Baldur's Gate 3 - Part 95 - Good Dogs

Storyline (what happens / why it matters)

• The party is preparing to free Orpheus and obtain the Orphic Hammer, which is directly tied to that goal.
• Two possible routes to reach the required hellish solution are discussed:
  • Make a deal with a devil (warned against as a “terrible idea”).
  • Infiltrate Hell and steal what’s needed instead (the party chooses this approach).

As they proceed, they keep uncovering:

• Evidence about Gortash-linked forges and the people running devilish/hellish workshops.
• Clues from diaries, letters, keys, and hidden basements around Baldur’s Gate.
• Lore connecting major devil players—especially Mephistopheles/Mammon-aligned figures and Carus’s Crown (with Raphael’s ambitions also in the mix).

In the Devil’s Plateau, the party meets Helsik (the “Master of Mammon”), who offers a way to go to Hell via an upfront ritual and materials—seemingly without a direct “deal” cost.

The episode ends with a clear plan: next they will go to Avernus, retrieve what they need (including items tied to other devils), and continue chasing information and schematics relevant to KARLACH’s infernal heart.

Gameplay highlights & major gameplay beats

Looting / exploration priorities

• The party repeatedly searches hidden side doors, basements, locked chests, and mailboxes.
• A recurring theme: small, inconspicuous doors often lead to the most important secrets.
• Basements are consistently valuable, frequently containing gear, keys, and hidden routes.
• They learn that multiple neighboring buildings are connected to hellish operations.

Combat: “Good Dogs” mausoleum / ghost dogs

• The party enters a mausoleum where ghostly dogs (dogs preserved in death) fight back.
• Key combat observations/tips discussed:
  • AoE strategies are less effective because the ghosts have evasion (AoE often deals little or only partial damage).
  • Radiant/force-style damage works well in this encounter.
  • The ghosts are difficult to crowd-control using typical “immobilize/freeze” tactics because they aren’t treated as truly “human” targets.
  • The party relies more on positioning and controlled damage than on spells that the enemies might simply avoid.

“Morality” / roleplay choices in quest management

• A sidequest involves urgently arranging a child’s coffin delivery in a cemetery.
• The party pressures the undertaker, later feels regret/understanding, and learns the undertaker is struggling—yet they choose mercy and urgency anyway.
• They also discuss balancing looting with avoiding unnecessary desecration of corpses.

Merchant / crafting / equipment management

• The party visits Damon’s forge-like setup, buys gear, and optimizes party loadouts.
• Equipment decisions highlighted include:
  • Swapping weapons/armor to improve hit chance, damage rolls, saving throw value, resistances, and tactical effects.
  • Adjusting appearance/colors to match character identity (notably giving Lae’zel a darker/golder scheme).

Devil-rendezvous / infiltration planning mechanics

• In the Devil’s Plateau shop, Helsik’s setup is used as a cover for her real operations.
• The party reads Helsik’s diary upstairs to understand barriers and traps, and to avoid or bypass them.
• They negotiate for the “Hell entry” arrangement:
  • They’re given ritual instructions, a key to unlock a ritual hall, and ritual components (including a special hellish marble ball).
• The plan includes explicit meta-rules:
  • They never talk.
  • The rituals are performed by the party themselves to avoid consequences with another devil.

Key strategies & tips mentioned (actionable takeaways)

• Check side doors and small “nothing-looking” entrances—they may lead to valuable basements and loot.
• When exploring trap-heavy devil locations:
  • Read diaries and search for barrier mechanics (switches, bypass routes, balcony infiltration).
  • Consider fly/vertical entry if normal traversal is too dangerous.
• Against ghost/undead-style enemies:
  • Don’t rely entirely on AoE if they have evasion.
  • Favor damage types that work well vs ghosts—especially force/radiant (as discussed).
  • Expect limited effectiveness from many “face-hold / humanoid-target” CC methods if the targets aren’t treated as human.
• In equipment management:
  • Prioritize improvements to Armor Class, resistances, saving throw utility, and consistent attack/damage.
  • Don’t ignore tactical gear effects (e.g., extra damage on crits, special gauntlet abilities, spell-hit amplifiers).

Gamers / sources featured

• Many A True Nerd (John / channel host)
• Lish Jump (viewer intro salutation mentioned)