The culture represents the customs and technologies that a character or county uses. Rulers can change a county's culture by ordering their Steward to complete the Promote Culture council task.
Counties will have lowered popular opinion with their direct Liege if they belong to a different culture and especially heritage. Characters can avoid this by granting the county title to a vassal of the same heritage as the target county.
A ruler can convert to the culture of their Realm Capital at the cost of Prestige, provided that their Court Chaplain endorses them. Every close family member sharing the ruler's culture will adopt the new culture. Vassals sharing the ruler's culture that own counties with the new culture can decide to adopt it as well.
Each culture with at least one ruler has a Culture Head. The Culture Head is always the adult character who owns the most counties of said culture.
Culture Heads can choose an Innovation to become a Cultural Fascination, which will improve its discovery progress by +20%, with an additional +1% per cultural head Learning skill. The cultural fascination can be changed at any time.
Culture Heads can reform their culture by adding new traditions if empty tradition slots are available or replacing existing ones at additional cost. If the Royal Court DLC is enabled, all rulers can hybridize their culture with another provided they meet the criteria. Adding traditions and reforming a culture takes a number of years to come into effect, depending on the number of said culture's counties. AI Culture Heads may add traditions, but will not directly replace one tradition with another. If a culture head is of a monogamous faith with a spiritual head of faith, the culture head may be given the option to remove Concubinage or Polygamy from their culture at the request of the head of faith via event.
Cultural Acceptance[1] determines how much Opinion penalty two cultures have towards each other. If the Royal Court DLC is enabled, it also determines whether two cultures of different heritage can create a hybrid culture.
Each culture has 5 cultural pillars: Heritage, Language, Aesthetics, Martial Custom and Ethos.
Each culture will have an ethos, which represents the core values, principles and attitude towards life that the culture has. It also determines which court types are available for kingdoms and empires. In the Royal Court DLC, reforming a culture's ethos costs 20000 Prestige. Tribal AI Cultural Heads will never choose the Ceremonious ethos.
Each culture has several traditions, which represent the main customs of a culture and can grant various effects. A culture can have up to five traditions in the tribal era, with every additional era reached granting an additional slot for Traditions. The base cost of adding a tradition is 2000 Prestige, which may be increased by the following:
In the Royal Court DLC replacing a tradition increases the final cost by +50% and the time it takes to establish it by +25%.
The needed time to establish a tradition is dependent on the number of counties with that culture. The fewer counties the culture has, the faster it goes. The maximum time to establish a tradition is 30 years.
Many traditions are mutually exclusive with other traditions. The only way to bypass this this restriction is through hybridization with a culture that has the other tradition.
There are three ways through which a new culture can be formed: decisions, divergence and hybridization. All options cost Prestige and the latter two require the Royal Court DLC.
Culture divergences that take place after the start date can be stopped by a player who controls 80% of the counties from the original culture.
