Ever wanted to bring your favourite NPCs out adventuring with you? Wished your followers did more than just act as meatshields, and were easy to order around? Wanted a D&D-esque party, where everyone has their own role and plays off each other? Just wanted an easy way of making new companions? CSR is probably for you!

CSR adds a handful of perks to the Speech tree allowing you to persuade, befriend and recruit any unique, named NPC in the game- getting them to follow you, carry your stuff, contribute special abilities and so on. Take extra perks to grow your party, make them more effective, grant them new abilities, and then go on to save Skyrim with your buddies.

FEATURE LIST:
-Recruit up to 5 unique NPCs to follow you
-Order your party around with a power
-Give gifts to NPCs to befriend them
-Teach friends & allies new spells
-Teach friends & allies new Shouts
-Teach friends & allies to level up with you
-Teach friends & allies special party abilities
-Recruit some NPCs who come with special abilities (dependent on their profession)

The special abilities come in 5 types, by profession.
Defender
These professions focus on protecting allies.
--Companion – Forces targets they strike to duel them.
--Guard – Nearby enemies are greatly slowed.
--Legionary – Nearby allies have increased armour.
--Housecarl – Pins targets they strike in place.

Striker
These professions focus on dealing damage.
--Assassin – Deals extra damage to targets they hit from the side or rear.
--Stormcloak – Nearby allies deal extra damage to targets of other races.
--Thief – Steals potions & poisons from targets they hit to use themselves.
--Tribal Orc – Deals more damage each time an ally goes down.

Controller
These professions focus on providing disadvantages to enemies and advantages to allies.
--Forsworn – Targets they hit are less able to block & power attack.
--Greybeard – Nearby allies can stagger foes more easily.
--Mage – Nearby enemies recharge the party's weapons on death. Mages can also be given orders to keep up a Light spell at night and indoors.
--Thalmor Inquisitor – Nearby humanoid enemies have reduced confidence.

Leader
These professions focus on keeping the rest of your party on their peak performance.
--Alchemist – Heals groups of wounded allies in combat with potions.
--Bard – Nearby allies regain health & fatigue on attacking enemies.
--Officer – Nearby allies have increased health & fatigue regeneration. (Officers include Jarls and military officers)
--Priest – Heals wounded allies in combat with spells.

Supporter
These professions aren't really much use as adventurers, but they can make useful pack mules.
--Commoner – Has an extra 200 carry weight.
(Commoners include Farmers and Miners)
--Hunter – +25 Sneak to every companion when outdoors
--Merchant – Increases the money found on corpses.
--Smith – Can sharpen weapons via dialogue.

RECOMMENDED: If you have issues with the voiceless dialogue going too fast, I recommend using the mod Fus Ro Doh - Silent Voice as well: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/14884
COMPATIBILITY: If you use another mod altering the Speech tree, as long as you have SKSE installed you can take the perks using the Tome of Companionship in Jorrvaskr. SKSE is not otherwise required.

FAQS:
Can I increase or remove the recruitment cap?
You can't. Each recruitment slot has to be added via the editor, and involves changing a bunch of scripts. 5 is about right as a maximum IMO, and 3 is really the most practical party size.

Can I recruit nameless mook NPCs?
For technical reasons, no. You can only recruit unique, advlt NPCs- so take good care of them.

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So! Questions, comments, suggestions etc.!

This version of CSR is stand-alone; I plan to integrate it, Dwemer Certified and a currently-planned animal recruitment/druidry mod to all work off a single core file that would allow NPCs from each mod to all follow group commands, heal each other, buff each other and so on.