The Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3 consists of three distinctive trials, which it’s essential to conquer to descend into the depths of the temple and confront the Nightsong. To drive a knife into the guts of Ketheric Thorm’s immortality, you will want to gather 4 Umbral Gems—three of them come from the trials, whereas the fourth Umbral Gem has been stolen by an Orthon who has a historical past with everybody’s favorite satan, Raphael.
As soon as you’ve got both lockpicked or puzzled your means by the mausoleum and entryway, you will uncover a central elevator that results in a central platform lacking its gems. Financial institution left to discover a waypoint for the temple itself.
Earlier than you descend down the steps, it is price turning left from the waypoint and assembly the necromancer Balthazaar. Whereas he is not a glowing conversationalist, chatting with him does have an opportunity of netting you a bell, which you’ll later use to summon an undead monstrosity that can assist you in fight. Return to the waypoint, then head down the steps to start the Gauntlet of Shar. This is every little thing it’s worthwhile to find out about it.
First gem: the Delicate-Step Trial
Each trial begins with a blood sacrifice at a ritual bowl. In case you have Shadowheart accompanying you, let her supply her blood at every bowl for a free bump of approval.
The Delicate-Step Trial is a small maze patrolled by Shadows. You will must skulk to the top of the maze with out being noticed, so ship in your stealthiest social gathering member. In case you have the spell Improve Potential obtainable, it is price utilizing Owl’s Knowledge on them to assist them spot traps.
Alternatively, if you do not have a rogue, Invisibility will do the trick simply wonderful. I like to recommend coming into turn-based mode for this, nevertheless, because the Invisibility spell solely lasts for 10 turns, which passes by rather a lot quicker exterior of fight.
Head by the center entrance, then flip to the fitting. Pull the lever to maneuver two partitions, revealing a hidden room containing a desk with a Delicate-Step Key on it (as with all gadgets, you may maintain down ALT in your keyboard to search out it simpler). If you wish to skip the important thing, the door it opens can be lockpicked.
Seize the important thing, then navigate in the direction of the top, avoiding each traps and the roaming shadows. Ignore the hallway with a locked door—the important thing will not work on it—and proceed to the massive gate on the finish of the trial. In the event you’re teleported again to the beginning, you do not have to select the important thing again up once more.
Alternatively, in case you have entry to the spell Dimension Door, you may bypass the trial solely. The leftmost entrance provides you simply sufficient line of sight to forged the spell by a window. Have your caster teleport themselves and somebody with Thieves’ Instruments proficiency in the direction of the top of the puzzle, then lockpick the ultimate gate. Declare your Umbral Gem and proceed to the following trial.
Second gem: the Self-Similar Trial
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You might be your individual worst enemy—on this case, actually. The Self-Similar Trial forces you right into a mirror-match with your individual social gathering. To achieve it, head down the identical hall and switch to the left. Earlier than you work together with the bowl, get bare. It’s going to assist, belief me.
The trial creates copies of your social gathering, sporting every little thing you will have geared up. In the event you occur to be butt-naked earlier than coming into battle, they’re going to be bare too. You may re-equip your gear earlier than coming into the battle, which appears unfair, however Girl Shar would in all probability approve of those underhanded ways.
In case you have a way of seeing invisibility, it is price making ready it for this battle, as your clones will be capable of dip out and in of the shadows. Even with out garments on, this may make the battle last more than it has to.
Through the battle itself, you will every be tagged with the Mirror Trial debuff. This buff provides a stacking curse that reduces every one among your potential scores by 1 each time you hit another person’s mirror. Nevertheless, killing a clone rids the true social gathering member of the debuff, permitting them to hitch the battle correct.
Earlier than you seize your Umbral Gem and bounce, ensure to select up the Killer’s Sweetheart ring. This factor is almost best-in-slot for Paladins, Barbarians, and Rogues, permitting them to financial institution an on-demand important as soon as per Lengthy Relaxation.
Third gem: the Religion-Step Trial
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The Religion-Step trial is the final of the gauntlet’s direct challenges. To seek out it, go downstairs and head by the primary door you see. Donate your pound of flesh to Girl Shar within the ritual bowl, as is customized.
The room will likely be plunged into darkness. Earlier than you do the rest, take a fast detour to the choices menu and switch your brightness up. There are platforms right here, however they vanish the nearer you get to them, requiring you to memorise the route. I like to recommend taking a screenshot or, even higher, utilizing the one I’ve offered above.
In case you have entry to Dimension Door, I’ve obtained nice information for you: you need to use it to cheese this trial as nicely. Whereas the stone platform on the finish is shrouded in magical darkness, you may nonetheless goal one of many additional invisible walkways. From there, it is only a matter of leaping.
In case you have a way of leaping or flying—comparable to having a Barbarian in your social gathering—you may merely leap throughout the stone platforms with Girl Shar’s statue on them. Be sure to step onto the invisible walkways first, as leaping straight from the ritual bowl will get you teleported again.
Navigate the void, stare into the abyss, and you can declare the following Umbral Gem.
Fourth gem: the Orthon
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The fourth Umbral Gem could be discovered within the Orthon’s lair, and may simply be missed your first time by. Return to the Gauntlet of Shar waypoint, then flip proper. Leap down the ruined staircase and head additional down till you come to a big chamber teeming with corpses.
In the event you merely waltz into the chamber, you will be ambushed by the Orthon and its minions. This creature is a long-time enemy of Raphael, and killing it can earn his good favour and progress your storyline with him and Astarion.
Luckily, in case you have a silver tongue, you may keep away from this battle solely by getting him to kill his minions, his displacer beast, after which himself. The issue of those checks is pretty excessive, so I like to recommend casting Improve Potential (Eagle’s Splendour) on whoever’s doing the speaking.
Then it is only a matter of maintaining him chatting concerning the contract binding him right here till you unlock a persuasion examine to get him to slaughter his viewers. Issues snowball from there, and with just a little luck, you will go away the room suffering from corpses with out even elevating a finger.
Whether or not you brawl with the Orthon, ambush it, or discuss it into dying by its personal hand, you can decide up the Umbral Gem on the staircase subsequent to its throne.
With that, you will have every little thing it’s worthwhile to go and battle the Nightsong. Be sure to pay a go to to the Silent Library earlier than you allow, although—doing so is significant for Shadowheart’s questline.
