Crusader Kings III: Wards & Wardens

Not everyone gets a carefree childhood of toys and games. Some children have the weight of duty on their shoulders, and face years of careful schooling and serious training, with a constant awareness of the responsibilities that await them in adulthood. Child rulers and child guardians take center stage in a modern strategy classic.

Crusaders Kings III: Wards & Wardens is a new event pack for Paradox Interactive’s award-winning medieval history game of deep strategy and immersive role-playing. Its theme, chosen by a vote of the Crusader Kings community, is the special challenge of rearing young princes and nobles in a world where eternal glory is a battle away, and danger lurks in every shadow.

Learning Skills and Building Character
Many new education events add greater depth to the training of the young people of court. Educating the children of the court is now more interactive for both formal tutoring and the ever important life lessons. Shape not just the abilities, but the personality of your young charges, steering them to more acceptable or desirable traits for the important role they will play in the future.
And education doesn’t have to stop once the tutelage has ended. Adult characters may now continue their education, attending university and improving their understanding of the world.

The Potential for Power
You can never neglect the role of royal and noble children as political figures. Even the very youngest children can be guided through life by many people at court - councillors, knights and even Wet Nurses, a new and important position, can prove crucial in a royal child’s development.
Child rulers are especially sensitive to influence and persuasion, and must be on guard against unscrupulous regents who might undermine the young prince. Can you prove your worth through a childhood full of danger?

Hostages
Noble children may play a vital diplomatic and strategic role as hostages in foreign courts, adding a new element of strategy to hosting young people at your court. As they act as guarantees of loyalty or peace from another court, you can weaken the resistance of hostile courts by raising their children to be loyal allies. They may even be torn by divided loyalties - on one side what is owed to duty, and on the other, what is owed by gratitude.

The Crusader Kings III: Wards & Wardens event pack will fill your court with the laughter (or tears) of children as you write a new history of the Middle Ages.

Paradox Development Studio brings you the sequel to one of the most popular strategy games ever made. Crusader Kings III is the heir to a long legacy of historical grand strategy experiences and arrives with a host of new ways to ensure the success of your royal house.

HISTORY

• Choose a royal or noble house from a number of realms on a map that stretches from Iceland to India, from the Arctic Circle to Central Africa.
• Guide a dynasty through the centuries, ensuring the security and power of each new generation. Gather new lands and titles to cement your legacy.
• Be a pious king to bring the religious powers to your side, or strike out on your own, designing your own splinter religion and earning everlasting fame or eternal damnation.
• Knights, peasant revolts, pilgrimages, Viking raiders...experience the drama and pageantry of the Middle Ages.

CHARACTER

• Adopt one of five different lifestyles, perfecting your skills in military strategy or kingdom management.
• Acquire character traits that will guide your actions, but beware if you act against your nature! The stress from denying your truest self could bring a new host of troubles!
• Choose appropriate guardians for your heirs, or train them yourself. But what do you do if the legal heir is not quite up to the job?
• Violent characters may develop a fearsome reputation, cowering your timid subjects into obedience with the dread you inspire.

WARFARE

• Recruit man-at-arms units and powerful knights to supplement your royal levies.
• Research new technologies to increase the wealth and military might of your realm.
• Hire mercenaries and Holy Orders for your major wars.
• Supplement your income with ransomed prisoners or raiding parties on neighboring realms.

INTRIGUE

• Use your spymaster to discover plots against your dynasty and your rule.
• Recruit agents to assist your schemes to undermine or murder anyone who stands between you and power.
• Seduce other characters for love or political power.
• Gather information for blackmailing purposes or call in favors whenever your plans need an extra bit of influence.