The Best Crusader Kings 3 Mods

Crusader Kings 3 has finally arrived, letting players try their hand at staying alive as a medieval ruler, and with it, also come its first set of mods.

Day one Crusader Kings 3 mods means that players won't have to wait before they can drastically change their game using total conversions or add smaller UI elements that are missing by default.

That's precisely why our list of the best CK3 mods aims to feature both the large, more ambitious mods, but also the smaller ones that enhance the game's reworked UI.

The Best CK3 Mods

We'll keep adding entries to our list of the best Crusader Kings 3 mods as their Steam Workshop number grows.

Its inclusion makes installing them particularly easy, which is always a boon, especially with games like CK3 that have great potential when it comes to modding.

It's worth keeping in mind that with CK3 having just released, some of the mods featured below are works-in-progress that will receive more features as time passes.

The Bronze Age: Maryannu

The Bronze Age: Maryannu is a Crusader Kings 3 total conversion mod that moves the action further into the past while introducing its own map that includes the Near East and Aegean "in extreme detail". Starting in either 2115 or 1590 BCE and playing as the Mycenaeans, Sumerians, Hittites, and more, you still take control of a single ruler but find yourself facing the challenges of a different age. The mod includes new religious Tenets and Innovations that fit the period, overhauls buildings to add a focus on urbanization while also adding the option of infanticide. Grab it from the Steam Workshop.

Princes of Darkness

Inspired by the World of Darkness IP, CK3's Princes of Darkness mod puts you in the shoes of an immortal vampire which, it turns out, needs to look out for other things than your regular medieval ruler. Old age and disease no longer kill you, that privilege being now reserved for good old burning and decapitation. Marriages no longer produce offspring, turning them into purely political tools, while the Tenets of your Faith have been repurposed to define your character's own philosophy. As a vampire, you also need to watch out for your Hunger stat, indicating your need for blood. At the same time, falling prey to the Stress mechanic unleashes your inner monstrosity, forcing your character to abdicate. Subscribe to it on Steam Workshop.

Sunset Invasion

Building on the foundation of one of CK2's more divisive pieces of DLC, Crusader Kings III's Sunset Invasion mod adds threatening Aztecs to the game's map while allowing players – as either independent or vassalized rulers – to define their relationship with the invaders. Mod creator KeizerHarm describes this mechanic as "half-way between the Grace mechanic from CK2: Jade Dragon, and the morality system from Bioware games". Your interactions with the Aztecs will result in either Amity or Respect which, overtime, unlock new options. Find it on Steam Workshop.

Switch to Primogeniture

Dealing with Partition – formerly known as Gavelkind – is one of the greatest early-game challenges in Crusader Kings III but it can also be a major nuisance. If you're well past your first playthrough or simply want succession to be clearer right off the bat, the Switch to Primogeniture mod adds a selectable Decision that lets you do just that. In fact, it lets you pick between Primogeniture and Ultimogeniture, which is a neat touch. Grab it from Steam Workshop.

More Building Slots

The first version of CKIII's More Building Slots mod increases the number of regular buildings that can be built in baronies to 6 and in counties to 9, essentially opening up the way to gaining more bonuses, provided you have the gold for the additional buildings. Subscribe to it on Steam Workshop.

More Game Rules

The More Game Rules mod increases the amount of customization that players have access to when starting new games. Some of the new additions include options to disable Pagan reformations, change the Man-at-Arms limits and cap, and set how often the AI chooses the Temptation lifestyle. Grab it from Steam Workshop.

Rhomaioi - A Byzantine Empire Mod

The Rhomaioi - A Byzantine Empire Mod aims to make the experience of leading everyone's favorite purple blob more unique in CK3. To this effect, the Byzantine Empire gets the Imperial Autocracy government form that adds emphasis on the fact that all the land in the realm belongs to the empire. Players can assign Exarchs to govern large swathes of the realm, granting major military bonuses while Themes can be used to call vassals to external defensive wars. The Emperor can also seize domains without being seen as a tyrant, adopt sons-in-law and assign a co-emperor. Grab it from the Steam Workshop.

Pantheon of the Gods

Being a medieval ruler has its perks but what if you could also be a god? The Pantheon of the Gods mod lets you ascend from your simple human form and become a deity through a newly added decision. New traits, religions and cultures are also added, apotheosis lets you grant godly powers to other characters, and, with a bit of luck, offspring can inherit your godly blood. Subscribe to it on the Steam Workshop.

