Unofficial fan reference · game files of Crusader Kings III 1.20.0.3 “Crozier”
CK3 Database

Culture pillars

Every culture is built on pillars: an ethos, a heritage, a language and a martial custom. This page lists all of them from common/culture/pillars (patch 1.20.0.3) with their effects and the cultures that start with each.

Ethos (7)

Bellicose

ethos_bellicose

This culture considers conflict and violence to be necessary states of existence; ingrained in its people is the idea that one should stand up and fight for their own.

Characters of this culture

  • Prowess+2
  • Herd Conversion into Horde Riders+1%
  • Men-at-Arms Recruitment Cost-10%
  • Men-at-Arms Maintenance-10%
  • Minority Vassal Opinion (Different Culture)-10

The culture

  • Mercenary count+50%

Provinces of this culture

  • Levy Size+10%

51 cultures: Afar, Aragonese, Avar, Bisayan, Bugis, Burmese, Carthaginian, Castilian, Cuman, Danish, Daylamite, Estonian, Frankish, Gaelic, Goguryeo, Gothic, Hungarian, Hunnic, Jurchen, Kanuri, Kazak, Kerait, Khitan, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Mogyër, Mongol, Mossi, Norman, Norse, Norwegian, Nupe, Oghuz, Oirat, Old Saxon, Öngüd, Pecheneg, Pictish, Portuguese, Pulaar, Rajasthani, Roman, Saka, Shatuo, Suebi, Swedish, Telugu, Trojan, Tujia, Turkmen, Tuyuhun

Stoic

ethos_stoic

This culture believes in standing strong like a mountain, taking any and all hardships that life may throw at them and enduring them all with grim determination and an indomitable spirit.

Characters of this culture

  • Friendly Fatal Casualties-15%
  • Stress Gain-15%
  • Minority Vassal Opinion (Different Culture)-10
  • Herd Gain+4%

Provinces of this culture

  • Defender Holding Advantage+5

46 cultures: Armenian, Baloch, Bashkir, Bedouin, Bjarmian, Butr, Cumbrian, Daju, East Bantu, Emishi, Finnish, Frisian, Georgian, German, Guanche, Hmong, Iloko, Kannada, Karelian, Khwarezmian, Kimek, Kipchak, Kru, Laktan, Langobard, Latgalian, Lombard, Malvi, Marathi, Mari, Merya, Meshchera, Mordvin, Muroma, Naiman, Nakkavaram, Nivkh, Polabian, Pomeranian, Sao, Saxon, Severian, Tagalog, Welayta, Welsh, Yi

Bureaucratic

ethos_bureaucratic

No culture lasts longer than its oldest record, and this culture believes in accounting so meticulous as to guarantee immortality.

Characters of this culture

  • Cultural head fascination+5%
  • Monthly Lifestyle Experience+10%
  • Minority Vassal Opinion (Different Culture)-10

Counties of this culture

  • Development Growth+15%
  • Rulers can adopt Bureaucratic Government type as a King as well when they are Emperors

9 cultures: Anglo-Saxon, Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, English, Greek, Prussian, Scots, Tangut

Spiritual

ethos_spiritual

While some cultures turn to war and others to worldly knowledge, this culture places its trust in the only constant throughout its history - the divine. Spirituality is the only way forward in a harsh and uncaring world.

Characters of this culture

  • Control Growth+15%
  • Monthly Piety+10%
  • Character spiritual fulfillment gain+10%
  • Rite Creation and Reformation Cost-5%
  • Minority Vassal Opinion (Different Culture)-10
  • Herd Capacity+5%
  • Consult the Skies Decision has additional effects
  • Characters of this Culture have increased Stargazer Aptitude

37 cultures: Acehnese, Ainu, Ancient Egyptian, Baekje, Baranis, Bavarian, Bengali, Bodpa, Buryat, Dayak, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Ewe, Galician, Gujarati, Hebrew, Igbo, Italian, Kannauji, Kashmiri, Maghrebi, Malinke, Mashriqi, Mon, Nubian, Oriya, Ostyak, Ryukyuan, Serer, Sindhi, Sinhala, Tai, Tajik, Tocharian, Tsangpa, Uyghur, Zhangzhung

Ceremonious

ethos_courtly

The ceremony of court life is so integral to this culture that it forms a core part of people's social behavior. A place for everyone, and everyone in their place.

