Unraveling the Mystery of the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3 is just what it seems—an unusual ox located in the Emerald Grove. Your character may feel something is off about this creature, and there’s a specific reason for that, which you might not expect.

Thankfully, the Strange Ox also leads to some valuable loot, in case the intrigue wasn’t enough to draw you in! This guide will help you uncover the ox’s mysteries and what you can do with it.

Strange Ox Location in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Strange Ox can first be seen just beyond the trader in Emerald Grove, which is the druid hideout you come across early in Baldur’s Gate 3. To interact with it, you’ll need a potion, scroll, or spell that allows you to communicate with animals.

To chat with it, you can buy a Potion of Animal Speaking from various vendors, or perhaps one of your companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 has the necessary spell. If you chose to play as a Forest Gnome during character creation, you’re in luck, as they have a natural ability to talk to animals.

If you previously encountered the Strange Ox in the Grove but have already rescued the tieflings, it will disappear alongside the refugees. You can speak with it later at the BG3 Last Light Inn in Act 2, where it will be located behind Dammon’s forge.

Interacting with the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3

After drinking the potion or casting the spell, approach the ox for a conversation. However, simply speaking to the Strange Ox may heighten your suspicions, so you’ll need to perform an Arcana check to gain more insight. From there, you can opt for Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation to gather more information. Try to pick a method that offers you an advantage.

Even if you succeed in the skill check, the ox will only reveal that it’s heading to Baldur’s Gate, and that’s about it. You can choose to leave it at that or go on the offensive.

Attacking the ox will cover you in a potent acid that can severely damage your health unless you’ve gradually leveled up. If you do choose to fight, it won’t take many strong hits to bring it down, and you’ll be able to loot a Shapeshifter Boon Ring from its remains. This item is particularly useful for characters like Halsin, who have shapeshifting abilities, but anyone in your party can benefit from it if they have a disguise spell.

Later in the game, if you speak to the ox again, it will give you a terrible vision of corpses and heartrending screams. You can chat with it again in Act 3, where it can be found in Rivington. This time around, the ox will present you with a quest called Help the Devilish Ox. Completing this quest will earn you the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring, which grants a 1D4 bonus to all ability checks related to shapeshifting or disguises.