With over two thousand mods on Steam Workshop alone, the Crusader Kings II modding community have recently passed a milestone in user-generated content. This impressive feat is a blessing for players but also a cause for paralysis: Which of these mods should one choose?

After all, even if one focuses on just the popular choices, so many other excellent mods might be overlooked.

Analysis of CK2 Vassal Maps Trying this again, because CK2 maps are. This time, I have a new set of images that I am reliably informed are from 283 AC in-game, so there's consistency there. Skipping b/c you can't read the map. For all Song of Ice and Fire novels and Game of Thrones episodes.

What are the best CK2 Mods?

• CK2+ (Essential)
• A Game of Thrones Mod (Essential)
• When The World Stopped Making Sense (Essential)
• Elder Kings (Essential)
• Ruler Designer Unlocked (Character)
• Rich Childhood (Character)
• Sketchy Traits (Character)
• Your Personal Castle (Mechanics)
• No Inter-religious Defensive Pacts (Mechanics)
• Improved Genetics (Mechanics)
• Patrum Scuta (Cosmetic)
• In heavens Cartographic Map (Cosmetic)
• Anime Portraits (Cosmetic)
• Medieval Music Complete (Cosmetic)

HOW TO MOD CK2

For first timers wanting to modify their game, Steam Workshop has thankfully made the whole process as easy as clicking the subscribe button on the mod you want and Crusader Kings II will automatically download it and add it to its launcher. From there, the player can choose to enable or disable any mod of their choice.

As outlined in previous guides, here are some essential tips for modding a Paradox title via Steam for the first time:

• Check if the mod is up to date with the most recent patch for Crusader Kings II. Once a new expansion comes out you may have to wait a few days, weeks, or even months for bigger mods, until the mod is updated. Thankfully, CKII will give you a warning if you're about to load a mod that isn't up to date. Also, each mod will tell you on the side menu if it requires certain DLC.
• Hey, still want to play that favourite mod of yours but CKII's latest update ruins your save game? You can always roll back your CKII version to continue your campaign. Check the mod pages on Steam or the Paradox forums on how to do this since it might be different for each mod and version of the game. If all else fails, ask in the comments threads for instructions!
• Check if the mods you've selected are compatible with the other mods you've downloaded. This information is usually found on each mod's page as they usually list which mods they are able to run with.
• Remember that most mods are Ironman incompatible as they necessarily change balance. If you're achievement hunting, you'll need to find those mods that will tell you on their descriptions that they're Ironman compatible.
• Finally, sometimes it takes a while for the CKII interface to properly load the mod's latest version. Check if you have auto-updates enabled for mods and then, if you're unsure, simply relaunch the CKII launcher to check if all of the mods are present and up to date.

For mods too large for Steam, you can usually hunt for their pages on the Paradox Forums and find the instructions on how to install from there. You can also google search large mod Wikipedia’s in order to find instructions for installation.

The Best CK2 Total Conversion Mods

Mods that change almost everything with a singular guiding hand. A total suite is presented to the player to try. Thankfully, CKII has some of the best Total Conversion Mods in the Paradox Stable.

CK2+

One example of a mod not on the Steam Workshop, CK2+ is a massive overhaul that changes every aspect of the game from the map to core mechanics to events. Aimed at giving more content for the player to explore whether it's new provinces, new interactions with other characters, or new mechanics such as a factions overhaul, there is a reason it is titled CK2+.

This mod is so venerable and respectable as a total upgrade for the game that individual mods on the Steam Workshop make CK2+ compatible versions of their mods specifically to be included in this grander Crusader Kings II experience.

Follow the link above and follow the instructions on the forum to find how to install this amazing piece of work! If you like this mod, also check out the Historical Immersion Project located in the same modding sub-forum as CK2+.

A Game of Thrones Mod

Crusader Kings II is probably the best game in all of PC gaming to represent the intense political action of George R.R. Martin's world. This mod seeks to do the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire justice with its impressively researched bookmarks and hefty focus on character interactions. It is not only a complete overhaul of the game mechanics to match the books, but the addition of other interactions such as magic and a complex system to handle massive civil wars with multiple claimants expands the CKII experience to new heights.

