Lifestyles are an important part of Crusader Kings 3, as they provide many different perks that can mold the gameplay. Characters accrue lifestyle points over time and will eventually unlock perks, and when every perk in a tree is claimed they can pick up a lifestyle trait.
There are 15 of these lifestyle traits and they are not created equally. Irrespective of the trees that they belong to, there are definitely some traits that are more attractive than others. While a player shouldn't base their perk choices on these capstone benefits, they should certainly be taken into account.
Updated on March 26, 2022 by Ryan Bamsey: With Royal Court finally released and the impending release of the console edition of the game, we've taken another look at the lifestyle traits and added some that aren't associated with perk trees.
How To Acquire Lifestyle Traits
In order to acquire most of these perks, you need to complete the respective perk tree. For example, the August trait is granted to any character who purchases every single perk of the August perk tree within the Diplomacy lifestyle. They are long-term goals that provide substantial stat boosts and various other perks.
Other perks are acquired as a result of decisions or through random events.
17 August
- +2 Diplomacy
- +1 Martial
- +1 Monthly prestige
While none of the lifestyle traits are bad, some of them are just a little bit boring. August is one such trait. It only gives small boosts to two stats and provides a little extra prestige to a character.
While prestige is useful in many cases, the bonus is too small to make August a notable trait in its own right.
16 Theologian
- +3 Learning
- +20 percent monthly piety
Providing a nice bonus of three extra Learning points, Theologian is a nice trait for technologically-minded and pious characters.
In addition, the trait provides a scaling bonus to a character's monthly piety gain. This can be crucial for characters who may want to reform their religion, something that is made easier by the Theologian perk tree.
15 Administrator
- +1 Diplomacy
- +3 Stewardship
- +5 vassal opinion
The Administrator perk tree is probably the least useful of the Stewardship trees, and Administrator is the most lackluster lifestyle trait among them.
Providing a character with some more Stewardship points and a small bonus to vassal opinion is very in line with the perks required to acquire this trait. Despite this, the bonuses just aren't that notable or useful enough to stand out.
14 Avaricious
- +2 Stewardship
- +15 percent holding taxes
Like Administrator, Avaricious builds on the perks that came before it. Specifically, it's great for accruing lots of money, with its +15 percent bonus to holding taxes.
The issue is that it is quite easy to make money in Crusader Kings 3 even without the lifestyle trait, so there should be no rush in trying to fill out the perk tree.
13 Overseer
- +2 Martial
- +2 Stewardship
- +50 percent monthly control growth
Characters who complete the Overseer perk tree are certainly after one thing: control. Or perhaps two things if one includes Dread.
With bonuses to both Martial and Stewardship skills and a great bonus to monthly control growth, this trait is really helpful for characters who need to bolster their position as a ruler.
12 Architect
- +2 Stewardship
- -15 percent building and holding construction time
- -10 percent building and holding gold cost
Architect is a fantastic trait to take for characters who have realm development in mind. Firstly, the trait improves a character's Stewardship skill, increasing their ability to accrue funds.
Secondly, it reduces the cost and construction time of holding buildings. This will help any character seeking to make great improvements in a short amount of time but is less useful for the rulers of very developed nations.
11 Seducer/Seductress
- +3 Intrigue
- +20 percent fertility
- +40 attraction opinion
Any character who has completed the Seducer Intrigue perk tree will be aware of the power of seduction. The scheme leads to hooks, babies, and for some players a more rewarding roleplaying experience.
This lifestyle trait simply makes seduction a more successful and more viable option for these characters. It's the cherry on top of a powerful perk tree.
10 Patriarch/Matriarch
- +10 house opinion
- +15 close family opinion
- +20 percent fertility
- +20 percent stress loss
In addition to fending off pesky stress events, being a Patriarch or Matriarch gives a noticeably great bonus to a character with a large family. It grants a decently hefty opinion bonus to close family members and members of the character's house, which is great for discouraging factions and making sure schemes have the best chance of success.
It's also a good trait for characters who desire a big family, thanks to a +20 percent bonus to fertility. These characters shouldn't worry about not producing an heir.
