Culture reforming and cultural diverge are beneficial practices in Crusader Kings 3. That begs the question. What is the best culture ethos in CK3? You got ceremonious, bellicose, stoic, bureaucratic, spiritual, egalitarian, and communal culture ethos options in the game. 7 in total. So, I made a ranking for the best cultural ethos in CK3.
The ethos of a culture defines its core values, guiding principles, and general attitude of its members toward life in general.
In addition, the Ethos greatly affects the cost for a culture head establishing new culture.
The culture head can replace their ethos through reformation.
You can switch ethos for 20.000 prestige or choose a new ethos for 5.000 when creating a new divergent culture. It’s also possible to switch your ethos when merging with another culture with different ethos than yours. Culture merge is the most cost-effective way though.
Each ethos has access to two court types. You can’t go for the third court type unless you switch your ethos. CK3 best court types guide might also helpful to you.
1. Bureaucratic
To me the Bureaucratic ethos is literally the best with no competition. Simply because it gives experience bonus to the learning lifestyle which is the best lifestyle in the game.
Cultural fascination bonus also helps tremendously to stay up to date in technology. Also, synchronizes with learning lifestyle experience bonus.
Third bonus is development which is always welcome. Because holdings are the main source of gold and manpower even if you’re an Emperor. You want a highly developed capital with couple of baronies.
Bureaucratic Ethos
All characters of this culture:
Monthly Lifestyle Experience: +10%
Cultural Fascination Progress: +5%
Minority Vassal Opinion: -10
All counties of this culture:
Development Growth: +15%
No culture lasts longer than its oldest record, and this culture believes in accounting so meticulous to guarantee immortality.
- Warlike Court
- Administrative Court
2. Egalitarian
Egalitarian ethos is perfect for world conquest. It increases vassal limit, gives different culture opinion, different faith opinion, and cultural acceptance. I mean these are all the things you need for world dominance.
You want a multinational state? Go for egalitarian ethos. It’s hard to keep foreign vassals happy without Egalitarian culture ethos.
Egalitarian Ethos
Cultural acceptance gain: +35%
All characters of this culture:
Vassal Limit: +10
Different Culture Opinion: +5
Different Faith Opinion: +5
Intolerance and isolationism may be the way for others, but this culture recognizes that accepting difference is far better than annihilating it.
- Diplomatic Court
- Administrative Court
3. Bellicose
Bellicose is the only ethos focused on military except the stoic which is giving small defense bonuses. This ethos has all the military buffs you need. Perfectly fit for Norman culture to be honest.
Increased levy size, better knight prowess, reduced men-at-arms cost, and more available mercenary companies. Basically, everything you need for winning wars!
Bellicose Ethos
Available Mercenary Companies: +50%
All characters of this culture:
Prowess: +2
Men-At-Arms Recruitment Cost: -10%
Men-At-Arms Maintenance: -10%
Minority Vassal Opinion: -10
All counties of this culture:
Levy Size: +10%
This culture considers conflict and violence to be necessary states of existence; ingrained in its people is the idea that one should stand up and fight for their own.
- Warlike Court
- Intrigue Court
4. Communal
This ethos is mostly for cultures intended to play tall. It reduces time and cost of building construction, reduces mercenary hire cost, lower minority vassal opinion, and increase close family opinion. It’s kinda good for tall playthrough but you gotta change it when you build your powerbase and decide to expand.
Communal Ethos
All same culture characters:
Same culture Mercenary Hire Cost: -15%
Close Family Opinion: +5
Minority Vassal Opinion: -10
All same culture holdings:
Building Construction Time: -10%
Building Construction Cost: -5%
This culture values the bonds of community above all else, fostering great loyalty and dedication by working together towards common goals.
- Administrative Court
- Intrigue Court
5. Spiritual
Spiritual ethos can be good if you’ve created a fundamentalist religion and reformed a culture with By the Sword. That way you can constantly declare holy wars (piety bonus), conquer everywhere (control growth), and revoke land from conquered thanks to the fundamentalist faith (-10 minority vassal opinion becomes irrelevant).
It’s not bad if you play that specific world conquer playthrough. Still, I would prefer Bureaucratic, Egalitarian, or even Bellicose over Spiritual.
Gotta admit though, Spiritual ethos is the perfect choice for religion focused role-play.
Spiritual Ethos
All same culture characters:
Monthly Piety: +10%
Control Growth: +15
Faith Creation and Reformation Cost: -20%
Minority Vassal Opinion: -10
While some cultures turn to war and others to worldly knowledge, this culture places its trust in the only constant throughout its history – the divine. Spirituality is the only way forward in a harsh and uncaring world.
- Administrative Court
- Scholarly Court
6. Ceremonious
Ceremonius ethos gives prestige, court grandeur, house opinion, and reduces title creation cost. To be honest, none of them are really important.
You can conquer lots of lands? Then you have money… Title creation cost is not that big of a problem. What’s worse, Ceremonious ethos lowers minority vassal opinion. It sucks if you like to conquer lots of lands.
Ceremonious Ethos
All same culture characters:
Monthly Prestige: +10%
Title Creation Cost: –15%
House Opinion: +5
Court Grandeur Bonus: +5
Minority Vassal Opinion: -10
The ceremony of court life is so integral to this culture that it forms a core part of people’s social behavior. A place for everyone, and everyone in their place.
- Diplomatic Court
- Scholarly Court
7. Stoic
Guys, Stoicism is my life philosophy. I consider myself a Stoic. However, Stoic ethos in Crusader Kings 3 sucks unfortunately.
Stoic doesn’t really have any benefits to it. Less stress gain, less friendly fatal casualties, disease resistance, and defender advantage doesn’t make any difference. Because they come in really small scale. What’s more, -10 minority vassal opinion is really bad especially if you’re doing an expansionist playthrough.
Overall, Stoic is not really good and you should avoid it. If your starting characters culture follows Stoic ethos, you can simply reform or hybridize your CK3 culture and switch ethos.
Stoic Ethos
All same culture characters:
Disease Resistance (Health): Small Boost
Stress Gain: -15%
Friendly Fatal Casualties: -15%
Minority Vassal Opinion: -10
All same culture holdings:
Defender Advantage: +5
This culture believes in standing strong like mountain, taking any and all hardships that life may throw at them and enduring them all with grim determination and an indomitable spirit.
- Diplomatic Court
- Warlike Court