CK II - [2.8.2.1] [SAHQ] Paragon of virtue exploit (as a religion that can excommunicate)

[jonjowett]

One line summary of your issue
[2.8.2.1] [SAHQ] Paragon of virtue exploit (as a religion that can excommunicate)

Game Version
[2.8.2.1] [SAHQ]

What expansions do you have installed?
All of the above

Do you have mods enabled?
No

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
As a Catholic character, I can create an Antipope and then repeatedly: excommunicate courtiers (*) to bring my piety below 100; choose the "Paragon of Virtue" objective; bring piety above 500; gain 1 base learning and 25 temple opinion.

The "exploit" here is that the +1 base learning and +25 temple opinion stack - the character you see in the screenshot has completed the objective several times, so his base learning is now 15!

Also, the Pope doesn't hate me for controlling an Antipope, because he's got +75 opinion from 3 Paragon of Virtue objectives completed (since he became Pope).

Suggested fix:
- Alter the Paragon of Virtue objective so that the +1 base learning can only be obtained once per character. (Similar to the +1 base diplomacy from the prestige objective.)
- The +25 temple opinion should only be applied to characters that don't already have the Paragon of Virtue modifier towards you. Or, alternatively, add a permanent character-level flag giving +25 temple vassal opinion.




(*) Preferably rich courtiers who you've invited so you can demand conversion, excommunicate, imprison and banish (so you can steal all of their money). But that's a different exploit entirely...

Steps to reproduce the issue.
1. Create antipope (or vassalise the Pope)
2. Excommunicate unlanded courtiers, to bring piety below 100
3. Take the Paragon of Virtue objective
4. Wait for piety to get above 500 (or help it along by donating to holy orders). Get +1 base learning from completing the objective.
6. Repeat steps 2-4 as many times you like, for effectively unlimited boosts to base learning.

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[jonjowett]

Updated with some additional info that refines this infinite-learning loop:

• You don't have to be a religion that can excommunicate - everyone (?) has a piety sink in the form of the "Invite Holy Man to Court" decision.
  
  
• Alternatively, as a Muslim with a large dynasty, you don't even really need the piety sink - you'll get the opportunity to ask kinsmen to "straighten up" every few weeks. Each of these attempts costs 100 piety.
  
  
• Some religions also have a way to exchange gold for instant piety (by donating to a holy order as a non-heretic).

By combining the readily-available piety source and sink, it is possible to gain 1 base learning per in-game day at the cost of 600 gold per point of learning. (And also at the cost of a lot of button-clicks.)

If you don't want so many button-clicks, you can gain 1 base learning per 2-3 in-game months as a non-heretic Muslim using "Straighten Up" (the gold cost depends on your natural rate of piety gain).