The Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3 consists of three distinctive trials, which you should 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 have both lockpicked or puzzled your means by means of 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 value 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 all the things that you must find out about it.
First gem: the Tender-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 Tender-Step Trial is a small maze patrolled by Shadows. You will have to skulk to the tip of the maze with out being noticed, so ship in your stealthiest occasion member. In case you have the spell Improve Skill accessible, it is value 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 superb. I like to recommend getting into turn-based mode for this, nonetheless, because the Invisibility spell solely lasts for 10 turns, which passes by quite a bit quicker outdoors of fight.
Head by means of the center entrance, then flip to the fitting. Pull the lever to maneuver two partitions, revealing a hidden room containing a desk with a Tender-Step Key on it (as with all objects, you’ll be able to maintain down ALT in your keyboard to seek out it simpler). If you wish to skip the important thing, the door it opens may also be lockpicked.
Seize the important thing, then navigate in the direction of the tip, 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. Should you’re teleported again to the beginning, you do not have to select the important thing again up once more.
Alternatively, when you have entry to the spell Dimension Door, you’ll be able to bypass the trial completely. The leftmost entrance provides you simply sufficient line of sight to solid the spell by means of a window. Have your caster teleport themselves and somebody with Thieves’ Instruments proficiency in the direction of the tip of the puzzle, then lockpick the ultimate gate. Declare your Umbral Gem and proceed to the subsequent trial.
Second gem: the Self-Identical Trial
You might be your personal worst enemy—on this case, actually. The Self-Identical Trial forces you right into a mirror-match with your personal occasion. To succeed in 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 occasion, carrying all the things you could have geared up. Should you occur to be butt-naked earlier than getting into battle, they’re going to be bare too. You’ll be able to re-equip your gear earlier than getting into the battle, which appears unfair, however Girl Shar would in all probability approve of those underhanded ways.
In case you have a method of seeing invisibility, it is value getting 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 could make the battle last more than it has to.
In the course of the battle itself, you will every be tagged with the Mirror Trial debuff. This buff provides a stacking curse that reduces every certainly one of your potential scores by 1 each time you hit another person’s mirror. Nonetheless, killing a clone rids the true occasion member of the debuff, permitting them to hitch the battle correct.
Earlier than you seize your Umbral Gem and bounce, make sure that to select up the Killer’s Sweetheart ring. This factor is sort of best-in-slot for Paladins, Barbarians, and Rogues, permitting them to financial institution an on-demand essential as soon as per Lengthy Relaxation.
Third gem: the Religion-Step Trial
The Religion-Step trial is the final of the gauntlet’s direct challenges. To seek out it, go downstairs and head by means of the primary door you see. Donate your pound of flesh to Girl Shar within the ritual bowl, as is customized.
The room shall be plunged into darkness. Earlier than you do anything, 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 received nice information for you: you should utilize it to cheese this trial as effectively. Whereas the stone platform on the finish is shrouded in magical darkness, you’ll be able to nonetheless goal one of many additional invisible walkways. From there, it is only a matter of leaping.
In case you have a method of leaping or flying—akin to having a Barbarian in your occasion—you’ll be able to 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 subsequent Umbral Gem.
Fourth gem: the Orthon
The fourth Umbral Gem might be discovered within the Orthon’s lair, and may simply be missed your first time by means of. 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.
Should 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 should earn his good favour and progress your storyline with him and Astarion.
Happily, when you have a silver tongue, you’ll be able to keep away from this battle completely by getting him to kill his minions, his displacer beast, after which himself. The problem of those checks is pretty excessive, so I like to recommend casting Improve Skill (Eagle’s Splendour) on whoever’s doing the speaking.
Then it is only a matter of preserving him chatting in regards to the contract binding him right here till you unlock a persuasion test to get him to slaughter his viewers. Issues snowball from there, and with a bit of luck, you will depart the room affected by corpses with out even elevating a finger.
Whether or not you brawl with the Orthon, ambush it, or speak it into dying by its personal hand, you can choose up the Umbral Gem on the staircase subsequent to its throne.
With that, you will have all the things that you must go and battle the Nightsong. Be sure to pay a go to to the Silent Library earlier than you allow, although—doing so is important for Shadowheart’s questline.