Crusader Kings 3: The Best Congenital Traits

Crusader Kings 3 is a game where nearly every kind of action is heavily predicated on the personalities of individual persons. In an age before constitutions and centralized bureaucracies, monarchs held startling levels of power. The fates of entire kingdoms were often held in the hands of a single person.

This type of scenario could be good or bad, depending on the qualities of the ruler. In Crusader Kings 3, players want to amass as many positive congenital traits as they can to make their ruler as effective as possible. Accomplishing this task requires the careful selection of marriage partners to help ensure heirs inherit the best traits, including the ones below.

Updated June 30, 2024, by Matthew Weideman: Crusader Kings 3 is a deep game with many moving parts that can take some time to fully understand. As players return to their dynasties with the recent Legends of the Dead DLC and upcoming Wandering Nobles DLC, this article was updated to give some more information about how congenital traits work.

What Are Congenital Traits?

Genetic Traits in Crusader Kings 3

Traits represent a character’s physical and mental characteristics. Some, like Humble and Just, represent a character’s personality. Others, like Hunter and Pilgrim, come from their experiences in life.

In Crusader Kings 3, Congenital Traits are inherited genetically, unlike Descendant Traits, which are automatically passed down. Some of them can be extremely helpful to establishing a lasting dynasty, while others can become a roadblock to a player’s long-term success.

How To Inherit Congenital Traits

Children have a chance to inherit congenital traits based on a handful of factors. The biggest factor is whether their parents have the trait. If both the mother and father have the same congenital trait, there is an 80% chance of the child gaining it.

The fastest way to gain congenital traits is to find any character with the desired trait and marry them, regardless of status. Despite the negative repercussions, the fastest way to ensure that multiple generations of descendants also have congenital traits is through inbreeding children that first inherit them.

How to Level Up Congenital Traits

A handful of congenital traits are leveled. The higher level the trait, the better bonuses are granted to the character with it. When both parents have the same level in acongenital traits, there is a 50% chance that their child will inherit the trait at the next level up. There is a reduced chance that the child will gain any levels in the trait if the parents’ levels don’t match.

If using the inbreeding strategy to gain levels, players should keep an eye out for a character in their line with the Pure-blooded trait. Passing this along will reduce the chances of inheriting negative traits from inbreeding while keeping the odds high for inheriting wanted congenital traits.

Fecund

Provides A Nice Bonus To Life Expectancy & Fertility

• +50% Fertility
• +5 Years of Fertility
• +5 Life Expectancy
• Cost: +50 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Speaking of breeding, Fecund is a trait that most above-average rulers are going to want. This trait helps its bearer live longer as well as have children in greater numbers. The extra years of fertility can also help certain rulers who are getting older and have yet to produce an heir.

Rulers who already possess a nice collection of positive traits will find Fecund very helpful. More children with higher stats for their traits means that players will have a larger pool of alternative options when it comes to succession.

Pure-Blooded

Effective If Managed With Care

• +10% Fertility
• -50% Inbreeding Chance
• +0.25 Health
• Cost: +50 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Acquiring the Pure-Blooded trait comes with its own set of pros and cons. Children inherit the Pure-Blooded trait as a result of inbreeding, which can be a dangerous practice if mismanaged.

The trait itself is positive, but attaining it comes with risks. Inbreeding that gets out of hand can have serious consequences for one’s heirs. Instead of amassing positive congenital traits, heirs may start to collect negative ones instead. However, if the player can pull this off skillfully, then the benefits prove quite useful.

Giant

Complements Martial-Oriented Characters Well

• +6 Prowess
• +10 Glory Hound Vassal Opinion
• +10 Tribal Ruler Opinion
• +20 Same Trait Opinion
• -5 Attraction Opinion
• -0.25 Health
• Cost: +20 (when used in Ruler Designer)

In the medieval world, where everyday violence was the norm, possessing a strong physical body was highly prized. The Giant trait takes that concept to the next level by allowing its bearer to literally tower over the opposition.

As one can see, being a Giant certainly has its benefits. Not only will characters be more effective in single combat, but their peers will also respect them more. Anything that makes vassals happier typically leads to a more stable realm. The trait comes with a small hit to Attraction Opinion and Health, but the pros still outweigh the cons.

Beautiful

Being Attractive Helps With Diplomacy & Fertility

Being perceived as a highly attractive character is extremely beneficial in Crusader Kings 3. The Beautiful trait actually comes in 3 Levels, which include Comely, Pretty/Handsome, and Beautiful. It’s also worth noting that children stand a higher chance of inheriting the higher-level traits when both parents possess them.

Comely

Level 1 bestows minor, albeit positive, stat increases to its bearer. They include:

• +1 Diplomacy
• +10 Attraction Opinion
• +10% Fertility
• Slower Portrait Aging
• Cost: +40 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Pretty/Handsome

Female characters possessing Level 2 of this trait are referred to as “Pretty,” while males are called “Handsome.” The stats provide even greater benefits, including:

• +2 Diplomacy
• +20 Attraction Opinion
• +20% Fertility
• Slower Portrait Aging
• Cost: +80 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Beautiful

Finally, the Level 3 version bestows the Beautiful trait itself. It provides the greatest stat bonuses, which are:

• +3 Diplomacy
• +30 Attraction Opinion
• +30% Fertility
• Slower Portrait Aging
• Cost: +120 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Bright

Contains Some Of The Best Traits In The Game

In a similar vein to the previous entry, possessing heightened intelligence in Crusader Kings 3 really comes in handy. Once again, the Bright trait is composed of 3 Levels. Obviously, players want to aspire for the Level 3 version, seeing as how Genius is one of the best traits in the game.

Quick

Level 1 of the trait grants slight bonuses to each of a character’s core attributes. They are:

• +1 Diplomacy
• +1 Martial
• +1 Stewardship
• +1 Intrigue
• +1 Learning
• +10% Monthly Lifetime Experience
• +50 Rationality
• Cost: +80 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Intelligent

Level 2 bestows even larger bonuses to the same core attributes. As follows, they are:

• +3 Diplomacy
• +3 Martial
• +3 Stewardship
• +3 Intrigue
• +3 Learning
• +20% Monthly Lifetime Experience
• +75 Rationality
• Cost: +160 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Genius

The Level 3 version is the pinnacle of intelligence a character can possess and one of the best congenital traits in the game. Its massive bonuses include:

• +5 Diplomacy
• +5 Martial
• +5 Stewardship
• +5 Intrigue
• +5 Learning
• +30% Monthly Lifetime Experience
• +200 Rationality
• Cost: +240 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Physical

Ideal For Dynasties Looking To Wage War Regularly

The final leveled congenital trait concerns Physical prowess. A character who is physically fit can expect to live longer, and also possesses a greater chance of vanquishing his enemies on the battlefield in single combat. With the Legends of the Dead DLC and its host of new diseases, including the Black Death, any bonus to Health can come in handy. The 3 Levels include Hale, Robust, and Amazonian/Herculean.

Hale

The Level 1 variety’s stat bonuses are composed of:

• +2 Prowess
• +5 Attraction Opinion
• +0.25 Health
• Cost: +60 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Robust

Level 2 increases a character’s physical presence even further, which include:

• +4 Prowess
• +10 Attraction Opinion
• +0.5 Health
• Cost: +120 (when used in Ruler Designer)

Amazonian/Herculean

Lastly, the Level 3 version grants a character almost unequaled physical prowess. Female characters will be called “Amazonian,” while male characters are known as “Herculean.” The stat breakdown is as follows:

• +8 Prowess
• +15 Attraction Opinion
• +1 Health
• Cost: 180 (when used in Ruler Designer)