Throughout your adventures in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll encounter a character known as the Strange Ox. Talking to it results in a few “moos” initially, but there’s more to this mysterious creature than you’d expect.
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While this mystery won’t quite unravel until the game’s final act, there’s some information you can glean starting from Act One, with more details surfacing as you progress. Let’s learn more about the Strange Ox, including its behavior, dialogue, and potential rewards in all three acts. Just be careful, as there are some minor Act Two and Act Three spoilers coming up.
What is the Strange ox in Baldur’s Gate 3?
At first, Baldur’s Gate 3’s Strange Ox is an odd cow you’ll spot during Act One. Aside from some weird movements, it won’t show any obvious signs of being unusual, even if you speak to it. However, using Speak With Animals and following its movements throughout the game will reveal its true nature, with Act Three turning it into a side quest.
Act one location and dialogue
You’ll first encounter the Strange Ox in the Emerald Grove during Act One at coordinates (X: 221, Y: 540). The ox will stand beside two other oxen inconspicuously, and speaking to it regularly won’t lead you far. However, there are a few interesting ways to reveal some information.
The first is using Speak With Animals to talk to the ox directly. It’ll maintain the appearance of an ox and attempt to answer your questions to the best of its abilities, albeit with some suspicious hesitance. Depending on whether your character catches on to this, you can persuade, deceive, or intimidate it into revealing more information, prompting the ox to tell you it’ll eventually make its way to Baldur’s Gate. In other words, you won’t get your full answer until Act Three.
Another way to deal with the ox is by attacking it. Upon inflicting damage to it, some peculiar ooze will spurt out and hit anyone, including NPCs, in range. Killing it results in a goop explosion, killing anyone and anything nearby. While this won’t destroy the entire camp, it can definitely wipe out a couple of party members if they’re too close.
Generally speaking, I wouldn’t recommend killing the Strange Ox yet. Not only will the other oxen become aggressive, but any nearby NPCs will also join the fight. On the plus side, you’ll get a special ring from it, which we’ll get into later.
Act two location and dialogue
If you keep the Strange Ox alive during Act One, you’ll spot it again at Last Light Inn at coordinates (X: -28, Y: 168). Any character who succeeds in an Insight Check will comment on this ox, saying they recognize it and still find it very strange.
Like before, it’ll initially make ox noises if you talk to it without Speak With Animals active. You can attempt an Animal Handling (Wisdom) Check, but not much will come from it. Instead, you’ll need Speak With Animals to learn more about the ox.
Remember when I mentioned you can attack the Strange Ox in Act One? Now is another opportunity, but it might be slightly tricky if you’re just starting your time in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Waiting until Act Three will open up some interesting dialogue options with the ox, but attacking it reveals something particularly special.
For the first time, we officially learn that it isn’t an ox at all, but in fact, a weird ooze monster. Attacking the ox will cause it to turn into a level five ooze with resistance to slashing and lightning, alongside acid immunity. Rather than nearby NPCs fighting against you, they’ll become hostile toward the ooze. Like before, you’ll get the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring, alongside a few other goodies for the trouble.
Act three location and dialogue
The final location for the Strange Ox is at the beginning of Act Three in Rivington. It spawns in a barn at coordinates (X: 41, Y: -143). However, while the Requisitioned Barn is here, we’re not looking for this location; instead, you’ll want to visit the other nearby barn on a small hill. Opening its shabby doors reveals the ox alone in the barn, ready to talk.
Waiting until Act Three to interact with the Strange Ox is where things start to diverge. By this point, if you didn’t attack the ox, your party won’t know its true secret and instead recognize it once more if they succeed in another Insight Check. Like before, trying to pet the ox won’t do anything. You’ll need Speak With Animals one last time.
Talking to the Strange Ox with Speak With Animals active starts off bizarre. It’ll still try to conceal its identity at first, but with a successful Persuasion Check, it’ll share some rather horrifying imagery with you. I won’t spoil exactly what you’ll find, but let’s just say even your character is dumbfounded by it.
From this point onward, you have two choices: threaten it and defeat the ox or help it. If you try to leave the conversation, it’ll ask for your help getting into the city. Accepting the request will lead to it turning into an apple, introducing you to the Help the Devilish Ox quest. Upon entering the Lower City, he’ll give you the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring, allowing you to claim this prize without shedding any blood or ooze. After completing the Gather Your Allies quest, you’ll also gain the “An Apple a Day” ability, giving you one more friend to help you later in Act Three’s story.
What does the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring do in Baldur’s Gate 3?
The Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring is a surprisingly helpful ring that gives you a +1d4 bonus to all Checks while you’re shapeshifting or disguised. This applies to numerous situations, from perception and survival checks during your travels to conversation checks.
Its main uses are for buffing a Druid shapeshifter or a rogue who often disguises themselves, but anyone with either of these abilities will benefit. It’s especially powerful on any character with the Mask of the Shapeshifter, which you’ll automatically have in your camp’s chests if you have the Digital Deluxe Upgrade version of BG3.
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