Coping with the ambitious trait

[🐾Humulus🐾]

Hello fellow CK2 players,

I am wondering all the time how to deal with the ambitious trait. I know having vassals with the ambitious trait is going to be a pain in the ass. However, is it also dangerous to have a ambitious wife? Can you tell me more how to deal with this trait, because it provides nice stats, but unreliable behaviour...

[happy]

i don t see anydrawbacks of an ambitious wife, she just has good stats and, if you have a child with a claim of some sort, she eventually will start a murder plot on her own to kill the guy in her kids way
the guys in the way can very well be your first sons if she is your second wife, so, i dont recommand ambitious wives as second wives(though you can just ask her to stop her plot)

as for vassals, well, they re ambitious and will never be happy unless you keep on giving them titles, so you don t want ambitious vassals
only exception is when you just have some land to give away, ambitious lords can have a pretty good stewardship trait and will run the county quite effectively nd bring you more taxes

overall, ambitious vassals are a pain, so just keep an eye on them at all time

[Gloomseeker]

Ambitious characters are not unreliable, you always know what to expect from them. In other words you can be sure that they will come after your titles sooner or later.

Ambitious sons can be a problem (especially when it comes to pretenders). The stat bonus is nice but you can also expect your ruler to get killed by an ambitious heir.

Happy makes some good points though. Ambitious characters can be trusted to plot their way through the game so having an ambitious character do your dirty work for you can be very nice.

When it comes to managing ambitious vassals it's rather straightforward: wait for them to rebel, crush them and revoke their titles to give them to vassals with the content trait. You can never please a vassal with the ambitious trait so it's not worth trying.

As far as wives are concerned, I would be wary of any wife with a high intrigue score who has reasons to be displeased with her husband. Especially considering that some events can drive a wedge between a ruler and his spouse.

[Taiwan Number One]

I generally just plot to murder them. As stated, it's nigh impossible to please them.

[Sir Hornet]

my wife was ambitious and started a plot to kill me just because i did not make her friend marshal

[satayagraha]

Postat inițial de Sir Hornet:

my wife was ambitious and started a plot to kill me just because i did not make her friend marshal

If you are playing muslim, wife(s) with that trait or other problematic ones such as envious, can be quite dangerous. They will almost certainly start to try and killl each other off at some point, not to mention each other's children by you if they have any.

[nvlutz]

I find that a good way to make use of their skills without having to deal with them directly is to make them barons, mayors or bishops, but then give the county or transfer vassalage over to a more trust worthy character. It not only gets them out of your hair and on the feild, but it can keep your smaller more direct vassals busy from fighting wars amongst eachother if they must constantly appease their vassals.