Overview
An attempt at a comprehensive guide for companion, wanderer, and spouse skills.Will be updated until I lose interest in Bannerlord in like 7 years. If you have any critiques, additions, or questions feel free to ask in comments. I am very active! Apologies in advance for the garbage humor found inside.Up to date as of e1.5.x(+)It has been a year now since I started the creation of this guide and I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has critiqued, supported, upvoted, or even viewed the guide. Your support made this project worth the effort. I will continue to update the guide as I see fit but as of right now it seems that for the last 9+ months we have had a stagnation in changes to wanderers and followers skills so until a change is made there there is not much else for us to do!
Introduction
PLEASE READ THE GUIDE AND CAREFULLY READ FAQ BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS.
A wanderer’s surname indicates their base skillset and personality types. If you’re looking for a specific character or skill, press ctrl+f and input what you’re after to save yourself some time.
All the wanderers in your playthrough can be found listed in game at:
Note that encyclopedia locations for wanderers you’ve never met are based on rumors and therefore aren’t reliable.
Skills are as follows:
- VIG One Handed/Two Handed/Polearm
- CTR Bow/XBow/Thrown
- END Riding/Athletics/Smithing
- CNG Scout/Tactics/Roguery
- SOC Charm/Leadership/Trade
- INT Steward/Medicine/Engineering
Culture will only be added to surnames that are shared across cultures yet give different skills. Surnames will be listed in order from highest relative skill in a certain field. Ties will be listed based on who has higher combat skills or my opinion.
Traits will be added once they start affecting gameplay in a significant way (they’re mostly cosmetic right now):
- Cruel means that they don’t care if you raid a village.
- Daring means they dislike it when you “run away” sacrificing troops to live another day.
- Generous means they dislike when your men are starving because you have no food in your inventory.
The link to the Google Doc[docs.google.com] for all you sleuths.
You might also like:
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Full spreadsheet of companions nicknames and traits based on game files from Bannerlord
if you want this information in spreadsheet format. He also lists traits!
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- Ster’s developer console mod,[www.nexusmods.com] which made finding marriageable characters and recording their skills possible
Smiths and Crafters – 1 Surname
These guys are going to be your power smithing grinders. If you need some smithing done and your skill is not high enough use one of these guys to get it done. Most likely not too useful for most people considering how situational their skill is but feel free to take them if you want them. Careful of the smell. It tends to sit on their clothes.
the Smith
VIG: 90 140 110
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 70 0
Smithing: 60
Scouts – 12 Surnames
Increases party speed, Line of sight, and adds footprints to the overworld map. Recommend having in your party. Professional stalkers.
Of the Wastes
VIG: 0 150 0
CTR: 185 0 0
END: 0 110 0
Scouting: 140
Of the Hills – (Vlandian)
VIG: 90 0 0
CTR: 0 120 0
END: 0 0 0
Scouting: 120
Horsethief – (Battanian)
VIG: 120 0 130
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 130 0 0
Scouting: 100
the Huntress
VIG: 120 0 0
CTR: 0 140 0
END: 0 0 0
Scouting 100
Frostbeard
VIG: 0 90 0
CTR: 135 0 0
END: 0 70 0
Scouting: 80
Blacktooth
VIG: 100 0 0
CTR: 0 0 90
END: 0 90 0
Scouting: 60
Roguery: 40
the Fish
VIG: 100 0 0
CTR: 0 0 90
END: 0 90 0
Scouting: 60
Cowthief
VIG: 90 0 0
CTR: 135 0 0
END: 0 90 0
Scouting: 60
the Alone
VIG: 0 90 0
CTR: 135 0 0
END: 0 90 0
Scouting: 60
the Ragged
VIG: 0 90 0
CTR: 135 0 0
END: 0 90 0
Scouting: 60
the Wanderer – (Battanian)
VIG: 100 0 110
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 0 0
Scouting: 60
of the Hills – (Imperial)
VIG: 0 90 0
CTR: 135 0 0
END: 0 70 0
Scouting: 40
Roguery: 20
Rogues – 11 Surnames
The dishonorable bandits. These guys increase the tier and amount of loot you receive. Keep an eye on your pockets around them. They are the kind of people who pretend to be robin hood but just end up buying value barn working women on the weekends.