- Bush Hunting
- Matriarchal
- Mystical Ancestors
- Parochialism
- Bush Hunting
- Dryland Dwellers
- Frequent Festivities
- Strong Believers
- Bush Hunting
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Practiced Pirates
- Caravaneers
- Desert Travelers
- Mubarizun
- Tribal Unity
- Avid Falconers with Tours and Tournaments
- Agrarian
- Mubarizun
- Philosopher Culture
- Strong Believers
- African Tolerance
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Dryland Dwellers
- Mubarizun
- Water Rituals
- Xenophilic
- Dryland Dwellers
- Medicinal Herbalists
- Mubarizun
- Philosopher Culture
- Water Rituals
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Mountain Herding
- Mountaineers
- Religion Blending
- Forest Wardens
- Sacred Groves
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Forest Wardens
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Sacred Groves
- Strong Believers
- Charismatic
- Equitable
- Forest Wardens
- Sacred Groves
- Musical Theorists
- Coastal Warriors with Northern Lords
- Hirds without Northern Lords
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Forest Wardens
- Isolationist
- Forest Wardens
- Stalwart Defenders
- Swords for Hire
- Adaptive Skirmishers
- Forest Wardens
- Winter Warriors
- Isolationist
- Xenophilic
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Religion Blending
- Seafarers
- African Tolerance
- Family Business
- Mountain Herding
- African Tolerance
- Desert Ribats
- Equal Inheritance
- Saharan Nomads
- Stalwart Defenders
- Mystical Ancestors
- Isolationist
- African Tolerance
- Desert Ribats
- Saharan Nomads
- Chanson de Geste
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Storytellers
- Swords for Hire
- Ancient Miners
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Storytellers
- Concubines
- Highland Warriors
- Refined Poetry
- Stalwart Defenders
- Concubines
- Highland Warriors
- Hill Dwellers
- Refined Poetry
Continental European
- Concubines
- Highland Warriors
- Longbow Competitions
- Refined Poetry
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Frequent Festivities
- Religion Blending
- Royal Army
- Mystical Ancestors
- Religious Patronage
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- Horse Lords
- Marital Ceremonies
- Mountaineers
- Steppe Tolerance
- Eastern Roman Legacy
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Highland Warriors
- Hill Dwellers
- Strong Believers
- Castle Keepers
- Caucasian Wolves
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Metalworkers
- Byzantine Traditions
- Eastern Roman Legacy
- Formation Fighting Experts
- Legalistic
- Caravaneers
- Loyal Subjects
- Philosopher Culture
- Strong Believers
Arabic
- Caravaneers
- Family Business
- Parochialism
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Quarrelsome
- Musical Theorists
- Parochialism
- Agrarian
- City Keepers
- Dryland Dwellers
- Parochialism
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Stand and Fight!
- Strong Believers
- Agrarian
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Parochialism
- Polders
- Astute Diplomats
- Castle Keepers
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Battlefield Looters
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Strong Believers
- Astute Diplomats
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Stand and Fight!
- Isolationist
- Martial Admiration
- Stand and Fight!
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Religious Patronage
- Ruling Caste
- Stand and Fight!
- Industrious
- Mountain Homes
- Parochialism
- Court Eunuchs
- Family Business
- Mystical Ancestors
- Philosopher Culture
- Water Rituals
- Jungle Warriors
- Sacred Groves
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Garuda Warriors
- Refined Poetry
- Ruling Caste
- Metalworkers
- Parochialism
- Seafarers
- Metalworkers
- Recognition of Talent
- Warrior Culture
- Dryland Dwellers
- Warrior Culture
- Warrior Queens
- Amharic Highlanders
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Isolationist
- Strong Believers
- Agrarian
- Astute Diplomats
- Land of the Bow
- Warrior Queens
- Xenophilic
- Frequent Festivities
- Mountain Skirmishing
- Agrarian
- Druzhina
- Forest Folk
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Charismatic
- Druzhina
- Mendicant Mystics
- Druzhina
- Forest Folk
- Sacred Groves
- Agrarian
- Astute Diplomats
- City Keepers
- Druzhina
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Stand and Fight!
- Warrior Culture
- Chanson de Geste
- Chivalry
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Chanson de Geste
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Stand and Fight!
