Summary
- Building Hospices and Burial Sites can help prevent plagues and provide Plague Resistance for one's county in Crusader Kings 3.
- Players must understand how Legitimacy impacts ruling in CK3, as vassals accept higher legitimacy rulers more easily.
- Mourn at funerals for stress loss and huge amounts of Piety in Crusader Kings 3, especially after tragically losing a loved one.
Legends of the Dead is one of the latest DLCs for Crusader Kings 3, and along with the accompanying free update, it introduced map-wide changes for all players, regardless of when or where they start their playthrough. For all players, there is a new Legitimacy mechanic with characters being deemed worthy or not by their birth status and consequent actions. Having a higher than expected Legitimacy for a certain rank will make ruling easier, while those who fall short of royal expectations will find their reign challenged. One of the ways to increase Legitimacy is with the new Legends, which Crusader Kings 3 players can create and promote across the lands.
Crusader Kings 3: 27 Tips For Newcomers To Grand Strategy Games
Crusader Kings 3 can be an intimidating title for newcomers. Here are some things to know for gamers who don't usually play grand strategy games.
Deadly plagues have also been introduced into the game, and just like Legends, these can spread across the map but with more devastating effects. Countermeasures to plagues are another new feature, and combined with Legends and Legitimacy, there is a lot to learn. As such, players should find the following tips for Legends of the Dead helpful.
5 Take Preventative Actions Against Plagues
Build Hospices And Burial Sites And Have A Good Physician Ready
- Hospice Requirement: Grand Temple
- Burial Site Requirements: Level 1 Manorialism Innovation, Level 2 Windmills Innovation, Level 3 Cranes Innovation
While plagues in CK3 are more likely to spawn in more built-up areas with high development, at the end of the day, they serve no master and can ruin even the most meticulous plans by popping up anywhere at any time. With this in mind, it is important to prepare for plagues before they strike.
There are a few ways to do this. Firstly, players will want to make sure they have already appointed a competent physician, as it will be too late by the time a plague arrives. Players will also want to build Hospices, as, on top of a steady income and some Piety, they provide Plague Resistance for the entire county. Upgrading this building line increases the resistance granted. Finally, unless players have eyes on another of CK3's best Duchy Buildings, they can also build Burial Sites, which come with a plethora of bonuses on top of a heap of Plague Resistance.
4 Understand How Legitimacy Increases & Decreases
Being Beneath The Expected Legitimacy Makes Ruling Much Harder
Legitimacy is a new feature introduced alongside Legends of the Dead, and rulers with higher ranks of Legitimacy will find their reigns easier as vassals accept them and fortune falls their way. On the other hand, if players fall beneath the Legitimacy expectations of their vassals, things can get rough, and revolts will break out.
Crusader Kings 3: 14 Rarest Formable Kingdoms
Don't expect to see these rare kingdoms form in a game of Crusader Kings 3 unless you want to take on the challenge of forming them yourself.
Therefore, it is imperative that players quickly learn the ways in which Legitimacy can be gained and lost. This includes adapting some of the previous strategies for the game, as, for example, marrying a low-born for good stats and the best Congenital Traits will lower the Legitimacy of the ruler and their eventual heir. Disinheriting undesirable heirs or second sons is also punished now. The typical ways to gain Legitimacy are through winning wars, hosting successful activities, and spreading Legends. Alternatively, losing wars, being accused of murder, and failing to tackle plagues are just a few of the reasons why Legitimacy can go down.
3 Mourn At Funerals For Huge Amounts Of Piety & Stress Loss
The Mourn Intent Opens Up Unique Options
Funerals are a new type of activity introduced in Legends of the Dead, allowing characters to mourn a family member who has died in the last 5 years. As with most activities, there are a few different intentions, and funerals have their own unique intent: mourning.
For players who are looking to manage their stress levels in Crusader Kings 3, especially after tragically losing a loved one, mourning is extremely overpowered, with constant extra options for stress loss throughout the proceedings. The mourn option also allows players to rack up serious levels of Piety at funerals.
2 Play As A Ruler Who Starts With Legend Seeds
Players Can Start Spreading Legends Sooner
The best starting rulers for Legends of the Dead are typically those who start with Legend Seeds, which are required to start Legends. While these seeds can be earned in other ways, such as taking down a legendary beast or simply unlocking the first Dynasty Legacy in the new Heroic Bloodline, they aren't always easy to acquire.
Crusader Kings 3: Best Legend Seeds
In Crusader Kings 3, players can spread various Legends to enhance their dynasty's fame across the world. These Seeds are some of the best.
The historical Legend Seeds also seem to have more flavor than the sometimes generic seeds that are rewarded, and some rulers, such as Alfred The Great, even start with multiple seeds of varying types. If players don't want to be shoehorned into picking one of these rulers, another good option is to assign the chronicler to find seeds.
1 Spread Legends Far With Chroniclers, Musicians, & Poets
Each Can Be Assigned Tasks To Spread Legends At Home Or Abroad
By spreading Legends further and even having nobles from other realms pick up these tales, players can reach higher levels of success and reap enormous rewards. To do this, players would ideally assign their court chronicler, musician, or poet to either Extol Domestic Legend or Commend Legend Abroad. This first of these options increases the Legend Spread Chance by a certain percentage depending on the competence of the courtier. However, this does cost an extraordinary sum of gold per month, making it something possible only for players with late-game economies.
Commending Legends abroad, on the other hand, is cheaper, and it provides a chance for vassals or neighboring rulers to start promoting the Legend themselves. Again, this depends on aptitude, so players should find the best courtiers for the right Court Positions.
Crusader Kings 3
- Released
- September 1, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Grand Strategy