The Prince
Vig: 130 0 0
Ctr: 0 0 110
End: 0 110 0
Roguery: 140
the Leopardess
Vig: 100 0 0
Ctr: 0 0 90
End: 0 90 0
Roguery: 100
the Hyena
Vig: 160 0 170
Ctr: 0 0 0
End: 0 0 0
Roguery: 100
The Butcher
Vig: 130 0 0
Ctr: 0 0 110
End: 0 110 0
Roguery: 60
The Shark
VIG: 130 0 0
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 0 110 0
Roguery: 60
Longknife,
the Robber,
the Mad
Vig: 100 0 0
Ctr: 0 0 90
End: 0 90 0
Roguery: 60
The Accursed
Vig: 0 90 0
Ctr: 135 0 0
End: 0 70 0
Roguery: 60
The Black – (Imperial)
Vig: 100 0 0
Ctr: 0 0 90
End: 0 90 0
Roguery: 40
The Wronged – (Imperial)
Vig: 90 0 0
Ctr: 0 120 0
End: 0 0 0
Roguery: 40
Healers – 4 Surnames
Increases healing rate and decreases chance of a kill upon troops falling in combat. Good to always have one in your party to save on recruitment costs and time. Careful, they might get handsy with you.
The Scholar – (Aserai)
VIG: 100 0 0
CTR: 0 0 90
END: 0 90 0
Medicine: 120
The Surgeon,
The Healer,
Willowbark
VIG: 70 0 0
CTR: 0 0 70
END: 0 70 0
Medicine: 80 (Willowbark 60)
Scouting: 20/40 (Willowbark/The Healer)
Engineers – 4 Surnames
Going to be good at Sieges and construction. Recommend having one in your party. These guys never had any friends in high school so they thought “I bet I can make a machine to launch a 90kg projectile 300 meters accurately into Chads face” and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ did it. Medieval version of a school shooter.
the Engineer
VIG: 90 0 0
CTR: 0 120 0
END: 0 0 0
Engineering: 80
the Knowing
VIG: 60 0 0
CTR: 0 100 0
END: 0 0 0
Engineering: 80
the Wainwright
VIG: 60 0 70
CTR: 0 0 70
END: 90 0 0
Engineering: 80
the Scholar – (imperial)
VIG: 70 0 0
CTR: 0 0 70
END: 0 70 0
Engineering: 60
MultiSkilled Wanderers – 4 Surnames
A few wanderers in this game seem to have multiple main skill sets. Overachievers if you ask me.
the Black – (Vlandian)
Vig: 0 120 0
Ctr: 160 0 0
End: 0 90 0
Scouting: 80
Roguery: 120
the Wanderer – (Aserai)
VIG: 120 0 130
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 130 0 0
Scouting: 80
Tactics: 100
the Gray Falcon
the Grey Falcon (Depending on how you spell it just so people who Ctrl+F find this)
VIG: 90 0 0
CTR: 105 0 0
END: 100 0 0
Scouting: 40
Tactics: 40
Bitterdraught
VIG: 70 0 0
CTR: 0 0 70
END: 0 70 0
Medicine: 60
Charm: 80
Trade & Steward: 40
Caravaneers and Stewards – 2 Surnames
These companions are good for leading Caravans but not too much else. The steward skill can make them good Governors but I think it is a waste of a companion slot to use them for anything other than Caravan leading. These guys are the type who would charge you for bumming a smoke.
