Clever Baldur’s Gate 3 trick lets you skip Gauntlet of Shar without Umbral Gems

Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 introduces players to the Gauntlet of Shar, one of the most difficult and puzzle-riddled areas of the entire game. Now, one player has discovered that it can be easily bypassed with a simple trick. 

The Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3 has intricate puzzle rooms and difficult enemies to get past before you manage to collect what you need to get to Shar’s Domain. Its dark and mysterious atmosphere also perfectly sets the scene for the difficult choice ahead. 

Umbral Gems are the main items that you are looking for to progress in BG3’s The Gauntlet of Shar. Each can be found in one of the rooms that present a trial, with one being held in Yurgir the Orthon’s lair. In total, you need four.

As a result, retrieving each Umbral Gem can be quite a challenge for players, especially in Honour Mode. One player found that you can actually reach and enter Shar’s Domain with only one Umbral Gem. 

“The first pedestal for Umbral Gems in the Gauntlet of Shar (the one to activate the elevator) takes as many as you cram into it. The extra gems you put in just… Vanish,” ‘Loher413’ explained on Reddit. 

“In me and my friends’ Honour Mode run, that’s exactly what someone did. Panic ensued as we thought we softlocked ourselves, before we realised you can cast Knock on the door at the bottom,” they continued. 

Knock is a Level 2 Transmutation spell in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can be used to open doors that are held shut by a mundane lock. The door to Shar’s Domain seems to be one of these doors, which means you don’t technically need the last three Umbral Gems to open the door. 

Another player in the comments pointed out that you don’t even need the first Umbral Gem. “You can fly down from Yurgir’s side, and you can Knock the door, yeah,” they said. 

If you decide to take this route, make sure you find the Silent Library and Spear of Night first. If you don’t have this item, you cannot progress Shadowheart’s quest or decide the fate of the Nightsinger.

Fans who have done multiple playthroughs say that these tricks are useful, as The Gauntlet of Shar is one of the least liked areas of Baldur’s Gate 3. “They’re easy to do but they aren’t easy to accelerate, so it just turns into this necessary multi-hour slog on subsequent playthroughs,” a player explained. 

If you want to check out more interesting finds in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can read about this trick to easily deal with Steel Watchers and how to get through the Overgrown Tunnel.