If you want to get through Act 2 in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’re going to have to make your way through the Gauntlet of Shar. The challenges that make up the Gauntlet are designed to test any would-be Dark Justiciar. The Faith-Leap Trial is probably one of the first that you’ll encounter in the Gauntlet. It can also be one of the most difficult, unless you pay close attention to the environment around your characters.
That’s because the Faith-Leap Trial is the closest Baldur’s Gate 3 gets to being a platformer. Someone from your party needs to navigate a narrow series of invisible paths that link a few alter-bearing platforms. An Umbral Gem lies in wait at the end of this darkened feat of dexterity, but anyone who falls off the past more than twice will die.
If you’re like me, you’ll blindly wander, leap, and Misty Step through a few total party kills until you accidentally stumble into a path that gets you through the trial. Don’t be like me. The answer to solving the Faith-Leap Trial is staring you in the face the moment you start.
End at the beginning
To initiate the Faith-Leap Trial, you’ll need to have a character pour their blood onto an Altar of Shar. After that, the Umbral Gem will appear, and you’ll be prompted to find a way across the room. It’s tempting to charge right into solving the trial, but if you do you’ll actually miss the solution.
A mural covers the ground in front of the Altar of Shar. At first glance the mural seems decorative, but take a closer look and you’ll see that it contains a map of the room in front of you. Gold tiles mark the invisible path, and tan tiles signal where the platforms stand in the room. One of your characters can break off from the rest of the group and follow the mapped-out path to the Umbral Gem.
That’s all you need to do. As you make your way across the room, occasionally pan back to the mural to make sure you’re following the right path. It might still take a few attempts to get across the room without making a misstep. If you’re really struggling, Light or any similarly illuminating spell can help reveal the path as you walk along it.
There’s another possible solution worth noting. The thick layer of shadow covering each platform makes them difficult to target, but it’s still possible to get across them directly with Misty Step or another jump ability. Your targeting will need to be even more precise than if you just followed the path, but it’s a suitable option for anyone who insists on shirking the rules as they make their way through the Gauntlet of Shar.
