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Baldur’s Gate is full of tricky puzzles with hidden challenges, and completing some of them can be exceptionally challenging. The Self-Same Trial is a challenge you’ll come across at the Gauntlet of Shar, and you must complete it to obtain an Umbral Gem. In this challenge, you will encounter counterparts of your party members, so be prepared for a fight. Here’s how to complete the Self-Same Trial in BG3.
How to win the Self-Same Trial in BG3
The Self-Same Trial at the Gauntlet of Shar puts your party against itself by creating counterparts with all the same abilities. This fight duplicates the number of party members you enter with in the Trial. So, if you have only a couple of party members performing the trail, then you’ll end up facing two counterpart opponents.
I’d recommend using only Shadowheart and your custom character to enter this trial. It is best to ungroup your party, and keep the rest of the members outside the entrance for the Self-Same Trial. Enter the trial with two party members, and start fighting the counterparts to collect the Umbral Gem.
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While it looks easy at start, there are certain conditions you must follow in the Same-Self Trial. For instance, attacking your teammate’s counterpart will incur a heavy condition penalty that drastically reduces your abilities. The fight will start with the counterparts located on a high ground, so you will already be at a disadvantage. You can always use dash or spells to fly up to remove the opponent’s advantage. Alternatively, changing the terrain conditions for the counterparts can also be an effective strategy.
Since the counterparts have all the same abilities, it can be a little frustrating. I relied a lot on ranged attacks to win this fight. One of the best methods would be to figure out your party’s weaknessess, and using the same attacks on the counterparts. Another technique would be to avoid the counterpart’s line of sight, and sneaking up on them from behind. You can do this by hiding to clearly see the areas under observation. This almost always surprises the enemies, giving you an upper hand in the fight.
Where is the Self-Same Trail in BG3
The Self-Same Trial is inside the second room located north from the Gauntlet of Shar waypoint (X: -828, Y: -728) To start the trial, you’ll need to perform a ritual at the sacrificial bowl, and it is best to allow Shadowheart to perform it. Once that’s done, walk inside with your party to face equal number of counterpart enemies.
Best party members to use in Self-Same Trial in BG3
For party members, I would recommend selecting Shadowheart to complete all the trials. These are Shar’s trials, and Shadowheart is a devout worshiper of the Lady of Darkness. Inside the arena you are bound to face a fight, so keep characters that can resolve combat quickly with their skills. You can use your custom character to engage in this fight, but remember the counterpart will be equally strong and will have the same set of skills. I did this trial a few times with with different characters. The best outcome included the team of Gale and Shadowheart which allowed me to win the trial swiftly without taking massive damage.
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How to get the Umbral Gem from the Self-Same Trial in BG3
The Umbral Gem will be dropped by the final counterpart enemy you defeat inside the Self-Same Trial arena. This is an essential item you’ll need to traverse across the Gauntlet of Shar to travel to the Inner Sanctum. There are a few other trials you must complete to collect the other Umbral Gems that activates the altar.
For more Baldur’s Gate 3 help and information, check out How to get the Githyanki Egg in BG3, Baldur’s Gate 3 Gale Build Guide, and more right here at MyFullGames!
