When Should You Enter Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Shadowfell is one of the final areas you can explore in the Gauntlet of Shar during your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. It’s the last area you’ll reach after you locate each of the four Umbral Gems, which you need to track down to reach this area.

The last step is to enter Shadowfell. However, you will be asked if you’d like to continue through this area. There’s a distinct warning that if you progress to this area, the world will advance, quests will be completed, and decisions will be finalized. When do you know that you’re ready to enter Shadowfell? Here’s what you need to know about when you should enter Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3.

When You Should Enter Shadowfell in BG3

In BG3, you should enter Shadowfell after completing the side quests you could miss out on. Or, if you want to complete the game as quickly as possible, and don’t care about missing quests, then you should enter Shadowfell as soon as you’re able to.

What to Do Before Shadowfell (BG3)

There are a lot of quests to keep track of in Baldur’s Gate 3, and it can be difficult to figure out some of the essential things you should be doing before you enter the Shadowfell. If you decide to enter the Shadowfell, there is no turning back from this decision outside of reloading a save. There are several things you’ll want to double-check for your playthrough to make sure you’ve completed them, and you’re ready to move onto the final parts of Act 2.

Here are some of the important quests to do before entering Shadowfell:

• Avenge Glut’s Circle
• Find Arabella’s Parents
• Find Rolan in the Shadows
• Find the Githyanki Creche
• Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite
• Lift the Shadow Curse
• Punish the Wicked
• Rescue Wulbren and Tieflings
• Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse
• The Hellion’s Heart
• Wake Up Art Cullagh

These are a handful of the major quests and side stories you might be working through in Baldur’s Gate 3 before reaching this point in the story. There might be more loose ends for you to finish, such as finding Gerringothe Thorm and Thisobald Thorm, exploring the many little locations in the Underdark, working with Lae’zel and her people, exploring the Mountain Pass, and much more.

If you have not already, I encourage everyone to make their way to the Githyanki Creche and complete those quests. They have a lot to do with the main plot of Baldur’s Gate 3, and not learning about what’s happening there could leave you in the dark about a lot of things happening in Act 3.

You want to make sure to exhaust every possible location before moving into the Shadowfell. It feels like the major pieces are moved during this portion of the game, and if you advance to this location too early, there are story points and decisions that you will be locked out from making in your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough.

When Do You Find the Shadowfell Entrance?

Going into Shadowfell is a part of the main quest story called Find Ketheric Thorm’s Relic in Baldur’s Gate 3. Ketheric Thorm, the major antagonist in this part of the story, is searching for a specific relic within the Gauntlet of Shar and has been using Balthazar to find a way to navigate this area and acquire the relic. He has no success in doing this and wants you to continue it. Even if you don’t receive the assignment from Ketheric, Balthazar will still recruit you to do this.

The entrance to the Shadowfell is located at the Temple of Shar. Before you step into the Shadowfell, a pop-up appears that asks if you want to proceed in this area. The pop-up says, “Are you sure you want to proceed? Depending on your choices, the state of the region could change and some active quests may become unavailable.” This is an important notification in Baldur’s Gate 3, and there are some things you want to consider before you go forward.

What Happens in Shadowfell?

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Shadowfell is a realm in the Gauntlet of Shar, accessed via four Umbral Gems. It impacts the game’s second act, introducing the Shadow Curse and culminating at Nightsong’s Prison. Decisions made here affect the story’s progression.