- Chanson de Geste
- Chivalry
- Equal Inheritance
- Parochialism
- Concubines
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Highland Warriors
- Hill Dwellers
- Strong Kinship
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Monastic Communities
- Pastoralists
- Polygamous
- Refined Poetry
- Stalwart Defenders
- Upland Skirmishing
- Sorcerous Metallurgy with Royal Court
- Ancient Miners
- Upland Skirmishing
- Sorcerous Metallurgy with Royal Court
- Charitable
- Upland Skirmishing
- Sorcerous Metallurgy with Royal Court
- Musical Theorists
- Upland Skirmishing
- Warriors of the Dry
- Stalwart Defenders
- Upland Skirmishing
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Eye for an Eye
- Monogamous
- Mountain Skirmishing
- Warrior Culture
- Desert Travelers
- Isolationist
- Mountain Skirmishing
- Warriors of the Dry
- Dryland Dwellers
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Mountain Skirmishing
- Refined Poetry
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Expert Artisans with Royal Court
- Malleable Subjects with Fate of Iberia
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Tabletop Warriors with Fate of Iberia
- Xenophilic without Fate of Iberia
- Martial Admiration
- Mountaineers
- Visigothic Codes
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- State Ransoming with Fate of Iberia
- Marital Ceremonies without Fate of Iberia
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Mountaineers
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Marital Ceremonies
- Mountaineers
- Visigothic Codes
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Castle Keepers
- Chivalry
- Martial Admiration
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Tabletop Warriors with Fate of Iberia
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians without Fate of Iberia
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Parochialism
- Refined Poetry
- Visigothic Codes
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Monastic Communities
- Dexterous Fishermen
- Highland Warriors
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Chivalry
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Martial Admiration
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Agrarian
- Stand and Fight!
- Visigothic Codes
- Hit-and-Run Tacticians
- Martial Admiration
- Malleable Subjects with Fate of Iberia
- Ritualized Friendship with Fate of Iberia
- Agrarian
- Philosopher Culture
- Religious Patronage
- Astute Diplomats
- Culture Blending
- Desert Travelers
- Jirga with Legacy of Persia
- Expert Artisans
- Religion Blending
- Seafarers
- Vegetarians
- Collective Lands
- Jungle Warriors
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- Agrarian
- City Keepers
- Court Eunuchs
- Ruling Caste
- Equal Inheritance
- Himalayan Settlers
- Refined Poetry
- Agrarian
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Khadga Puja
- Mystical Ancestors
- Industrious
- Modest
- Pastoralists
- Himalayan Settlers
- Martial Admiration
- Religious Patronage
- Culinary Artists
- Lords of the Elephants
- Seafarers
- Agrarian
- Marital Ceremonies
- Storytellers
- Khadga Puja
- Mystical Ancestors
- Quarrelsome
- Warrior Culture
- Mendicant Mystics
- Refined Poetry
- Seafarers
- City Keepers
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Ruling Caste
- Eye for an Eye
- Esteemed Hospitality
- Futuwaa
- Mountain Homes
- Jirga with Legacy of Persia
- Desert Travelers
- Esteemed Hospitality
- Futuwaa
- Isolationist
- Jirga with Legacy of Persia
- Isolationist
- Mountaineers
- Stalwart Defenders
- Swords for Hire
- Pragmatic Creed with Legacy of Persia
- Futuwaa without Legacy of Persia
- Caravaneers
- City Keepers
- Dryland Dwellers
- Stalwart Defenders
- Frontier Warriors with Legacy of Persia
- Futuwaa without Legacy of Persia
- Eye for an Eye
- Mountain Homes
- Swords for Hire
- Fierce independence with Legacy of Persia
- Futuwaa without Legacy of Persia
- Futuwaa
- Garden Architects
- Water Rituals
- Beacon of Learning with Legacy of Persia
- Enlightened Magnates with Legacy of Persia
- Irrigation Experts with Legacy of Persia
- Dryland Dwellers without Legacy of Persia
- Philosopher Culture without Legacy of Persia
- Refined Poetry without Legacy of Persia
- Caravaneers
- Dryland Dwellers
- Expert Artisans
- Horse Lords
- Frontier Warriors with Legacy of Persia
- Caravaneers
- Parochialism
- Religious Blending
- Horse Breeders with Legacy of Persia
- Frontier Warriors with Legacy of Persia
- Futuwaa without Legacy of Persia
- Caravaneers
- Futuwaa
- City Keepers
- Beacon of Learning with Legacy of Persia
- Irrigation Experts with Legacy of Persia
- Dryland Dwellers without Legacy of Persia
- Philosopher Culture without Legacy of Persia
- Diasporic
- Philosopher Culture
- Bound by Faith
- Defensive Tactics
- Forbearing
- Diasporic
- Bound by Faith
- Caravaneers
- Defensive Tactics
- Xenophilic
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Mystical Ancestors
- Philosopher Culture
- Strong Believers
- Diasporic
- Philosopher Culture
- Fervent Temple Builders
- Xenophilic
- Diasporic
- Philosopher Culture
- Defensive Tactics
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Xenophilic
- Diasporic
- Philosopher Culture
- Caravaneers
- Defensive Tactics
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Mountain Homes
- Republican Legacy
- Formation Fighting Experts
- Refined Poetry
- Republican Legacy
- Isolationist
- Martial Admiration
- Republican Legacy
- Stand and Fight!
