The Strange Ox is one of the many mysterious creatures that you can encounter in Baldur’s Gate 3 while traveling through the Emerald Grove.
At first glance, it does not stand out from the rest of the livestock. However, it is worth hovering over it, and the game itself will let you know that something is wrong here. As you get closer to the ox, perception checks begin to occur, warning that the creature is not what it seems.
So, what is the secret behind this ordinary-looking animal?
How to talk to Strange Ox?
First, it is worth remembering that you can always communicate with our smaller brothers if your character has the ability to talk with animals thanks to his skills or scrolls. If you do not have such an opportunity, Will is one of the potential teammates in the game right next to the paddock. He will easily agree to join you, after which you can increase his level and choose one of the new skills, among which will be “Conversation with Animals”.
So, now we can communicate with this mysterious creature. Before starting the conversation, you will roll the die to check intelligence. By successfully passing the test and choosing the option “Persuasion” in the dialogue, you can find out the true intention of the ox, which is to go to the bustling city of Baldur’s Gate. Of course, many of the locals, including the tiefling refugees and yourself, seek to go there for various reasons, but why would an animal need it? This is where things get even more intriguing.
The ox will not answer you directly. If you choose to attack it, the creature will explode with acid and leave behind a Ring of Boon of the Mimic. This magical item will give you an extra d4 die roll on all shapeshift and disguise checks. If you have the Mask of the Werewolf, you will be able to unleash its full potential.
From this we can deduce that the ox may be a werewolf, a person who deliberately took on the form of an animal in order to disguise himself and sneak into Baldur’s Gate unnoticed. If you do not touch the animal, you can meet it more than once as you progress through the game.
Second meeting
In Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Strange Ox can be found in the Last Light Tavern, located in the north of the Corrupted Ground Shadow.
Your communication with the beast here will follow the same scenario as in the Emerald Grove: the ox will dodge in every possible way and will not reveal what it is and what it is up to.
Third meeting
In the third act, the ox will be in the stable on the east side of Rivington. You may wonder again what his mission is, but you’ll need to pass a Persuasion or Nature check to find out more. This will allow you to make telepathic contact and the ox will share his visions with you with shocking scenes of corpses and mutilated bodies. After that, you have to decide whether this creature is a real danger or is it worth helping him get into Baldur’s Gate.
Since we helped you find out what drives the Strange Ox, we will follow his example and will not reveal the further course of events until the end, because one of the main charms in Baldur’s Gate 3 is to make all important decisions based on your own reasoning and have the courage to face face the consequences of their actions.
Based on materials gamewatcher.com
