Espionage

Espionage

Claim Fabrication

Allow fabricate claims on states

Allow transfer of vassal wargoal

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State Propaganda

−20% Aggressive expansion impact

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Efficient Spies

+50% Spy network construction

+10% Siege ability

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Agent Training

+1 Diplomat

−15% Advisor cost

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Vetting

+33% Foreign spy detection

−0.2 Yearly corruption

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Privateers

+33% Privateer efficiency

+25% Chance to capture enemy ships

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Blackmailing

+15 Vassalization acceptance

+33% Monthly favor gain modifier

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Bonus:

+100% Rebel support efficiency

−20% Covert actions cost

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Associated events: Espionage idea group events

Espionage is a way to weaken enemies without actually going to war. Covert actions are diplomatic actions that spend spy network points, which are built up over time by diplomats. Espionage has an associated idea group in the diplomatic group of ideas which enhances several espionage aspects. As the game progresses more covert actions become available for use by progressing in diplomatic technology.

Spy efficiency

Spy network construction

Covert actions are executed by spending spy network size, which is gained by sending a diplomat to construct a spy network in a foreign nation. As the spy networks' size grows, more costly covert actions can be executed in the target nation. A spy network which isn't being actively maintained by a diplomat will slowly decay over time at a rate of 1.00 per month. As long as the aggressor has a big enough spy network it is possible, if so desired, to perform a succession of covert actions on the target; all of which will be instantaneous and successful upon execution, along with most of the actions also having the effects lasting for a duration of 5 years.

It is important to note that it's not possible to construct a spy network in a subject nation. The aggressor has to build the spy network in the overlord's nation instead. That one network can then be used to execute covert actions in the overlord's and any of its subjects nations.

Spy network construction has a base construction speed of 1.50 per month modified by distance, the foreign spy detection of the target and the following:

	Triggers
+30%	Ruler has ‘Intricate Webweaver’ personality
+25%	Spymaster advisor Target is a Rival Hostile trading trade policy Trading in Spices
+10%	Holy Roman Emperor Lucky nation
-50%	Corruption (at 100%)

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
+50%	—	Espionage idea 3: Efficient Spies	—	Infrastructure-Espionage: Spy Network Act
+33%	—	—	—	Diplomatic-Offensive: The Underhanded Diplomacy Act
+25%	—	—	—	Espionage-Offensive: The Black Chamber Act
+20%	Daimyo traditions Ito traditions	Ardabili idea 5: Religious War Aztec idea 7: Pochtecayotl Hosokawa idea 6: Yamabushi Kitabatake idea 6: Iga-Ryu Kuban idea 4: Usurpation of the Chiefs Lunda idea 7: Lord of the Vipers Munster idea 7: Enemies Within Pattani idea 3: Smuggling Networks Samtskhe idea 2: Proactive Diplomacy Tokugawa idea 2: Strengthen the Sekisho Network Transoxianian idea 3: Adept Diplomacy Trebizond idea 7: Greek Scholars Abroad Uesugi idea 5: Nokizaru	—	—
+15%	—	Frankfurter idea 4: Frankfurter Postzeitung	—	—
+10%	—	Italian (minor) idea 6: Italian Diplomacy Sligonian idea 4: A Different Way Takeda idea 3: Information Network Ulster idea 6: The Defenders	—	—

Passive benefits

Having a spy network in a foreign nation grants several passive benefits for the country creating the spy network when certain DLCs are enabled. The benefits scale with the networks' size and at a 100 spy network will apply:

• +20% Siege ability
• −30% Aggressive expansion impact (in that nation)

• −30% Technology costs (Maximum amount)
  • The applied reduction is −5% for each tech level the target is ahead in a certain tech field compared to the nation building the spy network (in case of multiple same-field reductions only the highest is applied).
  • The reduction is affected by the size of the spy network.
  • This benefit is unlocked at Diplomatic technology 9.

Foreign spy detection

Foreign spy detection determines the chances of discovering actively built spy networks and how quickly enemy spy networks grow in the nation.

Foreign spy detection has a base efficiency of 100% modified by the following:

	Modifier
+25%	Trading in Tobacco
+20%	Ruler has ‘Secretive’ personality
+15%	During Treason Act (10 years)
+10%	Prestige (at 100%) Federal Republic government
+5%	Per Stability Positive point
−5%	Per Stability Negative point
−10%	Prestige (at -100%)
−20%	Ruler has ‘Loose Lips’ personality
−25%	Corruption (at 100%)

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
+33%	—	Espionage idea 5: Vetting Cascadian idea 4: Settling the Boundaries Three Leagues idea 2: The League of God's House	—	Mercenary-Espionage: Loyal Conduct Act
+30%	—	Dahomey idea 4: Lagredis Venetian idea 4: Found the State Inquisition	—	—
+20%	—	Chimu idea 4: Watchfulness of the Moon Italian (minor) idea 3: Italian Aristocracy Ormond idea 5: Irish Rivalries	—	—
+10%	Creek traditions	Sligonian idea 4: A Different Way Takeda idea 3: Information Network Ulster idea 6: The Defenders	—	—

Counter-espionage

Counter-espionage is performed by sending a diplomat to a foreign nation with the intention of hunting down the foreign nation's spies in the diplomat's home nation. As long as the diplomat continues the action, the diplomat's nation gets +33% Foreign spy detection against the foreign nation in addition to applying further −50% spy network construction and slowing the foreign nation's network construction. This drastically hinders (if not outright precludes) the target's efforts to execute covert actions.

