Cadet Branches: What They Are and How They Work

Cadet branches are a new feature in Crusader Kings III that was long asked for by fans of previous editions of the game. Overall, it’s an additional layer to how dynasties work in CK3 that adds nuance and complexity to houses and dynasties.

For achievement hunters, creating a cadet branch unlocks the CK3 achievement named “A House of My Own,” which is worth 5 gamerscore points.

What Is a Cadet Branch?

A cadet branch is a new house that falls within an existing dynasty. It has its own head of house, though it retains the same head of dynasty, as the dynasty itself remains unchanged.

The new house created by a cadet branch has its own name and motto. It also gets a new coat of arms, which has two quarters that are the same as the dynasty coat of arms.

What Are the Benefits of Creating a Cadet Branch?

There are several reasons to create a cadet branch within a dynasty. Overall, creating a cadet branch increases the power and prestige of your character and your heirs, and it decreases the power of your ruler over your character.

  1. As a house head of a cadet branch, a character earns prestige every month.
  2. As a house head, you get weak hooks over any character born under the cadet branch.
  3. Prior to creating a cadet branch, your house head holds a weak hook over any character born to that house. By creating a cadet branch, your character eliminates that ability from your potential rival.
  4. As head of house, you gain the powers to legitimize bastards, call house members to war at no cost, and demand house members convert to your faith.

Requirements for Creating a Cadet Branch?

There are several requirements for a character to have the opportunity to create a cadet branch:

  1. The character must be under feudal or clan government.
  2. The character must be a blood relative to their current house head.
  3. The character must not be third in line or closer in succession to the house head.
  4. The character must not have any living ancestors.
  5. The character must have enough prestige.

How to Create a Cadet Branch

If you have a character that meets all the requirements to create a cadet branch, you can do so with a few easy steps, listed below. If you’re looking for the quickest way to create a branch in order to unlock the achievement, we’ve created a video below for creating one immediately at the start of a new game.

Step 1: Open the Decisions tab
Step 2: Select “Create Cadet Branch.” This should be the top available decision.
Step 3: A pop-up appears to explain the decision in detail. To finalize the creation of the branch, select “Create Cadet Branch” at the bottom of the box.