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Crusader Kings 3,the sequel to the historical strategy gameCrusader Kings 2,has gotten even better since its release, with lots of new content and systems for players to sink their teeth into. One of the biggest strengths ofCK3and its predecessors is in how it straddles the line between historical RPG and historical strategy games, blending RPG elements such as characters and character progression with armies, conquest, and running a medieval realm. The latest addition to the game, Roads to Power, gives players something many have been asking for the best part of a decade in the form of the Landless Adventurer.
Unlike the other ruler types inCrusader Kings 3, thelandless adventurerdoesn’t own any land - instead, the Landless Adventurer ruler type is an itinerant wanderer, moving from province to province in search of fame, glory, and gold. The new ruler type plays differently to anything else inCrusader Kings 3,offering multiple new ways to play the game, but it can be a bit tricky to get started thanks to the massive differences between it and a feudal lord.
How to Play as a Landless Adventurer
Players wanting to play as a Landless Adventurer right at the start of the game have three options. The first option is to choose from the list ofpremade Landless Adventurerson the character select screen, and although there are some good options, this list is somewhat limited compared with the panoply of landed options available.
The second option is to create a brand new Landless Adventurer, and this might be the best option for most players, as it gives players the ability to choose religion, culture, dynasty, and many other facets of their Adventurer’s personality and existence. This gives access to special Men at Arms, choices for religion, or unique Cultural Traditions that may not be on offer otherwise. Landless Adventurers can be created by choosing a county on the map and then clicking the Create a Landless Adventurer button at the bottom right section of the screen.
The third option is to select a landed character with a small realm (fewer than 3 holdings), who is a Count or a Duke, and whose culture has theSwords for Hire, Horse Lords, Futuwaa, or Audacious CadetsCultural Tradition. These rulers have access to the Become an Adventurer Decision in the Decisions menu.
Starting The Camp
The major difference between a Landless Adventurer and a landed ruler is that the landed ruler has holdings that are limited to a specific county. Instead, a Landless Adventurer has a free-roaming Camp which can be set up in any county on the map, at the cost of a special resource type (Provisions) for traveling. The camp can be accessed by clicking on the Camp button at the bottom left of the screen, right where the Lifestyle and Inventory buttons are for a given character. The Camp itself is displayed as an image depicting a clearing with a tent in it, and it’s from this menu that players can construct ‘buildings’ for their camp which produce bonuses in a similar way to constructing buildings within a typical landed holding.
At the bottom of the Camp screen is a button, Move Camp, which allows the player to use the travel mechanic to move the Camp elsewhere in the world.
Provisions
Provisions inCrusader Kings 3represent the Camp’s ability to feed itself. These are quite important moving the Camp uses Provisions, as well as some events. Provisions can be increased through events, follower jobs, or by taking the minor Adventurer Decisions and choosing to look for Provisions. Low Provisions will cause negative events to occur.
Landless Adventurer Camp Structures
There are many types of Camp structures available, all of which have their own unique bonuses, upgrades, and internal customizations available.
Camp Members
Every Adventuring band has Camp members. Players can choose to start with two or none, and Camp members can be added throughout the game using various opportunities. One good way to search for Camp members is through the Travel menu, as Landless Adventurers travel frequently and gain access to a special recruitment travel activity. This can be used to find new knights or characters suitable for recruitment while on the road. Many events will also allow recruitment, as do some Contract outcomes. Building a diverse band of followers can be key to completing Contracts, and can even lead to marriages.
Camp Mood
Buttons at the side of the Camp interface allow players to check on the ‘mood’ of their Camp to see whether their leadership is supported or hated. There are many new events added to the Landless Adventurer ruler type, some of which can boost opinion and some which reduce it, so it’s good to have a place to check the overall mood of the camp.
Camp Types
There are six differentCamp TypesinCrusader Kings 3,each one with a different focus, and which offer different bonuses according to the type of adventure the player wants to have. One type, the Legitimist camp type, seeks to press a rightful claim to a title, for example, while the Explorer camp type is focused on exploring. These camp types add different bonuses, including job titles for camp members, so it’s worth having a look at them to see what they can offer.