When The World Stopped Making Sense

Delve into the “dark” ages of late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages when the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West brought about a chaos that shook the very core of European Civilization. Pushing back the start date to 476, a whole new world of content is available to the player and a rich time extension is populated by meticulously researched settings, bookmarks, and historical persons. New decisions and mechanics bring this unique part of world history to life in stunning detail.

Elder Kings

Not to be outdone, the Elder Scrolls fandom has its own gorgeous and deeply detailed mod. Replete with custom events and custom mechanics, this puts the TOTAL in Total Conversion. You don't even need to be a fan of the Elder Scrolls to appreciate a dive into this dense and fully fleshed out world.

One of their most clever converted mechanics is the transformation of the Chinese Empire console from the base game into whole realms you can interact with ruled by their respective diety. One of the most polished mods out there.

The Best CK2 Character Mods

CKII is the Paradox game that focuses on characters and historical figures more than simply abstract nations or empires. A whole treatment of mods just for this central focus is a big part of modding CKII.

Ruler Designer Unlocked

Finally, creating your perfect starting character has never been easier. The mod's title is self explanatory as traits are available for your custom character without any restrictions (unless you yourself place those restrictions!). Unique playthroughs and unique dynasties are finally available to the player. A simple yet incredibly rewarding mod, this is a must for anyone who wants full control over the progenitor of their dynasty.

Rich Childhood

Rich is the right word for it. This mod brings to life the interim years of a young man or woman's rise to adulthood. Instead of a tiny whelp that eventually becomes a “real” character, this mod seeks to make the experience of growing up as exciting as adult life. There is no downside to this mod. The events offer a playful and intriguing encounter for the player for those (hopefully) rare times where regencies must be in charge of a young prince or princess.

Sketchy Traits

Another simple mod that adds a plethora of interesting and necessary traits available for characters to have. Physical traits such as fluency and fertility as well as personality traits such as psychopathy and creativity are some of the additions that puts another dimension to the already character-oriented nature of CKII. Whether it's seeking extra bonuses or looking to generate a compelling narrative, this mod helps to add texture to the character trait system.

Trait Softcap Exterminated

All that hard work making all the “right” decisions to develop the character and personality you've always wanted is now finally preserved! CKII intrinsically has a hidden limit for character traits and this mod simply eliminates this cap. With this mod, a player's actions finally stick and personalities culminate in grandiose and memorable characters. Available here.

The Best CK2 Mechanical Mods

Modding can be as simple as changing game mechanics to suit one's needs or elevate gameplay. Here are some of the best in the genre.

Your Personal Castle

Isn't it strange that your capital holding is almost completely indistinguishable from anyone else's? Your Personal Castle addresses this issue by allowing the player to build bonus-creating additions to their home holding. Whether it's secret passages or studious libraries, not only are these great for customizing one's capital experience, but the mod also provides associated events to each addition to the castle that immerses the player in what it means to build a grand stronghold. By far one of the most popular mods out there!

No Inter-religious Defensive Pacts

A lesser known and small mod, but one I believe that truly makes sense. This mod disallows defensive pacts to form between different religions. There has been plenty of discussion about the game-mechanic known as defensive pacts while some saying it artificially hampers gameplay by gaming the system to resist the player. While other mods do away with defensive pacts in totality, I believe this small mod finds the better middle ground. Defensive pacts will form, but at least you won't have to worry about Richard the Lionheart and Saladin somehow joining forces to stop you. While some players might want that challenge, this mod is for those who want a slightly more historical treatment of expansion.

Improved Genetics

Using scientific data to bring more realism to CKII's genetics is the stated purpose of this mod and while it's a subtle change (since CKII's genetics system is not that far from 'reality'), this mod actually helps to make heredity in the game more reliable, stable, and predictable (thank you, science). The creator is not just versed in Mendelian genetics, but has factored in polygene inheritance for a truly fascinating if not invisible experience of heredity.

The Best CK2 Cosmetic Mods

What would be a mod list without some gorgeous aesthetic options to choose from? Here are some of the most pleasing offerings available.