- Isolationist
- Stalwart Defenders
- Refined Poetry
- Republican Legacy
- Ruling Caste
- Swords for Hire
- Xenophilic
- Agrarian
- Konni Raids
- Strong Believers
Continental European
- Horse Lords
- Strong Believers
- Tribal Unity
- Horse Lords
- Mystical Ancestors
- Sacred Mountains
- Steppe Tolerance
- Agrarian
- Horse Breeders
- Horse Lords
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Horse Breeders
- Horse Lords
- Prolific Hunters
- Steppe Tolerance
- Horse Lords
- Pastoralists
- Sacred Hunts
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Horse Lords
- Prolific Hunters
- Steppe Tolerance
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Charismatic
- Horse Lords
- Pastoralists
- Steppe Tolerance
- Horse Lords
- Loyal Subjects
- Prolific Hunters
- Strong Believers
- Astute Diplomats
- Horse Lords
- Stalwart Defenders
- Steppe Tolerance
- Dryland Dwellers
- Horse Breeders
- Horse Lords
- Pastoralists
- Bush Hunting
- Hidden Cities
- Parochialism
- Bush Hunting
- Legalistic
- Religion Blending
- Bush Hunting
- Hidden Cities
- Recognition of Talent
- Bush Hunting
- Equal Inheritance
- Hidden Cities
- Philosopher Culture
- Eye for an Eye
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Runestone Raisers
- Ting-Meet
- Coastal Warriors with Northern Lords
- Hirds without Northern Lords
- Ting-Meet
- Coastal Warriors with Northern Lords
- Malleable Invaders with Northern Lords
- Northern Stories with Northern Lords
- Performative Honor with Northern Lords
- Hirds without Northern Lords
- Refined Poetry without Northern Lords
- Runestone Raisers without Northern Lords
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Runestone Raisers
- Storytellers
- Ting-Meet
- Coastal Warriors with Northern Lords
- Hirds without Northern Lords
- Runestone Raisers
- Strong Believers
- Ting-Meet
- Coastal Warriors with Northern Lords
- Hirds without Northern Lords
- Equal Inheritance
- Himalayan Settlers
- Medicinal Herbalists
- Sacred Mountains
- Caravaneers
- Court Eunuchs
- Himalayan Settlers
- Religion Blending
- Religious Patronage
- Isolationist
- Religion Blending
- Wetlanders
- Caravaneers
- Dryland Dwellers
- Adaptive Skirmishers
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Ruling Caste
- Dryland Dwellers
- Ruling Caste
- Warrior Culture
- Caravaneers
- City Keepers
- Dryland Dwellers
- Strong Believers
- Dryland Dwellers
- Xenophilic
- Charismatic
- Forbearing
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Stalwart Defenders
- Strong Believers
- Ruling Caste
- Strong Believers
- Isolationist
- Mendicant Mystics
- Monastic Comunities
- Konni Raids
- Merciful Blindings
- Ruling Caste
- Stand and Fight!
