I've seen this in a few threads and mentioned in the discussion section of the uesp wiki. But I would like to know for certain if followers now level with the player (up to their maximum level) after 1.6. This would have a big impact on how I play a new character, for instance not waiting until I am in the 40s before doing Dragon Rising, or not being afraid to go into the Drunken Huntsman before lever 30.

Dunno, but save + wabbajak can be used to reset the level of any follower to what it would be if you had just met them at your current level. IIRC the process is to turn them into a mudcrab, then wait for them to turn back into an NPC instead of killing them.

1. Save first
2. Dismiss the follower
3. Before they can walk away, hit them with the Wabbajack
4. Hit them with something else, like a punch and they will revert, at the level they should be.
5. Rehire them.

Note, this can cause your follower to become hostile, so that is why you save first. On the PC, you can do this in the console by Enabling, then immediately Reenabling the follower and there is no issues with them getting hostile.

Do you need to empty them of any possessions before jacking them? Will everything they are carrying disappear during the process?

Followers do level with you after 1.6.

No, but sometimes the inventory partly resets. I' had an ebony armor turning into a belted tunic once... So it might be a good idea to take valuable/unique things first.

With the Wabbajack, it only works on non-essential NPC's. Mjoll is one of my favorite followers, but I met her in Riften when I was in my mid 20's.

I am on 1.05 (PS3). I will not be updating to 1.06.

I am back with Lydia. After the wabbajack, she is level 50...and is incredible.

How high do they level? From what I understood, most followers stopped at either 30 or 40, with housecarls reaching 50 and J'Zargo going all the way up to 81. Is it different now?