Patrum Scuta

What would the Middle Ages be without the glorious beauty of heraldry? This mod takes this basic premise and turns it into a rich aesthetic experience. This is not simply a graphic pack that adds hundreds of new heraldic styles as well as enriching the present options, but this mod also implements them in a historically researched way.

True to history coats of arms are restored as well as dynamically generated crests are in line with researched records. This also presents a plethora of different options for custom dynasties that the only drawback is that it makes the selection menu for a heraldic shield over a thousand clicks long!

In heavens Cartographic Map

While Paradox's choice to present an abstracted three dimensional contour map is beautiful enough as it is, this mod brings the player back to a cartographical setting. It is as if the player is pulled into a map room with his or her closest advisers reviewing the state of the world on a map worthy of the timeframe. Let this graphical upgrade help to immerse you into the world of CKII!

Anime Portraits

I was surprised to discover it years ago and I was ashamed to admit that I loved it. Who knew that Crusader Kings II could be a unique anime experience? Oddly perfect portraits for every type of character and character condition make this mod both dazzling and frightening. Even if one is not a fan of the style, it stands as a testament to an impressive graphical upgrade. While not everyone's cup of tea, it also serves as an indication that there are plenty of mods out there that modify and improve character portraits to suit the player.

Medieval Music Complete

We can never overlook the rich musical history of the Middle Ages. From chants to poetry, this mod is one example of the plethora of auditory enhancements that reintroduces a bit of history to the game. While Paradox provides impressive music for its games, it commits a crime by not including period songs like it used to do for games like Europa Universalis II. Mods like this fix this disparity.

What are your favourite CK2 Mods? Let us know in the comments!

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A Game of Thrones is a mod for CKII based on the award-winning A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.

Update sigames check fm 2008 patch online. Authors have finalized development with version 2.0 and no other major additions will be provided (excluding book related expansions), the mod will still be fixed in case of bugs.

• 4FAQ

Bookmarks[edit]

The mod currently offers the following scenarios:

• The Bleeding Years (Previously: The Seven Kingdoms): -4 AL (7996 using the mod's dating)
• War of Conquest: -2 AL (7998)
• Faith Militant: 43 AL (8043)
• The Rogue Prince: 106 AL (8106)
• Dance of Dragons: 129 AL (8129)
• Conquest of Dorne: 157 AL (8157)
• Blackfyre Rebellion: 195AL (8195)
• After the Spring: 211 AL (8211)
• War of the Ninepenny Kings: 259 AL (8259)
• War of the Usurper aka Robert's Rebellion: 282 AL (8282)
• The Crowned Stag: 284 AL (8284)
• The Greyjoy Rebellion: 289 AL (8289)
• A Game of Thrones: 297 AL (8297). This scenario is a joke scenario, nominally based on book 1 of the series.
• A Clash of Kings: 299 AL (8299). This scenario is based on book 2 of the series.
• A Feast for Crows: 300AL (8300). This scenario is set at the start of the book by the same name (book 4) and contains spoilers from all books.

The Official Sub-Mods let's you customize your gameplay by replacing character frames or deleting Essos from the game. Creators also let's you play before The Doom with additional eras submods:

• Ghiscari Wars (3000 - 3200)
• Andal Invasion (6478 - 6699)
• Rhoynish Wars (7100 - 7300)
• Valyrian Freehold (7600 - 7800)
• Century of Blood (7886 - 7974)

Mechanics[edit]

While the game mainly focuses on translating standard CKII to a Westerosi setting, that necessitates some differences in gameplay.

