Bannerlord Console Commands and Companion Guide Explained

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the sprawling world of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, the console can feel like a secret backdoor. Whether you’re tweaking battle odds, testing new gear, or fine‑tuning your party’s composition, mastering the right commands can transform a frustrating session into a sandbox of possibilities. This guide walks you through enabling the console, the most useful commands, and how to manage companions without breaking immersion.

Getting Started with the Console

Before you can type anything, the console itself must be unlocked. The game ships with it disabled for performance and security reasons, but a simple edit to the configuration file flips the switch.

How to Enable the Console

• Navigate to Documents\Mount and Blade II Bannerlord\Configs and open engine_config.txt with a text editor.
• Find the line that reads Debug.F7=0 and change the 0 to 1. Save and close the file.
• Launch the game and press the F7 key. A faint prompt will appear in the lower‑left corner, indicating the console is ready for input.

Remember to keep a backup of the original file; some players prefer to toggle the console on and off depending on the session.

Essential Console Commands

Once the console is live, a handful of commands provide the most bang for your buck. Below are the staples most players reach for in their first forays.

• campaign.add_gold [amount] – Instantly adds the specified amount of gold to your treasury. Handy for testing economic policies.
• campaign.add_xp [amount] – Grants experience points to your character, pushing you up a level without grinding.
• campaign.add_item [item_id] [quantity] – Spawns any item you can think of, from simple cloth to the rarest warhorse.
• campaign.set_time_scale [value] – Speeds up or slows down the flow of time (default is 1.0). Use values like 2.0 for a faster day‑night cycle.
• campaign.toggle_debug_menu – Opens a developer overlay that shows hidden AI stats, useful for diagnosing why a battle went sideways.

Each command must be entered exactly as shown, with spaces separating arguments. Typos won’t crash the game, but the console will simply return an “invalid command” message.

Companion Management Basics

Companions are the heart of Bannerlord’s party system, and the console offers shortcuts for both recruitment and dismissal that bypass the usual dialogue trees.

Hiring and Dismissing Companions

• campaign.recruit_hero [hero_name] – Instantly adds the named hero to your party, provided they exist in the current settlement’s roster.
• campaign.remove_hero [hero_name] – Fires a companion without the usual reputation hit. Use sparingly; the game still tracks morale.
• campaign.set_hero_relation [hero_name] [value] – Adjusts the relationship meter (‑100 to 100) to smooth over any lingering grievances.

These commands are especially useful when you want to test a specific companion’s skill set without the hassle of quest‑driven recruitment.

Advanced Companion Commands

Beyond basic hiring, you can fine‑tune a companion’s abilities, equipment, and even AI behavior. This level of control is perfect for players who enjoy “mod‑like” experimentation without installing third‑party files.

• campaign.set_hero_skill [hero_name] [skill_id] [level] – Directly sets a skill (e.g., OneHanded, Riding) to the desired level, maxing out at 300.
• campaign.give_hero_item [hero_name] [item_id] [quantity] – Equips a companion with any item, overriding weight limits for testing purposes.
• campaign.set_hero_ai_state [hero_name] [state] – Alters a companion’s AI stance (e.g., Defensive, Aggressive) during a battle.
• campaign.set_hero_health [hero_name] [percentage] – Restores or reduces a hero’s health to a specific percentage, useful for simulating injuries.

When experimenting, it’s wise to note the original values (you can query a hero’s stats with campaign.show_hero_info [hero_name]) so you can revert changes later.

Tips for Using Commands Safely

Console commands are powerful, but they can also destabilize a playthrough if misused. Here are a few best practices to keep your campaign healthy.

• Save before you type. A quick “quick‑save” (F5) ensures you can backtrack if a command produces an unintended outcome.
• Avoid excessive gold injections. While campaign.add_gold is convenient, injecting massive sums can cause AI merchants to inflate prices or break the economy.
• Limit AI‑related tweaks to testing sessions. Changing a companion’s AI state during a live campaign may affect future battles in unpredictable ways.
• Use the campaign.toggle_debug_menu to monitor the impact of your changes. The overlay shows morale, health, and relation shifts in real time.

By treating the console as a sandbox rather than a cheat, you preserve the game’s challenge while still enjoying the flexibility of a developer’s toolkit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use console commands in multiplayer?

A: No. The console is disabled in multiplayer modes to maintain fairness. Attempting to enable it will result in the game refusing to start.

Q: Do console commands affect achievements?

A: Yes. Using most console commands disables achievement progress for that playthrough. If you care about trophies, stick to a separate save file for experimentation.

Q: How do I find a hero’s exact hero_name for commands?

A: Open the “Characters” screen, hover over the portrait, and note the name that appears in the tooltip. That string is the one you type after the command.

Q: Is there a limit to how many companions I can recruit with the console?

A: The game caps party size at 200 members. Console recruitment respects that limit, so you’ll receive a warning if you try to exceed it.