9 Gallant
- +2 Martial
- +4 combat prowess
- +20 percent monthly prestige
- +20 attraction opinion
There's a lot going on with the Gallant lifestyle trait. With an improvement to both Martial skill and battle prowess, it's great for warlike characters who don't mind leading their army into battle personally and getting into duels.
There is also a neat bonus to both monthly prestige growth and attraction opinion. It definitely pays to be gallant in the world of Crusader Kings, it seems.
8 Gardener
- +2 Stewardship
- -20% stress gain
- +10 courtier and guest opinion
Who would have thought becoming a little bit green-fingered would be so useful? The boost to Stewardship is useful, but what's really nice here is the nice boost to stress resistance.
A big 20 percent reduction in stress gain means you can take quite a few more decisions and choices that go against your character's traits before they have a mental breakdown.
7 Torturer
- +4 combat prowess
- +50 percent dread gain
- +25 percent hostile scheme resistance
- +10 percent levy size
Another one for the warmongerers, Torturer is similar to Gallant in that it increases a character's battle prowess. Very unlike Gallant, however, Torturer is a more evil-focused trait that increases a character's Dread gain considerably.
Additionally, Torturers get a +25 percent bonus to hostile scheme resistance, meaning they are less likely to be the target of successful assassinations or kidnappings. And that's always nice.
6 Strategist
- +1 Diplomacy
- +3 Martial
- +25 percent enemy fatal casualties
- The ability to cross water without losing advantage
This lifestyle trait has some unique bonuses going for it. It's yet another one for characters who predict war in the future, as it's geared towards making the most out of their levies. Strategists enjoy a big buff to their Martial skill and more deadly soldiers.
In addition, levies belonging to Strategists can really benefit from the fact that they can cross water without losing advantage. This is something that can spell out the difference between victory and defeat.
5 Whole of Body
- +0.5 Health
- +25 percent fertility
- -25 percent stress gain
A bonus to health is greatly appreciated during a time where learning to wash your hands is a perk that characters have to take. Whole of Body not only grants that health bonus, but also big boosts to fertility and stress resistance.
Characters who manage to fill out the Whole of Body perk tree will be much better off than others when it comes time to face down plagues or the ravages of old age.
4 Celibate
- +1 monthly piety
- +10 Clergy opinion
- -10 Reveler opinion
- Cannot have children
This trait is acquired if you take the decision to embrace celibacy. As you can imagine, the main perk of this trait is that you will no longer be able to have children - this is very useful if you have inheritance laws that might split your realm up upon succession.
As a bonus, celibacy will satisfy the clergy in your realm and even provide some bonus piety. Turns out godliness is next to celibacy in Crusader Kings 3.
3 Schemer
- +5 Intrigue
- +25 percent hostile scheme power
With a massive +5 bonus to a character's Intrigue skill, Schemer is already a contender for the most attractive lifestyle trait. A boost like that will make a character very good at scheming both within their realm and in foreign lands. Appropriately.
Schemers also enjoy a +25 percent bonus to hostile scheme power. This is very crucial, as hostile schemes are some of the most useful in the game. Being able to murder or kidnap with more success means moving up the social ladder quicker and being able to take the ladder with you once climbed.
2 Diplomat
- +3 Diplomacy
- +20 percent independent ruler opinion
- +25 percent personal scheme power
Diplomacy is very important in Crusader Kings 3 and being a Diplomat will make any character take to social situations like a fish to water. Diplomats get a big bonus for their (surprise) Diplomacy skill, as well as a very big opinion bonus for independent rulers. This is likely very useful for characters who wish to vassalize small neighbors.
Another big benefit that Diplomat grants is a big boost to personal scheme power, meaning that character will have more successful Sway, Romance, and Seduction schemes. Keeping a realm under one's finger has never been easier.
1 Scholar
- +5 Learning
- +15 percent monthly development growth
- +10 hostile scheme success rate
- +10 personal scheme success rate
Scholars also enjoy a huge +5 bonus to a skill, this time Learning. This is in addition to a +15 percent bonus to monthly development growth which is great for improving a realm's technology. Scholars make for great leaders in times of technological progress.
Scholars are also fantastic at scheming, apparently. Who knew? They get a bonus to both hostile and personal schemes, which makes them better at making friends and eliminating enemies. While these bonuses aren't as big as those similarly granted by Schemer and Diplomat, diversifying is a fantastic strategy.