Can you gear up a follower?

[jback1967]

I know theycan carry stuff for you. But can they be equippd with better gear? If so how do you view what they are currently using and upgrade the better gear?

[BDK]

A follower will always use the gear that offers most protection or damage. They'll ignore any enchants.

[Gropax]

no they don't ignore any enchants they only use some here is a link

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Followers

[BDK]

A sword with 30 damage or a sword with 29 damage + 10 fire enchant = They pick the 30 damage one. Not sure if they fixed that failure yet, I haven't played since 1.4 until recently.

[neilbert1]

Just use the trade option with them, and give them the better equipment. Example, Lydia is equipped with steel armor with no helmet as a default, so if you give her any helmet, she'll automatically equip it, and if you give her any armor better than plate (dwarven, orcish, steel plate, etc) she'll automatically equip and use that instead of her basic steel armor (you can't improve her basic steel armor, but anything you give her and any starting equipment she allows you to take, can be improved). She'll also automatically equip the best weapon she's holding, so giving her better weapons is good, too. This will work with any follower, including mages (unfortunately, while mages will use the best staff you give them, they don't seem to equip any better robes than they start with, although some will wear armor if you give them some).

[jback1967]

good to know tyvm

[Ianmac]

if u put some thing good in their inventory they will use it

[Rusolehti]

Keep in mind, that not all followers will use all gear. For instance, Serana just plain out refuses to use the bows and crossbows I hand her, since she's equipped with a spellsword behaviour.

[chrisnc35]

Try to pay attention to the gear they currently have on them...and upgrade to better gear of the same type. All housecarls use heavy armor, sheild, one-handed and bow. All caster types use cloth (all though you cant give them cloth chest piece), enchanted weapons, staffs, rings and necklace. J'Zargo, of the college of winterhold, will use heavy armor while casting spells.

If you have the game manual, there is a section on followers and their respective gear they use.


To Rusolehti, She is a caster by trade that uses light armor and one-handed....including staffs. Don't bother with a sheild for her as she will unequip it once she gets in casting range...She tends to go for chain lightning/ice spike in one hand and raise dead in the other....once in melee range, she will sometimes switch to a staff or one-handed weapon....But , as you said, she will not use bows/crossbows.

[neilbert1]

Onmund of the College of Winterhold uses Heavy Armor while casting spells as well - now I'm wondering about whether Brelyna and other casters do as well (appearently not). I'm curious now - I'll have to check (I usually tended to use Onmund because in one playthrough I had a female Breton Archmage who married him and she always had him as a follower, so I have the most experience with him, and not much experience with other spellcasters as followers).

[chrisnc35]

Breylna does not wear heavy/light armor...only cloth. As do the remaining caster type followers.

[neilbert1]

I see - thank you.

[roninbernie]

I stopped using followers after realizing I wasn't perking fast enough with their aide. But now that I'm a free agent I'm arming some of my followers with hand-me-down equipment. My Windhelm follower, Calder, now wears a steel helmut and good long blade. Erik the Slayer needed a major improvement after I hired him. I actually traded my first heavy steel armor - sans gauntlets and helmut. Giving him the unique Nord weapons might good, but those are my personal souvenirs. The Winterhold mages are too risky for me, because if they die on my missions I'll be expelled. Sure, the fine is small now, but I like those characters. I've already lost Ormund because I just ran away during a dragon attack. Wish I could bring him back. :-(

[Terreliv]

That’s why I mark them “essential”, because I’m not going to deal with them dying all the time, especially if the party throws a hissy fit due to friendly fire.

[Stellar Fox]

If you want a follower than can use anything except magic get the one in whiterun inn you have to brawl. She uses two handed, 1 handed+shield, heavy and light armor, and bow.

[Stellar Fox]

Originally posted by Terreliv:

That’s why I mark them “essential”, because I’m not going to deal with them dying all the time, especially if the party throws a hissy fit due to friendly fire.

♥♥♥♥♥ did you just answer to a 2012 thread and I did too without realizing what the ♥♥♥♥