This Baldur's Gate 3 fan is trying to beat the entire RPG on one of its hardest difficulties as Scratch, the adorable dog companion with just one damage-dealing ability

Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing Scratch, a large long-haired white dog with dark eyes
(Image credit: Larian Studios)

One creative Baldur's Gate 3 player is trying to get through all three of the RPG's acts while only dealing damage as Scratch - all while on Tactician difficulty.

This article contains story spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3's first act.

YouTuber Legendary is living up to his handle it seems as he attempts to complete Baldur's Gate 3 in its entirety as everyone's favorite dog companion, Scratch. We've now seen players beat the RPG as four cats and run the entire game as a wheel of cheese, but watching a fan take Baldur's Gate 3 on in tactician mode as Scratch is certainly a first. Introducing his unique challenge run, Legendary (accurately) declares "We all know Scratch is the best boy, but is he the best on the battlefield?"

He continues, explaining "The only creature I control that can deal damage in the entire game is Scratch." This means that his companions can't use any of their powerful abilities, and also that they must flee combat should Scratch die. The first problem that Legendary runs into is the fact that he needs to first reach Scratch before he can damage enemies - that means he has to make it out of the Nautiloid, through the goblin chaos, and to the dog alive. Thankfully, he does so with the aid of XP gained from recruiting companions.

Upon successfully convincing Scratch to join him at camp, Legendary explores and tactfully talks his way out of combat to boost his Tav up to level four - "I basically did any quest that didn't involve me killing anything." The YouTuber snags some useful non-damage-dealing abilities like Enlarge and Hold Person while also increasing his character's Intelligence stat to 18. He also respecs some of his companions for better buffs - and honestly, I think Karlach as a Paladin makes a lot of sense.

Scratch himself is "very weak," with just 12 AC and a mere five HP at level one, but that's no problem for Legendary it seems. With his party ready, he proceeds into battle and first defeats a bugbear assassin by using Scratch's bite ability. The Goblin Camp comes next, where the YouTuber uses everything from explosive barrels to spiders to ensure victory. The chaos doesn't stop there, though - Scratch and company must move on to defend the Emerald Grove from Minthara.

To avoid death, Legendary uses Crown of Madness and continuously has Shadowheart blow the war horn above the gate while dealing damage with just Scratch's bites. Upon emerging victorious, he goes on to Auntie Ethel for her hair - an item that provides a permanent +1 buff to an Ability Score. In this case, Legendary opts to once more boost his Intelligence. From there, he delves into the Underdark's dangerous depths and employs everything from Phalar Aluve to the Staff of Arcane blessing for extra help.

Somehow, Legendary pulls it all off and continues to the Adamamntine Forge, where yes, he ends up successfully killing the game's first big "boss" - Grym. The YouTuber then heads to the Githyanki Crèche, using barrels, Color Spray, and you name it to survive. There's much more to see in Legendary's full video, though. It's definitely worth a watch considering the cute dog shenanigans, entertaining challenge, and humor throughout - plus, it only covers the first act of three with the next two parts "coming soon."

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Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.