Role-playing games aren’t just about the adventure and loot but the friends that players make along the way. There are plenty of companions that can join the party inBaldur’s Gate 3, and not all of them are humanoid. One of them is a friendly dog named Scratch that’s lost in the wilderness.
RELATED:Baldur’s Gate 3: All Positive Conditions & Buffs, Explained
To be exact, Scratch isn’t exactly lost, but like many of the NPCs the player will encounter, he does need some help. It’s possible to make friends with Scratch and bring him to the party’s Camp, along with some other interesting and fun perks.
Scratch The Dog
Scratch has his own place in the lore of the Sword Coast as the faithful companion to Gomwick,the unlucky courier thatwas his former master. As the party explores the wilderness west of Druid Grove, they’ll see what looks like a white German Shepherd in a forest clearing by the body of Gomwick, along with any undelivered mail.
There are several advantagesto making friends with Scratch, starting with giving the protagonist access to Gomwick’s body and all of his belongings. Continue west along this route to find the Blighted Village or head north to find the Owlbear Nest.
RELATED:Why You Should Play a Ranger in Baldur’s Gate 3
Where To Find Scratch
Gomwick’s body is red when the player first approaches it, which means anything that is taken from him at this point is considered stolen. Make friends with Scratch first, then it’s possible to loot the body safely.
Usethe Quicksave functionhere before beginning the encounter with Scratch. If any of the dice rolls go poorly, and he runs away, the previous save point can be restored.
What Scratch Does
Scratch isn’t just a cosmetic pet to improve the ambiance of the Camp. He has some interesting uses and abilities that aren’t so strange for an adventuring NPC. He plays fetch, because, of course, he does, and usually buries every bone that he comes across.
It might be a good idea to keep an eye on Scratch since these kinds of habitscan reveal certain secrets, not the least of which is buried treasure. He might know the location of keys, chests, or hidden doors and occasionally delivers presents to the camp, but the player needs to pass a Strength check to take some things away from him.
Scratch stays in the camp for Act I, but as the game develops he might have a chance to do more, maybe even become a fighting companion.
Keeping Scratch present opens up new possibilities for certain encounters, like with the Owlbear, and characters that havethe Speak With Animals abilitycan have short but funny conversations with Scratch.
Baldur’s Gate 3comes out on August 3 on PC and September 6 on PS5. An Xbox Series X/S version is in development.
