The government type has two main effects. First, it determines how a ruler governs their realm. Secondly, if a ruler is also a vassal, their government type determines how they provide taxes and levies to their liege.
Feudal
Feudal Governments can create new Holdings or Cadet Branches and have access to the Crown Authority Law.
Each Feudal Vassal has a Feudal Contract, which can only be changed once per character and determines their Obligations as well as whether they have special rights.
Obligations
The Feudal Contract of each Feudal Vassal determines their Obligations, which can only be changed one step at a time. Obligations can be lowered at any time but raising them will add +20 Tyranny Opinion unless the Liege lowers the other Obligation or provides the Vassal a right. The Liege can also use a Hook on the Vassal to avoid Tyranny.
Obligations may be reduced if a character is not a Vassal's Rightful Liege. By default, the reduction is 50%. If the Liege holds the De Jure Title two ranks above the Vassal, the reduction is only 25%. To be the Rightful Liege, a character must hold the direct De Jure Liege Title of the Vassal's Primary Title. Dukes whose Liege holds the De Jure Empire Title are exempt from the penalty.
Obligation type | Exempt effects | Low effects | Normal effects | High effects | Massive effects |
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Taxes |
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Levies |
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Rights
Rights grant a Vassal permissions that Vassals do not have by default. A right can be added when increasing an Obligation in order to avoid Tyranny. Revoking a right will incur Tyranny unless another right is added.
Right | Effect | Vassal opinion | Requirements |
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Coinage Rights: Granted |
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0 | Coinage innovation |
Council Rights: Guaranteed |
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+5 | |
Fortification Rights: Granted |
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0 | Battlements innovation |
Religious Rights: Protected |
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+5 | Different Faith |
Succession Rights: Forced Partition |
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−5 | |
Title Revocation: Protected |
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+5 | |
War Declaration: Sanctioned |
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+5 |
Special contract
Special contracts are only available towards Duke and King vassals and require a certain innovation. All special contracts grant additional bonuses to the vassal.
Special contract | Liege effects | Vassal effects | Required innovation |
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Scutage |
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−20% Men-at-Arms Maintenance | Scutage |
March | −50% Tax from vassal |
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Burhs |
Palatinate |
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Divine Right |
Clan
Clan Governments can create new Holdings or Cadet Branches and have access to the Crown Authority Law. They also have access to the Conquest Casus Belli, which can be used once in a lifetime to invade a realm, with higher-rank realms allowed at higher levels of Fame.
Clan Vassals provide Taxes and Levies based on their Opinion of their Liege. There is always a minimum of Taxes and Levies they will provide, which is determined by the Liege's Crown Authority Law. Powerful vassals will also gain −20 Opinion (and other vassals gain −10 Opinion) if they're not in an Alliance with their Liege.
If a Clan ruler is a Dynasty Head, their Realm will be named after their Dynasty rather than the Primary Title.
Tribal
Tribal Governments are slightly inferior to Feudal or Clan ones. They have access to the Tribal Authority Law; if it's set high enough, a Tribal Ruler can reform their Government to become Feudal or Clan. Tribal Governments have the following unique effects:
- Holdings cannot be created in Counties ruled by a Tribal Ruler, even by a Clan or Feudal Liege
- Development only affects Supply Limit in Counties ruled by a Tribal Ruler
- Development does not grow in Counties ruled by a Tribal Ruler
- Armies belonging to other Governments gain only half Supply from a Tribal Barony
- Tribal Rulers cannot discover Innovations past Tribal Era
- For Succession, Tribal Rulers are locked to Confederate Partition.
- Tribal Rulers pay for Men-at-Arms using Prestige instead of Gold
- Tribal Rulers can Raid
- Once per lifetime, a Tribal Ruler can use the Subjugation Casus Belli
- −50% Title Creation Cost
- −20 Opinion with Feudal, Clan, and Republic Vassals
Tribal Vassals provide taxes and levies based on the Liege's Level of Fame.
Reformation
Reforming Tribal Government is significantly easier if the Tribal Ruler swears fealty to a non-Tribal Liege, as it only requires the Ruler to adopt Level 2 Authority (and have an organised religion). Remaining independent requires the Ruler to go all the way to Level 4 Authority and imposes other conditions.
Also, all buildings in Tribal Holdings are destroyed during the conversion, which means that a Tribal Realm is weakened significantly after the reformation.
Republic
Republic Governments are used by characters who own only City Holdings and are not playable. Republic Vassals always provide 20% Taxes and 10% Levies to their Liege.
Theocracy
Theocracy Governments are only available to Faiths with the Theocratic Clerical Tradition Doctrine and are used by characters who own only Temple Holdings. Theocracy Governments are not playable. Theocracy Vassals provide taxes and levies based on the Liege's Level of Devotion.
Holy Order
Holy Order Governments are used by characters who own a Holy Order title and are not playable. Holy Order Vassals do not pay taxes or levies, but allow their armies to be hired for free.