Baldur’s Gate 3: How to pass the Soft-Step Trial in BG3, explained

The Gauntlet of Shar is one of the most intriguing locations in Baldur’s Gate 3. While plenty of different tasks exist in the underground area, one of the main attractions is the Trials of Shar. There are three different trials to complete, and a majority of players have been particularly struggling with the Soft-Step Trial.

This Trial requires patience, stealth, and cunning. Here is our guide on how to complete the Soft-Step trial in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to beat the Soft-Step Trial in BG3

The goal of the Soft-Step Trial is to make it through a maze without being detected by two wandering ghosts and to avoid the traps. You need to make it to the end of the maze, where you can retrieve an Umbral Gem and be teleported back to the start.

If you’re detected by one of the ghosts, you will get sent back to the start immediately. So, it’s crucial to select the best character for the job.

How to start the Soft-Step Trial in BG3

To start the Soft-Step Trial, you must pass through the Bulky Door roughly at the coordinates X: -767 and Y: -757, where you’ll enter the room you encounter after inserting an Umbral Gem in the Traversal Gem in the upper level of the gauntlet. And by using the Sacrificial Bowl, you’ll begin the Soft-Step Trial.

If you have Shadowheart in your party, you must find the Spear of Night in the Silent Library before beginning the trials, as this allows her to make a worthy blood sacrifice. As for the Soft-Step Trial itself, it can be incredibly unforgiving, especially if you don’t know what to do.

Which character should you choose to complete the Soft-Step Trial in BG3?

Your first step to passing the Soft-Step Trial is only to use one character, preferably someone stealthy like Astarion or another Rogue, as having too many people in the trial will make it very difficult to not get caught. And if you want an even easier time, ensure you have someone in your party who can use an invisibility spell or potion.

Once you’ve figured out which character you want to use in the trial, you must separate them from the rest of your party before you use the Sacrificial Bowl by dragging the character’s icon on the left away from the others until they’re no longer chained and then placing them back on the left panel. You’ll know they’re separate from the rest when you see a large cap between the character cards.

When you’re ready, you can use the Sacrificial Bowl and start the trial.

How to beat the Soft-Step Trial in BG3

As soon as you use the Sacrificial Bow, the Soft-Step Trial will start, and the ghosts will begin to roam the maze. If you have an invisibility spell or potion, then beating the trial is simple if you follow these steps:

1. Cast the invisibility spell or use the potion on your most stealthy character.
2. Walk through the maze and dodge the traps.
3. Unlock the gate at the coordinates X: -824 and Y: -754. You only need to pass a Sleight of Hand Dexterity Check of 10 to unlock the gate.
4. Take the gem, and then teleport back.

And it’s honestly that simple. I wasn’t sure it would work when I was completing the trial, but as long as you stay out of trouble and avoid the traps, this trial only takes about a minute to complete if you use an invisibility spell or potion.

If you aren’t sure, Sorcerers, Bards, Warlocks, and Wizards can use the invisibility spell, and you can get the potion from vendors such as Derryth Bonecloak at the Myconid Village, Auntie Ethel in Druid’s Grove or Roah Moonglow at Shattered Sanctum.

For those without access to invisibility, you need to go about the trial in a more traditional sense. Still using your stealthiest character, you will follow these steps:

1. Enter the maze while crouching, which makes you hidden.
2. Move only when you’re in between the ghosts on their routes. Basically, try to follow one ghost from behind as closely as possible.
   • If you need to hide, simply get into a corner and don’t move. Even if a ghost spots you with its red glare, a dice roll will determine if you remain hidden. So getting seen by a ghost isn’t the end of the world unless your character has a low stealth stat.
   • If you encounter a trap, you can disarm it, but I found the easiest thing to do was to jump over it. A character like Astarion can disarm traps, and they stay disarmed even if you are discovered and sent back to the start.
3. Follow this same process until you reach the end.
4. Unlock the gate.
5. Take the gem and get transported back.

My strategy was just to walk through the ghosts’ red glare regardless of if they were looking at me, as I used Astarion, who has an extremely high stealth stat. He was able to pass all of the hidden checks and get me to the end easily.

Congratulations! You will have completed the Soft-Step Trial in Baldur’s Gate 3. With the Soft-Step Trial passed you can take on the rest of the Gauntlet of Shar.