Summary
There are a lot of choices you have to make throughout a playthrough ofCrusader Kings 3. How wide should you stretch your realm, how should you raise your children, should you openly antagonise your neighbours, or lay back and focus on your own realm first? The decisions are copious, and never really stop across the whole campaign.
However, you must first choose where to actually begin, and that’s already a hard one. Based on the historical period the game encompasses, there are a great many historical buildings that provide incredible benefits that can’t be found elsewhere. Starting in these areas is a great boost, or you could even incorporate them into your own realm to take advantage of them.
9Glass Monument
The Glass Monument is one of the more unique Special Buildings. Unlike most others listed here, which are real, historical buildings found in specific parts of the world, the Glass Monument is much more malleable. It can be built anywhere in the world, and even adds to your existing building slots rather than taking one up. So how do you make it?
Well,you need to have the Lunatic trait, which is not always the most desirable nor somethng you can exactly choose. After that, your personal Level of Fame must be at least Distinguished. At this point, a Decision will appear to create the Glass Monument. Once constructed, it will provide you with +1 to taxes in the Holding it is built, +25% monthly Development and +25 Popular Opinion in the County, and +1 Monthly Prestige and a Small Health Boost to you.
8Mines
Mines are a unique Special Building, designed to be upgraded over the years to increase their benefits. As such, this means you must unlock certain Innovations, such as Manorialism and Cranes, to bring them to the next stage. However, they can only be built in specific locations around the world, and all give slightly different benefits.
7Buddhas Of Bamian
The Buddhas of Bamian are interesting because the benefits they provide seem astronomical at first glance. However, this is leveled out by the terrain in which it is situated. Bamian has rather unfavorable terrain, but the benefits of this still far excel those negatives. Even better, it is constructed no matter what time period you start in.
The Buddhas of Bamian provide +10% Holding Taxes, +75% Development Growth, and +0.30 monthly Development Growth for this county. The realm benefits are just as notable, giving you +1 Diplomacy per Level of Devotion, and +10 to your monthly Piety. Keep in mind that you must be an adherent of an Eastern religion for this effect to activate.
6Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia is an incredibly powerful Special Building, and another that exists regardless of the year in which you start the game. Owing to the unique history of the Hagia Sophia in reality, the building has the trait of being able to be used by owners of both Islamic and Christian faiths.
The Hagia Sophia starts as a Christian building, and must be converted to be used by Muslim owners.
The benefits it gives are incredible. It gives +20 Development Growth to region that is already easy to raise the Development of, but the personal benefits are even stronger. +2 Learning, +2 Intrigue per Level of Fame, an extra +0.10 Piety a month per Knight, +5% monthly Renown, +2 max Knights, and plus 20% Knight Effectiveness. It is simply absurd.
5City Walls Of Toledo
Situated right in the heart of Spain as it would later be known, the City Walls of Toledo are another powerful Special Building. It was historically built by the Romans, and thusly is available from even the earliest start date. That’s good too, because you can bet many people will be fighting over it, but it should keep you well-defended.
The City Walls of Toledo provide a mix of Development and defensive bonuses. For the Holding, it grants +2 to the Fort Level, +25% to the Garrison size, and -20 Danger when traveling through it. For the whole county, it takes 50% longer forhostile raidsto succeed, you get +10% Holding Taxes, Defenders here get +5 advantage, your Development Growth is boosted by +10%, and you get an additional +0.30 monthly Development Growth.
4Nalanda University
The Nalanda University is situated in the heart of historical India, another Special Building that exists from the very beginning of the game. It has a slightly different focus from many other buildings listed here, though. Being a place of learning, it is more about increasing the personal stats of its holder, though has other helpful benefits, too.
In the county, it increasesDevelopment Growthby +20% and also adds +0.30 to the monthly Development Growth. For the holder, it grants +1 Stewardship and +1 Learning per Level of Fame, +0.25 Renown per month, +10% monthly experience towards your selected Lifestyle, and +5% towards the current Cultural Fascination. It also gives a reduced cost for Grand Tournament Board Games and Recitals, higher quality book Inspirations, and you’re able to even send your wards there.
3Theodosian Walls
The Theodosian Walls are a bit unique. They are not classed as a Special Building like most others are, with a dedicated slot of their own. Instead, it is classed as a Duchy Building and takes up the corresponding slot. That does mean they can be removed and replaced with another building if you wish, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever want to.
Built by default, the Theodosian Walls provide +10 to the Holding Taxes, +5 to the Fort Level, +100% to the Garrison Size, -20 Danger when traveling through here, and an extra 1,000 troops in the garrison. The County then gets +50% to hostile raid time, +30% Levy Size, +30% Holding Taxes, +20% Development Growth, and +0.40 monthly Development Growth. And then for all holdings within the duchy, their levies are increased by 15% and all Holding Taxes by +15%.
2Notre Dame
Notre Dame is an incredibly powerful Special Building, and a major icon in literature. To balance out these great benefits, there are a few restrictions. For one, it can only be used by Christians, and secondly, it must be constructed. This requires the Windmills Innovation, so it will take a little while into a campaign before it can be built.
Once you do though, the bonuses are great. The holding gets +2 to its monthly taxes, while the whole county gets +20% to its Holding Taxes, +30% Development Growth, +0.30 monthly Development Growth, and +5 to Popular Opinion. And the holder themself gets + Stewardship per Level of Devotion, +1 Piety per month, and +5% monthly Renown.
1House Of Wisdom
The House of Wisdom is situated in Baghdad, and is constructed even from the earliest start date in the game. Even better, it can be used by any faith. So what are the downsides to these and its other great benefits? Literally nothing. The House of Wisdom is easily one of the strongest Special Buildings in the game.
With it, the county gets +20% Holding Taxes, +20% Development Growth, and +0.30 monthly Development Growth. For the holder is where the real benefits show. You get +1 Learning per Level of Fame, +5% monthly Renown, +15% monthly experience to your selected Lifestyle, +10 opinion from people of different cultures, +10% towards your current Cultural Fascination, and 20% reduction in the Piety cost for creating and reforming a faith. It is rife with opportunity for any and all players.
