Greater Dog

Greater Dog (written as "GREATERDOG" while Hostile) is a monster and unique enemy in Section 3 - Hell's Forest. It is encountered after a series of snow puffs, blocking the way to the bridge. It has been specifically trained by Alphys to a killer, as well as being equipped with a spiked collar and a communicator for allowing it to speak.

It will start the fight in the Hostile state.

Attacks

• Several pairs of spears will swipe across the Bullet Board from either left or right; they can either be cyan or orange (which will always be closed together), or white that can either have a small gap to pass through, or both will be moving at once, opening and closing.
• An angry looking white dog, after a few moments, will constantly launch itself in a straight direction towards the SOUL, stopping only when hitting a wall, before initiating another assault.

Mercy

Greater Dog can be spared after filling it's MERCY bar to 100% full by using ACTs in a certain order. The ACTs effects and their preferable order of execution are:

• Distract will allow Sneak and Snatch to be used without getting damaged by GREATERDOG (Sneak will deal 4 damage to Kris, while Snatch will deal 3 damage to both Kris and Susie); after one of the two act either removed or loosened a piece of GREATERDOG's gear, Distract's effect will wear off, requiring it to use it again. It requires Susie and Noelle's turns.
• Sneak and Snatch are both focused at removing either the communicator or the spiked collar off of GREATERDOG. Both requires Distract to have been used before:
  • Sneak will allow Kris to remove the spiked collar. It can not remove the communicator, as it is too high for Kris to reach.
  • Snatch requires Susie turn. Upon using it, a crosshair blinking cyan and purple will appear at the far left or right, slowly moving to the other direction while increasing in speed. If "[Z]" is pressed while aiming at the communicator, it will remove it. If the communicator was already remove, aiming on the spiked collar will initially loose it, and remove it the second time.
• After both the communicator and spiked collar are removed, Beckon will become effective, increasing by 20% GREATERDOG's mercy the first time (and visibly calming it down, slightly), by 40% the second time, finally fully filling it's Mercy at the third time, removing it's hostile state and stopping Greater Dog from attacking, as well as making it tired. It requires Noelle's turn.
• Pet can be used to, as it implies, pet Greater Dog at 100% Mercy. It has no real effect, but it will likely appreciate it. Using it before Beckon was ever used will make it stab Kris for 4 damage, while using it after Beckon was used 1 time but no more than 2 will have no effect at all.
• N-Action will increase GREATERDOG's Mercy by various amounts when used at each "stage" or gear's removal. It can be used one time at each stage, and will scale it's mercy increase accordingly to the number of times it was used previously, as it follows:
  • 5%, Only the first piece of gear was removed.
  • 10%, if the spiked collar was removed with Sneak and the communicator with Snatch, or just the communicator was removed while the collar was only loosened and N-Action was used before, or if both are removed with Snatch and N-Action was used twice.
  • 15%, if the spiked collar was removed with Sneak and the communicator with Snatch, or just the communicator was removed while the collar was only loosened and N-Action was never used before.
  • 20%, if both were fully removed with Snatch and N-Action was used once at the first removed gear.
  • 25%, if both were fully removed with Snatch and N-Action was never used before.

In summary, no matter how many times N-Action is actually used, the max possible mercy increase after removing all gear pieces from GREATERDOG will always be 15% if the spiked collar was not loosened, or 25% if it was loosened.

• S-Action has no effect.

Strategy

Use Distract first to ensure you can make progress in sparing Greater Dog. Not distracting will deal damage. After surviving a turn, you can then select Sneak or Snatch. If you choose Snatch, be sure to not miss the crosshair on Greater Dog. Once you make progress in sparing Greater Dog, Distract it again, then use whichever ACT you didn't use earlier; if you used Snatch, use Sneak, and vice versa.

After that, you can start using Beckon to calm Greater Dog down. Once it loses the Hostile state, you no longer have to worry about getting damaged. If you wish, you could use this time to max out your TP to get extra money at the end of the battle, but otherwise there is nothing else to do but spare Greater Dog.

A simplified version of this sequence is as follows: Distract -> Sneak or Snatch -> Distract -> Sneak or Snatch (whichever was not previously used) -> Beckon 3 times