Characters of this culture

  • Monthly Prestige+10%
  • Title Creation Cost-15%
  • House Opinion+5
  • Court grandeur baseline+5
  • Minority Vassal Opinion (Different Culture)-10

22 cultures: Andalusian, Bai, Balhae, Catalan, Cham, Franconian, French, Goryeo, Han, Irish, Javanese, Khmer, Malay, Persian, Polish, Sicilian, Silla, Songhai, Soninke, Viet, Volhynian, Yamato

Egalitarian

ethos_egalitarian

Intolerance and isolationism may be the way for others, but this culture recognizes that accepting difference is far better than annihilating it.

Characters of this culture

  • Vassal Limit+10
  • Different Culture Opinion+5
  • Different Faith Opinion+5
  • Tributary Opinion+15
  • Tributary Taxes+10%

The culture

  • Cultural Acceptance Gain+35%

21 cultures: Akan, Asturleonese, Basque, Bobo, Edo, Hausa, Hlai, Khazar, Kirghiz, Mel, Mohe, Occitan, Radhanite, Slovien, Sogdian, Sumpa, Swahili, Vepsian, Visigothic, Yao, Zaghawa

Communal

ethos_communal

This culture values the bonds of community above all else, fostering great loyalty and dedication by working together towards common goals.

Characters of this culture

  • Close Family Opinion+5
  • Same Culture Mercenary Hire Cost-15%
  • Minority Vassal Opinion (Different Culture)-10
  • County Fertility Growth+5%

Provinces of this culture

  • Building Construction Cost-5%
  • Building Construction Time-10%
  • Herders have a higher County Fertility Growth

58 cultures: Afghan, Alan, Albanian, Amis, Ashkenazi, Bavli, Beja, Bolghar, Bosnian, Bouxcuengh, Bozo, Brahui, Breton, Carantanian, Chuvash, Cisalpine, Cornish, Croatian, Gaw, Gond, Guan, Gur, Ilmenian, Kachin, Kamrupi, Karen, Karluk, Khmu, Kirati, Kochini, Kurdish, Lhomon, Marka, Moluccan, Nepali, Papuan, Permian, Punjabi, Qiang, Russian, Sami, Sardinian, Senoi, Sephardi, Serbian, Shiwei, Somali, Sorko, Swabian, Syriac, Tamil, Toraja, Uriankhai, Vlach, Wolof, Yemeni, Yoruba, Yughur

Martial customs (3)

Men Only

martial_custom_male_only

This culture considers only men to be physically strong and tough enough to fight in battle.

  • Only men can be Commanders and Knights

229 cultures: Acehnese, Afar, Afghan, Ainu, Alan, Albanian, Amis, Andalusian, Anglo-Saxon, Aragonese, Armenian, Ashkenazi, Asturleonese, Avar, Baekje, Bai, Balhae, Baloch, Baranis, Bashkir, Basque, Bavarian, Bavli, Bedouin, Beja, Bengali, Bisayan, Bjarmian, Bobo, Bodpa, Bolghar, Bosnian, Bouxcuengh, Bozo, Brahui, Breton, Bugis, Bulgarian, Burmese, Buryat, Butr, Carantanian, Carthaginian, Castilian, Catalan, Cham, Chuvash, Cisalpine, Cornish, Croatian, Cuman, Cumbrian, Czech, Danish, Dayak, Daylamite, Dutch, East Bantu, Edo, Egyptian, Emishi, English, Estonian, Ethiopian, Finnish, Franconian, Frankish, French, Frisian, Gaelic, Galician, Gaw, Georgian, German, Goguryeo, Gond, Goryeo, Gothic, Greek, Guanche, Gujarati, Gur, Han, Hebrew, Hmong, Hungarian, Hunnic, Ilmenian, Iloko, Irish, Italian, Javanese, Jurchen, Kachin, Kamrupi, Kannada, Kannauji, Kanuri, Karelian, Karen, Karluk, Kashmiri, Kazak, Kerait, Khmer, Khmu, Khwarezmian, Kimek, Kipchak, Kirati, Kochini, Kru, Kurdish, Laktan, Langobard, Latgalian, Lhomon, Lithuanian, Lombard, Macedonian, Maghrebi, Malay, Malinke, Malvi, Marathi, Mari, Marka, Mashriqi, Mel, Merya, Meshchera, Mogyër, Mohe, Moluccan, Mon, Mongol, Mordvin, Muroma, Naiman, Nakkavaram, Nepali, Nivkh, Norman, Norse, Norwegian, Nupe, Occitan, Oghuz, Oirat, Old Saxon, Öngüd, Oriya, Ostyak, Papuan, Pecheneg, Permian, Persian, Pictish, Polabian, Polish, Pomeranian, Portuguese, Prussian, Pulaar, Punjabi, Qiang, Radhanite, Rajasthani, Roman, Russian, Ryukyuan, Saka, Sami, Sao, Sardinian, Saxon, Scots, Senoi, Sephardi, Serbian, Serer, Severian, Shatuo, Shiwei, Sicilian, Silla, Sindhi, Sinhala, Slovien, Sogdian, Somali, Songhai, Soninke, Sorko, Suebi, Sumpa, Swabian, Swahili, Swedish, Syriac, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Tangut, Telugu, Tocharian, Toraja, Trojan, Tsangpa, Tujia, Turkmen, Tuyuhun, Uriankhai, Uyghur, Vepsian, Viet, Visigothic, Vlach, Volhynian, Welayta, Welsh, Wolof, Yamato, Yao, Yemeni, Yi, Yughur, Zaghawa, Zhangzhung

