Royal court
Court Jester
Court Jester is a court position in Crusader Kings III; its aptitude rests on Diplomacy. At excellent aptitude it gives Stress Gain -8%. Aptitude also comes from Gregarious (+20), Stubborn (+20) and Shrewd (+20). Base salary 0.12 a month; revoking it costs 200 prestige. Patch 1.20.0.3, from game/common/court_positions/types/00_court_positions.txt.
Quick answers (3)
- What makes a good Court Jester in CK3?
- Diplomacy Skill Diplomacy × 2.5 (max 50), Gregarious +20, Stubborn +20, Shrewd +20, Lifestyle Poet +10, Athletic +10, Popular Mime +30 and Learning the Ropes +10 (the game's aptitude breakdown, patch 1.20.0.3).
- What does the Court Jester give?
- Terrible: Stress Gain -1%; Poor: Stress Gain -2%; Average: Stress Gain -3%; Good: Stress Gain -5%; Excellent: Stress Gain -8%.
- What tasks can the Court Jester do?
- Entertain Courtiers, Fuel the Rumor Mill and Abuse the Jester.
A Court Jester – a fool – is there to entertain both their Liege and any guests visiting the court. While a clever turn of phrase can be appreciated from time to time a nasty fall always wins laughter.
What it gives you, by aptitude
The holder's aptitude (see below) sets the level: levels start at 20, 40, 60, 80.
Terriblebelow 20
- Stress Gain-1%
Poor20+
- Stress Gain-2%
Average40+
- Stress Gain-3%
Good60+
- Stress Gain-5%
Excellent80+
- Stress Gain-8%
• Unlocks the Be Entertained by the Court Jester Decision
What makes a good Court Jester
The game's own aptitude breakdown for this position — every part it adds up:
| Part | Aptitude |
|---|---|
| Diplomacy Skill | Diplomacy × 2.5 (max 50) |
| Gregarious | +20 |
| Stubborn | +20 |
| Shrewd | +20 |
| Lifestyle Poet | +10 |
| Athletic | +10 |
| Popular Mime | +30 |
| Learning the Ropes | +10 |
The holder gets
- Prestige-0.5/month
- Hostile Scheme Phase Length3 days faster per Scheme Phase
- Hostile scheme success chance-10%
Tasks
Entertain Courtiers
Your Court Jester will spend their time entertaining your courtiers with jokes, stories, and acrobatics.
Every year the Foreign Emissary has a chance to reduce the Stress of a random Courtier (preferring those close to you, such as your Children) If their Aptitude is at least @aptitude:4:inherit_color!Good, up to two Courtiers can be targeted every year
Every year the Court Jester has a chance to reduce the Stress of a random Courtier (preferring those close to you, such as your Children) If their Aptitude is at least @aptitude:4:inherit_color!Good, up to two Courtiers can be targeted every year
Costs 0.05 prestige a month
Fuel the Rumor Mill
This character will spend their time spreading nonsensical rumors and misleading stories to slow down enemy schemes.
- Hostile scheme success chance growth+0.5%
- Political scheme success chance growth+0.5%
- General Opinion-5
Costs 0.05 prestige a month
Abuse the Jester
Your Court Jester will spend their time being abused and humiliated.
- Health-0.25
- Opinion of Liege-25
- Stress Gain+25%
Costs 0.05 prestige a month
Other rooms and names
The game picks the room by the ruler's government or culture.
Who may hire it (valid_position) (2 lines of game script)
is_landed_or_landless_administrative_or_theocratic = yes highest_held_title_tier >= tier_duchy
As written in game/common/court_positions/types/00_court_positions.txt.
Who may hold it (valid_character) (5 lines of game script)
scope:employee = {
court_jester_validity_trigger = {
EMPLOYER = scope:liege
}
}As written in game/common/court_positions/types/00_court_positions.txt.
Shown when (is_shown) (12 lines of game script)
is_landed_or_landless_administrative_or_theocratic = yes
NOR = {
government_has_flag = government_is_nomadic
government_has_flag = government_is_celestial
}
trigger_if = {
limit = {
is_ai = yes
highest_held_title_tier <= tier_county
}
always = no
}As written in game/common/court_positions/types/00_court_positions.txt.
Source: game/common/court_positions/types/00_court_positions.txt, common/court_positions/tasks, common/script_values and the English localisation, Crusader Kings III 1.20.0.3. Salary is the base before the realm-size and cultural-era multipliers.