Baldur’s Gate 3 throws a lot of choices at the party, some clear-cut and some more morally gray. From saving refugees to dealing with hags, there is no shortage of ways to approach the different situations the party find themselves in. But there is one decision in Act 3 where, strangely, doing the wrong thing is the best choice all round.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the story of Baldur’s Gate 3.]
The decision in question surrounds one of the many BG3 characters who can join the party camp and has been a firm fan favorite since early access. Scratch is a dog that can be met early in Act 1 by his dead master, who, after some coaxing, will arrive at camp. However, it isn’t until Act 3 that he gets his own quest where an important decision about his future must be made.
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Returning Scratch To His Owners Is Wrong
When the party arrive in Rivington toward the end of Baldur’s Gate 3 they will hear about letters going missing, which will no doubt lead to a trip to the Post Office. It is here that it is revealed that Scratch actually belongs to the Sword Coast Couriers, with his former master being the courier he was escorting. The right thing to do here would be to return Scratch home but as the party learns more, it becomes clear that returning Scartch to his owners would be the wrong choice.
Learning More About Scratch’s Life Makes The Choice Clear
When Scratch is first encountered in Act 1 he is distraught at the death of his master Gomwick who has been killed by Gnolls in the area. There are a few ways the party can approach Scratch, but either by speaking to him using speak with animals or passing a skill check will convince Scratch to follow the party’s scent back to camp. Any attempt to force the issue or loot Gomwick’s body will result in Scratch turning hostile and attacking.
From then on, the bestest boy in all of Faerûn will happily run around camp and can be stroked and spoken to throughout Acts 1 and 2. There are even some special cutscenes that will trigger if the party has rescued the baby owlbear as the two animals get acquainted. There is even a cute BG3 achievement for petting both of them called “You Have Two Hands For A Reason.”
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Once in Act 3, the party can explore the town on Rivington, just outside the main city of Baldur’s Gate. It is here that the Sword Coast Couriers are located, and the rest of the courier dogs can be found in a yard at the side of the building. However, all is not right, and it soon becomes obvious that the woman in charge of training and tending to the dogs, Angry Mar’hyah, is abusing them.
She can be spoken to in the yard and, given her demeanor and how she speaks to the party as well as the other NPC present, it is obvious she is not a nice person. If the party speaks to the other dogs using speak with animals, they will express their fear of her. In fact, if they are released while she is still there, the dogs will be hostile to Mar’hyah and immediately attack her.
There are a few ways to resolve this situation, such as handing Scratch back to her, intimidation, or outright violence. If Scratch is returned to Mar’hyah, he will cower and whine before reluctantly returning to his cage. While this might be the right thing to do in real life, as technically the party has stolen Scratch, it isn’t the right moral choice. Usually, threatening random NPCs in BG3 would be considered a bad or even evil thing to do – and something those roleplaying as lawful good characters would steer clear from.
However, considering just how despicable Mar’hyah is, this is one of those circumstances where doing a bad thing is the right choice. The implications for Scratch’s future are clear if he and the other dogs remain in her care, so bullying Mar’hyah is actually the best thing the party can do. Obviously, for anyone looking to do an evil or Dark Urge playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, handing Scratch over to Mar’hyah would be the way to go. The Dark Urge makes some disturbing choices in BG3, but siding with an animal abuser would be high on the list.
Scratch Can Be Summoned Out of Camp For Adventures
Aside from saving him from the abusive conditions, there are some great gameplay reasons to keep Scratch around as part of the team. In camp, if he is interacted with enough, Scratch will bring gifts that he has found. These can range from bones and trinkets to useful items such as food for camp supplies and potions.
After Scratch has been petted a certain number of times, he will bring the player character a ball. By throwing the ball, it is possible to play fetch with Scratch, which is an adorable interaction but also a very important one. Whichever BG3 party member keeps Scratch’s ball in their inventory will be able to summon him outside of camp, and that is where the fun really begins.
When Scratch is summoned and out and about with the party, he has some great functions beyond looking cute. While exploring, Scratch will sometimes get the condition Scratch’s Sniff, and will bark for the party to follow him. This is a great way of finding hidden treasure in BG3 as once Scratch gets close enough to them, he will point with his nose to show where to dig.
Scratch can also attack in combat, but he doesn’t do a lot of damage and has a very low number of hit points. One great way to utilize him in battle, though, is to have him provide an advantage for sneak attacks. Another great use for Scratch in combat is to have him revive fallen party members.
Reddit user Jinkerinos excitedly shared that Scratch will revive with kisses rather than the help action. They posted a video showing the good boy running over and licking the downed party member to get them back on their feet. As if anyone needed any further proof that Scratch was the best in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3
- Franchise:
- Baldur’s Gate
- Platform(s):
- macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5
- Released:
- 2023-08-31
- Developer(s):
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s):
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s):
- RPG
- Multiplayer:
- Larian Studios
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Baldur’s Gate 3 is a long-anticipated sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2, released in 2000 from BioWare and now being handled by Larian Studios. Set 120 years after the events of Shadows of Amn, Baldur’s Gate 3 puts players in the role of a customizable protagonist who has been captured and infected with a parasite that will turn them into a mind flayer. Before the process is complete, the ship they are on crashes, leaving them on a quest to cure themselves as they meet up with other survivors. Gameplay is turn-based and can be played co-operatively online or tackled alone in a single-player campaign with NPC allies.
- How Long To Beat:
- 50 – 100 hours
- Prequel:
- Baldur’s Gate 2
