Baldur’s Gate 3: How to complete the Gauntlet of Shar Trials

Stephanie Zucarelli
Baldur's Gate 3 Sacrificial Bowl

The Gauntlet of Shar is a key location with several quests you’ll need to complete for the Baldur’s Gate 3 main campaign. This place is filled with puzzles that will defy every player’s ingenuity. Here’s how to complete the Gauntlet of Shar Trials in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 usually has many chain quests that require players to be strategic with their resources, skills, and long rests. The Gauntlet of Shar is one of them, and also plays a huge part in the main campaign. Its location contains several objectives that are key for the narrative, besides being essential for Shadowheart storyline.

If you’re looking to survive the Gauntlet of Shar Trials, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to solve its puzzles and complete its three main quests in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to find the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3?

To reach the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll have to travel to the Thorm Mausoleum in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. To do so, you can travel northwest of the Reithwin Town waypoint, west of Mason Guild.  

When you reach the Grand Mausoleum, you’ll have to look for the Reithwin Graveyard. To reveal the path toward the Gauntlet of Shar Trials, you’ll have to solve the Mausoleum’s puzzle.

Baldur's Gate 3 Gauntlet of Shar
You’ll need to get through two puzzles before reaching the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to solve the Mausoleum puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3?

To solve the Mausoleum puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll have to press the three buttons under the paintings located in the Grand Mausoleum room. Here’s the order you should activate them:

  1. The Moonrise Towers mural (X:-248 Y:-848)
  2. The Grief mural (X:-278 Y:-842)
  3. Ketheric Thorm’s mural (X:-280 Y:-830)

Be aware that the path is filled with traps on the vents as well as various tiles on the floor. After pressing the buttons under the murals, a secret doorway beside the last painting will unveil a secret area. Go to the platform with the Traversal Gem, and after you interact with it, you’ll be able to travel down the Gauntlet of Shar.

How to solve the statue puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3

After going through the Mausoleum in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll find a room with a statue puzzle that won’t let you get to the Gauntlet of Shar Trials unless you solve it. To complete this new puzzle, you’ll need to deactivate the force field that won’t let you get to the Umbral Gem.

This force field can be disarmed by activating levers located in the four branching chambers. Each lever will lower a Mystic Thurible that lights the main chamber; once all eight of them are lowered, you’ll have to turn them off.

Be aware that this room is also filled with traps, which will release a Void Cloud and deal Cold damage if activated. You can disarm them with a Trap Disarm Toolkit.

The Statue Puzzle of the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur's Gate 3
You’ll be able to see the force field of runes after you turn off all source lights.

After turning all light sources off, you’ll be able to see a maze made of runes that will guide your path to access the Umbral Gem. After taking the gem, the magical force field that was blocking the door to the Gauntlet of Shar Trials will disappear. When you get to the next room, called the Silent Library, you’ll have to fight the Umbral Tremors and Dark Justicars to finally get access to the Trials.

Keep in mind that the Silent Library has a magical field that starts a Silence effect which prevents you from casting a verbal spell in this location. You’ll be able to end it by destroying The Librarian, an Umbral Portal at the center of the room. This will also prevent more Dark Justiciars from spawning.

How to complete the Faith-Leap Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3

You can complete the Faith-Leap Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3 by reaching the Umbral Gem located across a dangerous abyss.

The Faith-Leap Trial room heads north from the Gauntlet of Shar waypoint and passes through the Soft-Step Trial and Self-Same Trial. After you take the stairs down the end of the corridor, you’ll find a plaque that reads “Her Most Sacred Path.”

The Faith-Leap Trial in Baldur's Gate 3
There’s a map hidden at the Ancient Altar that will give you the answer for this trial.

To start the Faith-Leap Trial, you’ll have to make a blood offering at the Ancient Altar by entering the Turn-Based Mode.

The hidden path to the Umbral Gem is shown on the floor in front of the altar; you can pick one character to cross the abyss while the others stay behind for you to check the map. You can also use the Scroll of Fly or the Grant Flight and fly across the hidden path directly to the Gen.

Be aware that if you walk into a gap between the paths, your character will get teleported to the nearest statue base and lose a third of their HP. After failing three times, the character will die.

After you retrieve the Umbral Gem and claim it as your prize, you can head back to the Sacrificial Bowl using the Umbral Transporter.

How to complete the Self-Same Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3

To complete the Self-Same Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll need to win a fight with a mirrored version of your party, which will also use all of your abilities. You can find this challenge by heading north from the Gauntlet’s waypoint. When you find a plaque that reads “Her Most Hallowed Mercy,” you’ll have to enter the room and make a blood offering to the Ancient Altar.

If you take all your party members to the Trial, you’ll find one enemy on the left side of the stairs, the other on the right side, and the two left on the top upper section. Because of their position, they will all enjoy the high-ground benefit when attacking. You need to defeat them all to finish the Trial.

After defeating each counterpart, the last one will drop the Umbral Gem needed to complete the Self-Same Trial and return to the Gauntlet of Shar.

How to complete the Soft-Step Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3

To complete the Soft-Step Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll have to get to the end of the maze without getting caught.

You’ll find the Soft-Step Trial room after heading west down the stairs from the Gauntlet of Shar waypoint. When you arrive at the first door on the western side of the corridor, you’ll find a plaque that reads “Her Most Haunted Treasure.” Get into the room and make your blood offering to a Sacrificial Bowl to start the trial.

The Soft Step Trial in Baldur's Gate 3
You’ll be able to see the shadow entities of the maze in your mini-map.

The corridors of the maze will be guarded by unseen shadow entities, which see forward in the direction they move. If they catch you, you’ll have to restart the maze.

We recommend you disarm traps and blocked paths in the maze before starting the trial. It’s better to send a single and sneaky character to complete the Soft-Step Trial. You should also go through the labyrinth in Stealth mode.

Here is the way you should follow to get to the end of the maze of the Soft-Step Trial:

  1. Go to the furthest door to the right of the Sacrificial Bowl.
  2. Head west straight ahead down the hallway.
  3. Push the button on the northern wall to your right.
  4. Continue walking straight down this hallway until you reach an arch.
  5. Enter the passage and head up the stairs.
  6. Lockpick the gate and get the Umbral Gem.

After finishing the maze, all the torches in the room will turn on and the Umbral Transporter will appear. This will get you back to the Sacrificial Bowl outside the maze.

And there you go, everything you need to know to complete the Gauntlet of Shar Trials in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you wish to learn more about the game, check out our guides below:

Baldur’s Gate 3: How to unlock Displacer Beast | Baldur’s Gate 3 Hirelings explained: All Hirelings & stats | Baldur’s Gate 3: Where to find the Harper Stash and how to open it | Baldur’s Gate 3: All returning characters & where to find them | Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 1 update | Baldur’s Gate 3 Withers’ Wardrobe of Wayward Friends explained | Baldur’s Gate 3: Should you give the Artefact to Kith’rak Voss?