How to force equip armor on NPCs

[The Dovah's Talon]

[Rabidnid]

Which NPC?

Find them in the construction set anf given them the armour, or change their default dress to the armour you want.

[The Dovah's Talon]

how do you change there default armor

[jreese46]

If you have creation kit, and are familiar with it, you open the NPCs form, click on the "inventory" tab, and look at the dropdown box for "default outfit." You can select from an existing outfit, or you can go to items > outfits, right click and select "new" and drag/drop whatever armor you want into a form, name it, and use it as a custom outfit. Alternatively, you can leave default outfit at something light, like clothing, and just add the armor to the inventory itself, so they equip armor only when they're actively following you. This also allows you to take it from them and upsmith or enchant it.

If you're not familiar with creation kit, start here

http://www.creationkit.com/Category:Getting_Started

and this

http://www.creationkit.com/Bethesda_Tutorial_Creating_an_Actor

will help you navigate the actor forms.

If you prefer to use console commands, point to the actor, open console with ~ and click on them with the mouse. You should see a number under your crosshairs. Type

inv

which brings up their inventory, and also lets you verify that you've actually selected them instead of something around them. Scroll through and see what you want to get rid of, then look at the ID number for each item. Type

removeitem [ID number] [quantity] without brackets, so something like

removeitem 00012345 1

Then, use the help feature to search for what you want them to wear. Quotes are needed if searching more than one word...

help grimsever
help "ebony blade"

Your help search will bring up a list, also with ID numbers. Use page up/down to move through the list. Then type

additem [ID number] [quantity] again without the brackets.

The trick to using the console command is that you must leave at least one piece of original equipment on them, or they'll "change," when you're not looking. IMO, using creation kit is both easier and more stable.

If you do change them in creation kit (you've just created a mod) and they don't change right away, open console, click on them, and type

resetinventory

which will reset them to what you want them to wear. I sometimes have to do that, when I give guards new / warmer armor.

[Zefram Cochrane]

Or with console commands. Remove the default ones add new ones to their inventory. Some armour items can't be removed no matter what you do. CK is better though.

[jreese46]

Screw it, I'm not busy right now. Who do you want changed and what do you want them to wear? If it's vanilla stuff, I can make a quick mod for you. I can't go get other mods to use though.

[The Dovah's Talon]

I figured out how to chamge there default outfit using CK, I have a enough exprience to navigate the actors menu. Thanks for all the help and assitance guys.