Summary
Thanks to theLegends of the DeadDLC forCrusader Kings 3and an accompanying free update, plagues and diseases will now sweep across the map with devastating effects. These epidemics spawn in random places and, depending on their severity, can spread quite far. Other than weakening and killing characters, plagues will also decrease the development in counties they spread to, causing further problems.
Owners ofLegends of the Deadalso have the calamitous Black Death to deal with, a special plague which, depending on game rules, will most likely strike just once, but will destroy almost everything in its wake. Thankfully, there are also plenty of new ways to try and prevent plagues inCK3or at least limit their effects once they have reached the player’s realm.
Updated Jul 13, 2025, by Joe Grantham:Crusader Kings 3 is by no means a simple game, and with every expansion or update, the game gets progressively more complex. As such, there are many ways to deal with plagues in CK3, and since their introduction, players have found a few more niche ways to stop the spread of death. Some of these measures are active steps that players can take, and at other times, there are things they should avoid doing. At the end of the day, though, players should attempt to accept plagues as a natural part of the game and embrace the tragedy and stories of redemption that can arise from nearly an entire noble family being wiped out. If players don’t like CK3’s plagues, they can lessen them or turn them off in the Game Rules before starting a playthrough.
1Don’t Build Too Many Buildings
It makes sense that disease is more likely to develop and spread in urban areas, and so this is one reason why players might not want to overbuild.Buildings such asTradeports, markets, and guilds, which see citizens from all over converge, contribute more to the likelihood of a plague outbreak. Cities are also worse for disease than both castles and temple holdings.
Therefore, if players are worried about plagues destroying all their progress, they could focus on expanding outward, rather than playing tall and focusing on building up a small realm. Players might want to be particularly careful with their capital, as this is where their ruler and the ruler’s family will reside.
2Be Careful With Large Armies & Where They Go
Warfare is a big part ofCK3, and even if players aren’t looking to go on the offensive, at some point they will need to raise their banners to deal with threats from across the border or from within their own realm. Beyond the usual dangers, the introduction of plagues means there is another threat to consider from the massing of large forces of men.
For example, the Bloody Flux spreads faster and can develop in regions currently occupied by soldiers. Naturally, the bigger the army, the higher the chance of disease. This mechanic also applies to baronies that have fortifications, as they are garrisoned by soldiers. Furthermore, if there is an existing plague of any variety already on the map, players will want to avoid marching their army near it, as otherwise their soldiers and commanders will quickly perish. It is a bad idea to start a war when a disease is raging, but if one is already being fought,attempt to end the war quickly, by any means.
3Assign A Competent Physician To Control Plagues
This Option Will Boost Plague Resistance
Having a Court Physician is naturally of the utmost importance, and always has been inCrusader Kings 3. With the introduction of map-wide plagues, however, players can now assign tasks for certainCourt Positions, including their Physicians. There are a few options for Physicians, but when plagues arrive, it is best to switch them to Control Plagues, which will increase the Plague Resistance.
Unfortunately, though, not all Physicians are created equally and those with a greater aptitude will boost this resistance further. Acquiring a highly competent Physician is not easy, as players will either have to wait for a good candidate to come along naturally, or instead fork outa huge amount of goldusing the Find Court Physician decision.
4Study The ‘Whole Of Body’ Lifestyle Tree
The Perks & Lifestyle Trait Improve All Aspects Of Health
Trying to stay healthy and have long reigns inCK3is not a new concept, so players can make use of old methods to stave off the effects of new plagues. The best way to do this is to take the Medicine Focus for a small health boost and then take perks in the Whole of Body Lifestyle Tree, eventually earning the Trait of the same name.
Certain of these perks make contracting diseases less likely, improve resistance, and provide small health boosts in general. Even the stress-reducing Perks can be useful, as times of death and destruction are no happy times, even for those who manage to avoid illness. The first Perk in this tree, Anatomical Studies, even make Court Physicians cheaper and more effective.
5Build Hospices & Burial Sites
Both Provide Plague Resistances On Top Of Other Bonuses
Legends of the Deadintroduces two new buildings, Hospices and Burial Sites. Hospices are a building line that starts as simple Pilgrims Quarters, and on top of providing a small amount of Gold and Piety, they importantly provide Plague Resistance. Like other building lines, they can be upgraded seven times.
Burial Sites, on the other hand, are a type of Duchy Building, so players will have to decide if preventing diseases is more important than the benefits ofCK3’sother Duchy Buildings. They provide more Plague Resistance than Hospices, and come with a whole heap of bonuses too, including Piety, Court Grandeur, Legitimacy, Legend Spread Chance, and Control. The only downside to buildings in general is that more built-up holdings are more likely to spawn diseases.
6Isolate Capital
This Increases Plague Resistance At The Cost Of Control Loss
One of the actions players can take when plagues strike is to isolate their capital, essentially putting it under quarantine. While this will provide a huge boost to Plague Resistance within the player’s main county, it will do little to help the rest of the realm and the Control level in this county will also go down.
At the end of the day, players must weigh for themselves whether this action is worth the loss of control. If they already have high control or have someMartial Perksthat help with this, it can be a great option. However, if it gets too low both tax and levies will suffer greatly. Players should also remember to take the action of ending isolation when danger has passed, although this action can only be taken a year after initially isolating.
7Enter Seclusion
Lower The Chances Of Personal Infection At The Cost Of Lower Stats
A more personal decision that characters can make is to enter seclusion, isolating themselves and their close family from other people and hopefully avoid catching a present disease. While the chance of infection is heavily reduced, avoiding the responsibilities of a ruler comes at a huge cost to the character’s stats.
In fact, players will temporarily lose -2 stats for every category apart from Diplomacy, as for this stat they will lose a whopping -3. This is a big decision to make, but if players have a certain ruler they really wish to protect, it is a great option to have.For roleplay purposes inCrusader Kings 3, it would also make sense for craven or shy characters to isolate and hide themselves away from danger.
8Play In Poland
Historically, Poland Mostly Avoided The Black Death, & This Is Reflected In-Game
In terms of the Black Death specifically, and as long as players have the historical setting for it in the game rules, a good way to avoid it is to play in Poland. The developers includedthis nod to history, as the Black Death seems to have had less of an impact on Poland, despite devastating almost everywhere else in Europe.
While players won’t be safe from normal diseases and other forms of danger in medieval life, this is one of a few pockets where a whole realm can make it through the dreaded mid-14th century.