Equal

martial_custom_equal

In this culture, any able-bodied person in the household may take up arms for their liege when called on.

  • Both men and women can be Commanders and Knights

15 cultures: Akan, Ancient Egyptian, Daju, Ewe, Guan, Hausa, Hlai, Igbo, Khazar, Khitan, Kirghiz, Mossi, Nubian, Tai, Yoruba

Women Only

martial_custom_female_only

This culture considers only women to be physically strong and tough enough to fight in battle.

  • Only women can be Commanders and Knights

0 cultures

Culture head (2)

Determine by largest domain

head_determination_domain

207 cultures: Acehnese, Afghan, Ainu, Akan, Alan, Albanian, Amis, Ancient Egyptian, Andalusian, Anglo-Saxon, Aragonese, Armenian, Ashkenazi, Asturleonese, Baekje, Bai, Balhae, Baloch, Basque, Bavarian, Bavli, Bedouin, Bengali, Bisayan, Bobo, Bodpa, Bosnian, Bouxcuengh, Bozo, Brahui, Breton, Bugis, Bulgarian, Burmese, Carantanian, Carthaginian, Castilian, Catalan, Cham, Cisalpine, Cornish, Croatian, Cumbrian, Czech, Daju, Danish, Dayak, Daylamite, Dutch, East Bantu, Edo, Egyptian, Emishi, English, Estonian, Ethiopian, Ewe, Finnish, Franconian, Frankish, French, Frisian, Gaelic, Galician, Gaw, Georgian, German, Goguryeo, Gond, Goryeo, Gothic, Greek, Guan, Guanche, Gujarati, Gur, Han, Hausa, Hebrew, Hlai, Hmong, Hungarian, Hunnic, Igbo, Ilmenian, Iloko, Irish, Italian, Javanese, Jurchen, Kachin, Kamrupi, Kannada, Kannauji, Kanuri, Karen, Kashmiri, Khmer, Khmu, Khwarezmian, Kirati, Kochini, Kru, Kurdish, Langobard, Latgalian, Lhomon, Lithuanian, Lombard, Macedonian, Maghrebi, Malay, Malinke, Malvi, Marathi, Mari, Marka, Mashriqi, Mel, Merya, Meshchera, Mogyër, Mohe, Moluccan, Mon, Mordvin, Mossi, Muroma, Nakkavaram, Nepali, Nivkh, Norman, Norse, Norwegian, Nubian, Nupe, Occitan, Old Saxon, Oriya, Ostyak, Papuan, Permian, Persian, Pictish, Polabian, Polish, Pomeranian, Portuguese, Prussian, Pulaar, Punjabi, Qiang, Radhanite, Rajasthani, Roman, Russian, Ryukyuan, Saka, Sao, Sardinian, Saxon, Scots, Senoi, Sephardi, Serbian, Serer, Severian, Sicilian, Silla, Sindhi, Sinhala, Slovien, Sogdian, Songhai, Soninke, Sorko, Suebi, Sumpa, Swabian, Swahili, Swedish, Syriac, Tagalog, Tai, Tajik, Tamil, Tangut, Telugu, Tocharian, Toraja, Trojan, Tsangpa, Tujia, Vepsian, Viet, Visigothic, Vlach, Volhynian, Welayta, Welsh, Wolof, Yamato, Yao, Yemeni, Yi, Yoruba, Zhangzhung

Heritages

Languages

Source: game/common/culture/pillars/00_ethos.txt, game/common/culture/pillars/00_head_determination.txt, game/common/culture/pillars/00_heritage.txt, game/common/culture/pillars/00_language.txt, game/common/culture/pillars/00_martial_custom.txt and the English localisation, Crusader Kings III 1.20.0.3.