Baldur’s Gate 3: What is the Strange Ox & Should You Kill or Spare it in BG3?

After crash-landing from a Mindlfayer ship and stumbling into Druid Grove, players may come across one of the most interesting creatures in the early hours of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Strange Ox. This creature is more than it seems, but it’s hard to know exactly what.

Most players will skip the Strange Ox because they won’t have the ability to speak with animals. It’s impossible to understand fully what it is without that power, but in this guide, we break down exactly what it is and why players might want to take note of it.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Arcane Tower: Defeat Arcane Turrets, Repair the Elevator & All Secrets in BG3

What is the Strange Ox & Where to Find it in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Strange Ox is an Ox inside Druid Grove in Baldur’s Gate 3. Players need to awaken from the crash site and work their way to Druid Grove’s entrance and defeat the Goblins before they can enter. Once inside, they can find the Strange Ox at the top of the hill on the way to Nettie, the healer. See above for an exact map reference for the creature.

Players who speak to the Strange Ox in Druid Grove will feel that something isn’t normal. However, unless players have the Speak With Animals spell, they won’t be able to investigate any further. If they do have this spell and cast it, the Strange Ox will hint that it’s something more than it seems. Speaking with the other Ox in Driuid Grove hints at this too, but players won’t uncover more in this location.

In Act 2, players can stumble across the Strange Ox once again. It’s in the barn of the Last Light Inn in the Underdark. Here, players can speak with the Strange Ox, and if they pass another skill check, they’ll see a flurry of images of dead bodies and destruction. Players can push the Strange Ox for answers and draw the true beast hiding inside out of hiding if they want to battle it.

If players do push the Strange Ox for more information at the Last Light Inn, it’ll reveal its true form. The Strange Ox is actually an Ooze enemy holding the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring. It just wanted to live a simple life of eating hay, having been a murderous monster for so long.

If players don’t push the Strange Ox for more answers in the Underdark, they’ll find it later in the game in Baldur’s Gate. This is the creature’s dream, and players opting to be good in every possible way may want to consider what’s better, letting an Ooze get into Baldur’s Gate, killing a creature that could pose a threat, or letting an entity live out its dream.

How to Speak to the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3

The only way to speak to the Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3 is by casting the Speak With Animals spell. We had this spell from the start of the game because we played with the Druid class, but it’s possible for other classes to learn the spell too. However, if players haven’t got anyone in the party with the spell and there’s no chance for their character to learn it, they might be better off killing the Strange Ox as soon as possible.

Should You Kill or Spare The Strange Ox in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Players that want a powerful item that can help them in their playthrough, either from the Druid’s Druid Grove, the Last Light Inn in the Underdark, or in Baldur’s Gate should kill the Strange Ox as soon as they can. This is because the Strange Ox holds the Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring inside, an item that gives players a 1d4 bonus to all skill checks while disguised or shapeshifted into an animal form.

However, if players want to be kind and act like a hero, then they should leave the Strange Ox alone and not push it for answers when they meet it for the second time in the Underdark. As outlined above, pushing the Strange Ox for answers reveals its true form and forces players to kill it for the item it holds. Leaving it to keep some secrets will see it fulfill its dream of living a simple life of hay-eating in Baldur’s Gate.