Scratch

Scratch is a dog and a potential Camp Follower and Attached Follower encountered in the Forest during Act One.

“

Master, friend... I stayed with him until... until I knew he was gone.

„

— Scratch, after joining the camp

Overview

Background

Scratch was  Gomwick's dog while they worked for Sword Coast Couriers. The pair were making a delivery to Baldur's Gate when a group of gnolls attacked them. Gomwick forced Scratch to flee, but then died in the attack. Scratch later returned to find his master and, thinking him merely injured, waited patiently by his side for him to wake.

Recruitment

Scratch can be recruited as a camp follower and familiar.

Scratch is the Forest, west of and above Owlbear Nest X: 69 Y: 476. He defends the body of his dead master, a messenger named Gomwick. The party must tell him they mean no harm.

Calming down Scratch

Without Speak with Animals

• [PERCEPTION] Peer at his collar. (DC 10)
  • It's all right, Scratch. I'm not going to hurt you.
• [ANIMAL HANDLING] Kneel - you mean no harm. (DC 10)
• [INTIMIDATION] Stand down! (DC 10)
• [BERSERKER] [INTIMIDATION] ROAR. (DC 5)
• [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] Growl. (DC 5)

With Speak with Animals

Scratch tells the party member to keep moving. The party can respond with:

• [PERCEPTION] Peer at his collar. (DC 10)
  • You're Scratch, aren't you? Come here. It's all right.
• [INTIMIDATION] If I wanted to hurt either of you, I'd have done it already. (DC 15)
• [HALF-ORC] [INTIMIDATION] I could snap you in half, if I wanted to. I don't. (DC 10)
• [BERSERKER] [INTIMIDATION] I don't want to hurt you. BUT I CAN. (DC 10 )
• [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] You don't want me angry. Trust me - one animal to another. (DC 10 )
• [PERSUASION] I'm not an enemy, I promise. (DC 15)
• [DRUID] [PERSUASION] Calm, friend. I mean you no harm. (DC 15 )
• [DRUID] [PERSUASION] I understand your fear, but I promise I mean you no harm. (DC 15 )
• [PALADIN] [PERSUASION] Calm yourself. I harm only those deserving of it. (DC 15 )

Once Scratch is calmed, he turns his attention to his deceased master and must be convinced to follow the party to the campsite.

Convincing Scratch to come to the campsite

Without Speak with Animals

• Come on, Scratch. Follow me.
• Motion him to follow.
• Hold out your hand so he can follow your scent to camp.

With Speak with Animals

• I don't think he's going to wake up.
• [DRAGONBORN] It's noble to protect one of your clan, but he's gone.
• [NEUTRAL CLERIC] [GOOD CLERIC] He's with his god now. I'm sorry.
  • Come on, you can travel with me if you like.
    • If he doesn't wake up, follow my scent. I have a camp.  +1  +1  +1  +1

Scratch does not leave his master's side, but finds his way to the Campsite during the next long rest. Doing so also rewards 15 experience.

Angering Scratch

• [GITHYANKI] Stop deluding yourself - you are guarding a corpse.
• Rest? He needs a grave.
• Prove the man is dead - shout at his corpse.  -1  -1  -1 (turns him hostile)

Involvement

Camp

After Scratch has been at camp for a while, he will bring the player character an item called  Scratch's Ball. Succeeding in a Strength, Sleight of Hand, or Animal Handling check, or by using  Speak with Animals, allows the player character to take the ball:

• [ANIMAL HANDLING] Encourage him to drop the ball. (DC 15)
  • Hand it over, boy.
• [STRENGTH] Wrestle the ball from him. (DC 15)
• [SLEIGHT OF HAND] Distract him with one hand and slip the ball from his jaws with the other. (DC 10)

While in camp, Scratch can also be pet, and will play fetch, retrieving his ball if it is thrown.

If the  Owlbear Cub is recruited, one night, during a long rest, sounds of distress can be heard coming from the cub and Scratch. Hurrying towards the sound, the player character finds Scratch and the owlbear lying together. Without animal speech, the player character can pass an Animal Handling check to discover the two have become friends. Otherwise, Scratch explains that he is comforting the cub, after he had a nightmare of his time in the Goblin Camp. Scratch shares that he used to sleep under Gomwick's coat as a pup, and he thinks Gomwick would be happy that he is travelling with his new master – a little surprised at himself for calling the player character this.

Familiar

While Scratch's Ball is in someone's inventory, they can summon Scratch as a Familiar. Scratch can find a variety of hidden items, and with the exception of  Ranger's Companion, is the only creature which can be summoned that is capable of the  Help action. Scratch can also remove  Burning,  Downed,  Ensnared,  Entangled,  Enwebbed,  Gaping Wounds,  Sleeping,  Off Balance, or  Prone from an ally. If his ball is lost in some way other than throwing it into a chasm, Scratch will have a spare at camp.

However, the playful Scratch can disrupt sensitive missions. He is afflicted with  Scratch's Sniff around buried chests and runs ahead regardless of traps and enemies (think invisible Timmasks with  Range: 18 m (60 ft)), sometimes causing spectacular consequences. Scratch also fetches most any item dropped or thrown, including boxes blocking vent traps and even high explosives.

Act Three

In Rivington, the party can visit the Sword Coast Couriers, the messenger service that employed Gomwick and Scratch. The dog kennels adjoined to the building are overseen by the abusive  Angry Mar'hyah and her put-upon assistant  Oyster Boy Dringo. Talking to Mar'hyah presents the option of summoning Scratch, after which Mar'hyah attempts to take the dog back.

The party must pass an Ability Check in order to keep Scratch. Passing a subsequent ability check banishes Angry Mar'hyah from the game entirely.

Companion approval

Petting Scratch for the first time grants approval from all companions within view.

Related literature

• Post-House Dog's Log

Achievements

Fetch Quest

Play fetch with Scratch - the best boy in the Realms.

You Have Two Hands for a Reason

Pet Scratch and the owlbear cub at the same time - the greatest joy an adventurer could ask for.

Notes

• Attacking, shoving, or throwing Scratch while in camp causes him and all companions not in the active party to become hostile. Similarly, if  Scratch's Ball is (accidentally) thrown at another who is not in the active party while in camp, a fight ensues. Similarly, casting  Silence which encompasses Scratch is considered a hostile action.
• If Scratch dies or permanently leaves camp, each character has 4 unique voice lines that play when his ball is thrown.
• In Honour mode, using  Friends on Scratch turns him hostile once the condition expires.
• Getting caught pick-pocketing Volo in camp in view of Scratch can cause Scratch and all non-following companions to become temporarily hostile.

Bugs

• Scratch has different stats when he is summoned versus when he is in camp. When he is summoned he uses FindFamiliar_Dog character stats (which use  Dog as a parent), while when he is in camp he uses FOR_CourierDog character stats (which use  Wolf as a parent).

External links

• ⁠Scratch (dog) on the Forgotten Realms Wiki