Although every Lifestyle brings something to the table in CK3, players can never go wrong with the following examples.
Lifestyle Traits in Crusader Kings 3 are extremely powerful Traits with purely positive effects that are obtained by completing Lifestyle Perk trees. Players will often opt for Lifestyles that their character was educated in as a child, as they will progress faster. However, players can choose what their heirs study and each Lifestyle has three trees to choose from.
While the strength of Lifestyle Traits is highly situational and dependent on the ruler in question and the player's goals, there are a few that naturally rise above the rest. The best Lifestyle Traits in Crusader Kings 3 not only have great stats themselves but are also part of the best Lifestyle tree with plenty of great Perks.
Having long reigns in Crusader Kings 3 allows players to get plenty done before messy successions take place and halt all the progress. This makes the Whole of Body Trait and Perk tree extremely strong as characters are more likely to live to a ripe old age, with less chance of dying from stress, and plenty of boosts to general health.
The best thing about Whole of Body is that characters with this trait are very often able to get at least one more Lifestyle Trait thanks to the extra years of life they should have.
Prestige is a valuable resource in CK3 and gaining an extra 1 prestige per month thanks to the August Trait should not be overlooked. The boosts to Diplomacy and Martial are also great for consolidating power, and to unlock this Lifestyle Trait in the first place, players will have picked up some of the best Diplomacy Perks in Crusader Kings 3, including other boosts to prestige gain.
The boosts to prestige and Level of Fame effects mean that rulers will be well-respected by all, making practically everything in the game easier as character opinions matter dearly.
Going to war and conquering foreign lands is one of the best pastimes in CK3, and while the Strategist Trait and Perk Tree will serve players better in individual battles and maybe even single wars, the Overseer Trait and Tree is superior for those with true ambition.
The boost to Stewardship comes in incredibly handy, especially given how costly wars can be, and the fact that players might be able to directly control another domain. Naturally, the +2 Martial is great for any warmonger, but the increase to control growth on top of the great Martial Perks helps make any conquests permanent, with players able to quickly consolidate power and then use their newly acquired lands to finance even more conquests.
Most of the best Intrigue Perks in CK3 are found within the Schemer tree so any player wanting to plot their way to victory through nefarious means should focus on it and the Schemer Trait that is unlocked at the end.
The +5 to Intrigue is huge as is the added power to hostile schemes, equipped with these and Perks such as Twice Schemed that lets players run 2 hostile schemes at once, even characters with naught but a single county to their name will be able to quickly rise to the top.
The Administrator Trait is one of the best Lifestyle Traits, particularly for players who want to keep their vassals happy in Crusader Kings 3. It is a great all-around Trait that combines Stewardship with Diplomacy, two of the best things for stability.
The boosts to vassal opinions from the Trait itself are just the icing on the cake, as players will unlock plenty of great Perks from the Administrator tree that not only keep vassals in line but also make them provide more.
Players looking to play the long game in Crusader Kings 3 would be wise to consider the Scholar Lifestyle Trait and the Perk tree that must be completed to acquire it. The boost to development growth means that any lands the player owns will steadily become more productive, advancing their realm beyond neighbors.
Furthermore, thanks to some of the best Learning Perks in CK3 and the massive +5 Learning, cultural fascination will go through the roof, allowing the player to unlock new technologies at a startling pace.
When it comes to the best overall Lifestyle Traits in Crusader Kings 3, the fact that gold pretty much rules the game means that the Avaricious Trait is arguably the most useful for any situation. Every single one of the Perks from the Avaricious tree can help players make more money in CK3 and the boost to holding taxes at the end with the Lifestyle Trait is the final cherry on top.
The +2 to Stewardship will again help players rake in more taxes and may even allow them to directly own another county if their domain limit goes up. With their coffers full, players will be able to win any wars, control who likes them, and enjoy a life of festivities with all the costly activities.
Crusader Kings 3 is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Joe is a freelance writer with a degree in Classical Studies. His love for gaming is only rivaled by a deep passion for medieval history. He is a Master tier support main in League of Legends.
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