People's Power module for Populist Religions
Overview
I have added a new module to better portray the specificities of the
populist religions.
A populist religion is a religion that "
strives to achieve equality in this world, supporting the commoners against the privileged classes and doctrinal formalism". There are 11 of them out of 247 religions in LI, so they are not many. But they represent a very interesting category of religions, with, as I see it, a potential for a proto-modern "totalitarian ideology". Of course the fact that this is Lux Invicta, where the spiritual extremes are welcome, makes such a social engineering approach possible. But even in our world, Mazdakists and Cathars, 2 notorious of the populist religions, were indeed a bit special...
For reference, Lux Invicta's 11 populist religions are:
- Antinomian
- Bogomilist
- Cathar
- Dionysian
- Fraticelli
- Khawdash Siyunic
- Kharijite
- Dragomirist
- Mazdakist
- Daojiao
- Waldensian
In short, the module makes authority a key value determining how your power is affected by the social-spiritual ideals of your people:
- at low level of authority, your people gets more power, limiting you but opening the possibility for special wars
- as authority increases, your people gets under your control, making realm management "standard" compared to other religions
- at yet higher levels of authority, you can manipulate the masses to gain an impressive level of power
Levels of People's Power
People's power level is determined by a demesne law. There are 3 ways this level can change:
1. It can change automatically based on your level of authority when it reaches certain thresholds. You cannot get to the 2 highest levels this way, but you can loose them.
2. You can also try to freely change the level at less demanding levels, but this is a law change that requires approval by your vassals.
3. The 2 highest levels, where you manipulate the masses, can be imposed to your realm if you reach twice the threshold of regular law change possibility. This means that you directly call to the people to join you, bypassing your vassals' authority.
Here comes the description of the 5 levels with their thresholds and effects. Some effects are direct (they are immediate and affect your whole demesne immediately) while some of them are indirect, meaning that they depend on social reforms and revolution spreading throughout your demesne. The rate at which social reforms and revolution spread depends on many factors (average time is 3 months for each province).
1. Popular Liberty
Access threshold
- Potentially forced to you at authority
< 0
- Selectable at authority
< 200
Direct Effects
- Succession Law switched to
Open Elective (yes!)
- Access to
Liberation War Casus Belli
- Light Infantry, Light Cavalry and Archers
+1 attack value
- Morale of armies
+100%
- Vassal limit
-10
- Demesne size
-2
- Global Revolt Risk
+10%
- Vassal opinion
-20
- Minimum vassal levy contributions
-20%
Indirect effects (province modifiers)
- Levy size
+100%
- Levy reinforce rate
+100%
- Local income
-80%
2. Popular Autonomy
Access threshold
- Potentially forced to you at authority
< 200
- Selectable at authority
0 - 399
Direct Effects
- Access to
Liberation War Casus Belli
- Light Infantry, Light Cavalry and Archers
+0.5 attack value
- Morale of armies
+50%
- Vassal limit
-5
- Demesne size
-1
- Global Revolt Risk
+2%
- Vassal opinion
-10
- Minimum vassal levy contributions
-10%
Indirect effects (province modifiers)
- Levy size
+25%
- Levy reinforce rate
+25%
- Local income
-50%
3. People Under Control
Access threshold
- Potentially forced to you at authority
< 500
- Selectable at authority
200 - 1000
Effects
None (standard religion modifiers and features continue to apply)
4. Demagogic Guidance
Access threshold
- Potentially forced to you at authority
< 1000
- Selectable at authority
> 500
- Can be imposed at authority
> 1,000
Effects
Revokation of titles possible
- Demesne size
+1
- Vassal opinion
-10
- Minimum vassal levy contributions
+20%
- Vassal tax
+20%
5. Demagogic Cult of Personality
Access threshold
- Selectable at authority
> 100
- Can be imposed at authority
> 2,000
Effects
Free Revokation of titles possible
- Access to
Liberation War Casus Belli
- Demesne size
+3
- Vassal opinion
-40
- Minimum vassal levy contributions
+50%
- Vassal tax
+50%
Liberation Wars
- Targets 1 county of a different religion
-
+30 authority gained when declared / Nothing lost if white peace /
-20 if defeated /
+70 if victorious
- Upon success, the title is granted to local "leader of the people", in fact a newly generated low born convert of the local culture with the ambitious trait and a martial education. Thus you create a low-born ruler of your religion but potentially of a whole new culture. He gets 600 soldiers, mostly light troops, to defend his liberty.
Note how that war could create a small independent "democracy" (open elective) in that area as the new low-born ruler could fall under 0 authority by the virtue of the negative authority modifier which all populist religions have. Not that an independent single county could survive on its own for long anyway, even with free 600 soldiers. The ruler being of your religion, close to you (maybe in your de jure) and very weak, you could try to vassalize it by diplomatic means. The different culture makes it no automatic though...
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As for all SELIN features, feedback and suggestions most welcome