Discovery chance

Spy network construction has a discovery chance upon reaching size 25; meaning, an aggressor can fabricate a single claim or generate a trade conflict CB without risking the chance of being discovered if the network size is smaller than 25.

The discovery chance is calculated as the sum of the yearly discovery chance, which has a base of 25% (or a 2.083% monthly discovery chance), and the difference between the defending nation's foreign spy detection and the attacker's spy network construction. While there are modifiers reducing (or increasing) the discovery chance, it cannot be reduced below approximately 0.06% per month.

A nation which has been discovered building a spy network will have its spy network prevented from growing for 12 months, but the diplomat will not be expelled. After the 12 months are over the diplomat will resume spy network construction. In addition, the size of the spy network will be reduced to 25, 50 or 75 (the closest of these that is still less). For example, being discovered at spy network 70 will reduce the spy network to 50. And finally, spy network will decay at the normal rate, as if you didn't have a spy there.

Covert actions

• All actions are instantaneous and successful upon execution; most actions have a duration of 5 years or an instant effect.
• Actions can still be executed even if a diplomat can't further build a spy network (due to discovery).
• Same type (covert action) effects are not additive; e.g. Agitate for Liberty effects will apply only once per nation even if 2 or more aggressor nations executed it on the target.
• In addition to adjacency, the following situations allow a country to use "Fabricate Claim":
  • The country has completed Exploration ideas and the province is in a colonial region
  • The country has Castilian idea 3 "Inter Caetera" and the province is overseas for both claimant and owner
  • (requires Mandate of Heaven) It is the Age of Discovery, the country has unlocked the Splendor ability "Transfer Subject", and has a claim on a neighboring province

Action	Cost	Tech	Requirements	Effects	Notes	DLC
Fabricate Claim	20 + 5 per existing claim on target	0	Not at war with target Has a shared border (by land or sea-zone) with target or is allowed to fabricate on that province for some other reason – see above	Gain a claim on selected province owned by the target for 25 years (will give Conquest casus belli)	Claim duration is automatically extended to account for war or truce times with the target
Fabricate Claim on Area	Cost to Fabricate Claim + 10		Is a tsardom (Ruthenian, Russian or Bulgarian) or has unlocked the 1st Espionage idea Not at war with target Has a shared border (by land or sea-zone) with target area	Gain claims on all provinces owned by the target in selected area for 25 years (will give Conquest casus belli)	Claim duration is automatically extended to account for war or truce times with the target
Fabricate Tributary Claim	20 + 5 per existing claim on target		Has completed the Japenese "Hegemon of Asia" mission Not at war with target Any of the countries Tributaries has a shared border (by land or sea-zone) with target	Gain a claim on selected province owned by the target for 25 years (will give Conquest casus belli)	Claim duration is automatically extended to account for war or truce times with the target
Justify Invasion	40		Not at war with target Has a shared border (by land or sea-zone) with target Has the "Ottoman Government", "Modernized Ottoman Government", "Reorganized Ottoman Government" or "Sultanate of Rum" government reform Target has less than 150 total development	Gain the "Ottoman Campaign of Conquest" CB on the target for 5 years	This CB enables the "Establish Eyalet" peace option
Justify Trade Conflict	10		In the same trade node: Has a merchant present Has at least 10% trade power Target has at least 20% trade power	Gain a trade conflict casus belli against the target for 2 years	Often the best way to get a CB on a distant nation; however, the CB does not allow to take land, revoke cores, or release vassals/nations in a peace. Best for stealing money, trade power, or enforcing fleet basing/military access.
Support Rebels	30	3	Target has any rebel faction with above 0 unrest	+10% Revolt progression chance per month for the selected rebel faction for 5 years	This action also requires a one-time monetary payment proportional to the supported faction's size at the time the action is undertaken
Steal Maps	50	6	Target has discovered a region unknown to us adjacent to a region known to us Has a unit in a known region adjacent to said unknown region	Steal target's maps of a region
Study Technology	None	9	Have a spy network in a country with a more advanced technology level	-5% Technology cost per level ahead	Maximum reduction of −30% The applied reduction is −5% for each tech level the target is ahead in a certain tech field compared to the nation building the spy network (in case of multiple same-field reductions only the highest is applied). The reduction is affected by the size of the spy network.
Slander Merchants	70	12		−10% Global trade power for 5 years
Sabotage Recruitment	80	15		−20% Manpower recovery speed −20% Sailor recovery speed for 5 years
Sow Discontent	80	18		+2.0 National unrest −1.0 Yearly legitimacy −0.2 Yearly republican tradition −1.0 Yearly devotion −1.0 Yearly horde unity −0.5 Yearly meritocracy for 5 years	Target gets higher stability costs and a higher revolt chance
Sabotage Reputation	60	21		−3 Diplomatic reputation for 5 years	Target has a higher difficulty to recover its reputation from recent expansions or betrayals, make alliances or other diplomatic agreements
Corrupt Officials	25	24		+0.1 Yearly corruption for 5 years
Agitate for Liberty	90	27	Target is a subject	+25% Liberty desire for 5 years
Infiltrate Administration	40	30		Lift the Fog of War from the target nation
Steal modern Ideas	30		Has enacted the "Tsardom" government reform	gain 2 + 0.5 times the Total levels of tech they are ahead of Russia in Modernization, up to a total maximum of 5

