Crusader Kings III: By God Alone

Navigate through a medieval era with a rich religious life in By God Alone, a Core Expansion for Crusader Kings III. Wrestle with sin as your rulers try to live up to the tenets of their faith as you tangle with church authorities who have power on earth, as well as heaven. Instigate or settle religious debates, negotiate the limits of crown and Papal authority, and ponder the afterlife.

Crusader Kings III: By God Alone includes:

• Playable Theocracies: Take control of landed realms headed by an archbishop or even the Pope himself. As the Papacy, new resources of power and wealth will be at your disposal.

• The Christian “Situation”: A new persistent Situation for Christian realms, allowing actions and decisions connected to the development and progress of the Faith. You can participate in Ecumenical Councils to decide on religious tenets and beliefs.

• Heresies: Religious rites that diverge too much from the standard Faith steal power and wealth from the Church and may be declared heretical, forcing you to either conform or rebel.

• The Great Schism: In the 867 game start, the Christian church will eventually reach a crossroads for the faith. This can result in the Great Schism, separating Western Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy.

• Monastic Holy Orders: Centers of both research and theological power, Monastic Holy Orders offer potent bonuses to those who host their headquarters. Chief among their offerings is spiritual fulfilment, for their prayers protect secular rulers from eternal damnation.

• Changes to Religious Tenets: Revisions to the tenet system in Crusader Kings III now center characters’ relationships to their faith and what is appropriate behavior within that faith. Follow heretical beliefs that push the boundary of what is accepted or have your personal preferences adopted and accepted through internal church politics.

• Spiritual Fulfillment system: Traits, actions and religious tenets work together to paint portraits of characters’ inner spirit and spiritual life. Sinful or virtuous actions are not merely a concern for stress, but can also affect relationships with God and concerns about the afterlife.

• Archdioceses: New clerical titles that have religious authority over a geographical region independent of the secular rulers' lands. 

• College of Cardinals: The Pope can appoint cardinals across Christendom. But, the struggle between secular and religious authority never ends - secular rulers can use their power to influence the College of Cardinals and the direction of the Church.

• Dynamic Holy Sites: Faiths can now dynamically change their holy sites as they grow and change over time.

• Cathedrals: Cathedrals can become the focal point for the faith, headed by archbishops or other holy figures, they can strive to become Holy Sites.

• Puppets: In order to interact with the political machinery of the church, secular rulers will be able to puppet clerical characters so they can act on their behalf. And clerical rulers can in-turn use the secular rulers as their puppets and interact with the secular world through them.

• And more!