agents
When trying to appoint an Agent, players will be presented with the best people for the job at the top, out of those who will join or who can be convinced.
If an Agent needs to be convinced to join the plot, the following enticements can help:
- Leverage Scheme Advantages.
- Bribes.
- Use existing Hooks on them.
- Offer a Hook on yourself.
- Offer Prestige, Piety, or Influence.
What Are Advantages In CK3 Schemes?
Every time a Scheme Phase is completed, a Scheme Advantage will be gained. With 5, 10, 15, or 20 Advantages players can elect to execute a Scheme, with the chances of success increased by more Advantages being used.
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Advantages can also be spent to convince reluctant Agents to join. This is a good tactic for long-term and difficult Schemes, where a powerful Agent can make all the difference.
The Process Of A Scheme In CK3
Below is a step-by-step guide for how most Schemes play out:
- Choose whether the selection of Agents should benefit success, speed, or secrecy. Taking a balanced approach is another option.
- Appoint individual Agents.
- Wait for Scheme Phases to complete.
- Interact with events that pop up. These can help or hinder the Scheme.
- Once 5 Advantages have been acquired, players can execute the Scheme if they are happy with the odds.
- Otherwise wait for 10, 15, or 20 Advantages.
Set a skilled Spymaster to 'Support Schemes'. They can reduce the length of Scheme Phases and improve the chances of success.
Crusader Kings 3
- Released
- September 1, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teens: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Engine
- Clausewitz Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Crusader Kings
- Platform(s)
- PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Grand Strategy
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- File Size Xbox Series
- 11 GB (November 2023)