Cost modifiers

Fabricate claim

Main article: Claim

Claims that are granted by missions behave just like fabricated claims, although their duration may be different depending on mission parameters.

Besides providing a conquest CB, claimed provinces have the following benefits when conquered:

• −10% Core-creation cost
• −10% Local autonomy

Fabricate claim cost is modified by the following:

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
−50%	—	Aristocratic idea 6: Rightful Conquest	—	—
−25%	Munster traditions Naxian traditions	Chiba idea 3: Coalition With Kamakura Kubo Cypriot idea 1: King of Jerusalem Imagawa idea 1: Claim to the Shogunate Isshiki idea 4: Reclaim Old Territories Lorraine idea 3: Lotharingia Northeastern Woodlands idea 6: Eagle Clan Northumbrian idea 2: The Memory of Northumbrian Hegemony Palembang idea 4: Center of the Dynasty Papal idea 4: Donation of Constantine Polotskian idea 1: Legacy of the Werewolf Prince Provençal idea 1: Memory of Angevin Claims Yaroslavlyian idea 1: Between Hammer and Anvil	Nizhny Novgorod ambition Thomondian ambition	Espionage-Expansion: The Loyalty Act
−20%	Brandenburg traditions	Saxe-Lauenburg idea 1: The Partition of Saxony	—	—

Decisions and events:

	Event modifier	Trigger	Duration
−25%	Aphra Behn	Women in History event: “Aphra Behn” Option: ‘Keep this a close secret!’	for 20 years
	Emperor condemns Tuscany	Tuscan event: “The Emperor Condemns Tuscany's Elevation” Option: ‘The Emperor will not stand in the way of God's will.’	for 20 years
+50%	Limited Claim Fabrication	Diplomatic ideas event: “Incompetent Diplomats” Option: ‘They are of noble blood though...’	for 5 years

Note: Inter Caetera the third national idea of Castile / Spain allows the use of fabricate claim on overseas provinces in any colonial region which normally wouldn't be in reach of that action. This allows Castile/Spain to target colonies both inland and distant overseas, making any colony in the world a potential target (this can no longer be used once the colony turns into a city).

Two great projects also grant Cost to fabricate claim bonuses if held: (only with )

• City of Khami gives −10/−25/−30% if religion is in Pagan group
• Petra gives −10/−20% if province culture is Syrian or Bedouin and accepted

Justify trade conflict

Justify trade conflict cost is modified by the following:

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
−10%	—	Genoese idea 1: Reuniting the Nation Hanseatic idea 4: Reformed Hanstag	—	—

Support rebels

Main article: Rebellion#Support for rebels

Supported rebels will be treated as allied units, regardless of when the action began. (However, this only applies to the supporter tag itself, and not its allies or even subjects, making rebel support fairly risky in its current state.) If the rebel faction has spawned rebel units in multiple countries, then all those units will be treated as allies once support is given to that faction anywhere.

Allied rebels that are sieging a province that is an objective of theirs will not transfer leadership of the siege to the player in a war. If allied rebels cannot complete their objectives because the province they are trying to occupy is under another nation's control, they will instead wander the countryside and may engage enemy units.

Support rebels efficiency is modified by the following:

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
+100%	—	—	Full Espionage	Humanist-Espionage: Cultural Understanding
+50%	—	Ligori idea 6: Rebellious Spirits	—	Espionage-Economic: The Foreign Support Act
+25%	Samtskhe traditions	Palembang idea 2: Pirate Ancestry Piratical idea 7: Life of Liberty	—	—
+20%	—	Leinster idea 3: The Subject of My Enemy is My Friend Palatinate idea 3: Center of Reformation in Southern Germany	—	—

Descisions and events:

	Modifier	Trigger	Duration
+50%	Better rebel support	Espionage ideas event: “More Efficient Support for Rebels” Option: ‘Keep this a close secret!’	for 10 years

Missions:

	Trigger
+25%	Completing the "Inspire Resistance" mission as Albania
+30%	Completing the "The Peasants' War" mission as Dithmarschen

Achievements

Networking Have 100 point spy networks in 3 Rival nations.

Just Resting In My Account Corrupt the officials in a Rival country..

Time Bandit Successfully steal a map from another nation.

My True Friend Go to war in support of a rebel faction and win, enforcing their demands.

Footnotes

Diplomacy

Mechanics

Customization

Nation designer • Random New World

Ages and Institutions

Ages • Institutions

Innovativeness and Technology

Innovativeness • Technology

Defense

Fort • Zone of control