Summary
- Customize the Crusader Kings 3 experience with special buildings like the Great Palace of Ctesiphon for powerful bonuses.
- Choose military might with options like Hotin Fortress for +4 Fort Level and +6 Defender Advantage.
- Boost the economy with buildings like Notre Dame, offering +2 Monthly Tax and +5 Popular Opinion.
Part of the fun of any strategy game like Crusader Kings 3 is picking and choosing from an often vast array of buildings and units to properly customize the experience - and provide the playthrough with some powerful bonuses.
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Crusader Kings 3 features a staggering number of choices for players to make, from strictly historical to others with a bit more of a fanciful alt-history theme. CK3 allows players to choose from a list of special buildings, some available in any duchy and others fixed to specific locations on the map. These examples are some of the best special buildings in Crusader Kings 3.
1 Great Palace Of Ctesiphon
Great For Zoroastrians
- +2 Monthly Tax
- +1 Diplomacy per Level of Devotion
- -20% Building Construction Cost
The Great Palace of Ctesiphon can be upgraded from the Ruins of the Palace of Ctesiphon to gain some powerful bonuses. Although multiple religions can use this building, it's great for Zoroastrians because it increases the opinion of their Zoroastrian vassals, making realm management easier.
But it comes with nice economic bonuses too, such as -20% Building Construction Cost and +2 Monthly Tax, which is beneficial because every bit of extra money helps in CK3.
2 Hotin Fortress
Military Masterpiece
- +1 Martial per Level of Fame
- +4 Fort Level
- +6 Defender Advantage
The Hotin Fortress, upgraded from the Hotin Fort, is a fantastic military special building with some extremely powerful military bonuses that make it an excellent choice of defensive bastion. Unlike some other special buildings, the main focus here is squarely on the military and martial things, with most of the bonuses relating to its ability to serve as an effective fortress.
That said, Hotin Fortress does offer a nice bonus to monthly Renown and Holding Taxes, so it does have a little something extra to offer as well.
3 The University Of Sankoré
It's All About The Lifestyles
- +1 Learning per Level of Fame
- +1 Martial per Level of Fame
- +10% Monthly Lifestyle Experience
The University of Sankoré is a fantastic all-rounder, offering great bonuses to Learning and Martial skills, but it's also a really good way to boost lifestyle experience for any character holding it. It offers a +10% bonus to lifestyle experience, as well as granting monthly Renown, so it's a great option for players looking to maximize their characters and dynasty bonuses.
Not only that, the University of Sankoré increases the rate at which cultural techs are learned, making it a no-brainer for a tech and culture-focused run.
Sankoré is located inside the legendary Timbuktu.
4 Aljaferia
Good Defensive Building
- +1 Diplomacy per Level of Fame
- +6 Defender Advantage
- +5% Holding Taxes
Aljaferia is a great special building located in Saraqustah offering bonuses to Fort level, holding taxes, and local defensiveness. It has a nice spread of different bonuses, although most are military. That said, it offers a nice +1 to Diplomacy per level of Fame.
Its +5% Monthly Renown is also a great choice for players looking to make the most out of dynasty bonuses, so it really does have something for everyone. It's one of the best special buildings in CK3 precisely because of its wide range of offerings.
5 Notre Dame
Fantastic Economic Building
- +1 Stewardship per level of Devotion
- +2 Monthly Tax
- +5 Popular Opinion
Notre Dame is famous the world over as a crowning achievement in architecture, a world-renowned religious building that's endured the test of time. But in Crusader Kings 3, Notre Dame is a special building that gives a nice set of bonuses to the economy and realm management.
At the maximum level of Devotion, Notre Dame grants its holder a whopping +5 Stewardship. As Stewardship directly increases the player's ability to possess more holdings, +5 is a great boost. With all its other bonuses, Notre Dame is definitely one of the best special buildings in CK3.
6 Uppsala Cathedral
Upgradable Major Religious Building
- -10% Man At Arms maintenance
- +15% Levy Size
- +5% Monthly Renown
Located in the province of Uppsala, the Uppsala Cathedral exists in a more basic state at the beginning of the game, offering a nice selection of bonuses. But for a relatively steep cost, Uppsala Temple can be upgraded to the Uppsala Cathedral.
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Uppsala Cathedral offers great bonuses to Man At Arms maintenance, Levy Size, and Holding Taxes, making it a very wise investment if playing in the region. Its increase to monthly Renown is great for dynasty management too, helping to unlock powerful bonuses faster.
7 Canterbury Cathedral
Major Economic Booster
- +6 Monthly Tax
- +30% Holding Taxes
- +20% Monthly Renown
The Canterbury Cathedral can be upgraded from the Canterbury Basilica and offers a very nice range of mostly economic bonuses to any player willing to front the money for investment. The Canterbury Cathedral has a slew of powerful bonuses for players to use, from direct bonuses to monthly income to a whopping +20% bonus to monthly Renown.
This means that Canterbury Cathedral can get players rolling in gold while giving them the ability to select powerful dynasty bonuses throughout the game. It's easily one of the best special buildings in CK3.
8 Royal Palace Of Alhambra
Upgradable Bastion
- +1 Monthly Control
- +8 Fort Level
- +20% Stationed Man At Arms Damage
Alhambra in its basic state always exists, but this special building is one that the player can upgrade throughout the game. The initial construction has some nice bonuses, but the upgraded version, the Royal Palace of Alhambra, kicks everything up a notch.
The Royal Palace of Alhambra is a beast of a defensive building, offering major bonuses to Fort Level, Defender Advantage, and stationed Man At Arms bonuses. This is a building well worth having and upgrading, making it one of the best special buildings in Crusader Kings 3.
9 Great Mosque Of Mecca
Fantastic Bonuses
- +3 Monthly Tax
- -10% Man At Arms maintenance
- +10% Control Growth
The Great Mosque of Mecca, located in Mecca, offers a great selection of powerful bonuses to Muslim rulers. There's a little something for every playstyle with the Great Mosque of Mecca since it has military bonuses, economic bonuses, and bonuses for realm and dynasty management too.
The Great Mosque of Mecca is worth holding onto while playing in this region of Crusader Kings 3's game world thanks to its powerful benefits. Unlike some other special buildings it can't be upgraded, but it's useful enough without needing it anyway.
10 The Tower Of London
Fantastic Military Building
- +5% holding taxes
- +6 Fort Level
- +30% Dread Gain
The Tower of London, located appropriately in the Lunden barony, offers players a fantastic array of bonuses. Most of the bonuses have a decidedly military theme, but the Tower of London gives some nice modifiers to the economy and realm management, too.
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The Tower of London is a powerful special building thanks to the wide range of bonuses it provides. An increase to fort level is fantastic for defense, and the boosts to holding taxes and development make it much easier to run a positive income balance.
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
