One Baldur’s Gate 3 Decision Turns Tav Into A Powerful Cheese Wheel

There is one specific decision in Baldur’s Gate 3 that transforms the player’s character, known as Tav, into a cheese wheel – and, curiously, that transformation has occurred over a million times, according to stats shared by the developer Larian Studios. The complexity and depth of the world created for the critically acclaimed RPG allow players to tackle the game in the way they prefer and, in doing so, encounter many well-spread secrets, be they hidden items to optional interactions. One of these interactions sees their humanoid character, regardless of race, class, or subclass, transformed into a sentient wheel of cheese that can roll around.

This is one of the many tiny decisions in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can surprise players, often in a very positive way. This specific one does not have too much of an impact on the story nor does it affect the ending of Baldur’s Gate 3, but it can happen unexpectedly and is very humorous to witness, especially when considering the circumstances that surround the event. Turning into a cheese wheel can be easily accomplished, so long as players follow some very specific steps during an interaction with a certain NPC in the early stages of Act 3 of the campaign.

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Over A Million Baldur’s Gate 3 Players Became Cheese Wheels

According to a post made by the developer on the official Larian Studios account on X, over 1.2 million players have been transformed into a sentient wheel of cheese during their playthroughs. This is but one of the many curious gameplay statistics released by Larian Studios a few months after Baldur’s Gate 3’s official release in August. For instance, 1.3 million players completed the game so far, while 94% of the players created their custom character rather than choosing a preset. Another fun fact is that 2 million players survived a dinosaur attack, which is, curiously, also somewhat related to the wheel of cheese transformation that player’s Tav can undergo.

How To Become A Cheese Wheel In Baldur’s Gate 3

To become a cheese wheel, players have to follow a certain string of interactions with Akabi, the djinni who can be found in the Circus of the Last Days in Rivington. This encounter can only be triggered in Act 3, after dealing with Ketheric Thorm and leaving the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Akabi’s Wheel in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an optional mini-game in which players can spin a wheel and get a shot at winning the jackpot, which the djinni claims is a great reward. The big issue with this game is that the wheel is rigged and Akabi is actively cheating so that the player never wins the prize.

Upon coming to this realization, which usually happens through a passive Perception check after spinning the wheel for the first time and nearly getting the jackpot, players can accuse the djinni Akabi of cheating. Even though it is true, he will act as if he were angry for being unjustly accused and shower a barricade of insults toward the player and even threaten to transform them into “something vile” in Baldur’s Gate 3. After this, Akabi will offer the player another chance at spinning the wheel. At this moment, players can choose to spin it again, as he suggested, or continue accusing him of being a “cheating bastard.”

If players insist on accusing him, Akabi will be displeased and place his “fury” upon the player. With the snap of a finger, the player’s character is transformed into a wheel of cheese, which tumbles onto the ground. After this, regular gameplay returns, and players can control and move the wheel of cheese around as they normally would. The spell that Akabi uses to transform the players into food is Polymorph. This instance of the spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 has a duration of 20 rounds and reduces the player’s Max HP to 1. After the time has expired, the player will automatically revert to their regular form.

Interacting With Akabi Can Grant The Best Weapon In Baldur’s Gate 3

Although the transformation into a wheel of cheese is possibly the most memorable part of the interaction with Akabi, players can actually get the trident known as Nyrulna, the best Legendary weapon in Baldur’s Gate 3, by interacting with the djinni appropriately. To do this, it is necessary to beat the djinni at his cheating game and win the jackpot on the wheel. This can be done in various ways. If players pickpocket him, they can take away his Djinni Ring, which is the source of the cheating scheme – this is hinted at when the initial Perception check occurs, as the narrator cites a glow in Akabi’s beard.

Alternatively, players who chose Bard as their class can try to spin Akabi’s wheel a second time and, while doing so, try to distract him. This can be done by persuading him to talk or by letting out “a huge fart.” Regardless of the chosen method, as long as players win the jackpot, Akabi will be furious and accuse the player of cheating. Players will be able to respond to his accusations, but this is in vain, as Akabi will snap his fingers and send the winner of the jackpot to a pocket dimension called Jungle in Baldur’s Gate 3, which is inhabited by Chult Alioramus.

These creatures resemble dinosaurs and there are many of them. At the very end of the map, players can encounter a chest that contains Nyrulna, arguably the best weapon in the game. This is the true jackpot prize that players can obtain from the wheel of fortune hosted by the cheating djinni Akabi. While transforming into a wheel of cheese is hilarious and worth the experiment, players should definitely save before the interaction so that they can reload and follow the path that leads them to the Legendary trident in Baldur’s Gate 3.