Lydia's mortality : V

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:03 am

Okay, I have heard some people complain about Lydia (and other followers) constantly dying unless they dismiss them. However, I always thought followers were immortal unless I accidentally hit them. Could people please explain?

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:44 am

They can die from aoe damage, long falls, traps, and other means.

When they kneel, the enemy simply turns their attention elsewhere. That doesn't make them invincible.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:22 pm

Yes, Lydia is "protected" class which means she goes into a yield position at low health so enemies won't attack but she can still be killed if caught in a crossfire situation.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:53 am

They can die from aoe damage, long falls, traps, and other means.

When they kneel, the enemy simply turns their attention elsewhere. That doesn't make them invincible.

Yeah, but traps don't do much damage (even if she hits every single one there is), long falls are only appicable if near a mountain, which I am pretty careful around, and aoe damage doesn't apply to a non mage type character, and I am careful not to hit her, even if it does happen every now and again

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:37 pm

Yes, Lydia is "protected" class which means she goes into a yield position at low health so enemies won't attack but she can still be killed if caught in a crossfire situation.

Ah thank you. But, what if, for any reason, enemies stopped attacking me, would they continue to attach her? Just outta couriosity

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:11 am

Ah thank you. But, what if, for any reason, enemies stopped attacking me, would they continue to attach her? Just outta couriosity

No, they will never attack her in yield position.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:27 pm

I saw Lydia just keel over dead during a fight with some Falmer and Chaurus. Pretty sure it was poison that did her in. Frostbite spiders can be a threat too.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:44 pm

Enemy aoe damage can do her in as well. If Lydia is kneeling and a mage uses an aoe spell with you standing near her, she dies.

While most traps don't do much damage, I'm sure the spike variety may hurt.

If you're worried about losing her, just save often. Reload if she's taking a nap on the dungeon floor. A good set of armor with health and/or magic resistance boosts couldn't hurt either. If you are playing on pc, you can make your followers essential.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:35 pm

Set her to essential and be done with it.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:44 pm

Set her to essential and be done with it.

Ayup. Got tired of her dying and having to reload saves- console command = setessential 000A2C8E 1

That's the baseID number for Lydia, if you want to make other followers essential, just look up their ID #'s on the wiki.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:43 am

I'm exasperated that people actually use those useless Housecarls.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:06 am

I'm exasperated that people actually use those useless Housecarls.

You must be some sort of class with high armor or block skills.

Because I use Lydia even through she's twenty levels lower than me at this point. She wins battles for me, because when I don't have to worry about agro, my dps goes sky-high. It's in the character build.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:19 am

You must be some sort of class with high armor or block skills.

Because I use Lydia even through she's twenty levels lower than me at this point. She wins battles for me, because when I don't have to worry about agro, my dps goes sky-high. It's in the character build.

There are followers much better than Lydia.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:34 am

Only poisons and poisoned traps (like darts". Fixed the issue with Derkeethus' lingering essential tag, and he was getting relentlessly mauled by a snow bear and did't die even when hit while down. An out-of-hand pickpocketing resulted in Maven and her son killing practically everyone in the Bee and Barb; Derkeethus was KO'd and was fine even though Marcurio was roasting him while trying to get to me.

Even the console doesn't work to kill them when downed.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:23 am

I'm exasperated that people actually use those useless Housecarls.

Dude, if you've got http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=7245&navtag=file/images.php?id=7245&tab=3, Housecarls are epic.

Mods to the rescue! ^^

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:54 am

Dude, if you've got http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=7245&navtag=file/images.php?id=7245&tab=3, Housecarls are epic. Mods to the rescue! ^^

That mod is legen... dary! :bowdown:

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:12 am

I had Lydia die on me once when it wasn't by my own hand. I was wandering happily through the wilds with her at my heel when I realised she wasn't behind me. I noticed in the distance she was fighting a Mammoth. Wasn't sure what to do at the time. Three or four times she went into the Yield position, but one time she got back up to fight and one more bash from the Mammoth killed her. Quite upsetting actually, but nothing a reload couldn't fix.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:49 pm

Gear Lydia (or any other npc follower) up properly and nothing will happen to her. Her only problem is with traps, when they're placed in corridors with not enough space to go around, or because navmesh at that point is a bit awkward.

Also, unless I started imagining things -which I find highly unlikely:

Followers almost always follow the player's exact route -when in relatively close range at least.
In some occasions, if the player jumps down and the follower doesn't find an alternate route, he'll jump down too -if the height is not deadly.
If you avoid a trap, the follower will do so too. Don't expect them to jump over traps though -it's not going to happen

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:49 pm

Okay, I have heard some people complain about Lydia (and other followers) constantly dying unless they dismiss them. However, I always thought followers were immortal unless I accidentally hit them. Could people please explain?

A lot of people are really careless.

Also, unless I started imagining things -which I find highly unlikely:

Followers almost always follow the player's exact route -when in relatively close range at least.
In some occasions, if the player jumps down and the follower doesn't find an alternate route, he'll jump down too -if the height is not deadly.
If you avoid a trap, the follower will do so too. Don't expect them to jump over traps though -it's not going to happen

No, you`re not imagining things, Lydia or any Follower will jump down with you sometimes. But you have to be really close to the edge and not move off too far after you jump down.

Followers do always follow the exact same route. Also if you get too far ahead they speed up to catch up. If you suddenly stop they can`t stop due to momentun so will bump right into you. You can have fun with this by running then suddenly strafing left or right and stopping and watch Lydia ZOOM right past you again and again. :biggrin:

I`ve seen Followers avoid traps too, but if you get too far ahead, they`ll just run over them and yea, they won`t jump over them - ever.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:48 am

If you suddenly stop they can`t stop due to momentun so will bump right into you. You can have fun with this by running then suddenly strafing left or right and stopping and watch Lydia ZOOM right past you again and again. :biggrin:

Yeah, I've had that going on twice last night. She almost went off the cliff I was standing on

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:30 am

Lydia is a [censored]... there simply is nothing else to it. I have used her, and given up. As with Iola, honeyside housecarl. I didn't even entertain the idea of using her, just took her out back and saw to her like ol' yeller. Brelyna is a really good companion, a powerfful mage who likes to get stuck in. I'm currently using Kharjo, he is a tough kitty, though I desperately need to smith some better armour for him.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:26 am

I use her often when I am low level (mostly as a pack mule) but she has never died on me. I think the others are just very careless or could just not care less, take your pick.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:13 am

Only took Lydia along into some dwemer ruins so she could haul scrap, but that didnt go too well for her. I shot a falmer through some hole that turned out to be on the furthest end of the dungeon. Falmer found out where I shot him from and ran all the way over, drawing along about a dozen of his friends on the way.

Naturally I ran away. Naturally Lydia didnt. A lot of running, sneak-arrows, linger health damage and dead falmers later I ran back and found I get to haul scrap myself. Bummer. Well least my house is nice and quiet now.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:23 pm

For some reason, poor lyida has to take part in the classic "fus ro dah lydia off the side of a cliff" joke and she lives... yet she gets taken down by a group of bandits pretty quickly... it confuses me.

» Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:30 pm

I use her often when I am low level (mostly as a pack mule) but she has never died on me. I think the others are just very careless or could just not care less, take your pick.

I guess the third category of players, who have complained about Lydia jumping in front of them just when they release an arrow, or when they use chain lightning, must only exist in other players' games.

Glad to see everything is so black and white for you. Simplifies a lot of things.