How do you pass the Baldur’s Gate 3 Gauntlet of Shar trials? Deep in the Grand Mausoleum, past a few dodgy-looking portraits, you’ll find the Gauntlet of Shar. Home to a portly necromancer with a troubling family situation and a small army of heavily-armed skeletons, this dungeon is a key location, not just for your overall objective, but for Shadowheart’s companion story too.
There are plenty of dungeons to explore in Baldur’s Gate 3 as we explain in our review, but the Gauntlet of Shar is one of the trickiest to get to grips with as there is a fairly deadly enemy presence, as well as several puzzles you have to solve in order to get where you need to go. These puzzles are named the Gauntlet of Shar trials and will test every aspect of your class. Assuming you’ve spoken to Balthazar, met his brother, and been surprised by Yurgir, there are only the trials left to beat – here’s how they work, and how to complete them.
How to beat the Gauntlet of Shar trials
In order to progress through the Gauntlet of Shar, you need to power up a floating platform. In order to power up this floating platform, you need orbs – four orbs, to be exact. One of these you’ll find near Yurgir’s rather disgusting bed, and the other three are in the Gauntlet of Shar trial rooms. Here is how to solve each of the Gauntlet of Shar trials:
Soft Step trial
The first trial you come across is the Soft-Step, so-called due to the stealthy nature of the room. The premise is fairly simple: navigate the small maze to reach the exit without being seen by the patrolling enemies. If you’re seen by one of the minions, you’ll be teleported back to the entrance.
This trial is built for a rogue, so if you’re currently playing as the most dashing of all the classes, this should be fairly easy – alternatively, you can bring Astarion along if you’re playing one of the more heavy-handed classes. Ensure that you’re using the hide ability; not only does this soften your steps and make you harder to see, but it will show the enemy sight cones on the floor, so you can choose when to move, and when to stay.
Self-Same trial
The next trial takes on a completely different face from the first – your face, actually. The Self-Same trail puts your party against a party of doppelgangers, with each member of your team having an equal that you must defeat in combat.
There is a debuff that you and your companions can be struck with if they attack an enemy that isn’t their own likeness – it can be a pain, but as it’s removed after a long rest, it’s best, in this case, to focus fire and decimate the doppelgangers as quickly as you can. Once the fight is over, collect your rewards and take a long rest to ensure everyone’s tip-top for what’s to come.
Faith Leap trial
This trial should be quite familiar to anyone who’s seen The Last Crusade. As you walk into the room, you’ll see a faint outline of a pathway. This pathway leads from one end of the room to the other – the only catch is, as you get closer, it begins to fade. This is where the leap of faith angle comes in, or at least, should.
We suggest taking someone with a large jump distance, like Lae’zel, for this trial. She can clear nearly half of the room with one bound. You should be able to get to the other side in three jumps or so. Just make sure you plan out a route beforehand so you know where you’re going to land – it’s a long way down.
Well, now you’ve passed the Gauntlet of Shar trials, you’ll have the orbs required to move on so Shadowheart can find what she’s looking for – and you can, too, if you’ve got your mind on romancing her. If you’re having trouble with the Soft Step trial, try out our best rogue build; it has stealth and damage in equal measure.