Bannerlord criminal rating measures how wanted you are across Calradia based on your actions. This system affects diplomacy, combat difficulty, and how factions treat your character in every playthrough.
Understanding the mechanics helps you manage your reputation, avoid bounties, or strategically exploit infamy for profit and power.
| Rating Level | Reaction from NPCs | Encounter Scaling | Faction Relations Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (Innocent) | Neutral or helpful merchants and guards | Low-tier parties, minimal companions | No penalties, easier recruitment |
| Low (Notorious 1-2) | Some guards may challenge on sight | Small bounty hunters, modest parties | Minor relation penalties with lords |
| Medium (Wanted 3-4) | Guards in towns often request arrest | Experienced parties, better gear enemies | Faction relations decline, tavern rumors |
| High (Infamous 5+) | Bounty posters, instant combat with guards | Elite parties, siege reinforcements nearby | Major negative modifiers with most factions |
How Criminal Rating Is Calculated
Actions That Increase Rating
Killing peaceful villagers, stealing from merchants, and attacking caravans raise your rating quickly. Repeated crimes in the same region amplify penalties, while aiding factions or completing quests can offset infamy.
Factors That Lower Rating
Paying bounties, getting captured and ransomed, and earning renown through quests reduce your wanted level. Certain traits, hidden skills, and using disguises also help you fade attention when moving between settlements.
Effects On Gameplay And Interaction
Combat And Encounters
Higher criminal rating increases the strength and numbers of enemy parties. You may face ambushes in the wilderness and scripted encounters where allies arrive to challenge you in towns.
Diplomacy And Recruiting
Nobles and clan leaders react negatively to high infamy, making recruitment slower and lowering party morale. Some quests become unavailable until you lower your rating through specific redeeming actions.
Strategic Management Of Criminal Rating
Playstyle Options
You can embrace being a feared outlaw, targeting tax collectors and nobles for quick infamy gains. Alternatively, you can play as a lawful mercenary, focusing on tournaments and hunts to maintain a clean record.
Regional Considerations
Each kingdom enforces laws differently, with border regions and neutral zones offering more freedom. Understanding local politics lets you move safely while pursuing bounties or evading arrest.
Key Takeaways And Recommendations
- Track your rating after each major raid or theft to avoid sudden reputation spikes.
- Use bounties strategically to remove specific enemies while controlling your wanted level.
- Align with factions that tolerate or reward aggressive play to offset negative modifiers.
- Leverage charisma, disguises, and terrain knowledge to move safely in hostile regions.
- Balance profit from criminal acts with long-term goals like kingdom leadership.
FAQ
Reader questions
Does Criminal Rating Affect Arena Performance?
Your rating does not directly change arena rules, but high infamy can make organizers uneasy and reduce payout offers from sponsors in your party.
Can I Hide My Rating While Traveling?
Disguises, high charisma, and avoiding prior hostile acts in a region can delay recognition, though patrols and town guards still reference centralized lists of wanted individuals.
Do Companions Share My Criminal Rating?
Companions have independent conduct records, but their actions in your party influence your shared reputation, especially when loot distribution or prisoner handling creates disputes.
What Happens If I Ignore Bounties Too Long?
Over time, kingdoms may dispatch dedicated hunt parties, increase guard patrol density, and share your description with informants, making evasion progressively harder across regions.