The Customizable Companion Framework is a template and modder's resource that allows you to create a custom follower who can be leveled up and specced by the player. It has been pre-configured to take all the grunt work out of the process, and all that needs to be done is to change the NPCs appearance, maybe change some stats, and write dialogue. A video tutorial that guides you through the entire process step-by-step can be found here.

• Latest Version: Version 1.9
• See: Changelog

As the companion travels with the player, they will earn XP every day simply by being in the player's party, or by engaging in combat while in the player's employ. When the companion levels up, they gain skill points that the player can spend on any of the companion's skills. Every ten levels, the companion earns a single SPECIAL point instead, which the player can also allocate. Superfluous XP that puts the companion over the level-up threshold is rolled over and put towards the next level.

The leveling system can be disabled using the console command set aaaGLOBCompanionLeveling to 0 (or changing the value to 0 directly in the GECK), which will turn the companion into a standard, run-of-the-mill follower like the base-game companions.

Leveling up the companion's stats will open up new dialogue options and unlock new perks as they improve.

• With a Strength of 7 or higher, the companion can be asked to “kick down” (unlock) any non-quest-related locked door. They can be asked to do this once every six in-game hours.

• With a Perception of 7 or higher, the companion can locate enemies at greater range and can help to target cloaked enemies in VATS. This perk is the same as ED-E's Enhanced Sensors perk.

• With an Endurance of 7 or higher, the companion will give the player a thirty-second +25 DR and +25 DT buff whenever they are knocked down in combat.

• With a Charisma of 7 or higher, the companion will lower the DT of enemies of the opposite sex by -25%

• With an Intelligence of 7 or higher, a new dialogue option unlocks where, once a day, the companion can be asked to convert Pre-War Books into skill magazines. The type of magazine that can be chosen also depends on the companion's skill level in the relevant area (i.e. a Guns-boosting magazine can only be crafted if the companion has a high enough Guns skill).
• The companion's Intelligence is also used to determine how many Experience Points they earn, and how many XP are required to reach the next level.

• With an Agility of 7 or higher, the companion will attack, reload and equip weapons 25% faster.

• With a Luck of 7 or higher, the companion has a random daily chance (up to 25% with max Luck) to find a random amount of caps which they will give to the player.

• With a Barter skill of 65 or higher, the companion can negotiate better prices from vendors (10% discount), and can also spot sources of valuable loot. The latter effect is the same as Rex's Search and Mark perk.

• With an Energy Weapons skill of 65 or higher, the companion will be able to recharge any drained energy weapon ammo in their inventory. The process takes two in-game hours.

• With an Explosives skill of 65 or higher, the companion will no longer set off mines or other floor-based traps.

• With a Guns skill of 50 or higher, a new dialogue option unlocks where the companion can be asked to help reload spent cases, making them function essentially as a mobile reloading bench. With a Guns skill of 65 or higher, the companion can highlight enemies when the player is actively aiming. This is the same as Boone's Spotter perk.

• With a Lockpick skill of 65 or higher, the companion can be asked to lower the lock level of a non-quest-related container by one tier (i.e. Very Hard becomes Hard, Hard becomes Average, etc.) They will simply unlock Easy and Very Easy containers. This can be done once every four in-game hours.

• With a Medicine skill of 50 or higher, a new dialogue option unlocks where the companion can be asked to heal you. Between Medicine 50 and 65, the companion can heal a maximum of 50% of the player's HP, restore 50% of each limb condition and remove 250 rads. Between Medicine 65 and 85, the companion can heal a maximum of 75% of the player's HP, restore 75% of each limb condition and remove 500 rads. With Medicine 85 or higher, the companion can fully heal the player's HP, restore 100% of each limb condition and remove all rads. This can be done once every four in-game hours.

• With a Melee Weapons skill of 65 or higher, the companion will have a 25% chance of completely gibbing an enemy when using melee weapons.

• With a Repair skill of 50 or higher, a new dialogue option unlocks where the companion can be asked to repair equipment. The player will still need the appropriate amount of caps to pay for their services, but can reclaim them from the companion's inventory later. With a Repair skill of 65 or higher, a second new dialogue option unlocks where the companion can be asked to help craft an item, making them function essentially as a mobile workbench.

• With a Science skill of 65 or higher, the companion can be asked to lower the lock level of any non-quest-related terminal by one tier (i.e. Very Hard becomes Hard, Hard becomes Average, etc.) They will simply unlock Easy and Very Easy terminals. This can be done once every four in-game hours.

• With a Sneak skill of 65 or higher, the companion gains a Stealth Boy cloaking field whenever they sneak, and gives the player one as well.

• With a Speech skill of 65 or higher, the companion can put in a good word for the player in conversations (+10% disposition).

• With a Survival skill of 50 or higher, a new dialogue option unlocks where, between the hours of 8PM and 2AM, the player can suggest making camp for the night, to access the sleep menu without the need for a bed. With a Survival skill of 65 or higher, a second new dialogue option unlocks where the companion can be asked to help cook something, making them function essentially as a mobile campfire.

• With an Unarmed skill of 65 or higher, the companion will have a 25% chance of knocking an enemy down while fighting hand-to-hand.

The companion's stats can be viewed at any time by speaking to them and asking them for details about themselves. This may be a clunky and inefficient system, but it felt more immersive to me as opposed to adding some sort of remote control item to the player's inventory.

The companion's home location can be set to anywhere the player wants, simply by leading the companion there and selecting the corresponding option in dialogue. I added this mainly because I never use the Lucky 38 suite, and found it annoying having to travel there and go through two loading screens just to retrieve my companions when I have a perfectly good custom player home elsewhere. The option remains to dismiss the companion to the Lucky 38 as well.

While on The Strip, the companion's weapons will be confiscated upon entering a casino, and they will wait in the lobby while the player goes up to the Lucky 38 Penthouse to talk to Mr. House. If left waiting in the lobby when the player begins the endgame for Mr. House or Yes Man, the companion will automatically be moved to Hoover Dam along with the player to start the final battle.

If playing Tale of Two Wastelands, the companion will also wait for the player if they are doing the Tranquility Lane quest.

There are two additional plugins that contain functions for handling Fallout: New Vegas DLC and/or Tale of Two Wastelands DLC. The plugins can be configured by entering the console command set aaaGLOBKeepCompanion to 1 By default (i.e. with the global set to 0), the companion will be automatically dismissed to their home marker location whenever the player starts a DLC. Setting the global to 1 will allow the companion to accompany the player for certain DLCs:

• The companion will have their inventory confiscated and replaced with a Dead Money jumpsuit and bomb collar.

• The companion will simply tag along.

• The companion will have their inventory confiscated (except for holdout weapons & ammo) and their clothing will be replaced with a slave outfit.

• The companion cannot join the player in the simulation. Unless told to wait before entering the simulation, they will be dismissed to their home marker location.

• The companion will simply tag along.

• The companion will not be abducted along with the player. Unless told to wait, they will be dismissed to their home marker location.