Baldur’s Gate 3 has an important questline known as the Trials of Minthara.
These Trials are a series of dangerous tasks that can grant rewards upon completion.
Shadowheart is a cleric companion who has the option to undertake the Trials.
This article will explore the three Trials in detail, how Shadowheart can access them, and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of allowing her to participate.
Table of Contents Show
How To Access The Trials In Baldur’s Gate 3?
Here are the steps to find and access each of the three Trials in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Trial Of Deception
- Travel to the Druid Grove area in the Misty Forest region.
- Find and interact with the Goblin camp located there. Gain the trust of Minthara, the Goblin leader.
- Minthara will reveal that the ruins of Balthazaar Academy hold the Trial of Deception.
- The ruins are a short distance north of the Goblin camp. Enter the ruins and search for clues or triggers to start the Trial.
- Once activated, face illusion magic and tricks meant to divide and confuse within the ruins. Discerning the deceptions completes the Trial.
The Trial Of The Mind
- Access the Underdark by finding an entrance, such as the one beneath Grymforge.
- Navigate underground past dangers to locate the Mind Flayer Colony of Grymforge.
- Interact with the Mind Flayers and agree to help with experiments on captives to earn their trust.
- The Mind Flayers will reveal the Trial of the Mind’s location – an antechamber beneath Grymforge.
- Enter the Antechamber and withstand mental assaults and psychic powers to resist domination and finish the Trial.
Trial Of Shadow
- Continue aiding Minthara’s schemes, such as her ritual, to earn her highest trust.
- Minthara will vaguely mention the final Trial involves traversing the Shadowfell realm.
- No clear entrance is known, but it may involve further assisting Minthara to trigger transportation to the Shadowfell.
- Once there, use stealth, survival and shadow-based magic to emerge from the dangerous Shadowfell realm alive and complete the Trial.
Solving The Trials Of Minthara
The first is the Trial of Deception, located in the ruins of Balthazaar Academy in Druid’s Grove.
To start it, you must gain Minthara’s trust.
Illusion magic and tricks are used within the ruins to divide and confuse those taking the Trial. Discerning the deceptions completes this challenge.
The second is the Trial of the Mind, found beneath the Mind Flayer Colony of Grymforge in the Underdark.
To access it, you will assist the Mind Flayers with captivity experiments.
Mental assaults and psychic powers are then turned against the player within the Antechamber.
Resisting mental domination finishes this Trial.
The final Trial’s location is the dangerous Shadowfell realm, but getting there requires helping Minthara with a dark ritual.
The Trial of Shadow will push survivability via stealth, survival and shadow-based hazards.
Emerging from the Shadowfell alive completes the most difficult Trial.
Should I Let Shadowheart Do The Three Trials?
You can recruit Shadowheart from the Druid Grove camp.
From there, you must gain Minthara’s trust by aiding her schemes to trigger the Trials.
As a cleric, Shadowheart’s magic can prove invaluable for enduring the Trials’ hazards.
There are advantages like rewards that could boost her abilities if you let Shadowheart do the Trials.
However, the Trials are extremely risky – one mistake in the dangerous Underdark, Shadowfell or against Minthara herself could result in Shadowheart’s death.
Without her healing, the party may struggle.
Additionally, while tempting, preserving her abilities for the main quest is likely wiser than losing her to the Trials.
Less integral party members could substitute instead.
Advantages And Disadvantages
Potential advantages of Shadowheart attempting the Trials include rewards enhancing her power to help the party.
Her magic could also aid survival. However, permanent death is risky, especially in the final Trial’s Shadowfell realm.
Moreover, losing Shadowheart would seriously weaken the party long-term.
Less impactful party deaths in her place are preferable to preserve her abilities.
The Bottom Line
In the end, while rewards are enticing, the Trials’ risks likely outweigh any benefits for Shadowheart.
Her healing skills are too valuable to lose through an unlucky mistake.
Expendable party members could brave the Trials instead to keep Shadowheart’s magic available when truly needed.
For the good of the quest, it’s best she does not endanger herself unnecessarily in Minthara’s dangerous Trials.
Happy Gaming!
