How BG3’s beloved dog companion Scratch caused an Honour Mode disaster and what you can learn from it
The Honour Mode Challenge
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Honour Mode transforms the gaming experience into a high-stakes adventure where every decision carries permanent consequences.
Introduced with Patch 5 in late November, Honour Mode represents the ultimate test of player skill and strategic planning. This challenging variant completely eliminates the safety net of save scumming, meaning every dice roll, combat encounter, and dialogue choice becomes irreversible.
The permadeath feature amplifies tension significantly, forcing players to consider risks that would otherwise be trivial in standard playthroughs. Many experienced gamers have reported suspicions that the game’s RNG system might be subtly weighted against them during Honour runs, adding another layer of psychological pressure.
What most players didn’t anticipate was that their most loyal companion could become their greatest liability. The recent incident involving Scratch demonstrates how seemingly innocent game mechanics can have devastating consequences when combined with Honour Mode’s unforgiving rules.
The Runepowder Fetch Disaster
Reddit user PoliticalBudgie shared their heartbreaking experience on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit, detailing how their Honour Mode run ended in spectacular fashion. “I was confident about securing the elusive golden d20 achievement on my first Honour Mode attempt,” they wrote, “but Scratch had other plans for my campaign.”
The disaster unfolded during a critical rescue mission at the Grymforge, where the player needed to free Nere from rocky obstructions. Following conventional strategy, they prepared to use Runepowder to clear the path—a normally straightforward solution that should have progressed without complications.
The catastrophic sequence began when the player threw the Runepowder toward the obstruction. Unbeknownst to them, Lae’zel’s summoned familiar Scratch interpreted the thrown explosive as an invitation to play fetch. The game’s AI programming for familiars includes interactive responses to thrown objects, creating an unexpected lethal interaction.
In a split-second tragedy, Scratch intercepted the Runepowder while the player’s attack arrow was already in flight toward the explosive. The resulting detonation created a chain reaction that instantly eliminated the entire party, Scratch himself, and the gnomes they were attempting to rescue. The Honour Mode run ended not with a dramatic boss battle, but with a canine companion’s well-intentioned playfulness.
Community Response and Analysis
The gaming community responded with both sympathy and humor to PoliticalBudgie’s unfortunate experience. One commenter drew parallels to classic cartoon scenarios, noting, “This feels like something straight out of Looney Tunes—a dog happily fetching a stick of dynamite without understanding the danger.”
Another community member expressed fascination with the cinematic potential: “I would genuinely pay to see a replay footage of that moment and witness the player’s real-time reaction to their entire campaign ending so abruptly.”
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Several experienced players offered strategic insights, questioning the tactical decision to throw the Runepowder. “Why risk throwing when you can simply drop the explosive near the target?” one commenter pointed out, highlighting alternative approaches that would have avoided triggering Scratch’s fetch instinct.
Another veteran player shared their own precautionary measure: “This exact scenario is why I always dismiss animal companions before handling volatile materials. The risk-reward calculation changes completely in Honour Mode.”
Advanced Honour Mode Survival Tactics
This incident serves as a crucial learning opportunity for players attempting Honour Mode challenges. Understanding companion AI behavior becomes as important as mastering combat mechanics when permanent consequences are on the line.
Familiar Management Protocol: Always assess your summoned companions’ positions and potential interactions before executing dangerous actions. Consider dismissing animal companions entirely when handling explosives or navigating high-risk environmental puzzles.
Item Handling Best Practices: When dealing with volatile items like Runepowder, utilize the ‘Drop’ function rather than ‘Throw’ whenever possible. This avoids triggering companion fetch behaviors while achieving the same tactical objectives. Position characters at safe distances and use ranged attacks to detonate dropped explosives.
Environmental Risk Assessment: Before engaging in complex interactions, scan the area for potential chain reaction hazards. Consider how companion AI might interpret your actions and plan accordingly. Sometimes the safest approach involves temporarily leaving companions at camp during particularly dangerous sequences.
This unfortunate Scratch incident underscores a fundamental Honour Mode principle: success requires not just skill and knowledge, but meticulous attention to how game systems interact in unexpected ways. The community’s collective experience demonstrates that sometimes the greatest threats come from the most unexpected sources.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Baldur’s Gate 3 player blames Scratch for “embarrassing” Honour Mode loss How BG3's beloved dog companion Scratch caused an Honour Mode disaster and what you can learn from it