Religion
Every character in the game follows a religion, and this has a major impact on their relations with other characters. Characters may convert to another religion in some cases.
Contents
Relations[edit]
If characters are of different religions, they'll get a large opinion penalty towards one another:
| Name | Criteria | Opinion | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Differences | Different religions of the same religious groups | -10 | Catholic  vs Orthodox 
|
| Heretic | Different religion within the same religious sub-group | -35 | Catholic vs a Catholic Heresy 
|
| Infidel | Different religion group | -30 | Catholic vs Sunni 
|
Zealous  |
Anyone of different religion | -50 | Stacks with standard penalty |
This penalty is reduced by the Tolerance technology in the capital of each character, -10% per technology level. Additionally, a character who is sympathetic towards another religious group has no Infidel penalty towards or from characters following a religion of that group.
Holy wars[edit]
Main article: Casus Belli#Religious CBs
Religion also provides various Casus Belli, most notably holy war and Crusades, though this varies from religion to religion - both are unavailable to unreformed pagans for example. Sword of Islam also introduced two new Casus Belli specifically for Muslims.
Religious head[edit]
Main article: Religious head
Religion also affects what powers the religious head has; unreformed Pagan religions for example have no Religious Head, while a Christian Religious head can excommunicate characters, which is impossible for Muslims and Pagans.
Pagan religions may gain a religious head and a Great Holy War (Crusade CB) if they reform. They then become the "Reformed" version. The version without a religious head and Great Holy War becomes a heresy and is called the "Old" version of the religion.
Moral Authority[edit]
Main article: Moral authority
Each religion has a moral authority, determined by the actions of its followers. It defines the power of the religion, and impacts the chances of heresies.
List of religions[edit]
Parent religions[edit]
| Religion | Group | Head | Holy Sites | Holy Sites Maps | Mechanics | Special CBs |  Modifiers
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Catholic | Christian | The Papacy |
Rome |
|
Excommunication, College of Cardinals, Investiture, Antipope, Pilgrimage | Holy war, Crusades, Sanctioned Invasion | |
|
|
Orthodox | Christian | The Ecumenical Patriarchate |
Constantinople (Thrace) |
|
Autocephaly, Excommunication, Mending the Great Schism, Pilgrimage | Holy war, Sanctioned Invasion | |
|
Miaphysite | Christian | The Coptic Papacy |
Alexandria |
|
Autocephaly, Excommunication, Pilgrimage | Holy war, Sanctioned Invasion | |
|
Nestorian | Christian | The Patriarchate in the East |
Alexandria |
|
Autocephaly, Excommunication, Pilgrimage | Holy war, Sanctioned Invasion | |
|
|
Sunni | Muslim | The Sunni Caliphate |
Mecca (Medina) |
|
Decadence, Polygamy, Hajj | Holy war (also vs non-Sunni, non-heretic Muslims), Muslim Invasion, County Conquest, Jihads, Caliphal Subjugation | |
|
Shia | Muslim | The Shia Caliphate |
Mecca (Medina) |
|
Decadence, Polygamy, Hajj | Holy war (also vs non-Shia, non-heretic Muslims), Muslim Invasion, County Conquest, Jihads, Caliphal Subjugation | |
|
Ibadi | Muslim | The Ibadi Caliphate |
Mecca (Medina) |
|
Decadence, Polygamy, Hajj | Holy war (also vs non-Ibadi, non-heretic Muslims), Muslim Invasion, County Conquest, Jihads, Caliphal Subjugation | |
|
Judaism | Jewish | None (Kohen Gadol once the Kingdom of Israel is restored) |
Jerusalem |
|
Holy war, Great holy wars, Sanctioned Invasion | ||
|
Zoroastrian | Zoroastrian | None (Zoroastrian Church once the Persian Empire is retaken) |
Jajarm (Nishapur, Khorasan) |
|
Divine blood, Concubinage | Holy war, Great holy wars, Sanctioned Invasion | |
|
Hinduism | Indian (Dharmic) | None | Mahakaleshwar (Ujjayini) Dwarakadheesh (Dvaraka) |
|
Raiding, Caste System, Patron Gods, Concubinage, Sects | Holy war, Indian Subjugation | Morale +30% |
|
Buddhism | Indian (Dharmic) | None | Ellora (Devagiri) Sanchi (Vidisa) |
|
Sects, Concubinage, can designate heir, no penalty for female rulers, no short reign penalty | Holy war (targets single county), Indian Subjugation | Learning +4 |
