Fireballs. The death of a companion many times over for me. I'm just waiting until I have the thrall spells, then I can just have a couple of atronachs to help me.

How do you give them better armour? I've been able to change Lydia's weapons, but whenever I give her armour it just sits in the inventory and isn't used.

You have to give them the type of Armor they would normally use, so if you give Lydia Elven Armor she will not wear it, as she will only use heavy armor. Give her steel plate or anyother heavy armor and she should change into it, though I notice sometimes when I dismiss her and then have he follow me again she has changed back to her default steel set, though exiting the house seems to fix that and if it doesn't just take it form her then give it back and she will put it on.

When they are on their knees, the NPC usually leave them alone. If they keep attacking them, they will die.

Followers can die? I didnt know that. Every time Lydia's health goes down to almost nothing, enemies leave her alone.

i use aela, i have married her and use her as a follower, she is an archer so she always stays back

Some of you have some most excellent stories about the tradgic and usually accidental deaths of your followers!

Now if anyone wants my big bottomed worthless housecarl from whiterun, she's yours for 20 gold. Having been quite impressed by some of the adventures you lot have been on, I may just have to take her out 'adventuring' in a final bid to get rid of the voracious bread muncher.

I will note that Mjoll the Lioness is the exception to the rule and can never die. So if your looking for an immortal companion look no further.

"I may just have to take her out 'adventuring' in a final bid to get rid of the voracious bread muncher. "

OK, but she must weigh in at about 200 pounds, before you add the armour. Mjoll actually clanks when she walks and even the deaf can sense her presence by the way the ground trembles when when moves. She might be immortal but I ain't and having that one crashing around after me will get me killed very quickly.

My first housecarl, Lydia, spends all of her time eating and getting up and down out of a chair in my bedroom, even though she has a perfectly good room of her own. Sweet child, but the constant creaking of the chair drove me to buy a house in Markarth, where I met Argis. He is now my new housecarl and spouse.

I was also under the impression that followers could not die unless by your own hand - until one day when Argis and I were wandering the countryside and a dragon started circling overhead. I was not concerned for Argis, given what I thought was his immortal status. I found out that day that if you dual cast frost spells on a flying dragon, it can temporarily lose the ability to fly. The dragon came crashing to earth and furrowed along the ground like a plane making a bad landing, throwing snow and ground everywhere. It eventually staggered to it's feet, and I killed it. But where was Argis? I looked frantically around and discovered that if a dragon crash lands on your follower, they definitely die. Unless they have the coveted "essential" status. I had to reload my save, and fight it again.

I'm rather attached to Argis at this point, even though the "headache bug" means he sleeps in his own room instead of my bed. I would like to try the "make your follower essential" tactic. I have his ref ID and his base ID. Can someone tell me precisely how you enter this on PC?

Both poison and your own attacks can kill a follower, I can't confirm lasting effects from Fire attacks etc. killing them however. Pressure plate traps that spew flames up from the ground while you step on them I find don't kill companions but DO almost 100% of the time trap your companion as they're stuck on the pressure plate and stuck in the flame and never get an opporutnity to properly recover and move out of the way so they stay kneeled over (Not dead) and don't follow you when you leave the area.

yeah they can, i had that elf from riverwood die

was on this hill and i just heard a big boom to turn around see a dragon eating him, spat him out but his corpse went off the hill and didnt find it back

also had one get disintegrated into ash pile once, stupid mages