Flavor Text

• GREATERDOG blocks the way! [Encounter]
• The one trained to kill. [Check, Hostile]
• This dog is ready for a well needed nap. [Check, tired and happy]
• GREATERDOG is following commands. [Neutral]
• GREATERDOG stands completely still. [Neutral]
• GREATERDOG glares into you. [Neutral]
• Smells like spoiled puppy juice. [Neutral]
• GREATERDOG is growling because it can no longer speak. [After removing its communicator, while the spiked collar is still on]
• GREATERDOG doesn't feel as threatening without its collar. [After removing its spiked collar, while the communicator is still on]
• GREATERDOG is no longer bound to its threatening appearance. [After removing or loosened its spiked collar and removing its communicator]
• GREATERDOG's facade is falling apart. [After 1st Beckon]
• GREATERDOG seems to be resisting the urge to hop into your lap. [2nd Beckon]
• GREATERDOG is one "good boy" away from becoming good again. [After 2nd Beckon]
• Without its harnesses holding it back, Greater Dog leaps into your lap... [3rd Beckon]
  • ...Completely disregarding that it was trained to kill.
• Greater Dog is already laying in your lap. [Beckon at 100% Mercy]
• You tried to pet GREATERDOG, but it stabs you! [Pet before 1st Beckon]
• You tried to pet GREATERDOG, but it backs away from you [Pet after 1st Beckon and before 3rd one]
• You pet the dog. [Pet at 100% Mercy]
  • You can see it trying to fight off the sleep falling upon it.
• You tried to sneak behind GREATERDOG, but it spotted you and stabbed you! [Sneak before Distract] (deals 4 damage to Kris)
• You snuck behind GREATERDOG and removed its spiked collar! [Sneak after Distract]
  • But you couldn't reach its communicator from there [If the communicator wasn't already removed]
  • GREATERDOG is now vulnerable! [If the communicator was already removed]
• You snuck behind GREATERDOG, but you couldn't reach its communicator from there. [Sneak after the spiked collar was already removed]
• You snuck behind GREATERDOG, but you couldn't really do anything. [Sneak after removing its spiked collar and communicator]
• You can't sneak behind what is laying in your lap. [Sneak at 100% Mercy]
• You and Noelle called for the GREATERDOG. but it didn't budge [Beckon before removing both its spiked collar and communicator]
• You and Noelle called for the GREATERDOG. [Beckon after removing its spiked collar and communicator]
  • GREATERDOG perks up its ears.
• You and Susie tried snatching GREATERDOG's communicator... [Snatch before Distract]
  • But failed! GREATERDOG stabs both of you!
• Aim to grab GREATERDOG's communicator! (Press [Z] to grab!) [Snatch after Distract]
  • Missed... [Missed or took too long]
  • Snatched GREATERDOG communicator! [Grabbed the communicator]
    • GREATERDOG is now vulnerable! [If the spiked collar was already removed]
• You and Susie tried snatching GREATERDOG's collar... [Snatch before distract and after removing its communicator]
  • But failed! GREATERDOG stabs both of you!
• Aim to grab GREATERDOG's collar! [Snatch after Distract and the communicator was already removed]
  • Missed... [Missed or took too long]
  • Loosened GREATERDOG's collar! [Aimed at the collar, 1st time]
  • Snatched GREATERDOG's collar! It's now vulnerable! [Aimed at the collar, 2nd time]
• But there was nothing left to take. [Snatch after removing its spiked collar and communicator]
• Everyone frantically told GREATERDOG to look behind itself. [Distract]
  • GREATERDOG seems to be a bit distracted.
• Seems GREATERDOG is already distracted by its lack of collar and communicator. [Distract after removing its spiked collar and communicator]
• Seems Greater Dog is already distracted by its sleepiness. [Distract at 100% Mercy]
• Susie barks at GREATERDOG! Nothing happened. [S-Action]
• Noelle spoke softly to GREATERDOG. [N-Action while both the Spiked collar and communicator are on, or after the act was already used at any given phase]
  • Nothing happened.
• Noelle spoke softly to GREATERDOG. [N-Action after removing either the spiked collar or the communicator, or both]
  • Seems like the dog is starting to lower its guard.
• Greater Dog is very tired. [100% Mercy]
• GREATERDOG remains steadfast. [Low HP]

Quotes

• I have you cornered [Neutral, before removing communicator]
• Give up and die! [Neutral, before removing communicator]
• I shall slay you human scum. [Neutral, before removing communicator]
• ERROR EMOTION NOT FOUND [N-Action after removing the spiked collar but not the communicator]
  • Do NOT play with me!
• Noelle: C'mere, little guy! [Beckon after removing its spiked collar and communicator]
• Noelle: C'mon...! I know you're not as bad as you look! [2nd Beckon]
• Noelle: C'mon, who's a good boy? [3rd Beckon]
• Susie: (It can just...leave its armor???) [Sneak at 100% Mercy]

[After fight dialogue]

(Spared)

• QC: Goodness me, only y'all could do something like that.
• QC: Maybe the dogs'll stop arguing now that he isn't "cold and stern" anymore.

(Killed)

• QC: Guess there wasn't any other way around him...
• QC: Prolly could've waited a few hours, but the guard has been getting worse by the day.
• QC: Y'all stopped it before it could get worse.

(Killed quickly)

QC: Yeesh, y'all hit REALLY hard. He barely stood a chance! QC: I wouldn't wanna be on your bad side, heh heh. Noelle: (...)

(Betrayal kill)

• QC: Did y'all really need to, uhh...y'know...
• Susie: No, they didn't.
• QC: ...
• QC: Well, I suppose letting him go could lead him to being RETRAINED to kill.
• QC: So i guess he was doomed either way.
• Susie: ...Sure.

(Either way)

• QC: Anyway, what's important is that the way isn't blocked!
• QC: I REALLY need to get to my shop.
• QC: See ya!

Notes

• Despite being referred as "it" by narrator during the fight, Q.C will exclusively refer to Greater Dog as "him".