Here is a list of the most important changes:

• The years are counted from the Long Night (8000 years before Aegon's Landing), making 282 AL the year 8282 because there are plans to add a scenario set before Aegon's Landing and the CK2 engine doesn't accept negative dates.
• Each holding has an additional building. Specific to cultures, all baronies and bishoprics have special upgrades. These all start at a certain level, and cannot be upgraded further. Other, vanilla buildings (such as Castle Village) can be upgraded normally. These provide the overwhelming majority of levy troops in each province, making individual provinces more valuable than in the base game.
• The number of troops one can field is much higher than in the vanilla - the Crownlands themselves can easily field from 5 to 10 thousand men, and they are one of the less sizable forces. However, levies replenish much slower than in the base game and the battles are more decisive.
• One can build additional holdings in a province, but due to the hardcoded 'one of every type of holding' requirement, these will be usually temples.
• Everyone in Westeros, with the exception of the northern Night's Watch duchy, are sworn to the Iron Throne in post conquest scenarios. Due to a number of reasons, even absolute crown authority allows vassals to wage war on other vassals.
• Megawar setup: every time a succession occurs, there is a good chance of a succession crisis. When this happens, all Lords Paramount (kings) are made independent. They are able to join the King of the Iron Throne, the rebels, or declare independence. Usually, the king will win a succession crisis, but it is certainly not a hard and fast rule. The same thing happens whenever a war is declared on a King of the Iron Throne.
• 95% of all Westerosi provinces are connected by land and straits. Only the Arbor in the far southwest, and the Iron Islands to the northwest are disconnected. However, the Iron Islands are connected to each other.
• Boats, for the majority of provinces, are not a reality. Only a handful of provinces - including Dragonstone - have a fleet at all. Only the Ironborn of the Iron Islands have large navies, as boats are included in their cultural buildings. Specifically, the North is never to have boats, at least not ones available to the AI due to AI problems.
• To ensure that the High Valyrian culture is limited to the Targaryen dynasty only, randomly generated High Valyrian courtiers die off naturally at a young age. Similarly, province culture spread is disabled for the High Valyrian culture.
• Mercenary forces are hardcoded. Their numbers will rise as time passes, but will seem small for Westeros.
• Some plot events are connected to the events of the books. However, they might play out in a completely different way.
• Education (the one you pay for) affects the child's education (e.g. brilliant commander) traits. Other traits (e.g. lustful) are determined by the guardian (the one you choose in a standard way). You may pay for a poor level of education, a standard level and a high level of education.
• Duel outcomes are affected by your traits, and not by the martial stat. Valyrian swords and traits such as strong and tall increase your odds of winning. If you get a duel chain lasting for several clicks, do not worry - it is WAD and the duel will ultimately reach its conclusion.
• Valyrian swords are tied to a particular dynasty and inheritable. You also have a small chance of gaining a Valyrian blade in combat, by taking a settlement and ambition events.
• You can't marry someone who is widowed or a silent sister or a maester or a member of Night's Watch.
• The chance of taming a dragon depends on various factors, among them visiting the provinces of King's Landing, Dragonstone and Summerhall; being a Targaryen; being High Valyrian.

Troubleshooting[edit]

• If you experience a problem with the mod, check the mechanics section below, as some things are intended for the mod. If the issue is not listed here, report it on the Paradox forums or on the mod forums. Known bugs are listed in this thread.

• Do NOT click on various characters ('flick' through them) before starting the scenario, as the scenario may be messed up. This is a vanilla bug, however, it's results are much more disastrous in AGOT.

• If you are unable to launch the mod or get a black screen, check the settings.txt file in the mod folder first - it has to match the vanilla settings.txt (i.e. the one in your CKII folder).

• If you are using a Mac and the mod crashes, try deleting the loading screens from the mod folder.

• Do NOT choose Crowned Stag immediately after any of the new scenarios (the three first in the list) . It might cause weird results. To avoid this, select Robert's Rebellion, then select The Crowned Stag again.

FAQ[edit]

What is this?[edit]

A Game of Thrones is a total conversion mod for Crusader Kings II, based on George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire.

Who can I play?[edit]

You can play as any landed feudal noble in Westeros or Essos, any Wildling/Pirate warlord, the Night's Watch or the merchant republics of the Free Cities, Slaver's Bay and Qarth (DLC required)

What is 'NB+ AGoT Edition'?[edit]

It's a submod which changes the way borders are drawn and other nice gfx adjustments. Here's the original mod (thanks to EOOQE for making it compatible with our mod).

