I'm currently plodding along on my first playthrough as a cleric type char one-hander/shield and a little bit of restoration skills.

For my next game I plan on playing as a sneaky type and I wonder how that would work when using a follower, do you guys just not use a follower or do you tell the follower to wait?

I used a follower once and found it to be over-powered. I play on Adept, though.

When you start out, It is nice to have a follower, even if you only use them as a mule.

also, use a follower. Meaning learn to command them and not have them follow.

I didn't use a follower with my first character, a fire mage. Something about AoE spells and companions just doesn't work.

Some followers can sneak, so they're unlikely to blunder around while you're trying to be stealthy. My wife's rouge has been wandering around with Marcuiro and he seems competant enough at lying low.

I play an assassin/thief type and I play on expert without followers. I found them to break my stealth more then be of use so I have it slightly harder, but also more interesting.

I play a sneak and I need to tell them to wait sometimes because they seem to trigger the enemy faster than me. I guess it also depends on your sneak level. Too bad you can't check skill levels and equipment stats on followers. I once spend some time creating new armors for my follower only to find out they were wearing something stronger.

I play with a follower so they can soak up some damage against stronger enemies, but they're not needed most of the time. In fact the AI is really not all that smart.Like the horse, they attempt to attack strongholds all by themselves and commands you give them during battle usually result in "Can't do that right now" or something awkward. Also you can't pause the game while you give commands, so you're usualle better off letting them do their own thing and resulting in a KO or something. I only had my follower die twice. Usually they go after you if you stay close enough so they can select a new target. I think the follower dies if the enemy cannot find another target and just keeps bashing the KO'd follower. Not sure though.

Main reason for a follower is extra carrying capacity though. Most give about 300 extra weight to carry so you don't have to go back to pick stuff up several times.

I don't believe in AI Aids. 300+ hours never once used a follower. 3 characters all different.

I never use a follower. I find them to be annoying and get in the way. I want to play the game and have fun. Not babysit a moronic NPC who doesn't know how to stay out of the way.......lol

I almost never use them(and never by choice) and I think it is perfectly viable.

I only use followers if a quest forces me to do so. They're not necessary at all (on expert at least), and they just get in the way.

They do get in the way. True. But how do you cope with all that loot? Do you seriously take several trips into a dungeon just to get all the loot?

What do you mean? Followers just carry more junk, hardly any different with or without.

As a sneaky assassin, followers are a hindrance!

OP, if you are just starting out, it's important to at least try a follower out. Don't sell yourself short.

if you are on PC, target them, press and hold "e". watch for reticule change. command them.

use them to pick up items, activate switches, activate traps, meatshields...etc etc etc

when you are comfortable with the game, you can let them at home.


-300+ hours in and if I do a dwarf dungeon crawl, I take a follower..some of those parts are heavy at 25 a pop, and encumber you quick.

/edit
if followers are getting in the way, you're not commanding them and using them to their FULL potential. now yes, during combat they will get in the way, let them take the aggro, get a few hits in, after that they will get pwnt, then it's your turn to go to work.

I've used several. All of them died. They tend to get caught in my fits of aggression. I never reload for them either. If they die from my axe/arrows, they die.

My sneaky archer never used followers so it's definitely viable. You can still use them if you feel lonely and tell them to wait behind each corner I guess but that's too much hassle for me.

I find that Lydia compliments my stealth archer build.

Early on, she was a good tank. At higher levels, she's more useful as a mule.

She doesn't seem to break my stealth.

Depite the usual follower AI (suicidal charges, triggering traps and jumping into my line of fire), she only gets killed occasionally (in which case I reload and tell her to wait).

No, I just carry out the most valuable items. I also use the Steed Stone most of the time. I can't stand moving slowly in heavy armor. I've found that this gives me plenty of gold. Also, enchanting items you find before you sell them gives you tons more gold.

*edit* If an item doesn't have around a 1:10 weight to value ratio, then it isn't really worth it to me.

Dumb question... Will muffle work if I enchant some good boots and give 'em to my follower?

A follower in my TES ? Not if I can help it ...

If your concern is how much you can carry, don't worry, you don't have much to carry.

I only loot gear better than my own (and that I can equip immediately), ore / ingots, jewels and potions.

No need to loot weapons or armor to sell, they don't sell for much. I'd rather buy Iron ore, transmute it, smelt it, and smith some nice jewelery with all the garnets (or better gems) you find in every dungeon. Then, I enchant it with whatever enchantment (there are plenty of petty lesser gems available in every dungeon), and the profit is immense. (with low enchant / speech skill, around 20 times what you spent to buy the iron ore if you didn't find any in the dungeon, with perk and decent souls, more than 100 times)


That line of work uses a lot of different skills though : alteration / conjuration / smithing / enchanting. It will even allow you to level up naturally the over powered smithing and enchanting skills without power leveling.

Followers screw your sneaking

I don't bother. This is my adventure. Not anyone else's. And followers are flippin annoying. If Lydia tells me to put something down, in my own house, again, she'll nag out the other side of her face

it should

if you give them the boots/enchanted item, look for the aura glow as that is the closest way you can check to see if the buff is active (on a follower)

I quit using them...I don't use fast travel and the NPC seems to have trouble keeping up with me cross country, not to mention breaking my stealth and occasionally having accidental & fatal encounters with my greatsword.

I go around alone all the time and it works out pretty nicely.
I'm playing at adept atm thought, but I will rise the difficulty when I reach lvl 30 and get my hands on a certain item (am lvl 25 atm).