For vassal mechanics in general, see Vassal
Vassal is a gameplay mechanic in Total War: Three Kingdoms. Vassal mechanics returns in Three Kingdoms and have expanded significantly. The relationship between a Vassal State and its Lord is now multidimensional, offering many new benefits for both owning vassals and becoming one. There's also a burden of responsibility, and a healthy dose of relationship management for a vassal lord to attend to.
Overview[]
Vassal states are factions that have come under the stewardship of another faction. The vassal pays 20% of its income to, and gains military protection from, the vassal master; any third party that declares war on one automatically declares war on both. Likewise, going to war with a vassal master triggers an automatic declaration of war against their vassals.
Vassals are not slaves to their vassal masters. They can still conduct themselves as semi-independent factions – conducting diplomacy and private wars, expanding their territory and so forth. They must however seek permission from their vassal master before declaring war on another faction.
There is an entire category of diplomatic options purely for vassals and vassal masters. One faction can attempt to vassalise another, or choose to become another's vassal. A vassal may request liberation, or a guarantee of liberation further down the line. They may also declare their independence, which puts them immediately at war with their former master.
A vassal master can liberate their vassal, restoring them to fully-autonomous faction status, or promise to liberate them later on. They may also choose to annex their vassal, taking full ownership of all their settlements, characters and armies and effectively liquidating them as a faction. However, promising to liberate a vassal then later annexing it is a grave act of treachery, and will negatively impact the vassal master's trustworthiness rating. In addition, a master with multiple vassals who annexes one will suffer a major diplomatic attitude penalty with all his other vassals.
Otherwise, the usual rules of diplomacy apply. Vassals and masters have their own diplomatic attitudes towards one another, and may manage relations, trade food, make trade agreements, lend and borrow money, and in short, conduct diplomacy as normal between themselves and with others.[1]
Benefits[]
Benefits of vassalization[]
The core benefit for a vassal lord is that his vassals pay him a healthy percentage of their gross income each turn. In turn, they're expected to protect them militarily. Therefore, if a faction declares war on a vassal, it also declares war on the vassal's lord. Protection is reciprocal: if player declares war on a vassal lord, its vassals will join the war against the aggressor. This makes military actions against a lord with multiple vassals a potentially very dangerous prospect.
The benefits to owning a stable and carefully managed network of vassals can be great. With the income they collectively generate for the player faction, there's less reliance on funds generated by player's own infrastructure, perhaps freeing the player to pursue other civic goals.[2]
Benefits to be vassalized[]
Becoming a vassal needn't be a bad thing, and while it can be forced, it can also be a choice – player can actually offer to become a vassal for another faction. If player's faction is small, militarily weak and threatened by neighbours, becoming a vassal for a larger power grants protections. Player still function as a faction of course – vassalage is not a form of slavery – but with certain limitations in place. Player will need to pay the tithe to the lord master each turn, and if player wish to initiate a war against another faction, a negotiate to gain permission with the vassal master is needed. If they agree, they will join the player in that war. As a vassal, player can still engage in trade and general diplomacy with other factions, enhancing the empire in spite of the vassal status.
And vice versa, being a vassal lord does not mean vassals are subservient to the lord in all matters. Diplomatic standing is still important – if player's standing with vassal(s) drops below a certain threshold, they’ll declare their independence, which immediately puts player in a state of war with them. But a vassal can also approach its lord and negotiate for liberation; cutting a deal for their independence instead, a far more diplomatic solution to regaining solo status.
Diplomacy actions[]
Guarantee autonomy[]
A lord can choose to guarantee autonomy to their vassal, whichs boosts the diplomatic standing between the master and vassal. An autonomous vassal will less likely to seek independence, and they function exactly like regualr vassals, with the exception that vassal lord will break promise and marked as treacherous if annexing the said vassal.
Independence[]
A lord can choose to grant independence to their vassal, which brings a huge benefit to their diplomatic standing. Even better, granting vassal independence, then inviting them to an alliance player's part of – essentially liberating them, elevating them, and treating them as an equal – will please them beyond compare.
Annexation[]
At the other end of the spectrum, a lord can choose to annex a vassal, at which point the vassal’s territory, armies and characters become wholly owned by the lord and part of his faction. This carries a penalty however – it’s a dishonourable thing to do, and will be seen by all other factions as a major act of treachery.
In a situation where a lord has multiple vassals and annexes one of them, the lord will suffer massive diplomatic standing penalties with all their other vassals. It’s possible that some – or all – will declare immediate independence from and enter a war against their former lord.