What are some of the new features?[edit]

Knights, Maesters, our new 'Megawar' system for handling civil wars, the Night's Watch, one-on-one duels between characters, several different kinds of magic, and much more.

Is Essos in the mod?[edit]

Yes

I haven't read all the books. Is it safe for me to play this mod?[edit]

To a limited extent.

All scenarios contain setting spoilers. If it's really important to you to not know who the Lord of Winterfell in 255 was, we suggest not playing the mod at all. If you only care about avoiding spoilers for the events of the books and show, however, you'll be safe so long as you follow these instructions:Don't read the house descriptions on the Game Over screen.Don't go mucking around in the mod's source files, especially the character history files.Choose your scenario wisely.

Which scenarios contain spoilers?[edit]

• The Bleeding Years: No Spoilers
• War of Conquest: No Spoilers
• The Dance of the Dragons: The Princess and the Queen Novella
• Conquest of Dorne: No Spoilers
• The Blackfyre Rebellion: No Spoilers
• After the Spring: No Spoilers
• War of the Usurper: No Spoilers
• The Crowned Stag: Spoilers - A Dance with Dragons (Books)
• The Greyjoy Rebellion: Spoilers - A Dance with Dragons (Books)
• A Clash of Kings: Spoilers - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Dance with Dragons (Books) Season One, Season Two (Show)
• A Feast for Crows: Spoilers - All books and all seasons of the show. Don't even click on it unless you've read all books!

What DLC does the mod need/use?[edit]

The mod should run fine no matter which DLC is enabled/disabled.

However some of the DLC does add content to the mod, here is an overview:

Main Expansions:

• The Sword of Islam: Adds only the ability for the player to have multiple wives as a character of the Valyrian religion.
• Legacy of Rome: Adds castration and blinding capability as well as a couple of flavour events. It does NOT add retinues.
• The Republic: Allows the Merchant Republic realms to be played, namely the Free Cities, Meereen, Yunkai, Astapor and the Guilds of Qarth. These realms will still be active even without the DLC.
• The Old Gods: Enables the concubine system for Drowned God and Harpy followers (Pre-DLC system will be used if not enabled). Also adds much flavour, including berserkers, adventurers, new rebels and runestones. Raiding is available for drowned god, wildlings and pirates even without this DLC.
• Sons of Abraham: Enables the council of the Most Devout and their election of the High Septon. Also adds many religious flavour events, including various Holy Order events/decisions.
• Rajas of India: Adds flavour to various far eastern cultures, including tiger hunts, gurus and the reincarnation events
• Charlemagne: Adds the chronicle, custom kingdoms (existing titular kingdoms are still available without DLC) and a 'hero knight' flavour event
• Way of life: Enables the focus system, allowing a ruler to pick any of the foci available with all associated events decisions. Seduction focus replaces 'visit chambers' interaction when DLC is enabled
• Horse Lords: Adds the nomad mechanics for Dothraki/Jogos Nhai (DLC now required to play these), landless adventurer mechanics for Ironborn, the wolf flavour events and land trade routes.
• Conclave: Adds the enhanced council/favour mechanics, new education focus system, dynamic mercenaries plus other misc flavour
• The Reaper's Due: Adds improved epimedic and illness mechanics, including hospitals and court physician treatment events. Adds prosperity and depopulation, as well as other flavour events.

Minor DLC:

• Monks and Mystics: Adds subversive religious cults you can join with your character.
• Ruler Designer: Fully compatible with the mod
• Customiser: Fully compatible with the mod
• EU4 Converter: Not compatible
• Music Packs: The mod's soundtrack currently overrides them, however deleting 'A Game of Thrones/music/songs.txt' will re-enable vanilla music
• West African Unit Pack/Portraits: Used for the Summer Islanders, Basilisk Islanders and Sothoryos
• East African Unit Pack/Portraits: Used for the Naathi
• Mongol Portraits: Used for the Nefer and Yi Ti
• Turkish Portraits/units: Used for Lengi
• Spanish Portraits/units: Used for Moraqi
• Celtic Portraits/units: Used for Ibbenese
• All other Face/Unit Packs: Not used
• Dynasty Coat of Arms Packs: Not used
• Sunset Invasion: Some things may happen if enabled..

