Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3players shouldn’t underestimate Scratch, as summoning him outside the camp costs nothing, and can easily help turn the tide in combat. Thoughcompanions inBaldur’s Gate 3represent the primary characters that accompany the player on their journey, other camp followers can also join up over the course of the campaign, with Withers perhaps being the most notable example. Scratch falls into the latter category, as he isn’t a full-fledged party member. However, players can summon Scratch through a Find Familiar spell after progressing his personal interactions to a certain point.
While Scratch has been known to endHonour Mode playthroughs inBaldur’s Gate 3, most players stand to benefit from keeping Scratch around as a familiar. He can be found in the Blighted Village in the first Act of the game, and through some convincing, he can join the player at camp, where Scratch will sometimes bring back useful items to his new owner.
However, a player by the name jdbrew shared a simple guide on Scratch with the rest of theBaldur’s Gate 3community on Reddit. Namely, as a summoned Familiar, not only can Scratch actively aid a player in combat, but he also has a Help action, that allows the dog to raise fallen party members as a free action, allowing companions and the player character to instead focus on retaliating. Furthermore, a successful bite from Scratch also breaks a Concentration Saving Throw, which pairs nicely with his Pack Tactics feat. Lastly, Scratch can not only perform Perception checks (which are useful when searching for traps or treasure), but he can also reveal dig sites without having to pass a Survival check.
Should players end up losing Scratch in combat, his demise is by no means permanent, and he can be re-summoned after a short rest inBaldur’s Gate 3. Taking these factors into account, not only do players not need to worry about Scratch’s hit points, but his presence on the battlefield can be a great help in dire situations. Anyclass inBaldur’s Gate 3can summon Scratch, and there is no need to learn Find Familiar beforehand, as the owners of Scratch’s ball will know the spell so long as the item is in their inventory.
Though Larian remains tight-lipped about any future content,Patch 5 and the Epilogue ofBaldur’s Gate 3have completed the team’s vision for the base game, which is now available to players on three major platforms. Given the accolades thatBaldur’s Gate 3received, as well as the precedent established by theDivinity: Original Singames, fans are hoping that Larian will at least consider developing a Definitive Edition before moving on to its next project.
