User blog comment:Raven Giordano/Help with making followers using the Creation Kit/@comment-5859354-20160516184524/@comment-5859354-20160517232224

You could create a basic looking NPC follower in the Creation Kit and add them to the appropriate follower faction IDs (PotentialFollower, CurrentFollower). If you wanted to add follower factions via the console commands you would need the IDs for those factions. It's actually easier just to add it from the Creation Kit.

So, then with your newly created follower finished, go into the game and travel to where you placed your follower. You can transfer control over to that NPC so that you'd be able to use the showracemenu command to change their appearance.

I've only ever transferred control over to an NPC while in game, but I hadn't tested changing their appearance. I figure you would be able to do that since you would have that NPC in control as if he/she was the main playable character.

In the console window select the NPC so that his/her ID appears and use the command TC to transfer control. Then use the showracemenu. You should be allowed to save the preset and use it later on with other characters. To transfer control back use TC on the main player.

Of course before you do any of that, you should back up you game if there are any complications. Well, I hope it helps.