the Spicevendor
VIG: 120 0 0
CTR: 0 140 0
END: 0 0 0
Trading: 100
StewardShip: 80
the Swift
VIG: 0 90 0
CTR: 135 0 0
END: 0 70 0
Roguery: 100
Trade: 80
Steward: 80
Tacticians – 6 Surnames
Tacticians do good at auto resolve battles as well as giving bonuses to troop morale, and debuffs to enemy morale. Personally I see no use for them other than party leaders. You really shouldn’t grab these guys up unless you really want a specific companion to lead another army in your empire. Offspring and spouses will be better suited for this. I once overheard these guys making a battle plan. One of them said “some of you may die. But that is a chance I am willing to take.” Then proceeded to outline how we are going to fire a barrage of arrows into the backs of our own guys in the hopes one of them hits an enemy soldier. The inventors of the term “broken arrow”.
The Golden
VIG: 180 0 190
CTR: 0 0 150
END: 190 0 0
Tactics: 100
The Falcon
VIG: 120 0 130
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 130 0 0
Tactics: 100
The Silent,
Vig 130 120 140
Ctr 0 0 0
End 130 90 0
Tactics 60
The Brave
VIG: 100 90 110
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 110 70 0
Tactics: 60
The Outcast
VIG: 90 0 0
CTR: 105 0 0
END: 100 0 0
Tactics: 60
The Lucky
Vig 90 140 110
Ctr 0 0 0
End 0 70 0
Tactics 60
Note: There is a lot of overlap between tacticians and good warriors. I did my best to sensibly split them based on tactical skill.
Generic Warriors – 21 Surnames
Note: There is a lot of overlap between tacticians and good warriors. I did my best so sensibly split them based on tactical skill.
These guys are good at one thing. Chopping the heads off of greedy landlords. Viva La Revolution ☭!
the She-Wolf,
Coalbiter,
Bloodaxe,
The Swordsman
VIG: 150 200 170
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 110 0
Tactics: 20/30 (She-Wolf/Bloodaxe)
the Shieldmaiden,
the Red,
the Bull,
BreakSkull
VIG: 120 170 140
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 90 0
Tactics: 40 (the Bull)
the Loud
VIG: 130 120 140
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 130 90 0
Tactics: 40
the Boar,
Ironeye
VIG: 160 0 170
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 0 0
Tactics: 30
Fairhair
VIG: 130 0 140
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 0 0
Wronged – (Vlandian)
VIG: 120 0 130
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 130 0 0
Barrelchest
VIG: 90 140 110
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 70 0
the Wanderer – (Imperial)
VIG: 100 0 110
CTR: 0 0 0
END: 0 0 0
IronBelly
VIG: 160 0 0
CTR: 0 0 130
END: 0 130 0
Tactics: 30
The Grizzled
VIG: 120 0 0
CTR: 0 140 0
END: 0 0 0
Tactics: 30
The Hawk
VIG: 120 0 0
CTR: 130 0 0
END: 120 0 0
The Fatherless
VIG: 90 0 0
CTR: 105 0 0
END: 100 0 0
The Wronged – (Battanian)
VIG: 130 0 0
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 0 110 0
The Wronged – (Vlandian)
VIG: 120 0 130
CTR: 0 0 110
END: 130 0 0
Best Wives and Suitors
This category will be the top 2-5 of each available gender. If you want to marry one of the B tier or lower wives feel free but I am not planning on listing them here.
Wives
Best Wives IMO
Arwa (Aserai)
Arwa is the baddest ♥♥♥♥♥ in town. You got some big cahoneys if you think you can control her. The kind of girl that makes everybody scream “yes queen” when she sacks the entirety of Calradia single handed.
VIG: 210 190 220
CNT: 160 100 170
END: 210 130 0
Tactics: 120
Charm: 140
Trade: 40
Steward: 100
Liena and Silvind (Vlandia)
Liena is first and foremost a leader. Whether you want her to lead an army or a settlement she will take them to victory. Her army of Simps can win any auto resolve battle you sent them into.
