Gothic 1 Remake: How to Pass the Trial of Fire and Become a Fire Mage

In Gothic 1 Remake, fire magic is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous forces. Mastering it is not easy, but it is possible. Even basic spells will greatly improve your chances of survival, and later on, you can become almost unstoppable. In this guide, we explain how to pass the Trial of Fire and unlock the mage path.

Our path begins in Chapter 1. After visiting the Old Camp, you will meet the locals, including the mage Torrez. Through him, you will unlock magical runes, which allow you to cast spells without using scrolls.

Torrez will give you your first quest: find two Wolf's Claws and a Parchment. At the start of the game, your combat skills are not good enough to fight wolves safely, so you can buy the ingredient from Mordrag, the trader in blue standing nearby. If you do not have enough ore, you will need to lure wolves near the North Gate of the Old Camp so that the guards kill them.

You can get the Parchment from the cartographer. Diego will introduce you to the cartographer during the story quests, but if you have not done that yet, he can be found to the right of the North Gate near his hut.

Once you have gathered everything, return to Torrez and receive the scrolls. Now you need to get 5 Learning Points and some ore. This is required to learn Rune Magic from Torrez. When you have everything you need, the mage will ask which skill would be more useful to you. Choose Fire Bolt without hesitation. Early on, food restores your health perfectly well. There is no need to spend an extra resource like mana on healing.

Fire Bolt also consumes a lot of magical energy, but it deals impressive damage. If you want access to a larger mana pool, you will have to go to the New Camp. There is a mage there named Cronos, who can increase your mana. The easiest way to reach the New Camp is through Mordrag, whom the chief guard Thorus wants to get rid of. If you take Thorus' quest about Mordrag and agree with the trader to travel to the New Camp together, you will learn the route right away. This way, you will not only visit a new location, but most likely gain a full level from combat encounters that Mordrag can handle without any outside help.

In the New Camp, there is a lake with a plant called Coloralia growing at the bottom. It restores mana well. Another way to maintain your magical power is good old swampweed from the Swamp Camp.

You will not be able to progress further in fire magic at this stage, so focus on Strength if you want to fight with a sword, or Dexterity if you prefer the bow. It is useful to have an extra means of defense in case your mana reserves run out. Chapter 2 of the story will also pass by without major progress for us. Play however you like, but remember that reaching the Fire Mages is easiest if you support the Old Camp. The game likely allows further progression even if you choose another side, but it may become much harder.

At the start of Chapter 3, you will return to the Old Camp and must speak with the chief guard Thorus, who guards the entrance to the inner courtyard. He will ask whether you want to become a guard, but you will have the option to choose "I want to become a mage."

The mages' temple is located in the inner courtyard. There, you will meet Milten and Damarok. The latter will teach you alchemy, which will help you save money on mana potions. Torrez is still there as well. You can continue learning how to create scrolls for more powerful spells from him.

After Chapter 3 begins, do not rush to talk to Diego. First, find Thorus and tell him that you want to join the Fire Mages. If you start certain story dialogues too early, part of the chain may work incorrectly, so it is better to go to Thorus right away. After the conversation, he will send you to the High Mage Corristo. Otherwise, you may permanently lose the chance to master the element of fire.

Speak with Milten, then with the High Mage Corristo. He will ask you about recent events, and you will have the chance to tell him everything honestly. During the dialogue, you will be able to state your desire to join the order. However, Corristo will refuse outright, saying that they do not need any new people.

The game does not explain what to do next, so you need to be resourceful. Visit the temple laboratory and find the book Rituals of the Circle of Fire. Taking it counts as theft, so be careful. If you want a more honorable option, speak with Milten again. He will simply give you the book. Read the information about the rituals carefully, and you will learn that the Fire Mages cannot refuse someone the right to take the trial. This is where knowledge of alchemy and rune inscription becomes important if you want to continue along the Fire Mage path.

Speak with Corristo again. Repeat the dialogue about wanting to become a Fire Mage, but this time the lines will be different. To test your readiness, Corristo will ask two questions. The first is: "Why do you want to become a mage of Innos?" Answer: "I want to fight for justice and help people." The second question is more philosophical: "What flame gives no warmth and casts no shadow?" Answer: "Our faith in Innos."

You cannot make a mistake in this dialogue: doing so will permanently close the Fire Mage path. Corristo will give you a rather vague task: find the Altars of Innos and light the flame there using the scrolls. Naturally, there will be no map markers.

The first altar is located near the Old Camp. Leave the camp through the South Gate and head left along the river toward the waterfall. Behind the falling water, there is a small cave containing the statue and ritual bowl you need. Use the scroll received from Corristo and complete the first part of the trial.

The second altar is located in the Swamp Camp area. Use the place where the first Unitor was found with Nyras during the story as your landmark. The statue and bowl you need are located near that area. Look for a huge ritual circle. It is hard to miss. A strong enemy, a fire lizard, will be waiting there, so prepare for a fight. After defeating it, activate the altar with the second scroll, and the trial will be considered complete.

Return to Corristo, and the Archmage will offer to perform the ritual.

After initiation, you will gain access to training in the Circles of Fire Magic, new runes, and the mentors of the Old Camp. In addition, this path allows you to later become one of the most powerful mages in the Colony and unlock access to the sixth Circle of Magic in the final chapters of the game. Each circle costs around 20 Learning Points. Corristo will help you advance through the circles. The greater your knowledge, the better your runes and spells become.

If you plan to play as a magic-focused character, joining the Fire Mages is considered one of the strongest character progression options thanks to early access to the spells of Innos and the large number of teachers inside the camp.