Baldur's Gate 3 players are discovering to their horror that one of the most grueling dungeons in the entire RPG can be skipped with one of the game's most basic spells.
The Baldur's Gate 3 Gauntlet of Shar is a daunting prospect for any playthrough. Complex puzzles, some tricky fights, and the overall unpleasant vibes mean that this is one part of Larian's sprawling RPGs that fans are unlikely to look forward to during follow-up playthroughs. Back at release, one player worked out how to cheese each of the trials that make up the 'Shar Olympics', but this new approach lets you avoid the entire thing.
There are three trials in the Gauntlet, each of which awards the player one of three Umbral Gems that can be used to unlock the massive door at the end of the dungeon. That leads to the meeting with the Nightsong, but you'll need a fourth gem - secured from Yurgir - to operate the lift on the way down. As it turns out, however, that fourth gem is the only one you actually need. As discovered by clancadera on Twitter, you can simply use a second-level spell to skip the majority of the Gauntlet.
Last night I learnt that you can skip all the Gauntlet of Shar trials, if you use the Knock spell on the huge door to get to the Nightsong.February 21, 2024
Knock is one of the most basic spells in D&D. Its sole purpose is to open locked objects, be those chests, manacles, or massive doors in huge underground temples. It's available to Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards, meaning that Gale and Minthara can both access it, and as a second-level spell, it's accessible from level three.
In using Knock in the Gauntlet of Shar, you can skip all three trials, and while you do need to retrieve the Spear of Night from the Library in order to progress, that's not actually one of the trials (though in order to beat this puzzle, you'll want to know what can silence the Nightsong in Baldur's Gate 3). Grab the Spear, stroll past the trials, cast Knock, and you can be out of the dungeon in a fraction of the intended time.
Suffice to say that the simplicity of this skip and the relative unpopularity of the Gauntlet has shocked players. The responses to that tweet are a mix of joy at the prospect of never having to take on the full-fledged Shar Olympics and outrage at the simplicity of the workaround. Any concerns that you might ruin Shadowheart's story by skipping the Gauntlet are quickly dispelled in the thread, as you're still able to get the Spear and speak with the Nightsong, but the overwhelming sentiment borders on pure disbelief. Hey, there's always the next playthrough.
Another simple spell helped one Baldur's Gate 3 player beat Honour Mode - by casting it nearly 2,500 times.
