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In Crusader Kings 3, the cultural head is the face of the entire culture. They’re the driving force behind both innovations and cultural traditions.
Innovations provide the ability to improve various aspects of your realm, while traditions are able to massively affect your playstyle.
As such, it’s in your best interest to become the cultural head. So how do you do that?
To become the cultural head, you will need to own the most provinces of your specific culture in your realm. So you’ll likely have to do some conquest. However, there are some caveats you should be aware of:
You don’t need the majority of all the counties of a culture, just more than anybody else
The province count includes vassals
You need to be an adult
And in this guide we’ll cover the two ways you can become the cultural head, which are:
Temporarily as a type of regent, or
Becoming the rightful head
Method 1: Temporary Cultural Head
The bottom of the culture tab showing the cultural head. My 2 counties are added into my liege’s 8 count.
If you are a vassal of a person who is the same culture as you, your liege will always be the actual cultural head.
However, characters in CK3 are mortal. So assuming you meet the requirements mentioned in the intro above, then if your liege dies before their heir is an adult, you will become the temporary cultural head.
This means you will have, at max, ~15 years. Do with this time what you will.
Method 2: Becoming the Rightful Cultural Head
What you want, the notification that you are now the cultural head.
To become the rightful cultural head, you will need to fulfill the primary requirement of owning the most provinces within your culture.
If you’re independent, this will likely just involve some conquering.
If you’re a vassal, you may still become the rightful head, but only if your liege is of a separate culture. If your liege is the same culture as you, as in my example, you will need to become independent.
Go about this however you’d like – but keep in mind that the change won’t happen immediately.
In my example, I won my independence from my liege and already fulfilled all the other requirements to become the cultural head. However, the month has to tick to the next before the game acknowledges the change.
(Click for full-size)Right after I won my independence war. The Head of faith now has 2 counties compared to my 5, but he is still the head.
(Click for full-size)Once the month ticks over to the next, the game corrects who the head of culture is to me.
Once you’re the cultural head, you can manipulate your people’s destiny as you please.
I'm a native to rural Ohio that, due to the lack of an urban life, has developed other hobbies. My free time is usually taken up by either my garden or games. My favorite genre is by far grand strategy. Paradox games scratch that itch well, and I have put a ton of hours into their games because of it.
