How do I get the AI to accept Request Cardinalate?

Accepted automatically in some cases; otherwise the AI weighs it. Its reasons: Clergy acting towards a secular Ruler +20, Relative Level of Devotion, Petitioning the acting Head of Rite rather than a Head of Faith +15, Heretically Divergent Rite -50, Different Rite -25, Your Level of Devotion is … -25, Your Level of Devotion is greater than the recipient +25, Your Level of Fame is greater than the recipient +15, … Opinion of …, You … Virtuous Traits, You … Sinful Traits, The recipient … Cynical -30, Your Realm holds a Holy Site of the Faith +20, Head of Rite +25, You … family to the recipient +30, You … allied to the recipient +20, You … the recipient's best friend +10, The recipient's Rite prohibits your exposed personal Tenet -60, Weak Hook used +100, You … the recipient's rival -100, You … the recipient's nemesis -500, You … Celibate +15, You … Monk +15, You … the same Culture as the recipient +25 and Your Dynasty has Mitre and Crosier +40.

How much does Request Cardinalate cost?

Piety (varies) (patch 1.20.1.2).

Interaction · Religious actions

Request Cardinalate

variesPietyBy God AloneAccepted automatically in some cases; otherwise the AI weighs it

Petition your Head of Faith to appoint you as a Cardinal. Your Head of Faith will become your Superior

What you need

You

To send it

In some cases (on a condition the game doesn't show) › You:
- piety >= pam_request_clerical_elector_title_cost_value
Your Faith must have fewer than 70 Cardinals
Does not have the Trait: Excommunicated
Is not at war with the target
If
- scope:recipient ?= scope:puppet_or_actor.faith.religious_head
Then
- You:
  If
  Their faith › Any religious head challenger:
  holder ?= scope:pam_antipope_holder_check
  Then
  You are the Anti⟨Religious Head⟩
Also needed: available (an adult, a ruler, not imprisoned, not incapable)

To see it in the menu

Is a member of the Clergy
Your faith: Has a Doctrine or Tenet with has clerical electors
If does not have “great schism decision taken” (a variable the game's script sets): Does not hold Constantinople
One of these
- Your Government is a Theocratic-type Government
- or
  Your Government is unplayable
- or
  Is not a ruler
Your faith › No religious head challenger:
- holder ?= scope:pam_antipope_holder_check
One of these
- faith.religious_head ?= scope:recipient
- or
  All of these
  - NOT = { exists = faith.religious_head }
  - Your faith is the same as that of recipient
  - The character you target:
    All of these
    Holds Papacy
    All of these
    exists = title:k_papal_state
    title:k_papal_state.holder: Has the Theocratic Elective Law

Request Cardinalate is a religious character interaction in Crusader Kings III. You need: Your Faith must have fewer than 70 Cardinals, Is available (an adult, a ruler, not imprisoned, not incapable), Does not have the Trait: Excommunicated and 1 more. Accepted automatically in some cases; otherwise the AI weighs it. Reasons the AI weighs include Clergy acting towards a secular Ruler (+20), Petitioning the acting Head of Rite rather than a Head of Faith (+15), Heretically Divergent Rite (-50) and 18 more. It costs Piety (varies). It needs By God Alone. Patch 1.20.1.2, from game/common/character_interactions/01_puppet_interactions.txt.

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Quick answers (3)

What are the requirements for Request Cardinalate in CK3?: You: Your Faith must have fewer than 70 Cardinals, Is available (an adult, a ruler, not imprisoned, not incapable), Does not have the Trait: Excommunicated and Is not at war with the target. (patch 1.20.1.2)
How do I get the AI to accept Request Cardinalate?: Accepted automatically in some cases; otherwise the AI weighs it. Its reasons: Clergy acting towards a secular Ruler +20, Relative Level of Devotion, Petitioning the acting Head of Rite rather than a Head of Faith +15, Heretically Divergent Rite -50, Different Rite -25, Your Level of Devotion is … -25, Your Level of Devotion is greater than the recipient +25, Your Level of Fame is greater than the recipient +15, … Opinion of …, You … Virtuous Traits, You … Sinful Traits, The recipient … Cynical -30, Your Realm holds a Holy Site of the Faith +20, Head of Rite +25, You … family to the recipient +30, You … allied to the recipient +20, You … the recipient's best friend +10, The recipient's Rite prohibits your exposed personal Tenet -60, Weak Hook used +100, You … the recipient's rival -100, You … the recipient's nemesis -500, You … Celibate +15, You … Monk +15, You … the same Culture as the recipient +25 and Your Dynasty has Mitre and Crosier +40.
How much does Request Cardinalate cost?: Piety (varies) (patch 1.20.1.2).