VIG: 180 180 180
CNT: 150 120 120
END: 140 120 0
Tactics: 160 100 (Silvind)
Charm: 80 140 (Silvind)
Trade: 120 80 (Silvind)
Steward: 110 120 (Silvind)
Yana
VIG: 120 120 120
CNT: 100 80 80
END: 100 80 0
Tactics 140
Charm 60
Trade 120
Steward 140
Sora (N. Empire)
What Sora lacks in Fighting skills she makes up for in governance. The kind of girl you bring home and then never let leave the keep because she rakes in too much money. Remember this is 1085 AD kidnapping hasn’t been invented yet.
(All other skills are 0)
Riding: 90
Charm: 60
Trade: 140
Steward: 160
Liena Template is used for all 8 upper level (20+) wives except for Arwa. Again they all have variations on the non combat skills. I believe Silvind has the best alternative skillset to this template. The rest either have far lower skills or worse combinations of these skills. None have leadership or Roguery unfortunately.
Sora template is used for all 15 low level (0-20) wives. They have 0 combat skills and then various combinations of the above skills. The only one who breaks this is Idrun who gets 140 Roguery and 80 leadership. Still not a good set of skills considering the other wives availible are far better.
All Credit for Husbands goes to Maverick on steam. He compiled the data for us to use.
Top 2 Suitors: More will be added at the full release of the game.
Fenagan
Burly and strong. This man drinks from skulls most days and saves fair maidens on the weekends.
VIG: 270 270 270
CNT: 225 180 180
END: 200 180 0
Tactics: 140
Charm: 80
Trade: 60
Steward: 80
Temion
The kind of guy you bring home to your folks. Has a way with words and will rake in relations with nobles faster than you could ever hope to.
VIG: 160 150 170
CNT: 95 70 70
END: 170 110 0
Tactics: 140
Charm: 180
Trade: 100
Steward: 150
Other Steam Guides
Some other guides I HIGHLY recommend (will continue to update):
[link]
FAQ
How can I help?
If you are interested in contributing to the project then please feel free to add me on steam and send a message.
I found a companion that is not on your list?
Most likely it is an old companion that has not despawned from your save. If you find a companion that is not on my list on a FRESH SAVE then feel free to let me know.
Check the version the guide is up to date for and the version you are running before commenting that you found a companion that we missed.
You forgot to add Companion attribute points?!?!
Companions will sometimes have unspent perk points, trait points, or attribute points. These are not consistent enough for me to list them as it seems to solely be effected by the companions r.n.g. and/or the game forgetting to autoset them sometimes so the AI takes over.
It seems that the base character attributes (VIG CTR etc) are randomized for wanderers after some testing. There is currently no way to accurately predict what a companions attributes will be when you hire them. This guide is currently just for a general outline on their actual skills. I will be updating it as time goes by and if we find a way to determine this.
Why won’t you add traits?
Traits are currently barely functional. I have no motivations to go through and change all these values when they inevitably get changed. I will be waiting for either a trait overhaul update or the full release of the game to do all this work. Feel free to PM me if you want to compile the traits yourselves and I will allow you to add them to the guide.
The game updated and added new companions/wanderers. Do I need to start a new campaign to get them?
Upon new updates to the companion lists you have two options.
1.Start a new campaign to get immediate access to a fresh group of companions.
2. Wait for them to very slowly pop into an existing save. It seems that the Wanderers slowly get replaced over time. Emphasis on slowly.
What if a wanderer didn’t RNG do I need to start a new game to get them?
Read above question
The encyclopedia is showing inaccurate locations?
It is bugged and/or not even supposed to show locations in general. it seems that taverns r.n.g. the companions that spawn at them weekly or else whenever you first enter the tavern.
How was this guide made?
Currently the methodology is to go to the gamefiles to find out how many different wanderer surnames there are and then spend time in game restarting campaigns to get all their skills. It can be is a pain in the booty.
END