|
Jainism | Indian (Dharmic) | None | Girnar (Bhumilka) Vadnagar (Sarasvata Mandala) |
|
Sects, vassal opinion bonus, can designate heir, Concubinage, no short reign penalty | Indian Subjugation | Demesne limit +3 Peace purity gain 1/month |
|
Germanic | Pagan | None |
Tholen (Zeeland, Holland) |
|
Looting, river movement, Concubinage, Reformation, female temple holders, defensive attrition, 250% short reign penalty, prestige loss while at peace, no penalty from raised vassal levies | County Conquest, Subjugation, Prepared Invasion | Levy size +30% Retinue size +50% |
|
Reformed Germanic | Pagan | The Fylkirate | Looting, river movement, Concubinage, female temple holders, 150% short reign penalty | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Prepared invasion, Great holy wars | Levy size +30% | ||
|
Slavic | Pagan | None |
Tikhvin (Novgorod) |
|
Looting, Concubinage, Reformation, female temple holders, defensive attrition, 200% short reign penalty | County Conquest, Subjugation | Levy size +10% Garrison size +30% |
|
Reformed Slavic | Pagan | The Slavic Church | Looting, Concubinage, female temple holders | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Great holy wars | Levy size +20% Garrison size +20% | ||
|
Tengri | Pagan | None |
Sasqsin (Itil) |
|
Looting, Concubinage, Reformation, 150% short reign penalty, prestige loss while at peace, no penalty from raised vassal levies, ignores defensive attrition | County Conquest, Subjugation, Tribal Invasion | Levy size +30% Light Cav Offensive +30% |
|
Reformed Tengri | Pagan | The Tengri Church | Looting, Concubinage, Great holy wars | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Tribal Invasion, Great holy wars | |||
|
Romuva | Pagan | None |
Arkona (Rugen, Mecklemburg) |
|
Looting, Concubinage, Reformation, female temple holders, defensive attrition, 200% short reign penalty | County Conquest, Subjugation | Levy size +10% Garrison size +30% |
|
Reformed Romuva | Pagan | The Romuva Church | Looting, Concubinage, female temple holders | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Great holy wars | Levy size +20% Garrison size +20% | ||
|
Suomenusko | Pagan | None |
Perm |
|
Looting, Concubinage, Reformation, female temple holders, defensive attrition, 200% short reign penalty | County Conquest, Subjugation | Garrison size +40%
|
|
Reformed Suomenusko | Pagan | The Suomenusko Church | Looting, Concubinage, female temple holders | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Great holy wars | Levy size +10% Garrison size +30% | ||
|
West African | Pagan | None |
Salam (Timbuktu) |
|
Looting, Concubinage, Reformation, female temple holders, defensive attrition | County Conquest, Subjugation | Garrison size +40%
|
|
Reformed West African | Pagan | The West African Church | Looting, Concubinage, Great holy wars, female temple holders | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Great holy wars | |||
|
Aztec | Pagan | None |
Rome |
|
Concubinage, prestige loss while at peace, no penalty from raised vassal levies | County Conquest, Tribal Invasion | Levy size +30% |
|
Reformed Aztec | Pagan | The Aztec Church | Concubinage | Holy war (costs 100 piety with 5 year truce), County Conquest, Tribal Invasion, Great holy wars | |||
|
Pagan | Pagan | None |
Rome (Latium) |
|
Concubinage, defensive attrition | County Conquest, Subjugation | |
|
Zunist | Pagan | None |
Baghdad |
|
Concubinage, Reformation, defensive attrition | County Conquest, Subjugation |
Levy size +30% |
|
Reformed Zunist | Pagan | The Church of Zun | Concubinage | County Conquest, Great holy wars | |||
|
Hellenic | Pagan | None |
Abydos |
|
Pre-reformed, Concubinage, female temple holders | County Conquest, Subjugation |
Notes:
- For holy sites, the county and/or duchy is indicated only if different from temple holding name.
- The Hellenic and (generic) Pagan religions appear for characters in the history files, representing (for Hellenism) the pre-Christian Roman emperors and (for Paganism) pre-Christian Irish and pre-Islamic Arabs, among others. They cannot normally appear in game (Except one Arabian woman in 867), but a character with these religions can be made in the Ruler Designer.
