Baldur’s Gate 3 offers an opportunity to adopt adorable pets like Scratch the Dog and the Owlbear cub. These charming creatures can add a touch of wilderness and personality to your camp. However, adopting them is not easy and requires a few steps to follow. To help you, we have prepared a comprehensive guide that will walk you through the process of adopting Scratch the Dog and the Owlbear cub in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to Adopt Scratch in Baldur’s Gate 3
To adopt Scratch the Dog in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will want to travel to the coordinates X: 70 Y: 474 to find him near Blighted Village. When you first interact with Scratch, you will want to choose the “reach out to and pet him” option to avoid spooking him away. Now it is recommended that you have a character with Speak with Animals to make this easier, but it is still possible to adopt him without it. Still, you’ll only see barking instead of having the ability to converse with him.
After you approach Scratch, you will be given the choice of three dice checks: Intimidation, Perception, or Animal Handling. Your option choice will dictate how the interaction with Scratch goes after this point.
If you choose the Intimidation option, you will force him to back down, and then you will be given several options to influence him to come with you. If you choose the Perception option, you will look at his tag to learn his name.
When choosing the Intimidation or Perception option, avoid aggressive choices like forcing him to come with you or yelling at his dead owner because these will spook him away. Instead, you will want to choose the option that lets him become familiar with your scent.
If you choose the Animal Handling option, you will want to follow these dialogue options during your conversation with him:
- “I don’t think he’s going to wake up.”
- “Come on, you can travel with me if you like.”
- “If he doesn’t wake up, follow my scent, I have a camp.”
Regardless of which dice check you take, allowing him to gain your scent will always be the result you want to get to adopt Scratch. From here, you will want to return to your camp and perform a long rest. When the long rest is over, Scratch will appear at your camp!
It’s recommended to keep petting Scratch to strengthen your bond with him. Some of your recruited companions will appreciate this friendly interaction which will positively improve your relationship with them. Additionally, Scratch can fetch small items, like health potions, for you, incentivizing you to pet him as often as possible.
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How to Adopt Owlbear Cub in Baldur’s Gate 3
To adopt the Owlbear Cub in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll want to travel to coordinates X: 85 and Y: 444, which is northeast of Blighted Village and north of Bridge West of Silvanus Grove, to find the Owlbear Cub’s nesting grounds. You will find the Owlbear mother and her Cub when you reach these coordinates.
Interact with the Owlbear mother when you arrive. You’ll be given a series of dice check options: Animal Handling, Survival, Performance, or attack. However, if you end up in combat with the Owlbear mother, don’t worry because you can still adopt the cub. Just make sure you don’t choose the option to kill it after it eats its mother.
After you leave the cave, head to the Goblin Camp west of Blight Village. I found that it took a couple of Long Rests for the Owlbear Cub to show up here. You’ll need to use some Social Manipulation to Persuade the guards that you are allowed to enter the camp.
Once inside the Goblin camp, look to your left, and you will find Krolla with her Chicken Chasing game and the same Owlbear Cub that has been captured. Speak with Krolla and tell her you are taking the Owlbear Cub. You can either Persuade, Intimidate, Illithid Mind Control, or Bribe (500 Gold) Krolla to successfully free the Owlbear Cub. Alternatively, if none of this works or you want to fight, you can kill the entire Goblin Camp to free the Owlbear Cub, but trust me, this is a challenging option.
Talk to the Owlbear Cub after freeing it, and choose the option that lets it get your scent. Next, you’ll want to travel back to your camp long rest, and the Owlbear Cub will appear at your camp, just like with Scratch.
However, even though the Owlbear Cub is at your camp, you still have a few more steps to take before you can adopt it:
- You must pass an Animal Handling Check for DC 10.
- Select the “Fetch a Piece of Food From Your Bag” option.
- Select the “Toss the Food to the Owlbear” option.
If you successfully obtain both pets, they will interact with each other and be okay. I was afraid either of them would attack the other. Instead, you will witness their adorable interaction as they become best friends.
Author’s Note: I wrote this guide while playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck.
