Does anyone know how to get vanilla followers to use fire atronachs exclusively?

[TheRightDoorIsNotTheLeft]

As the title says, all of the vanilla mage followers just LOVE using frost atronachs. Great in open areas, but it's really stupid choice in closed-quarters. My research shows that God Howard thought this was a most excellent choice: ALWAYS default to frost atronachs, even if I give the follower an overpowered staff of ... anything else. Is there some mod you know of that can at least make them NOT use frost atronachs? Sure, I know that for specific custom followers, they know better. But I'm talking about vanilla mage followers, like Brelyna. Any advice, even marginal advice, is appreciated.

 

Update. I already use NFF and saw the toggles to teach her spells in dialogue. However, there are no options to ask her to FORGET spells. 

Edited October 4, 2025 by TheRightDoorIsNotTheLeft

[belegost]

NFF.

[eflat01]

On 9/30/2025 at 10:35 PM, TheRightDoorIsNotTheLeft said:

As the title says, all of the vanilla mage followers just LOVE using frost atronachs. Great in open areas, but it's really stupid choice in closed-quarters. My research shows that God Howard thought this was a most excellent choice: ALWAYS default to frost atronachs, even if I give the follower an overpowered staff of ... anything else. Is there some mod you know of that can at least make them NOT use frost atronachs? Sure, I know that for specific custom followers, they know better. But I'm talking about vanilla mage followers, like Brelyna. Any advice, even marginal advice, is appreciated.

 

I change Brelyna and many other npc's spell lists all all the time.

 

If you have a replacer for her you can just edit her spell list it with SEeEdit, if not you can use SSeEdit to copy her to a new esp right from Skyrim.esm into a new esp (using copy record as override)  into a new esp. and then edit her spell list in that, turn on the esl flag on and and you're set to go. 

 

Also follower frameworks like NFF and AFT allow you to train npcs including teach them spells they do a lot more though. I use AFT but I changed a lot of  base follower's  spells off the bat without the framework to do it.

 

BTW: Brelyna is actually a great little mage, she'd be one of the best in the game if not for her level cap - raise that and she'd smoke most mages. She's very well rounded is why. She expert focus' in conjuration, destruction, alteration and adept in restoration  ... all the other mages at the college or in game really are not that well rounded. They're very focused on one skill set. She's a jack of many trades. (She'd clobber the other two students  and masters really if her cap were off)

 

Let's see she already has ConjureFlameAttronochRightHand... you can do a lot here add a ConjureFlameAttronochLeftHand, remove any others you do not like, might keep a ward and a healing... you can taylor her to whatever you want. I'd pump up her magika a little and remove her level cap or set it really high like 90 or 100.

 

Here are her base Spells:

Spoiler

 

Edited October 3, 2025 by eflat01

[ghastley]

In Brelyna's list, you will see defence on left hand, and offence on right hand, so they will be used together. Adding a left hand atronach is likely to suppress her wards. If you replace her frost atronach with a higher-level spell, make sure she can get to the level it requires, by removing her level cap.

[TheRightDoorIsNotTheLeft]

On 10/1/2025 at 4:18 AM, belegost said:

NFF.

 

Ummmm.... ok.... anything else you want to add?

[belegost]

9 hours ago, TheRightDoorIsNotTheLeft said:

 

Ummmm.... ok.... anything else you want to add?

Yes.

 

"Follower Abilities" page in MCM.

Edited October 4, 2025 by belegost