- Astute Diplomats
- Konni Raids
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Konni Raids
- Religious Patronage
- Stalwart Defenders
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Himalayan Settlers
- Horse Breeders
- Religious Patronage
- Himalayan Settlers
- Religion Blending
- Himalayan Settlers
- Medicinal Herbalists
- Mystical Ancestors
Indian
- Equal Inheritance
- Himalayan Settlers
- Mountaineers
- Himalayan Settlers
- Religious Patronage
- Sacred Mountains
- Himalayan Settlers
- Sacred Mountains
- Caravaneers
- Philosopher Culture
- Religious Patronage
- Xenophilic
- Frontier Warriors with Legacy of Persia
- Horse Lords
- Recognition of Talent
- Ruling Caste
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- Forest Folk
- Horse Lords
- Sacred Mountains
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Astute Diplomats
- Horse Lords
- Ruling Caste
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Horse Lords
- Sacred Groves
- Sacred Hunts
- Strong Believers
- Horse Lords
- Swords for Hire
- Warrior Culture
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Horse Lords
- Sacred Mountains
- Steppe Tolerance
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Horse Lords
- Stand and Fight!
- Steppe Tolerance
- Horse Lords
- Pastoralists
- Prolific Hunters
- Stalwart Defenders
- Horse Lords
- Prolific Hunters
- Quarrelsome
- Swords for Hire
- Horse Lords
- Prolific Hunters
- Quarrelsome
- Forest Folk
- Horse Lords
- Prolific Hunters
- Stalwart Defenders
- Horse Lords
- Ruling Caste
- Swords for Hire
- Warrior Culture
- Horse Lords
- Quarrelsome
- Swords for Hire
- Warrior Culture
- Court Eunuchs
- Ruling Caste
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- Forest Folk
- Horse Lords
- Mendicant Mystics
- Prolific Hunters
- Caravaneers
- Charitable
- Religious Patronage
- Steppe Tolerance
- Xenophilic
- Horse Lords
- Pastoralists
- Steppe Tolerance
- Caravaneers
- Charismatic
- Forest Wardens
- Xenophilic
- Isolationist
- Strong Believers
- Forest Wardens
- Frugal Armorers
- Konni Raids
- Pastoralists
- Strong Believers
- Xenophilic
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Frequent Festivities
- Musical Theorists
- Storytellers
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- Musical Theorists
- Religion Blending
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- Frequent Festivities
- Musical Theorists
- Religion Blending
- Frequent Festivities
- Storytellers
- Culture Blending with Royal Court
- City Keepers
- Hirds
- The Witenagemot
Continental European
- Castle Keepers
- Chivalry
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Longbow Competitions
- Hirds
- Seafarers
- Ting-Meet
- Malleable Invaders with Royal Court
- City Keepers
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Strong Kinship
- Xenophilic
- Martial Admiration
- Mountaineer Ruralism
- Castle Keepers
- Industrious
- Life is just a Joke
- Mountaineer Ruralism
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Konni Raids
- Stalwart Defenders
- Konni Raids
- Xenophilic
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Konni Raids
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Staunch Traditionalists with Royal Court
- Equitable
- Mountaineer Ruralism
Ancient cultures are all dead and only exist for the purpose of Legends and historical characters. They can be selected for custom characters but do not start with any Innovation.
- Agrarian
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Philosopher Culture
- Strong Believers
Byzantine
- Isolationist
- Malleable Invaders
- Martial Admiration
- Stand and Fight!
- Astute Diplomats
- Legalistic
- Philosopher Culture
- Eastern Roman Legacy
- Formation Fighting Experts
- Hereditary Hierarchy
- Legalistic
- Noble Adoption
- Refined Poetry
Continental European
- Astute Diplomats
- Legalistic
- Maritime Mercantilism
- Philosopher Culture
- Horse Lords
- Prolific Hunters
- Steppe Tolerance
Some formable cultures will receive a unique custom name, as long as certain conditions are met upon creation: