You’re standing on the edge of a jagged stone platform, staring into a literal abyss, and the game is basically daring you to walk into the dark. It’s annoying. If you’ve reached the Gauntlet of Shar Faith Leap Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3, you already know the vibe. Shadows everywhere. Purple haze. A floor that isn't really there—until it is. Larian Studios loves making us feel small, but this specific trial feels like a personal prank.
Most players get here after the Soft-Step and Self-Same trials, feeling pretty confident. Then you see the floor. Or rather, you don't see it. It’s a leap of faith, sure, but Shadowheart’s goddess isn’t exactly known for being "fair."
What’s Actually Happening in the Gauntlet of Shar Faith Leap Trial?
The mechanics are simpler than the visuals suggest. Essentially, there is a path. It’s just invisible. If you step off the "tiles" that make up this hidden walkway, your character dies instantly. No saving throws. No "downed" state. Just a quick trip back to the last save file.
The trial is located in the lower reaches of the Gauntlet, specifically at coordinates (X:-765, Y:-720). You need to offer a blood sacrifice at the sacrificial bowl to start. Don't forget that part. If you try to cheese it without the blood offering, the darkness will just swallow you regardless of where you step.
Honestly, the "intended" way to solve this is to look at the floor right in front of the altar. There’s a map. It’s etched into the stone. But let’s be real: squinting at a tiny floor mural while trying to navigate a 3D space is a recipe for a headache.
The "Legit" Way to Cross (and Why It’s Hard)
If you want to play by the rules, you need to memorize the pattern shown on the floor plate. It’s a jagged, zig-zagging path that moves between the three main platforms.
The path doesn't go in a straight line. Never. It curves out to the right, ducks back toward the center, and then swings wide again. The problem? The lighting in the Gauntlet is moody. Even with high gamma settings, the "shimmer" of the invisible floor is incredibly faint.
Lighting Matters
Use a torch? Bad idea. Surprisingly, light sources can sometimes wash out the very faint purple outline of the path. You’re better off using Darkvision or just relying on the character's tactical view (the "O" key on PC). Looking top-down makes the perspective shifts less jarring.
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Wait. There’s a trick. If you have a character with high Perception, they might occasionally "detect" the edge of the path, but you can’t count on it.
Best Ways to Cheese the Trial
Look, we're all friends here. Sometimes you just want the Umbral Gem so you can get to the Shadowfell and finish Act 2. If you don't want to play "Don't Touch the Lava" with invisible floors, there are several ways to bypass the Gauntlet of Shar Faith Leap Trial mechanics entirely.
1. The "Click-to-Move" Hack
This is the funniest one. On PC, if you select your character and click the far platform—the one with the Umbral Gem—sometimes the pathfinding AI just... does it for you. The game knows where the floor is. Your character’s AI knows where the floor is. If you click the destination, your character might just walk the invisible zig-zag perfectly.
Warning: This isn't 100% foolproof. If the AI gets confused or tries to take a shortcut, you're dead. Watch them like a hawk.
2. Fly or Misty Step
If you have a Wizard, Sorcerer, or even a Warlock with the right incantations, just fly. Grant Flight is a Level 3 spell that turns this trial into a joke. You can fly from the start to the first platform, then to the second, then to the end.
Misty Step works too, but you need to be careful. You can only Misty Step to places you can "see" and that have a valid standing surface. Since the floor is invisible, you can't always target it. Aim for the solid statues or the middle platforms instead.
3. The Daylight Spell Strategy
This is a bit of a "power move." If you cast Daylight on a weapon or an object in the room, it can sometimes force the game's engine to render the outlines of the invisible platforms more clearly. It breaks the "thematic" darkness Shar wants, which feels pretty satisfying if you're playing a Cleric of Selûne.
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4. Pushing the Boundaries with Enhanced Leap
Githyanki characters or anyone with Enhanced Leap can often clear the gaps with sheer athletic power. If your Strength is high enough, you can jump from the starting area to the first platform, then leap over the middle section entirely.
Dealing with the Blood Sacrifice
You have to interact with the Ancient Altar. If Shadowheart is in your party—and she really should be for this entire zone—let her do it. It fits her narrative arc, and the dialogue beats are worth it.
When you offer the blood, the trial begins. A "Darkness" shroud covers the area. If you've already cleared the room of enemies (there shouldn't be any here, unlike the Self-Same trial), it's just you versus the void.
Why do I keep dying?
One thing people miss: the "Vault of the Faithless" debuff. If you try to jump to the final platform without hitting the "checkpoints" or if you deviate too far, the game teleport-kills you. It’s a "hard" fail state.
Also, avoid using Gaseous Form. You’d think turning into a cloud would make you immune to falling, but the trial script specifically checks for "valid positioning." If the script thinks you've cheated the pathing too egregiously, it resets you to the start.
The Reward: The Umbral Gem
At the end of the path sits the Umbral Gem. You need this. You need all of them (along with the Spear of Night from the Silent Library) to actually progress the main story.
Once you grab the gem, a teleporter appears. Use it. Do not try to walk back. There is no "Path of Faith" on the return trip, and you will almost certainly fall to your death trying to be a hero.
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Expert Nuance: The Narrative Weight
The Gauntlet of Shar Faith Leap Trial isn't just a platforming puzzle. It’s a lore dump. Shar is the goddess of loss and secrets. The trial is meant to teach the initiate that "blind faith" is the only way to navigate a world that has taken everything from you.
If you talk to the NPCs or read the scattered notes around the Gauntlet, you realize that many Dark Justiciar initiates died here. It wasn't meant to be an easy test. It was a literal cull. Knowing that makes the frustration of falling off the edge feel a bit more... "in-character," I guess?
Technical Glitches to Watch For
Since Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive, complex CRPG, the Faith Leap trial can sometimes bug out. Here are a few things to keep an eye on:
- Invisible Character Models: Sometimes after a reload, the platforms might become partially visible or your character might start sliding. If this happens, restart the game.
- Pathfinding Failure: If you use the "click-to-move" method and your character stops moving halfway, it’s because the AI hit a "dead zone." Manually move them an inch to the left and try again.
- The "Double Blood" Bug: Rarely, the altar might ask for a sacrifice twice. If you lose health and the trial doesn't start, don't keep clicking. Check if the bowl is glowing purple. If it is, the trial is active even if the UI didn't update.
Practical Steps to Finish the Trial Now
If you're currently alt-tabbed and looking at this because you just died for the fifth time, do this:
- Split your party. Only take one person across. It reduces the chance of a companion’s AI pathing into the abyss and killing everyone.
- Use a Potion of Glorious Vaulting or the Jump spell.
- Check the floor map. Stand at the altar and look down. Take a screenshot with your phone if you have to.
- Quick-save. Save at the start. Save at the first platform. Save at the second. The game allows it, so use it.
- Target the platforms, not the space between. Always aim your jumps or Misty Steps for the solid, visible circular platforms in the middle of the room.
- Grab the Umbral Gem and take the portal back immediately.
The Gauntlet of Shar is a marathon, not a sprint. This trial is arguably the most annoying because it’s the only one that feels like a platformer in a game that is decidedly not a platformer. Take your time, use your spells, and don't be afraid to "cheese" it if the invisible walls are giving you grief. Shadowheart won't judge you. Well, she might, but she wants that gem as much as you do.
Once you have the gem, you're one step closer to the Inner Sanctum and the massive choice regarding the Nightsong that defines the end of Act 2. Make sure your gear is repaired and your spell slots are full before heading further down—it only gets weirder from here.