You're flying over the Forbidden Forest, enjoying the view, when you see it. A swirl of stone on the ground. A leaf icon on your mini-map. If you've played more than two hours of the game, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Merlin's Trial Hogwarts Legacy is practically the mascot for open-world exploration in this game. Honestly, at first, they’re charming. Little magical puzzles left behind by the most famous wizard in history? Sign me up.
But then you realize there are 95 of them.
Yeah. Ninety-five.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed or, frankly, bored. Most players start ignoring them around the halfway mark because they don't realize how much of a headache they're causing themselves later. If you've ever had to destroy a perfectly good pair of gloves because your "gear slots are full," you've felt the direct consequence of skipping these.
Why You Actually Need to Care
Basically, these trials are the only way to expand your inventory. You start with 20 slots. That sounds like plenty until you realize every chest you open in a bandit camp is filling your pockets with green-tier scarves you don't want but need to sell for gold.
Completing these challenges doesn't just give you a "good job" pat on the back. It unlocks tiers in your Exploration Challenges. Each tier adds 4 slots to your gear capacity. You can max out at 40 slots. Trust me, having double the inventory space makes the endgame much less of a inventory-management simulator.
But here is the thing: you don't need to do all 95 to max your inventory. You only need to finish 52 of them to get that 40-slot cap. The other 43? Those are purely for the completionists chasing the "Merlin's Beard!" trophy.
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The Mallowsweet Problem
You can’t just walk up and start a trial. Merlin was apparently a big fan of herbs. Every single trial requires Mallowsweet Leaves to activate.
If you're buying these individually from vendors like The Magic Neep in Hogsmeade, you're doing it wrong. You'll go broke. Instead, buy the Mallowsweet Seeds once. Head to the Room of Requirement, plop down some small pots, and start a farm. One harvest gives you five leaves.
If you really want to be efficient, get a potting table with five small pots. In ten minutes, you'll have 25 leaves. That's enough to handle a massive chunk of the map in one go. Honestly, just keep a stack of 50 on you at all times.
Cracking the Nine Puzzle Types
Not all trials are created equal. Some are "blink and you'll miss it" easy, while others—looking at you, Flipendo cubes—can be a total nightmare if you don't know the trick.
The Heavy Lifters (Accio and Wingardium Leviosa)
You'll see a big stone ball and a bowl-shaped indentation in the ground nearby. Sometimes the bowl is hidden behind some vines you need to burn with Incendio. Just levitate the ball and drop it in. If the ball is way up on a hill, a well-placed Depulso can save you some walking.
The Parkour Stones
No magic needed here. Just jump. You’ll see a line of stone pillars. You have to jump from one to the next without touching the ground. If you fall, the vines disappear, and you have to start over. Kinda annoying, but straightforward.
The "Rubik’s Cube" (Flipendo)
These are the worst. You'll find stone pillars with a cube on top. Both the pillar and the cube have symbols. You have to use Flipendo to rotate the top cube until the symbols match the bottom.
The trick? The cube flips away from where you're standing. If you need it to flip vertically, stand in front of it. If it needs to rotate horizontally, move to the side.
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The Moth Stones (Lumos)
If you see a stone pillar with a hollow, crystal-looking center, look around for a swarm of glowing moths. Cast Lumos, and they’ll follow your wand like you’re their new best friend. Walk them back to the pillar. You usually need to find three swarms to finish the job.
The Fire Race (Confringo)
You’ll see three braziers on pillars. As soon as you light the first one, it starts sinking into the ground. You have to light all three before the first one hits the bottom.
- Pro tip: Find the tallest pillar first. Light it, then hit the medium one, and finish with the shortest. The tallest one takes the longest to sink, giving you more breathing room.
Destructive Fun (Confringo or Basic Cast)
Some trials just want you to break stuff.
- Stone Pillars: Five big, cracked pillars. Blow them up with Confringo.
- Small Orbs: Nine small balls sitting on top of stone stands. A simple Basic Cast is all it takes.
- Statue Repair: The opposite of breaking. You'll see statues crumble when the trial starts. Use Reparo to put them back together.
What Most People Miss
The biggest mistake is trying to do these as soon as you see them. Don't.
Many trials require specific spells you won't get until halfway through the story. There is nothing more frustrating than spending ten minutes trying to figure out a puzzle only to realize you don't even have Flipendo or Confringo unlocked yet.
Also, use Revelio while on your broom. If you're high up, Revelio will highlight Merlin Trial icons from a massive distance. It makes hunting them down way faster than just wandering around on foot.
Getting It Done
If you’re going for 100% completion, be prepared for a bit of a grind. The South Hogwarts Region alone has 15 trials. Hogwarts Valley and the Feldcroft Region have 16 each.
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Once you finish a milestone, remember that the game doesn't automatically give you the inventory space. You have to manually go into your Challenges menu, navigate to Exploration, and click on the Merlin Trial icon to "claim" your reward. I’ve talked to so many people who did 20 trials and wondered why they were still stuck at 20 gear slots—they just forgot to click the button.
To make the most of your time, focus on the trials in the North Ford Bog and Hogsmeade Valley first. They’re generally simpler and help you get those first few inventory upgrades quickly so you can stop deleting your loot.
Next Steps for Your Journey
- Check your Spells: Ensure you have Confringo, Flipendo, and Reparo before going on a Merlin Trial hunt.
- Start the Farm: Head to the Room of Requirement and plant Mallowsweet seeds immediately to avoid the Hogsmeade "tax."
- Claim Your Rewards: Open your Challenges menu right now to see if you have unclaimed gear slots waiting for you.