- Catholicism and all Catholic Heresies become orthodox heresies if the great Schism is mended. This does not affect the Miaphysite or Nestorian denominations.
Heresies[edit]
All religions with a parent religion are heresies. With Sons of Abraham, if a heresy becomes more prevalent than the parent religion (5 provinces more), it will become the new orthodoxy, and the parent religion will become a heresy. All holy orders of the parent religion switch over to the former heresy when this happens.
| Religion | Parent | Group | Head | Mechanics | Special CBs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Cathar | Catholicism | Christianity | None | Absolute Cognatic succession; female temple holders, councillors and commanders | |
|
|
Fraticelli | Catholicism | Christianity | Fraticelli Pope (once established) | Excommunication, College of Cardinals, Investiture, Antipope, Crusades | As Catholic |
|
|
Waldensian | Catholicism | Christianity | None | ||
|
|
Lollard | Catholicism | Christianity | None | ||
|
Monophysite | Miaphysite | Christianity | The Monophysite Papacy | Autocephaly, Excommunication | As Orthodox |
|
Messalian | Nestorian | Christianity | None | Absolute Cognatic succession; Divine blood, female temple holders | |
|
Bogomilist | Orthodoxy | Christianity | None | Female temple holders | |
|
|
Monothelite | Orthodoxy | Christianity | The Monothelite Partriarchate | Autocephaly, Excommunication, Mending the Great Schism | As Orthodox |
|
|
Iconoclast | Orthodoxy | Christianity | The Iconoclast Patriachate (once established) | Autocephaly, Excommunication, Mending the Great Schism | As Orthodox |
|
|
Paulician | Orthodoxy | Christianity | The Paulician Patriarchate (once established) | Autocephaly, Excommunication, Mending the Great Schism | As Orthodox |
|
Zikri | Sunni | Islam | None | Decadence, Polygamy | Muslim Invasion, County Conquest |
|
|
Yazidi | Sunni | Islam | The Yazidi Sheikhdom (once established) | Decadence, Polygamy, Excommunication | Muslim Invasion, County Conquest |
|
Kharijite | Ibadi | Islam | The Karijite Caliphate (once established) | Decadence, Polygamy | As Ibadi |
|
Druze | Shia | Islam | None | Decadence, Polygamy | Muslim Invasion, County Conquest |
|
|
Hurufi | Shia | Islam | The Hurufi Skeikhdom [sic] (once established) | Decadence, Polygamy | Muslim Invasion, County Conquest |
|
Mazdaki | Zoroastrian | Zoroastrian | None | ||
|
|
Manichaean | Zoroastrian | Zoroastrian | None | ||
|
Samaritan | Judaism | Jewish | None | ||
|
|
Karaite | Judaism | Jewish | None | ||
|
Old Germanic | (Reformed) Germanic | Pagan | None | Same as Germanic | Same as Germanic |
|
Old Slavic | (Reformed) Slavic | Pagan | None | Same as Slavic | Same as Slavic |
|
Old Tengri | (Reformed) Tengri | Pagan | None | Same as Tengri | Same as Tengri |
|
Old Romuva | (Reformed) Romuva | Pagan | None | Same as Romuva | Same as Romuva |
|
Old Suomenusko | (Reformed) Suomenusko | Pagan | None | Same as Suomenusko | Same as Suomenusko |
|
Old West African | (Reformed) West African | Pagan | None | Same as West African | Same as West African |
|
Old Aztec | (Reformed) Aztec | Pagan | None | Same as Aztec | Same as Aztec |
|
Old Zunist | (Reformed) Zunist | Pagan | None | Same as Zunist | Same as Zunist |
Christian religion (typically, but not necessarily, Orthodox) is also required for the special Imperial Reconquest CB. Additionally, the Tribal Invasion CB can be used by any non-Christians of the Altaic culture group.
When a pagan religion is reformed, anyone following it gets an event to decide whether to accept the reformation. If they don't, they become the "Old" version, which is considered a heresy. The reformed version keeps the name of the pre-reformation religion.
Likewise, if an Orthodox ruler mends the Great Schism, Catholic rulers get an event to decide whether to convert to Orthodoxy (or the "heresy"). Either way, Catholicism is thereafter treated as an Orthodox heresy, and all the Catholic heresies become Orthodox heresies instead. Orthodox Heresies can also mend the Great Schism if they manage to replace Orthodoxy as the parent religion.
