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Can Skyrim Followers Be Killed? A Comprehensive Guide

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Yes, Skyrim followers can be killed, but it’s more nuanced than simply saying they’re vulnerable. The key takeaway is that followers don’t typically die from regular enemy attacks. Instead, they enter a “downed” state when their health reaches zero, giving you a chance to revive them or finish the combat before anything permanent happens. However, certain circumstances can lead to their demise. Let’s delve into the details and explore the factors that influence follower mortality in the harsh world of Skyrim.

Understanding Follower Death Mechanics

The standard mechanic for follower survival involves a “protected” status. This means that when a follower’s health is depleted by an enemy, they’ll kneel or fall to the ground, becoming incapacitated but not dead. They’ll recover after the battle or if you heal them. The danger arises from the following situations:

Player-Inflicted Damage: This is the most common cause of accidental follower death. If you deliver the final blow while your follower is downed, they will die permanently. This can easily happen with area-of-effect spells, stray arrows, or a misjudged swing of your weapon. Be mindful of your attacks!
Excessive Damage While Downed: While rare, if a follower takes an overwhelming amount of damage in a single hit while downed, they can be killed instantly. This is most often seen with giant attacks at lower levels.
Environmental Hazards: Lingering damage effects like fire, poisons, or falling from a great height can kill a follower in the downed state. If your follower falls into lava or is stuck in a burning oil slick while incapacitated, they’re likely doomed.
Essential NPCs: Some followers are designated as “essential” by the game. These characters cannot die under any circumstances, regardless of who inflicts the damage. They are crucial to the game’s main quest or faction storylines.

Essential vs. Non-Essential Followers

Knowing the difference between essential and non-essential followers is crucial.

Essential Followers: These characters are flagged as important to the storyline. They will enter the downed state, but they will never die. Examples include Aela the Huntress, Barbas the talking dog, and Cicero.
Non-Essential Followers: These followers can die permanently if the above conditions are met. Lydia, arguably the most iconic follower, falls into this category.

Strategies to Protect Your Followers

Given the risks, it’s wise to take proactive steps to safeguard your companions. Here are some strategies:

Equip Them Well: Give your followers the best armor and weapons you can spare. Improved equipment significantly increases their survivability.
Choose Followers Wisely: Some followers are inherently tougher than others. Consider their skill sets and base stats when selecting a companion.
Be Mindful of Your Attacks: As mentioned earlier, player-inflicted damage is a major threat. Be extra cautious with area-of-effect spells and when fighting in close quarters.
Heal Regularly: Keep an eye on your follower’s health and use healing spells or potions to keep them out of the danger zone.
Use Defensive Spells: Spells like Courage or Heal Other can provide significant boosts to your follower’s survivability.
Exploit Follower Commands: You can tell your follower to wait in a safe spot or engage specific enemies, which can help control their positioning during combat.
Consider Mods: Numerous mods can enhance follower survivability, such as those that make all followers essential or improve their AI.

Console Commands and Follower Management

For PC players, console commands offer powerful tools for managing followers. You can use them to:

Resurrect Dead Followers: If a follower dies, you can use the resurrect command followed by the follower’s RefID to bring them back.
Make Followers Essential: The setessential <BaseID> 1 command can make any follower essential, preventing their death.
Modify Health and Skills: The modav health <amount> and modav <skill> <amount> commands can be used to boost a follower’s health and skills, making them more durable and effective.

Follower Death: An Inevitable Part of the Skyrim Experience?

While follower death can be frustrating, it can also add a layer of realism and consequence to your gameplay. Losing a beloved companion can be a powerful emotional experience, motivating you to seek revenge or simply be more cautious in the future. Whether you choose to embrace the risk or take every precaution to protect your followers is a matter of personal preference.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions related to follower death in Skyrim:

1. Can followers die from falling in Skyrim?

Yes, followers can die from falling in Skyrim, especially if they are in a downed state. A long fall can inflict enough damage to kill them outright, or the lingering fall damage while downed will finish them off. Be careful when traversing cliffs or mountains.

2. Can Lydia die in Skyrim?

Yes, unfortunately, Lydia can die in Skyrim. She is not an essential character, so she is vulnerable to permanent death from player-inflicted damage, excessive damage while downed, or environmental hazards.

3. Who is the most overpowered follower in Skyrim, and can they die?

Serana is widely considered the most overpowered follower in Skyrim, due to her high-level skills in Destruction, Conjuration, One-Handed, and Light Armor. However, she cannot die, as she is an essential character tied to the Dawnguard DLC storyline.

4. Who is the best Skyrim follower to sacrifice, and why?

If you are engaging in Daedric quests that require sacrificing a follower, Ralis Sedarys is a good choice. He is the Dunmer involved in the Kolbjorn Barrow excavation in Solstheim. His questionable ethics make him a less morally problematic sacrifice for some players.

5. Can Lydia become a vampire?

Yes, Lydia can become a vampire if you have the Dawnguard DLC and the ability to turn followers into vampires. However, be aware of the pros and cons, such as her vulnerability to sunlight.

6. Can you bring back Lydia if she dies?

On consoles, the only reliable way to bring back Lydia if she dies is to load a previous save. PC players can use the console command resurrect 000A2C94.

7. Can you get another Housecarl if Lydia dies?

Yes, you can get another Housecarl. Once Lydia dies, she is gone for good. You’ll need to become Thane of another hold and purchase a house there to receive a new Housecarl. Each Housecarl is unique to the hold they serve.

8. How many followers can you have in Skyrim?

Generally, you can have one humanoid follower and one animal follower at a time. However, certain quests or mods can allow you to have multiple followers simultaneously.

9. Can your followers go to jail in Skyrim?

Yes, followers can go to jail in Skyrim. This typically happens if they commit a crime in front of a guard or trespass in a restricted area. They will eventually return to your service after serving their sentence.

10. What are the worst crimes in Skyrim that can affect your followers?

Crimes like murder, assault, and theft can all negatively impact your relationship with your followers. Some followers may disapprove of certain actions and even leave your service.

11. Can you make a follower immortal in Skyrim?

Yes, you can make a follower immortal using console commands on PC. Open the console, click on the follower, and type modav health 100000 and modav healrate 1000. Alternatively, use the command setessential <BaseID> 1.

12. What followers are invincible in Skyrim?

Essential followers are invincible in Skyrim. This includes characters like Aela the Huntress, Barbas the talking dog, Cicero, and Serana.

13. How do you make Lydia immortal?

Open the console, click on Lydia, and type setessential A2C8E 1. This will make Lydia essential and prevent her from dying.

14. Can Lydia become your wife in Skyrim?

Yes, Lydia can become your wife in Skyrim. She is a marriageable NPC once you become Thane of Whiterun and complete the necessary quest for the Amulet of Mara.

15. What factors affect follower survivability the most?

The biggest factors affecting follower survivability are:

Player-inflicted damage
The quality of their equipment
Whether they are essential or non-essential
The difficulty level of the game
Environmental hazards

Follower death is a significant aspect of the Skyrim experience. Understanding the mechanics behind it and taking proactive steps to protect your companions can enhance your gameplay and prevent unnecessary heartbreak.

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