Cultured Start

⭐ ⭐⭐ (6,007 endorsements) 📥 312,440 downloads 📌 v1.1.22 📅 4/6/2020
⚪ Last updated 2021

By Barhidous · Gameplay

⬇ Download Mod Source: Nexus Mods 📅 Updated: 9/22/2021 📅 Created: 4/6/2020

🔍 Analysis

  • 👍 1.9% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
  • 🏆 #31 of 678 Gameplay mods in this game by downloads

📋 About This Mod

Cultured Start improves the character creation process by adding new options and new stories.

New Menus

Game Options - Customize Quests

  • []Default Start - Skips tutorial but leaves the rest of the quests unchanged

    []Nerezet's Folly Skip - Completes the quest as soon as you start the game.

    []Sandbox - Able to make a kingdom through game settings.

    Custom Cultures - Cultures from Mods

    • []Adds any additional main cultures added by mods to be selected. Such as Perasosian League by Zaldir or Pendor Invades Calradia by SimplyCD

      []It will overwrite the selected culture on the first page, however you'll still get the perk if the culture mod does not have it's own perk.

      []If the Culture mod does not have it's own lands or lords your custom start options could be affected, notably Castle start will be in a random place, and Vassal starts wont work.

      Custom Starts - Extra Starting Scenarios

      • []Default Start -Start with load out and party as per normal in base game.

        []Merchant Start - basic start that gives you a few mules and some basic mercenaries.

        []Exiled Noble - Start exiled from your home faction, starting with a companion bodyguard and decent renown. Your reputations with your home culture are negatively affected, and seen as a criminal if you return.

        []Mercenary Start - Start as a newly appointed leader of a failing mercenary company. Start with a decent number of troops and a mercenary, but little food and bad morale. Will quickly lose your army if you don't solve it fast

        []Looter Start - You're a looter, with your looter buddies. Set as a moderate criminal across all factions, no longer at war with everyone but cities are closed.

        []Vassal Start - Start as a vassal in your selected culture with a few troops

        []Kingdom Start - Start as new kingdom with no holdings, troops to pay, and not much funds to sustain it. You start with your army and 2 companion armies with troops, roughly 200 troops of different tiers in total. The options name is based on your culture. Note this start does create you a kingdom regardless of you game option. The base game quests kinda work, but I would probably recommend Sandbox No kingdom as your game option for this one to be safe.

        []Acquired a Castle - Similar to the kingdom start, but you start with a random castle in your selected culture. Still as your own kingdom.

        []Escaped from Captor - Looter start without being a criminal everywhere and no looter friends.

        Start Location - Select your start location

        • []Home Town - Original Cultured Start puts you a town specific for you Culture

          []Random City - Random city anywhere on map

          []Specific cities - Select from a list of factions cities

          Planned:

          • []Make the rest of the original games character creation more dynamic to choices, as the stat assigning choices from the base game remain and don't make much sense for most of the choices.

            []More Scenarios - You can give your suggestions

            GitHub

            Installation: Extract zCulturedStart folder into your Bannerlord Modules folder.

            Make sure the Dlls in Modules\zCulturedStart\bin\Win64_Shipping_Client\ are unblocked by Right Clicking - Properties - Unblock at the bottom.

🤖 AI-enhanced — based on mod data

Cultured Start overhauls Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's character creation with new menus, custom cultures from mods, and six alternative starting scenarios. It's a popular gameplay mod with 6,007 endorsements and 312,440 downloads, last updated in September 2021.

✨ Key Features

Adds a Game Options menu to customize quests, including skipping the tutorial or completing Nerezet's Folly immediately.
Adds a Sandbox mode that lets you create a kingdom through game settings.
Allows selection of additional main cultures added by mods, such as Perasosian League or Pendor Invades Calradia.
Adds six new starting scenarios: Merchant, Exiled Noble, Mercenary, Looter, Vassal, and Kingdom starts.
Each start has unique effects on reputation, troops, and resources, like starting as a criminal or with a failing mercenary company.

📊 Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

  • Huge community trust with 6,007 endorsements and over 312k downloads.
  • Adds serious replay value with six distinct starting scenarios that change how you play.
  • Seamlessly integrates custom cultures from other mods, making it a must-have for modded playthroughs.

⚠️ Cons

  • Last updated in September 2021 — may not be compatible with the latest Bannerlord patches.
  • Custom culture starts can break if the culture mod lacks its own lands or lords, leading to random castle placement or broken vassal starts.
  • The description is cut off mid-sentence, so some features like the Kingdom start details are incomplete.
🎯 Is This For You?
For Bannerlord players who want to skip the grind and jump into a specific fantasy, like a merchant or exiled noble. Also great for modded players who want to use custom cultures from other mods. Skip if you prefer the vanilla start or want a completely overhauled campaign — this only touches the beginning.
📦 Install:Easy· Under 5 minutes

💡 Beginner Tips

  • If you use custom culture mods, make sure they have their own lands and lords, or the vassal start might not work as expected.
  • Try the Mercenary start for a challenging early game — you'll need to solve your food and morale issues fast.
  • Use the Sandbox mode if you want to focus on kingdom management without the main questline.

📊 Mod Details

Game
Bannerlord Mods
Author
Barhidous
Version
1.1.22
Downloads
312,440
Endorsements
6,007
Category
Gameplay
Created
4/6/2020
Updated
9/22/2021

🔧 How to Install Bannerlord Mods

Use Vortex or manual. Enable mods in launcher. Harmony required.

📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Bannerlord →

Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.

🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for Bannerlord commands, item IDs, and more.

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