Camp Types:
Landless Adventurer Lifestyle Focus Types
The Landless Adventurer ruler type has a unique selection of Focus types for Lifestyles. They have access to all of theuseful Lifestyle pathways, but the Focus types themselves are different and are designed instead to support the Landless Adventurer play style. New Focus types:
What To Do as a Landless Adventurer inCrusader Kings 3
Landless Adventurers have a completely different play style when compared with feudal, tribal, clan, or administrative rulers inCrusader Kings 3.Although one of the ambitions for Landless Adventurers is to acquire land, it’s not quite as simple as fabricating a claim and pressing it with a large army. For starters, a starting adventurer has no claims and no army.
Landless Adventurer gameplay inCK3centers on the new Contractsadded with Roads to Power. Contracts are tasks that can be given by landed rulers to the Landless Adventurers, and there are a good range of different types to complete. Some are Diplomacy tasks, others Stewardship, along with every other stat type, so there are good options for any kind of character to pursue. The Contracts themselves are quite varied, with some using thebrand-new Scheme systemand others being more event-based. The player’s Camp can be moved all over the map, so if an area seems unprofitable or lacking in Contracts, a move somewhere else might be just what the adventure needs.
Completing a Contract
Contracts can be found scattered across the map inCrusader Kings 3.Players will only be able to find Contracts in a small area around their Camp, so it can pay off very well to move the Camp from time to time to access new Contracts in different realms. Clicking on the Contract on the map opens a screen that gives a rundown of the success conditions and the rewards, as well as what happens if the Contract fails. A commonly seen Contract uses the Scheme system from the Intrigue menu and this requires the player to assign “Agents” to tasks to boost the
Special Adventurer Decisions
The Adventurer ruler type gains access to a range of special Decisions in the Decisions menu. These range from Major Decisions to regular Decisions. The Major Decisions act as overarching goals to guide Adventurer gameplay, with a broad range of play styles supported. Some support gaining land and titles as a way to progress into the regular gameplay ofCrusader Kings 3, others involve religious pursuits, while others still involve finding fame and glory as a Landless Adventurer. These are interesting goals to work toward, and many of the contracts directly build up a character’s ability to make these Major Decisions. This is an incredibly different play style to the landed ruler, so it’s really easy to feel lost. The Major Decisions provide a good guide as to what activities to do to achieve different outcomes.
Less important Adventurer Decisions involve visiting a local castle holding to recruit men or secure Provisions for the camp, among a handful of others. These can lead to interesting events unique to the Landless Ruler type.
How to Marry as a Landless Adventurer
Unlike even the lowest Count, Landless Adventurers don’t exactly have maidens and suitors lining up in search of a marriage. In fact, the “arrange marriage” screen is usually totally blank, which can make it difficult to find a suitable partner to procure an heir. Landless Adventurers still require heirs to avoid game over, so the lack of suitable wives is a potentially game-ending problem. Fortunately, there are ways for Landless Adventurers to acquire a spouse. Many events can bring women to the Camp as followers. Another thing to note is, Landless Adventurers who are women never lack suitable companions.
But one of the better ways to acquire a spouse as a Landless Adventurer is by using theRescue a Fair Subject Contract. This Contract requires the Adventurer to rescue an Intelligent and Beautiful courtier of the opposite sex to the player character, and at the end of the Contract there’s an opportunity to recruit the courtier to the Camp, after which they’ll be available for marriage.
Amassing an Army as a Landless Adventurer
Although there’s an awful lot of non-military content available to Landless Adventurers, at its coreCrusader Kings 3is still a game about lords and armies. And many players will want to become a landed ruler eventually, but that’s quite difficult to do without an army. Fortunately, the Landless Adventurer ruler type is able to recruit Men at Arms for use while adventuring. These Men at Arms are slightly different from the regular kind as they don’t cost anything for maintenance, but can only get their numbers replenished through payments of gold and Provisions. Still, the Landless Adventurer Men at Arms offers the player a chance to build a small army for hire.
This means the player can take on more military-focused Contracts, and also stand a chance at winning power somewhere in the game world.