Will they accept?

Accepted automatically when:

They use their Hook on …

Otherwise the AI adds these up and accepts above zero; near zero the answer is partly random (ai_maybe). Reasons in italics are the script's, with no label in the game.

Reason	Amount
Base	-50
Clergy acting towards a secular Ruler when Is a member of the Clergy Your faith: Has a Doctrine or Tenet with Clergy gain +20 Interaction acceptance when acting towards secular Rulers The character you target: Is not a member of the Clergy Is a ruler	+20
Relative Level of Devotion when Your Personal Tenets unlock tenet celestial hierarchy interaction acceptance Your faith is the same as that of recipient	varies
Petitioning the acting Head of Rite rather than a Head of Faith when `root.faith.main_rite.head_of_rite ?= scope:recipient`	+15
Heretically Divergent Rite when Your faith is the target’s Your rite is not the target’s The target’s rite: `divergence(scope:puppet_or_actor.rite) >= scope:recipient.faith.heresy_threshold`	-50
Different Rite when Your rite is not the target’s	-25
Your Level of Devotion is … when `root.piety_level = 0`	-25
Your Level of Devotion is greater than the recipient when `root.piety_level > scope:recipient.piety_level`	+25
Your Level of Fame is greater than the recipient when `root.prestige_level > scope:recipient.prestige_level`	+15
… Opinion of …	varies
You … Virtuous Traits when `root.num_virtuous_traits > 0`	varies
You … Sinful Traits when `root.num_sinful_traits > 0`	varies
The recipient … Cynical when The character you target: Has the Trait: Cynical	-30
Your Realm holds a Holy Site of the Faith when The target’s faith › Any holy site barony › Their county’s holder: One of these Is you or Is a vassal (or below) of you	+20
Head of Rite when `root.rite.head_of_rite ?= scope:puppet_or_actor`	+25
You … family to the recipient	+30
You … allied to the recipient when Is allied to the target	+20
You … the recipient's best friend when Has the target as best friend	+10
The recipient's Rite prohibits your exposed personal Tenet when Any secret: Is known by the target	-60
Weak Hook used when You use a Hook Does not have a Strong Hook on the target	+100
You … the recipient's rival when The character you target: Has you as rival	-100
You … the recipient's nemesis when The character you target: Has you as nemesis	-500
You … Celibate when Has the Trait: Celibate	+15
You … Monk when Has the Trait: Monk	+15
You … the same Culture as the recipient when The target’s culture is your	+25
Your Dynasty has Mitre and Crosier when Your dynasty: The Dynasty has the Mitre and Crosier Legacy	+40

Acceptance (ai_accept) (58 lines of game script)

base = -50
celestial_hierarchy_acceptance_modifier = {
	ACTOR = scope:puppet_or_actor
	RECIPIENT = scope:recipient
}
clerical_petition_to_authority_acceptance_modifier = yes
modifier = {
	scope:hook = yes
	add = 100
	scope:actor = {
		NOT = {
			has_strong_hook = scope:recipient
		}
	}
	desc = SCHEME_WEAK_HOOK_USED
}
modifier = {
	add = -100
	desc = WE_ARE_RIVALS
	scope:recipient = {
		has_relation_rival = scope:puppet_or_actor
	}
}
modifier = {
	add = -500
	desc = WE_ARE_NEMESES
	scope:recipient = {
		has_relation_nemesis = scope:puppet_or_actor
	}
}
modifier = {
	add = 15
	scope:puppet_or_actor = {
		has_trait = celibate
	}
	desc = I_AM_CELIBATE
}
modifier = {
	add = 15
	scope:puppet_or_actor = {
		has_trait = devoted
	}
	desc = I_AM_DEVOTED
}
modifier = {
	add = 25
	scope:recipient.culture = scope:puppet_or_actor.culture
	desc = SAME_CULTURE_AS_RECIPIENT_REASON
}
modifier = {
	add = 40
	scope:puppet_or_actor ?= {
		dynasty ?= {
			has_dynasty_perk = pam_legacy_4
		}
	}
	desc = DYNASTY_LEGACY_PAM_LEGACY_4_ACCEPTANCE_PERK_MODIFIER
}

As written in game/common/character_interactions/01_puppet_interactions.txt.

