What is the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3? (BG3)

Wondering what’s up with the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3? There are plenty of strange creatures in Dungeons and Dragons, and Larian Studios isn’t afraid of showing them off. But rarely to the creatures’ namesakes call them out.

In this guide, we’ll tell you what the Strange Ox is, and what it’s about. If you’re still poking around the Emerald Grove, make sure you know how to get the owlbear cub and how to move the scuffed rock if you want the treasure underneath it.

So what is the deal with the Strange Ox in Baldur’s gate 3? Is it simply a joke animal or is there a darker meaning? What is the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3?

What is the Strange Ox?

The Strange Ox is a creature, presumably a druid or someone with shapeshifting magic, disguised as an Ox. We don’t know why they’re disguised like this, but we can speculate.

We know that if you speak to the creature, they’ll admit to wanting to travel to the city of Baldur’s Gate. Since this is where the Tieflings are ultimately headed, their disguise seems to imply that they want to sneak inside, for one reason or another.

Where is the Strange Ox?

You can first find the Strange Ox in Emerald Grove. Head through the front gate and down the main path, until you’re under the shade of the cavern overhang. If you follow the path to the right, towards the Druids and the ritual, you’ll come across three oxen standing together, being tended to by a farmhand. The third of these is the Strange Ox.

What can you do with the Strange Ox?

The Strange Ox is part of a side quest that unfolds in full at Baldur’s Gate. When your party walks by the ox for the first time, you’ll all run Perception checks. Passing this will reveal that there’s something off about the Strange Ox.

If you use a Speak with Animals spell or potion of animal speaking, you can speak to the Strange Ox. Passing an Arcana Check will reveal more information about the ox. Passing Persuasion, Intimidation, or Deception skill checks will get him to open up and admit he’s in disguise and traveling.

You can also choose to kill the Strange Ox if you wish. He’ll drop the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring. When equipped, shapeshifted or disguised wearers will gain a 1d4 bonus roll to all their actions. It is a pretty good bit of loot for this early in the game, but it does risk never unraveling the full mystery of the encounter.

All Strange Ox locations in Baldur’s Gate 3

The first location for the Strange Ox is near the Druid’s sanctuary, as we mentioned. If you decide not to kill him in Act 1, you’ll next run into him in Act 2.

In Act 2, you’ll find the Strange Ox in Last Light Inn, around the stables at the back where Damon, a character crucial to Karlach’s quest, is working. Again, each ally will be prompted with an insight check whether you have talked to this beast or not.

During your second encounter with the Strange Ox, you can find out the true identity of the Strange Ox by convincing him to show you his real form. This will result in you fighting an ooze enemy. You can also get him to show you horrific visions and ask him how a cow such as he has such horrifying thoughts.

If you manage to not kill the red-backed river ox (A.K.A. the Strange Ox) during Act Two, you can find him again in Act Three in Rivington. At this point, you may think the ox is possessed by the devil but if you continue to help him, you can carry the ox into the lower city of Baldur’s Gate after he shapeshifts into an apple.

During this time, the ox will be hiding in your pocket and leave when you go through the city’s entrance. This is just one of the hidden secrets that are hidden in plain sight in Baldur’s Gate 3. Helping this ox will pay off in the end as you can summon him for the final fight of the game among other allies.

That’s everything you need to know about the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you want to make sure you’re ready for more strange encounters, take a look at the best Baldur’s Gate 3 sorcerer build build so that you’re prepared. And if you’re in Druid Grove Grove already and are looking for a blacksmith, here’s where Dammon is in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Strange Ox FAQ

What kind of creature is the Strange Ox?

The Strange Ox is a shapeshifter and seemingly a worshiper of the God of Trickery, Cyric. Although we don’t know with certainty what species it is, popular theory suggests it might be an Ooblex, a type of ooze-based creature.

Is the Strange Ox evil?

Ultimately, we aren’t entirely sure what the Strange Ox’s motivations are, but the horrifying visions he can show you in his Act 2 encounter suggest that he’s at the very least not a good-aligned entity.