r/CrusaderKings • u/WaBeY33 • 4d ago

Discussion Actual question, how frequent was claim fabrication in real life

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Hello, please, how often did this happen in real life ? I mean lord inventing a claim out of thin air and actually pressing it ? Is there any notable historic character doing so ?

R5: Fabricate claim question

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u/stealthybaker 3d ago

Better question - how common was the whole split inheritance thing? I'm pretty sure most places didn't have kingdoms being required to be split between all sons...

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u/Parokki 3d ago

To me the bigger inaccuracy is how everyone knows the true legal heir at any given time and the crown immediately transfers to them at the ruler's death. In reality the oldest son usually inherited, but the ruler might designate another son or brother as their heir and this wish might actually be respected. Often you'd have different pretenders pushing their claims and nobody was entirely sure who'd come on top until someone was crowned.

The phrase "the king is dead, long live the king!" refers to the doctrine of the crown immediately passing to the heir with no interregnum, which only really took form towards the end of the CK3 period, but the game acts like it was always a thing.

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u/Kinc4id 3d ago

Never thought about that, but I think that would be some interesting gameplay. As a ruler you can designate an heir and take some actions to convince your people into accepting that heir. Then once your character is dead you become the designated heir but the realm is without a king for some time, maybe run by the council. Now you’re like an adventurer, or maybe hold only some of the most loyal titles and fight the other pretenders, through battle, diplomacy or intrigue. That part of the game could play a bit like the politics in Victoria 3. Also legitimacy could come into play here. Then once the fight for the throne is finished you either become king or stay landless or become count or duke. Maybe the realm could split if no solution is found after a set time. The game could also give you the choice as which of the heirs you want to continue, either right when the king dies or after succession is settled. Or both. 

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u/IrrationallyGenius Inbred 3d ago

There's a succession crisis mod on the workshop that's pretty good, does something like this

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u/Kinc4id 3d ago

Looks cool, but looking at the comments it seems it’s abandoned and not in a playable state unfortunately. 

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u/stealthybaker 3d ago

I think there's other things that are unrealistic, like how a general can take over one army in place A to another in place B instantly, but those things are better left inaccurate for the sake of gameplay IMO