Crusader Kings III – Dread Guide

Dread is a measure of how feared a ruler is by its Vassals and can make characters Intimidated or Terrified. There are two types of Dread: Natural Dread and Decaying Dread.

• Natural Dread is added or removed by character Traits and represents the minimum Dread a character can have.

• Decaying Dread is added over Natural Dread and gained by performing cruel acts like torturing and executing Prisoners.

Intimidated characters are less likely to join Factions or Schemes against the character they’re intimidated of while Terrified character will never join Factions or Schemes against them. In addition, it affects their acceptance for various character interactions:

Dread

Interaction	Intimidated acceptance	Terrified acceptance
Arrange Marriage	+75	+150
Blackmail	+50	+100
Negotiate Alliance	+50	+100
Offer Guardianship	+50	+100
Offer Ward	+50	+100
Ransom	+40	+100
Ask to Take Vows	+25	+50
Imprison	+25	+50
Retract Vassal	+25	+50
Revoke Title	+25	+50
Demand Conversion	+10	+20
Offer Vassalage	+10	+20
Marry	-50	-75

Dread is lost at a rate of -0.5 per month unless the character has the Forever Infamous intrigue lifestyle perk.