Aa a archmage a number of mage apprentice will follow you. My pc used to be allowd two followers but is now down to one.
One was asked to wait but disapered, I forgot to turn of a animation when i left it. The missing NPC turned up at the university again but now they all say they are busy when talked to.
Can I reset or change the number of apprentice followers?

Cheers! Oom

Vanilla Oblivion allows one mage apprentice follower at a time.

From the way you describe the situation, it sounds like the character got killed while in wait mode from the follow package and re-spawned at Arcane University. First, try to see if that Mage Apprentice will follow your character. The Apprentice is probably still set in the wait mode from the follow package, and this would cause the game to register your character as having a mage apprentice follower assigned and the rest would decline the follow option.

If that doesn't work and you have any unofficial mods, then you can try again with them de-activated.

Mage Apprentices are leveled 6 levels under the player and are thus fragile compared to the leveled enemies. If you are on a pc and wish to actually get some use out of a mage apprentice follower, then here is what I recommend:

1. Look up the Base ID of the Mage Apprentice you favor as a follower.
2. Use the "setessential" console command and make the Mage Apprentice essential.
3. Lower the Mage Apprentice's aggression to 5.

(optionally)

4. You can use the console to give them more spells.
5. You can use the console to give them powers.

For example, I usually give my character's Mage Apprentice follower immunity to paralysis and Umbra's regeneration.

When you do not want to make use of your followers, it is advisable to have them wait in a safe location (in a town). Example: In Skingrad, you could have followers wait in the West Weald Inn, Two Sisters Lodge or even the Chapel of Julianos, then you know where they are.

I had two followers, according to The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages the number of followers depends on version (up to 5?). I am sill allowed one follower.
The apprentice was in a fairly safe spot, the archmage's chamber, so probably not killed.
I think the animation caused some sort of hiccup that removed and respawned the NPC but still have one "booked" at the player.

I said you can have one mage apprentice follower at a time, not just one follower. My, most recent, character has a Mage Apprentice, Adoring Fan, Dark Brotherhood Murderer (waiting) , Sir Gukimir (KOTN), and Maglir until I decided to finish the Fighter's Guild. It is possible to add two more beyond this in vanilla Oblivion.

Try that specific Mage Apprentice as I recommended. If it still doesn't work, then you can try using "resurrrect." Problems with NPC AI can sometimes be cleared by using the Resurrect console command.

I had two mage apprentice followers. How many you can have depends on what version of Oblivion you are playing.

Double post , sorry!