How to get Scratch to join your camp in Baldur’s Gate III

Even with a full party, life on the adventuring road can be exhausting, but nothing makes coming back to camp easier than spending some time with your own furry friend. 

Scratch is the party’s resident dog in Baldur’s Gate 3, and if you play your cards right, he can start gracing your camp with his presence in Act 1. Like so many other characters in the game, though, Scratch has a tragic backstory, and you’ll need to deal with the fallout of that before he joins your party. 

You first encounter Scratch in the wilderness northeast of the Blighted Village. He’s just outside of the cave where you meet the owlbear cub for the first time, which means you can actually recruit two party companions in a single outing.

Loyal to the end

When you meet Scratch, he’s guarding the corpse of his former owner. He’s on edge, and you have to be the one to explain to him that his owner isn’t going to be coming back anytime soon.

If you’ve got a Potion of Animal Speaking or the Speak with Animal Spells, you can speak directly to Scratch; otherwise, you’ll have to rely on skill checks. You have the option to shout at the man’s corpse to prove that he won’t respond, but Scratch takes that as a sign of aggression and attacks you. It’s better to take a gentler approach, asking Scratch if he wants to come with you and, when he refuses, letting him sniff your hand so he can find you later. 

Understandably, Scratch isn’t ready to leave his former master just yet. As long as you’ve given Scratch your scent, it’s safe to leave him here. The next time you take a long rest, he’ll wander into your camp, and you can start spending your downtime playing fetch.