Council laws are laws to determine which actions require a council vote. Requires Conclave DLC to be activated.

Table of laws

Voting power	Other effects
Laws	(Always the first voting power.) (AKA "empowering the council", in contrast to "abolishing the council" or "absolute rule".) 👑 Ruler can enforce realm peace (when the council is content and with its support) 👑 Ruler can propose new laws more often: the cooldown is reduced from 10 years to 5 years. Piety costs for iqta rulers and prestige costs for nomadic rulers are also reduced. 👑 King can appoint one additional Advisor, and emperor can appoint two. These voting positions can appease major vassals without compromising the competence among your five main council positions. This is particularly useful for merchant republics and nomads. Note that Advisors in the Byzantine and Roman Empire are electors under imperial elective. Council members can use favors to force votes on some laws (vassal obligations and most levels of council empowerment)
War declaration	(Always the second voting power.) 👑 Council members cannot join factions (when the council is content and government is not tribal/nomadic) Council members can use favors to force a vote on pressing their claim
Title revocation	Includes vassal retraction
Imprisonment	Only imprisonment by arrest (diplomatic action)
Title grants	Only permanent grants (not viceroyalties)
Banishment
Execution
"Council authority"	(Must be feudal king+. Council members cannot force a vote on this law.) 👑 Can switch to feudal elective even if Muslim, Eastern, or unreformed Pagan Cannot switch from feudal elective Powerful vassals cannot be fired from the council (but can still swap positions)

Absolutism gives +2 demesne limit, and is one of the requirements for Imperial Administration. Each level of council empowerment beyond the first gives +2 vassal limit, for a possible total of +14 vassal limit for feudal rulers (+12 for other government types). Other benefits to lieges from empowering the council are marked with 👑.

Note that tribal rulers will not suffer the -2 demesne limit when raising Tribal Organization to Low (and thus empowering the council); they may attempt to get the +2 demesne limit bonus from absolutism only after reaching Absolute Tribal Organization.

"Laws" is always the first level and "Wars" is always the second. Once these two are in place, all subsequent levels can be passed in any order.

Strategies

Passing laws which favor the council gives a temporary opinion boost (+5) with all vassals; consider passing a law if an opinion boost is enough to stave off a revolt which you cannot handle. Conversely, since passing laws which favor the ruler gives a temporary opinion penalty (-10) to all vassals, if your realm is on the brink of rebellion, consider postponing a law change which would favor the ruler, until things stabilize.

• Realms with advanced government (i.e. not tribal/nomadic) have little to lose by granting the first two laws; if the realm starts with absolutism, consider giving in to an ultimatum from the "increase council power" faction.
  • Note that for tribal realms, council laws will be made available, and then automatically passed in favor of the council, as Tribal Organization is increased; only upon reaching Absolute Tribal Organization can the ruler propose for individual powers to be returned to the ruler.
  • Nomads start with a fully empowered council (but has no "council authority" law, allowing the Khagan to fire powerful councilors; this absence also applies for tribal realms), and powers cannot be returned to the Khagan at all.
• Realms with viceroyalty laws or Imperial Administration can consider passing "title grants".
• Feudal realms which do not intend to use feudal elective or to change out of feudal elective can consider passing "council authority". This has the added effect of preventing you from accidentally firing powerful vassals, as fired councilors may not be reappointed for some time after dismissal. However, you can always fire councilors via events or imprisonment.
• Realms which are stuck with gavelkind succession can also consider passing "council authority"; locking in feudal elective is very often favorable compared to unforeseen realm divisions due to gavelkind. However, note the dual requirements: at least a kingdom title and being feudal.

Related factions

A faction to Increase council authority can be formed to force the passing of the first seven voting powers, in the order shown above. If the liege accepts the ultimatum of this faction, two laws will be passed in the council's favor. As more laws are passed in the council's favour, the chance of this faction forming will decrease.

Only a faction to Overthrow the ruler can force the implementation of the last council power, "Full Council Authority".

Realm

Landed titles

Baronies • Counties • Duchies • Kingdoms • Empires

Laws

Succession laws • Crown laws • Demesne laws • Realm laws • Council laws

Concepts

De jure • Demesne • Feudalism • Titular title • Council • Council vote