What happens

If they accept

In some cases (on a condition the game doesn't show) › You › If request clerical elector title cost more than 0:
- add_piety = { … }
… accepted … request for a Cardinalate
If
- You: Is played by a person
- You are not you
Then
- You › If played by a person: Event pam_clergy_events.0043

If they refuse

If
- You: Is played by the AI
Then
- You: Opinion: Annoyed (-10)

Options when sending

Use a Hook

Events it fires: pam_clergy_events.0043

• the game's own tooltip text · ◦ our reading of the script line · code the script where neither exists

Who can use it and sees it (is_available, is_shown) (22 lines of game script)

is_available = has_pam_dlc_trigger = yes
is_shown = scope:puppet_or_actor ?= {
	this != scope:recipient
	is_clergy = yes
	pam_can_hold_cardinalate_trigger = yes
	pam_can_receive_cardinalate_trigger = yes
	NOT = {
		exists = clerical_elector_title
	}
	OR = {
		faith.religious_head ?= scope:recipient
		AND = {
			NOT = {
				exists = faith.religious_head
			}
			faith = scope:recipient.faith
			scope:recipient = {
				pam_leads_college_of_cardinals_trigger = yes
			}
		}
	}
}

As written in game/common/character_interactions/01_puppet_interactions.txt.

Can be sent when (is_valid…) (34 lines of game script)

trigger_if = {
	limit = {
		scope:is_puppet_action ?= yes
	}
	scope:puppet_or_actor = {
		piety >= pam_request_clerical_elector_title_cost_value
	}
}
custom_tooltip = {
	text = appoint_cardinal_interaction_max_cardinals_tt
	scope:puppet_or_actor.faith ?= {
		NOT = {
			any_clerical_elector_title = {
				count >= 70
			}
		}
	}
}
scope:puppet_or_actor = {
	is_available_quick = {
		adult = yes
		ruler = yes
		imprisoned = no
		incapable = no
		hostage = no
	}
	NOR = {
		has_trait = excommunicated
		is_at_war_with = scope:recipient
	}
	pam_not_antipope_when_recipient_is_hof_tt = {
		CHARACTER = scope:puppet_or_actor
	}
}

As written in game/common/character_interactions/01_puppet_interactions.txt.

Effects (on_send, on_accept, on_decline) (70 lines of game script)

on_accept = if = {
	limit = {
		scope:is_puppet_action ?= yes
	}
	scope:puppet_or_actor = {
		if = {
			limit = {
				pam_request_clerical_elector_title_cost_value > 0
			}
			add_piety = {
				value = {
					add = pam_request_clerical_elector_title_cost_value
					max = piety
					multiply = -1
				}
			}
		}
	}
}
scope:actor = {
	send_interface_toast = {
		type = event_toast_effect_good
		title = request_clerical_elector_title_interaction_toast
		left_icon = scope:recipient
		right_icon = scope:puppet_or_actor
		custom_tooltip = {
			text = request_clerical_elector_title_interaction_accept_tt
			scope:puppet_or_actor = {
				grant_cardinal_title_effect = {
					CARDINAL_COUNTY = capital_county
				}
			}
		}
	}
}
if = {
	limit = {
		scope:puppet_or_actor = {
			is_ai = no
		}
		scope:actor != scope:puppet_or_actor
	}
	scope:recipient = {
		save_scope_as = head_of_faith
	}
	scope:puppet_or_actor = {
		pam_notify_player_became_cardinal_effect = yes
	}
}
on_decline = scope:actor = {
	send_interface_toast = {
		type = event_toast_effect_bad
		title = request_clerical_elector_title_interaction_decline_toast
		right_icon = scope:recipient
		if = {
			limit = {
				scope:puppet_or_actor = {
					is_ai = yes
				}
			}
			scope:puppet_or_actor = {
				add_opinion = {
					target = scope:recipient
					modifier = annoyed_opinion
					opinion = -10
				}
			}
		}
	}
}

As written in game/common/character_interactions/01_puppet_interactions.txt.

Category: Religious actions
Cost: Piety: varies
Again on the same character: after 10 years
DLC: By God Alone
In the menu: main list
ID: request_clerical_elector_title_interaction

Source: game/common/character_interactions/01_puppet_interactions.txt and the English localisation, Crusader Kings III 1.20.1.2. “You” is the character who sends it (scope:actor, or a puppet acting for you); “the character you target” is the recipient.