There are several great pets in Baldur’s Gate 3 that show up as either allies or summons and familiars. The new turn-based RPG developed by Larian Studios allows players to choose several aspects of how they approach the gameplay, including the usage of creatures as allies on the battlefield. Of course, not all pets need to be used in combat, so they can be enjoyed as partners in the campsite and other non-hostile moments.
This article contains a few mild spoilers about certain characters and events in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Pets can be acquired in several different manners while playing the game, from special spells that summon them to side quests in Baldur’s Gate 3. It is possible to go through the game without ever using or even encountering some of these allies. Nevertheless, a few of them are worth unlocking, either for combat purposes or for the company they provide during the quest to cleanse oneself of the Mind Flayer tadpole parasite.
10 Scratch
Scratch is one of the first pets players can recruit in Baldur’s Gate 3. The lonely dog can be found during the first few hours of Act 1 and there is no actual difficulty in befriending him. Scratch is found under rather unpleasant circumstances, but players can easily sway him to visit their camp later on.
There are also benefits to befriending Scratch in Baldur’s Gate 3. The first is the charismatic element that he brings to the camp. Being able to pet and play around with him is a great change of pace from the brutality of the world of Faerûn – and it might increase your reputation with certain characters. In addition to that, this pet can also find useful items while playing in the camp.
9 Owlbear Cub
Before even encountering Scratch, it is possible for players to find another prospect of a pet. The Owlbear Cub in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be found mere instants before stumbling upon the aforementioned dog and is likely accompanied by its mother. The outcome of the encounter does not really matter, as a tragedy will strike and the Owlbear Cub will be left orphaned.
After this event, and upon reaching the Goblin Camp, players can reencounter the animal, which was recently imprisoned and can be won in a competition or purchased with Gold in Baldur’s Gate 3. After this, players will want to provide their smell to the Owlbear Cub so that the beast can follow them back to camp, much like the first interaction with Scratch.
8 Us
During the first few minutes of gameplay, players can actually unlock their first pet: a peculiar creature named Us. While trying to escape the Nautiloid, players can come across the body of Myrnath with a half-exposed brain that talks to them via telepathy. That mutated organ is a companion in Baldur’s Gate 3. If players successfully remove Us from the body without damaging them, they will become a companion in the party, who can be summoned in battles.
The issue is that Us appears to die following the events of the Nautiloid and, upon escape from the Mind Flayer’s vessel, players will not be able to summon Us anymore. Nevertheless, the brain-creature gives players an early taste of what it is like to have a pet summoned into battle in Baldur’s Gate 3.
7 Cat
Although fairly simple in essence, a Cat summon can actually be one of the most useful pets in Baldur’s Gate 3, especially during the early portions of the turn-based RPG. Cats can be summoned through the Find Familiar spell, which is available for several archetypes in the game. Curiously enough, it is its simplicity that makes it so reliable.
By summoning it, players can conjure a low-cost feline that can act as a beacon to gather opponents to their location. They will likely die in the process, but not before landing a few strikes and fulfilling its purpose. Using a Cat familiar is a great strategy to divert attention away from the player’s party while gathering opponents for AoE attacks in Baldur’s Gate 3.
6 Imp
Another quite useful summon in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can act as a combat pet is the Imp. This creature, conjured by Wizards and certain Warlock builds has one of the highest DPS among familiars in the game, so its value cannot be understated. In addition to that, they can become invisible, which can provide them with a certain advantage in battles.
Imps can also fly across the room, which combined with its innate invisibility perk, can make for a deadly ally to summon. Even though its usefulness is limited to battles, they are easily some of the best pets in the game – and because they are familiars in Baldur’s Gate 3, they can be summoned multiple times, even if they die.
5 Raven
The last great example of a combat pet that can be summoned numerous times is the Raven. This flying creature, like the Imp, is capable of dealing great amounts of damage to enemies. Its only disadvantage is its low HP pool in Baldur’s Gate 3. Nevertheless, it is a prime scout when exploring maps looking for eventual dangers on the road.
Ravens have a large range in Baldur’s Gate 3, which is what makes them such great scouts. In addition to that, these pets are one of the most elusive creatures in the game, complementing the fantasy component of the turn-based RPG and making immersion so much deeper.
4 Horse
Stepping away from familiars but still in the realm of spells is the Horse pet in Baldur’s Gate 3. Summoned through the Find Steed spell, players can invoke this equine to aid them. Unfortunately, the spell is only available for Paladins, but it is still a great ally to have.
By summoning this type of pet in the game, players can move faster across the large open-world map of Baldur’s Gate 3. Horses also give an air of nobility and importance to those who ride them, especially when compared to lowly walkers, making them some of the rarest and coolest pets in the game.
3 Yenna & Her Cat, Grub
Players can recruit a certain NPC called Yenna and her feline friend, Grub, to join the campsite in Baldur’s Gate 3. There are several steps that need to be taken before this happens, and they need to be precise so as to ensure they will be safe in the area. It is tricky to get that to happen, but possible.
If players manage to do this, Yenna and Grub can become permanent additions to the campsite. This will make Grub another pet for the party in Baldur’s Gate 3. They cannot be commanded in battle or controlled in any manner, but they are still a valuable addition that highlights good decision-making (and luck with dice).
2 Shovel, The Quasit
Another very special pet that players can recruit is the Quasit named Shovel. This familiar can only be brought into battle after a fairly tiresome interaction as the prerequisites to obtain it are composed of a very strict and precise set of actions and choices in Baldur’s Gate 3. In addition to this, only a few of the magic-aligned classes can obtain it.
After the interaction, Shovel, the Quasit can be summoned through the Find Familiar: Cheeky Quasit spell obtained from its interaction. This Quasit is special in the sense that it talks to the player in Baldur’s Gate 3. It also has great gameplay value, as it deals a decent amount of damage and can frighten opponents.
1 Zombie
One of the most curious “pets” in Baldur’s Gate 3 is actually a zombie-like figure that is related to the Mayrina questline. By using and keeping the Bitter Divorce wand, players can resurrect Mayrina’s husband as an undead being, that can later be summoned into battle.
This action has a negative consequence, as Mayrina will not be friendly toward the player, but it enables them to have a zombie ally that can be summoned into battle. The undead husband is a rather weak minion and is likely to not hold his own in battles, but he is certainly one of the most peculiar pets in Baldur’s Gate 3.
