In Crusader Kings 3, ensuring the longevity of one's dynasty until the end of the game is considered a success in itself. Fans will encounter plenty of obstacles along the way that will threaten the very existence of their family. Grooming a large dynasty that consists of several cadet branches will take time, but there are few things more satisfying in Crusader Kings 3 than watching one's dynasty grow exponentially.
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A dynasty can potentially be composed of several Houses, the most powerful of which serves as the Dynasty Head. However, players don't need to be the Dynasty Head to create a cadet branch. The process is relatively straightforward as long as players satisfy all the requirements.
How To Form A Cadet Branch
Players who want to form a cadet branch out of an existing dynasty will have to meet a few requirements first. Depending on a player's chosen character at the beginning of a game, this can sometimes be done immediately. Other times, players will have to be a little patient before creating a cadet branch.
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The stipulations regarding who qualifies to form a cadet branch are as follows, courtesy of the CK3 Wiki:
- Not the current House Head
- Must be an Adult
- Must have Feudal or Clan government
- Not third or closer in line of succession to any of the current House Head's titles
- No living ancestors belong to current House
- Not a bastard
- Men have to be married if in a female-dominated faith
- Women have to be married in a male-dominated faith
- Married characters have to be in a patrilineal (if male) or matrilineal (if female) marriage
It's also worth noting that a cadet branch will be created if a House member refuses a religious conversion request. If a character meets all of these requirements, a new cadet branch will be created. All of the children belonging to the aforementioned character will belong to the new House. Players can form a cadet branch by opening the Decisions tab, where they should see if they meet all the requirements.
The Benefits Of A Cadet Branch
Being the House Head of one's own cadet branch is preferable to being just another face on the dynasty family tree. A House Head naturally commands more influence and wields a greater degree of power over the other family members of their newly formed cadet branch.
There are several benefits to being a House Head. First, House Heads can legitimize bastard children, allowing players to increase their pool of viable heirs in the event that one's trueborn children have died or weren't sired in the first place.
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House Heads also gain more Prestige every month and, even more valuably, gain Weak Hooks on all newly born House members. By the same token, the player character's previous House Head no longer possesses a Weak Hook on them either.
Lastly, House Heads can call their House members to war for free and can demand religious conversions. Overall, forming a cadet branch is almost always advantageous to the player character in their pursuit of more lands and titles.
Crusader Kings 3 is currently available on PC, macOS, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Linux.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- September 1, 2020
- ESRB
- T for Teens: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
Your legacy awaits. Choose your noble house and lead your dynasty to greatness in a Middle Ages epic that spans generations. War is but one of many tools to establish your reign, as real strategy requires expert diplomatic skill, mastery of your realm, and true cunning. Crusader Kings III continues the popular series made by Paradox Development Studio, featuring the widely acclaimed marriage of immersive grand strategy and deep, dramatic medieval roleplaying.
Take command of your house and expand your dynasty through a meticulously researched Middle Ages. Begin in 867 or 1066 and claim lands, titles, and vassals to secure a realm worthy of your royal blood. Your death is only a footnote as your lineage continues with new playable heirs, either planned… or not.
Discover a sprawling simulated world teeming with peasants and knights, courtiers, spies, knaves and jesters, and secret love affairs. An extensive cast of historical characters can be romanced, betrayed, executed, or subtly influenced.
Explore a vast medieval map stretching from the snowswept Nordic lands to the Horn of Africa, and the British Isles in the west to the exotic riches of Burma in the east. Claim, conquer, and rule thousands of unique counties, duchies, kingdoms, and empires.
- Engine
- Clausewitz Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Crusader Kings
- Platform(s)
- PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Grand Strategy
- How Long To Beat
- 70 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- File Size Xbox Series
- 11 GB (November 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
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