Nether's Follower Framework

Looking for a multi-follower framework that is easy on game resources and gives you the choice between animal or humanoid companions, with as little as one or as many as 10 at a time? How about a system that also provides a wealth of interesting features, both immersive and quality-of-life, to allow you to tailor the framework to your own style of gameplay?

Look no further,  Nether's Follower Framework is that and more!

This mod has 4 goals in mind:
- Be compatible with as many other mods out there as possible, so that you can use it alongside your favorites.
- Provide companion features that are familiar and useful but also engaging and interesting.
- Make preferences optional and undoable, so that companions (and your game) don't get broken along the way.
- Offer interesting options but also keep it resource-friendly and script-engine light.

This framework is intended to be used with followers that use the default follower system. In other words, hook into the standard Dialogue Follower quest (most companions on the Nexus). However, there is also an optional feature that allows you to Import custom followers so that they can also make use of many aspects of this mod (no guarantees, of course, but has been tested with many unique followers out there).

This mod does require SKSE and SkyUI, but those components allow me to deliver streamlined and engaging options to you, that wouldn't be possible without.

NFF is crafted by a follower fanatic with many years of gaming and programming experience who loves putting together a rotating group of adventurers together to accompany his dragonborn on adventures in Skyrim. For the Nerds! (ahem...) Nords!

Core Features
- Up to 10 Followers (flexible, can be humanoids or animals).
- No starter bow or arrows.
- Integrated Interesting NPC support (requires iNPC, obviously)
- Plenty of options, below, all at your choice, set with a robust MCM menu. If you don't like something, it's very likely you can turn it off.
- Detailed PDF Guide provided, for explaining all features.
- Optional (vanilla + DLC) scripts replacement if you have a problem getting the framework to "stick". Option as well for RDO.

Sandboxing
- Allow Followers to Sandbox when you are doing passive tasks.
- Set Followers to only Sandbox In-Town.
- Auto-Sandbox in Town Interiors, Your Homes or Locations you determine.
- Toggle off for any specific Follower.
- Allow Followers (and other NPCs) to Sandbox multi-level interiors.

Mount/Riding Support
- Allow Followers to use spawned horses provided by this mod.
- Select breed and effects of their horse, select breed globally.
- Provide Riding Package support only if another mod provides a horse system but no packages.
- Toggle off for any specific Follower.

Combat
- Set combat and non-combat distance of Followers.*
- Place Followers in a Healer or Tank Role.
- Choose from 10 different combat styles for Followers.
- Reduce Infighting between Followers.
- Optionally Disable bleedout recovery keeping them down during a fight.
- Revive fallen followers with health potions.

Movement
- Catch Up teleport (and On-Demand Ability for player)
- Can Control distance and polling time.
- Enable a +25% Movement Boost for faster following.
- Reduce interpolation between walk/run state changes (faster reaction).

Actions
- Improve Follower Stealth AI when out of combat. They will not initiate combat, chatter and they move in close.
- Stop Idle Chatter on all or selected followers (or only allow it while sandboxing)
- Prevent Followers from drawing weapons when you do.
- Followers will not set off basic traps (equivalent of LightFoot perk). Optional via installer.
- Followers get out of the way when you get very close to them.
- Followers can Auto-Recharge weapons they use or use filled soul gems (not player filled).
- Teach Followers spells by trading spell books to them. Works with spell mods!
- Set any Follower to Essential (or reverse it). While in the Framework, all Followers are Protected.
- Change the Behavior of Followers (morality, crime, etc).

Gear
- Set up Adventuring Gear for a Follower, telling them what to wear while they are following you. This is gear enforcement NOT outfit managment.
- Storage system for re-applying Adventuring Gear when re-recruited.
- Copy their default outfit into your inventory (for custom armor, mainly).
- Set a Follower to only use headwear while in combat.
- Set a Follower to only use/equip shield while in combat.
- Blades compatibility for multiple followers plus the ability to give followers the blades gear instead of changing their base outift.

Control
- Issue Commands to all Followers or individual ones at a distance.
- Commands for All Followers: Wait/Follow, Toggle Sandbox, Combat/Follow Distance, Summon and Dismiss.
- Commands for Single Followers (when facing follower and in your sights): Wait/Follow, Trade, Favor, Set Adventuring Gear and Dismiss.

Info
- Much like a character sheet, you can view Stats, Skills, Perks and Abilities of your followers.
- Convenient History feature allows you to see where your past followers are and either move to them or move them to you.

Expendables
- Enlist the help of non-essential (inconsequential) NPCs by bribing them to join you, adding them to the framework.
- Offer them varying amounts of gold, with more gold equaling a greater chance they will join you.
- Repeatedly hiring the same NPC will eventually make them join you free of charge.
- Experimental feature but works on most non-essentials, even those provided by other mods. Use with caution. They will retain vanilla dialogues, so be wary of some options while they are with you.
- You can bring them to your level and allow them to go up in level as you do by using the optional batch file (install MANUALLY to your main Skyrim directory). Open the console, make sure they are selected and type: bat nfflevel

Extras
- Divorce your wife or husband and marry someone else (follower or not!).

* - Custom Followers are usually completely outside of the Framework but can be Imported to use any feature not shown with "*" above. Importing allows them to "borrow" a Follower Slot, so they count towards the max limit. Custom Follower here specifically means any Follower with their own follower framework outside of the vanilla system (Serana, Sofia, Recorder, Arissa, and so on). This includes Custom Pets that have their own follower framework outside of the vanilla system. Users have reported Inigo will break, so use Import at your own risk with him.

- Pets (Animal Companions) under this Framework use most of the features that Followers do. However, all races in the game are governed by behavior files meaning that pets will do what they want to do at times. Example: Dogs will sit when the player stops whether you have them set to sandbox or not.

The Version for Skyrim Special Edition is HERE.

REQUIREMENTS
- SKSE
- SkyUI
- Dawnguard - Must be installed and enabled.

RECOMMENDED
- Convenient Horses for follower horses.
- Simple NPC Outfit Manager for actual outfit management.
- My Home is Your Home for setting home location.

INSTALLATION

SCRIPT LOAD

COMPATIBILITY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To keep the clutter down on this page, there is an article HERE. Please glance over it before dropping your thoughts in the discussion.