Strange Ox: Difference between revisions

[[File:An_Authentic_Red-Backed_River_Ox.png|left|alt=A picture of The Strange Ox, standing in a stable at the Last Light Inn during Act Two. It is speaking with the lead player character, choosing to keep its secrets.|thumb|The mysterious creature presents as a rare Red-Backed River Ox.|250px]]

The party must successfully pass a {{Ability Check|Persuasion|10}}, {{Ability Check|Intimidation|10}}, or {{Ability Check|Deception|10}} to pressure the Ox into revealing its secret. On success, the Ox tells the party he is heading to Baldur's Gate but refuses to elaborate further.

Attacking the Strange Ox in Act One causes its caretaker, {{CharLink|Toron}}, and neighboring oxen to become hostile. The ox drops pools of [[acid]] when damaged. On death, it drops a {{SAI|Glyph of Warding: Acid}} that immediately explodes for {{DamageText|8d8|acid}} damage.

Pressuring it to reveal its true identity results in the Ox threatening the party. The conversation can either end here or the interacting party member can continue asking questions. Questioning the Ox further causes it deform into a cyan [[Ochre Jelly|Phasm Ooze]] and enter combat with the party {{ref|The Strange Ox has a hidden passive that generates a {{dist|m=3}} radius {{Area|Acid}} surface when struck.}}. Before doing so, he tells the player character he was seeking a simple life of hay and a clean stable to live in. Alternatively, telling the creature its secrets are safe ends the conversation peacefully ({{Approval|Shadowheart|+1}} {{Approval|Astarion|+1}} {{Approval|Minthara|+1}}).

If the player character is [[The Dark Urge]], they relate to the ox's revelations and can tell it about their own murderous nature, to which it remarks they may be a kindred spirit, but it only wishes to be an ox. The player character can either respect or chastise it for not giving in to its bloodlust - the latter option causes the Dark Urge to brutally attack the creature mid-dialogue, killing it without initiating combat as it struggles to retain its ox form until the very end.{{ref|If killing the Ox using [[The Dark Urge]], no XP is gained aside from inspiration.}}

Alternatively, if the player character is The Dark Urge they may, after sharing its violent visions, choose to respect its wishes by answering, "I don't care what you might be behind it all; you're an ox to me." The Strange Ox responds to the Urge's discretion by regurgitating an {{SmRarityItem|Onyx}} as a gift.  

If the Strange Ox survives into [[Act Three]], it can be encountered at {{Coords|36|-149|Rivington}} on a hill west of the requisitioned barn. Approaching him triggers a {{Ability Check|Insight|10}} check to confirm his likeness. This time, the Ox is glad to see the party. He was worried about the party's mental health since the previous encounter, but perhaps he is just faking it because he needs something from them.

As previously, the Ox can be questioned about his true nature and, like before, doing so causes him to deform into his natural shape and become hostile. Any other conversation path leads to initiating {{Quest|Help the Devilish Ox}}. If deciding to help, he turns into an apple on the stable floor that can be picked up. The moment the party enter the [[Lower City]] with him inside a party member's inventory, the quest ends and he disappears, leaving behind his {{SmRarityItem|Shapeshifter's Boon Ring}} and a {{SmRarityItem|Slightly Slimy Note}}. If entering the Lower City before speaking to the Ox, it disappears and the quest cannot be started. If the quest was not previously started, the Ox cannot be recruited for {{Quest|Gather Your Allies}}.

Completing {{Quest|Help the Devilish Ox}} allows the party to summon him using a [[Gather Your Allies (class action)]] during [[Confront the Elder Brain]]. He reveals his true form as [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Phasm Phasm], a type of [[Ooze]] with a true form similar to an [[Ochre Jelly]] which shapeshifts into different monsters with unique abilities during combat. The tooltip on the summoning action [[An Apple a Day]] reveals the Phasm's name to be '''Zlorb'''.