Expansion - Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham DLC

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 165: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆☆ (6/10) [i]Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham[/i] was one of the first major expansions to focus on religion and roleplay—introducing new events, decisions, and systems for Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). At the time, it was a meaningful addition. Today, it’s more of a quiet background enhancer than a must-have. If you play a lot of Catholics, it gives you tools to manipulate the Church. If you’re interested in Jewish characters, it finally gives them actual mechanics. But if you’re not engaging with its limited religious scope, you’ll barely notice it’s there. 🔯 [b] Pros:[/b] [list] [*] Expanded Catholic playthroughs. The introduction of the College of Cardinals lets you influence Papal elections. It adds long-term political gameplay for Catholics, especially if you want to control who becomes Pope and gain favors in return. You can even push for an anti-pope, which adds tension to religious unity. [*] Pilgrimages and personal piety events. Characters can now go on pilgrimage, gaining new traits and random events tied to their faith. These add some flavor and help deepen the roleplaying experience, especially if you enjoy spiritual characters or events about faith and morality. [*] Jewish mechanics finally exist. Jewish characters are now playable. You can restore the Kingdom of Israel, rebuild the Temple, and interact with unique decisions and moneylending events. It’s a nice addition for niche playthroughs and adds a rare historical fantasy goal to work toward. [*] Moneylending and economic flavor. Borrowing money from religious institutions, especially Jewish moneylenders, is now possible—but failing to repay can result in exile or worse. This adds a small layer of risk and financial tension to otherwise bland money systems. [/list] 🕎 [b]Cons:[/b] [list] [*] Very little mechanical depth. The DLC is heavy on events, light on systems. Most additions are passive or hidden behind flavor pop-ups, with very little interactivity. Once you’ve seen the events, there’s not much to come back for. [*] The College of Cardinals is undercooked. While a cool idea on paper, the Papal mechanics mostly boil down to bribery and patience. You can influence the outcome, but the interface is clunky and the benefits often feel too minor to be worth the effort. [*] Repetitive and outdated events. This DLC came out in 2013. Many of the events are simple text boxes with binary choices. Some repeat too often, and most don't offer much mechanical variation or long-term impact. If you’ve played more recent flavor packs, this one might feel disappointingly shallow. [*] Missed potential with Judaism. It’s great that Jewish characters are playable, but **there’s not much to do** beyond rebuilding Israel. Outside of a few one-time events, the faith lacks the religious depth that Christianity and Islam enjoy in CK2. [/list]