VIET Events - A Flavor and Immersion Event Mod

The VIET Events - A Flavor and Immersion Event mod adds more than 180 flavor events that aim to fill the gaps between Crusader Kings 3's wars and existing event chains. These new additions tackle anything from small talk to philosophy and love. Creator cybrxkhan aims to add more events as time goes by, in an effort of reducing repetition, while adapting some from CK2's version of the mod. You can spice up your medieval ruler's life by grabbing the mod from the Steam Workshop.

Cities of Wonders 2

Given time, you can build some fairly impressive holdings in Crusader Kings III, however, the Cities of Wonders 2 mod blows them all out of the water by introducing metropolises. This new holding type is as fortified as any castle while yielding more gold and levies than both castles and cities, making them powerful additions to your realm. While they're very expensive to build unless you're an Emperor with the right decision, they also offer a set of buildings unique to them, further cementing their value. Subscribe to the mod on the Steam Workshop.

Community Flavor Pack

The Community Flavor Pack is a cosmetic mod that adds historical portrait accessories to flesh out Crusader Kings III's different cultures. Among the items included count the gambeson armor, frankish helmet, Crown of Zvonimir, the Viking round shield, and many more. Find it on Steam Workshop.

Convert Holdings

Crusader Kings 3's Convert Holdings mod introduces three new decisions that let you swap between holding types in counties that your character personally controls. While the cost of 600 gold might ensure you don't get to do that constantly, it does increase the amount of flexibility you have in an area that's otherwise quite rigid. Grab it from Steam Workshop.

Clear Notifications

Regardless of the size of your realm, life as a medieval ruler eventually gets busy. This also means you'll start receiving a neverending stream of notifications. While helpful, they can sometimes get in the way of more important things, which is where CK 3's Clear Notifications mod comes into play. It adds two new and very handy actions. One lets you get rid of all notifications at the press of the button, while the other lets you pin them in place, stopping them from moving to the center when popping up. Find it on Clear Notifications.

LotR: Realms in Exile

CK3's LotR: Realms in Exile mod is the first bit of fulfillment for those players wishing for a total conversion mod set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe. Set to receive gradual updates that introduce new factions and scenarios over time, Realms in Exile currently lets you decide the fate of the Riders of Rohan as they're attacked on three fronts. You can choose to play as three characters, the first of which is Théoden, gaining access to special buildings in Helm's Deep, Aldburg and Edoras. As Saruman, you can choose whether or not to betray the light, while Dunland's Wulfgar Brynjarsson can ally with either of the two mentioned before but not without incurring the other's wrath. Get it from Nexus Mods.

Regional Immersion and Cultural Enrichment (RICE)

The Regional Immersion and Cultural Enrichment (RICE) mod acts as a "collection of themed flavor 'packs'" that adds simple mechanics, events and various other additions to flesh out lesser known cultures and places on the map. At the time of writing, its features target Chios, Siberia and Siwa. Thus, you can build Mastic Villages in Chios to bolster economy, sacrifice reindeer as a Turumic ruler to get a better grasp of yourself and the cosmos, restore the Oracle of Amun in Siwa, and more. Find it on the Steam Workshop.

Legacy Weapons

A unique weapon that grants powerful bonuses is one way to identify a great ruler in Crusader Kings 3. It also tends to be pretty helpful with silencing detractors. The Legacy Weapons mod enables rulers to build one such symbol of authority and tool of destruction. Upon reaching a certain Prestige level, you get access to a Decision that lets you begin the process of forging a special weapon for your character. It can range in quality from Normal up to Masterwork and turns into a trait for your character when built. Weapons get passed on to heirs when they take the throne but need to be repaired, as their condition degrades overtime. There's also a bit of a fantasy element, as certain special events will allow you to set your blade alight or infuse it with blood magic. Grab it from the Steam Workshop.

Non-essential CK3 Mods

Bigger Font

Better UI Scaling

Fullscreen Barbershop

CK2 Style Colorful Education Traits

Nameplates

More Mapmode Buttons

GUI Beautifications

Expanded Alerts

More Traits

Call to Arms

Title-Ranked Portrait Borders

Displayed Birth and Death Dates

More Holding Graphics

Private Army: Improved House Guard

Knight Manager

For our full thoughts on Crusader Kings III, check out our review. In addition, you can search GameWatcher for guides on topics like culture and innovations, succession but also faith and fervor.

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