How to make the best use of my intr. 20 spymaster

[PkK]

After pausing for a few years, I recently started playing CK II again. The game is quite a bit different now due to all the DLC and I'm not that experienced a player, so I decided to ask here.

Situation: Started game as Berthold in 1066, educated a daugher in intrigue. After some time I died in a bug.
Playing as the new ruler, I soon had a 20 intrigue half-sister that didn't like me much. I passed the law on marginal status of women, then made her spymaster, and managed to get her opinion of me up to 0.
I have the duchies of Verona, Carinthia and Baden, and I'm the Count of Ghent. My wife is the duchess of Bavaria. I have alliances with France and Hungary, and some small counties.

Current problems:
* Count of Mantua wants my duke title, he is now imprisoned.
* Unlanded son.
* I have that great spymaster, but I'd prefer she'd like me more, so I could feel a bit safer
* When the countess of Padua dies, her county will slip from my realm

I thought I could improve the spymaster's opinion of me by giving her a county. So I tried to get the law passed on revoking titles, to take the Mantua one. But she voted agaianst it, and so did most of the council (they all owed her a favor).

Long-term goals:
* I'd prefer Agnatic-Cognatic Ultimogeniture inheritance to the current one (I have the one where the oldest dynasty member gets it all).
* I want to be a king in a powerful HRE
* Crusading, liberating the holy land, liberating the opressed Christians in Spain

Philipp

P.S.: I got the option to go into hiding, even though I don't know of any plots against me.

 

[Sonmi]

Send her back to Constantinople to the all-year 'round International Spymaster Convention.

 

[PkK]

Send her back to Constantinople to the all-year 'round International Spymaster Convention.

She could even meet my former spymaster (he got imprisoned while on a mission there).

Philipp

 

[Sirrobert1]

IMO, especially for spymaster, how much they like you is far more important than the stat.

 

[Dahoota]

IMO, especially for spymaster, how much they like you is far more important than the stat.

Agreed, though as long as their opinion is above 0 and they or their children aren't in the line of succession you're safe. Spymasters are particularly useless if they don't like you - even if they aren't plotting against you they won't inform you about plots.

On topic, my spymasters usually hangout in Constantinople unless I'm plotting to kill someone, then it's build spy network. This is stronger than the description suggests: you get the plot power bonus + perhaps more importantly the spymaster themselves become viable plotters with their high intrigue because they are now at the target's location (assuming they like you more than the target).

With this in mind having a spymaster with the deceitful trait is useful, it reduces their hidden "AI honor" value, meaning they will join most plots you start.

 

[PkK]

She already uncovered plenty of plots while she still had negative opinion of me (never uncovered any plots against me though). And she's a title claimant.
She's now in Constantinople to find out more about the advanced tech they have there.

Philipp

 

[Sirrobert1]

She already uncovered plenty of plots while she still had negative opinion of me (never uncovered any plots against me though). And she's a title claimant.
She's now in Constantinople to find out more about the advanced tech they have there.

Philipp

The plot against you is the main trick yes. And as your spymaster, she has a MASSIVE plot power in any plots against you. Not worth the risk IMO