I have a copy of the HBO show's opening theme that I acquired completely legitimately. How can I use it as my main menu music?[edit]

Convert it to .ogg format, move it to your Crusader Kings IImodA Game of Thronesmusic folder, and rename it crusaderkings2_maintitle

What is the 'Old Frames' option in the installer?[edit]

Paradox changed the style of the character frames in patch 2.4, selecting this option retains the old style of frames from before this.

I'm a Wildling and I have no idea what I'm doing.[edit]

The Wildlings don't respect dynastic ties the way Southerners do. They'll only follow strong leaders. The Wildlings receive a free Invasion CB on all their neighbors, and they receive significant military bonuses from having high prestige, but these bonuses come at two dangerous costs. First, Wildling provinces are ruled only at the Wildlings' pleasure. Anger the people too much, and you may find a revolt on your hands. Second, don't expect any higher-tier titles you create to outlast you - Wildling higher lordships and kingdoms dissolve on their rulers' deaths. As a Wildling, you'll find that power is easy to gain, and much more difficult to keep.

I'm making a CK2 mod and would like to use your Duel Engine or any other part of the mod, or I'd like to use your Duel Engine as a standalone mod.[edit]

Altering or using content from the main AGOT mod for use in a submod or another vanilla mod is fine, permission is granted to all who wish to do so. If using content in a vanilla mod please credit 'the AGOT team'.

My character has like 25 martial, why is he losing to guys with really low martial in duels?[edit]

Martial ability, being a command rating, has no effect on duel outcomes. Traits are what determines this. The combat traits are the most important, whilst others like strong, weak and valyrian swords also contribute.

Are there supposed to be random silent sisters showing up in the Kingsguard/Nightswatch's court?[edit]

Yes, the game populates courts with random females. If you move, the game simply adds more, this is the compromise we arrived at

Why are all High Septons called High Septon I?[edit]

A new High Septon extends the practice of septons giving up their family names by renouncing any kind of individual name. This is due to the belief that the individual becoming High Septon is no longer a man but an avatar of the gods.

Fabricating claims isn't working/happening too often, what have you done to it?[edit]

The chances of fabricating a claim have not been altered from vanilla, so having loads of claims or none at all in a certain period of time can happen.

We’ve tried to cover a range of sounds that will help bring your project to life and are always working on more. Fantasy sound shanghai. Fantasy and magic sound effects (407)Our free fantasy sound effects are always fun to record and create and often require some creative thinking. Inspired by many classic movies and books, we have sounds such as giants (footsteps, vocalizations, snoring etc) through to magical sounds.

I am a French speaker, why are the dynasty names in English?[edit]

For French users: si vous voulez jouer avec les dynasties traduites, rendez vous dans Mes Documents/Paradox/mod/A Game of Thrones/Traduction dynastie/FAQ où vous trouverez la démarche à suivre pour jouer avec les noms des Maisons en français.

I am a Mac user; how come the mod doesn't work and how do I fix it?[edit]

See this post.

Why can't I play as Renly in A Clash of Kings?[edit]

BOOK/SEASON 2 SPOILERS AHEAD:

We decided that moving the start of the scenario to after Renly's death provided better balance. The old setup with Renly alive and the original events is still possible to play by manually moving the start date to 11th Feb 8299.

Why are my wars ending inconclusively sometimes?[edit]

Flicking through different dates and characters on the character selection screen may cause wars to end inconclusively instantly when the game starts. This is a vanilla bug, if it does happen simply restart without flicking.

How do I colonise a ruin?[edit]

Ruined provinces are now colonised via a province decision, which is accessed by right clicking on the shield/coat of arms of the province.

I selected the A Game of Thrones bookmark, but the commander of the Dragon's Gate keeps killing everyone! What gives?[edit]

V1.4 was released on April Fools' Day. Though most of the content of this release was legitimate, the A Game of Thrones bookmark is a joke playing on George R. R. Martin's propensity for killing off characters. If you wish to play in the setting of the first book, manually changing the start date should fix the issue.