GamesStrategyCrusader Kings 2Crusader Kings 2 modding peaks with ‘Leper Roulette,’ which gives members of your dynasty a chance of winning red, black and green all at onceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesStrategyCrusader Kings 2Crusader Kings 2 modding peaks with ‘Leper Roulette,’ which gives members of your dynasty a chance of winning red, black and green all at onceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Paradox)

An old man looks very concerned.

Even in the wake of its sequel, Crusader Kings 2 remains my most-played game on Steam, having swallowed a full 585 hours of my life since it released all the way back in 2012. To be honest? It’s a bit of a cakewalk these days. I’m so familiar with the game and all its systems that it’s not long in any campaign before I’m ruling over all of Europe with some kind of semi-immortal dynasty of genetically perfect demigods.

Is there anyone out there who can help add some challenge back into one of my favourite games of all time? Can anything be done to make the trials and travails of ruling Europe a bit more trialling and travailing?

IntroducingLeper Roulette, a crime from CK2 modder Gembleton.

Gembleton is relatively taciturn in the description for Leper Roulette on Nexus Mods, gnomically describing it as a mod “in which a random dynasty member is given leprosy every ~7 years.” Perhaps this is what happened toBaldwin IV.

“No particular reason,” says Gembleton of what compelled them to make the mod, “It just has a chance to really ruin your game.” A quick glance at our hero’s Nexus files page reveals a penchant for mods in this vein. One of them—a mod calledGL’s Negative Start—has an even more laconic description than Leper Roulette. It simply reads “I want die.”

Gembletondoesmention a figure named “Lybon” in the author credits and description for Leper Roulette, so it’s probably all their fault. For purposes of drama, I am choosing to imagine Lybon as a figure like Twin Peaks' Killer Bob, a malignant spiritual presence that occasionally drives Gembleton to evil.

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If you’d like to experience that evil for yourself, you can download Leper Roulette from its files page on Nexus Mods, at which point you can stick it in your Crusader Kings 2/mod folder in Documents. If you’d rather skip the tedium and get straight to the leprosy, though, you can just subscribe to it over on theSteam Workshop.

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