As you walk down the path of the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3, there is a set of challenges that need to be completed before reaching the end, and that set begins with the Soft-Step Trial which aims to challenge your stealth. Here’s how to complete the Soft Step Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to Beat the Soft-Step Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3
To beat the Soft-Step Trial, you need to get through the maze without being caught in stealth mode. The maze has all kinds of traps, two shadows that are searching for you, and locked doors. Reaching the other side can be a challenge, but there is an easy way to complete the full trial.
Before you give any blood to the sacrificial bowl, you can go into the maze and check out the area. We went in with our Rogue Astarion and prepared the whole maze. We were able to deactivate nearly every trap, unlock every door, and pull levers that blocked pathways. There’s also a Soft-Step Trial key to grab on a table around the midpoint which’ll open the final gate to end the trial (if you don’t want to or can’t pass a DC10 lockpick). After deactivating everything, you can head back to the sacrificial bowl and give some blood.
If you’re okay with bending the rules a bit, have a separated party member stand at the final gate before the trial starts. Place another party member at the start to drop some blood into the sacrificial dish. Once the trial starts, your party member at the end of the trial can grab the Umbral Gem. No stealth required.
Once blood is given, it’s time to activate your stealth. We recommend only taking one character that has the best stealth checks or abilities. After hiding, move to the left side of the maze and wait for the first shadow to pass. Then go into the middle hallway and hide behind the doorway on the other side. As the second shadow passes, go into the final hallway and reach the end of the trial.
You also can make great use of any Invisibility spells or scrolls you have on hand. If you aren’t careful, it’s still possible to get caught. However, Invisibility is an extra safety net as you move. It lasts for 10 turns at a time, and Rogues like Astarion have easy access to it.
How to Solve the Soft-Step Trial in BG3:
- Deactivate all traps and open all doors before starting.
- Sacrifice some blood at the start.
- Go into hiding with your best stealth character alone.
- Move to the left side of the maze and wait for the first shadow to pass.
- Move down the middle hallway and hide behind the door.
- The second shadow will pass and you can end the trial in the next room.
Upon completion of the Soft-Step Trial, all the braziers will light up in the final room and the shrine to Shar will provide another Umbral Gem. These are integral to getting through the entire Temple of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to Beat the Faith-Leap Trial in BG3
After completing the Soft-Steep Trial in BG3, you’ll have two other challenges to face: the Self-Same trial and the Faith-Leap Trial. First up will be the Self-Same Trial, but it’s pretty straight-forward: fight a group of shadow-clones based on your party, and upon victory, you’ll be given your second Umbral Gem. The only difficulty here is that the clones will hide in the shadows, making it difficult to track them down; however, a simple light spell will help you spot them.
Your third challenge will be the Faith-Leap Trial. This trial’s not quite as straight-forward as the other two, but we have a full in-depth guide to help you out with it. Essentially, you’ll need to jump, fly, or misty step to the other side of the room while avoiding patches of shadow that will inflict instant death. The floor is invisible but traversable, and if need be, you can throw items on the floor to try and spot the proper path. When you get to the other side, you’ll be able to claim your third Umbral Gem.
Gauntlet of Shar Challenges
Aside from the three Dark Justiciar Trials, you’ll face a few other challenges in the Gauntlet of Shar as well. Here are some of the other challenges you’ll face as you wander through the Gauntlet:
- Get past the first maze-like Umbral Gem puzzle.
- Get the fourth Umbral Gem from Raphael’s old enemy, Yurgir.
- Grab the Spear of Night from the Silent Library.
- Help Balthazar…or not.
- Confront the Nightsong.
For more stealth challenges beyond the Soft-Step Trial, check out our guide on how to beat Oliver in Hide and Seek within BG3.
