OK, so my last topic on http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1605784-followers-and-thralls-using-staves/ didn't get any replies, so I'm trying something else...

I'm looking for mage followers and potential reanimations (can be above lvl. 40) who have conjuration spells as part of their arsenal.

Followers: Obviously there's Serana, but I would like someone else.

Reanimations: They seem hard to come by - despite the name, enemy necromancers don't seem to use any reanimation spells. The only working conjurer I've found is the dead Alchemist you find at Clearpine Pond who will summon a familiar.

Thanks!

Not sure what necromancer's you're raising but most of the ones I fight raise any nearby body. Wolf, vampire, fellow necromancers, skeletons. whatever is nearby. For a mage follower if you go to the Drunken Huntsman you should be able to find a mage merc. IIRC

The ASIS mod makes it so the NPCs can use the same spells as you, instead of just their default vanilla ones. It's also supposed to work with mods that add magic. Between it and a couple other magic mods I have seen my summoned/conjured creatures use their own conjurations/summonings quite often.

EDIT: Forgot to link ASIS mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/18436/?

No, I meant if I've dead thralled a necromancer, they will reanimate other creatures. It http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Necromancer_(Skyrim)#Trivia, they can reanimate. I've tried named and generic necromancers, and also tried raising the max level of all reanimation spells.

I have Merc, but he's not a necro nor does he use any atronach spells.

Thanks, had a quick look at it. seems it may make NPC's a little over poweredif they have access to the same master level spells as I.

EDIT: I forgot about http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12933/?tab=1&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmoddescription%2F%3Fid%3D12933%26preview%3D&pUp=1, which allows me to (more or less) choose which of my spells my followers use, even thralls and atronachs. Hoorah!

From what I've seen, most followers and NPCs can make use of scrolls if you give them one and they have some skill in the associated school. NPCs don't "use up" things in their inventory so a single scroll is as good as teaching them a permanent spell. I have no idea what effect that might have on a thrall, but I have most definitely given followers and NPCs scrolls, and specifically summon atronach scrolls, and they have started summoning afterwards.

Scrolls! I didn't think about that!I've sorted it now with a mod but I will keep that in mind for another play through, thank you.

Yes, necromancers raises everything including rabbits

However it looks like they don't do this if raised themselves. This might be an safety feature else an fight with an large group of necromancers would be weird. It would also generate an potential bug, necromancer A raises the dead B who raises C who raises and rabbit. A is killed, this would turn B into dust, now the game has to follow the chain to also turn C and the rabbit into dust.

We already have the bug with the ash piles not going away.

The best followers who are conjurers are Talvas Fathryon from Dragonborn, Aranea Ienith, and Brelyna Maryon, who can all conjurer Frost Atronachs. However, if you don't have the Unofficial Patch, the NPC version of Conjure Frost Atronach costs less magicka than Conjure Flame Atronach, so NPCs mistakenly assume that the Flame Atronach is stronger and may not summon their Frost Atronach.

Talvas may also be a good choice because he has the Light Foot perk.

You can use the Atronach Force or Neloth's staff enchanter to create staves that summon creatures, and NPCs will use these if they have them.