Cut and unimplemented content

Overview

Unimplemented spells

Helia

Nightsong

Early models of the Chosen

Baldur's Gate 3 had a long development cycle with many features that were cut or unimplemented, and in some cases implemented differently than it was originally conceived. Most of the contents detailed in this article are therefore not canon to the events of the game.

Removed content

A significant amount of content was removed or reimagined during Early Access or at an earlier stage of development.

Helia

Main article: Helia

Helia was datamined during Early Access as a potential origin. Little is known about her, as she has never been officially confirmed, but the datamined content suggests she might have been intended to be a werewolf bard.

Rurik

Main article: Rurik

Rurik was a dwarf with the rogue class found outside the Risen Road Toll House, in Early Access. He was a member of Anders' group, hunting the origin character Karlach. Unlike Karlach, he was cut from the final game.

Cut items

• The Blade of Frontiers' Eye - was Wyll's starting eye item. During Early Access, the eyes were an equippable item along with Volo's Ersatz Eye.
• Belts - during Early Access there was a slot for belts on the left side of the equipment doll in the inventory screen. Although there were no belts in the game to obtain, there was at least one non-magical belt in the game files. In the release version of the game there isn't a slot for belts anymore.

The world map

In Early Access, when you reached the Mountain Pass crossing, you were sent to the Overworld menu with the worldmap letting you click on icons of previously discovered locations akin to Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II. The map for the final version still exists, albeit only as a Digital Deluxe bonus image and isn't actually in the game.

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  The world map in Early Access.

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  Digital Deluxe Map

Thralls saving the Mindflayer

In the Ravaged Beach there is a dying mindflayer. During Early Access, it wasn't alone, as there were a few enthralled fishermen trying to rescue it with one of them thinking it's his daughter. They will initiate combat if you fail Persuasion check.

Redesigned content

A significant amount of content was changed during development. Some were placeholder models, like Karlach's and the Chosen from Early Access Patch 5.

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  Placeholder Karlach

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  Karlach's EA Model

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  Astarion's EA Starter Costume

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  Chosen Placeholders from Early Access Patch 5

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  Gale's Earliest look

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  Gale in Early Access

Minsc

Minsc may have at some point been intended to be an origin character available as early as Act One, with datamined dialogue in the Druid Grove of Guex talking with Minsc and mentioning an attack hamster.

(Minsc is probably proposing that Guex gets himself an attack hamster.)

• Minsc: [Dialogue not found]
• Guex: A hamster? I'm afraid the armory is fresh out of attack rodents.
  • (Followed by Minsc likely telling him to try to rage.)
  • Minsc: [Dialogue not found]
  • Guex: Rage, you say? RrrrrrrARGH! Step-brace, parry, swing - ugh. Still not landing!
  • Minsc: Again! More anger! Make evil quake!
    • [Unknown dialogue branch]
  • Minsc: Spineless exuses! Cowardice is the manure from which evil grows!
    • Guex: Spineless? Well, I'll show you! Brace and step swivel swing! Yes! <...>
    • ( +1  +1  +1  +1)
  • Minsc: Leave

Daisy

In Early Access, the Dream Guardian was known as the Dream Visitor, and was portrayed differently than in the full release, wearing ornate dress similar to the Elegant Robe camp clothing rather than a set of armour.

Called Daisy in the game files, the Dream Visitor would grant the player character visions of domination and power, and became hostile should they resist these visions.

The Dream Visitor would also attempt to seduce the player character. It is likely, the song Down by the River was originally based on these interactions as the Dreams took place by the river and the song asks the player to stay there in the dream with them forever (Don't wake me up, Just leave me there dreaming).

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  Tell me. Who do you dream of at night? - Narrator

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  Waking up in a dream

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  Watching Baldur's Gate burn

Nightsong

Main article: Aylin/Cut content

The Nightsong plot apparently had significant differences during early development from what appears in the full game.

Isobel was supposed to have been killed by Balthazar, and Aylin was framed for her murder. Ketheric turned Aylin into Nightsong as an act of revenge. A century later, Ketheric tasked Balthazar with bringing Isobel back. This ritual also bound Isobel's life to Ketheric, sharing his immortality with her. If Ketheric was killed before unthethering Isobel from him, they would both go to the afterlife.

Nose of the Nautiloid

An entire area of the Nautiloid ship in the Prologue was cut. This scene comes right after a slightly different imp battle and provides a roundabout way to get to Shadowheart's room. It was available in Early Access but was eventually cut likely to shorten the Prologue chapter to enhance replayability.

A short cinematic will play as you walk out into open air, in which the nose of the Nautiloid in front of you is badly damaged by attacking red dragons. Thankfully this doesn't affect our route.

Nose of the Nautiloid

The path forward

• Various dead lesser imps and thralls can be looted around this whole area for minor riches and equipment, including a Studded Shield. One incinerated dead thrall all the way towards the nose of the ship has a Potion of Poison Resistance (where the "1" is marked on the map). You just have to jump over some fire to reach the body. She also holds on to yet another brain in a jar, and this one is called Our Mind.

• Turning back, you can climb another set of stairs to reach an upper level of the Nautiloid, from either side. An intellect devourer will tell you that you must go to the helm of the ship to provide assistance. You can choose to attack, but the ensuing fight may actually prove difficult as there are also two lively thralls here maintaining some cannons. If you want to kill them for the little XP you will get, ranged sneak attacks might be the best option.

• There are also two lesser imps towards the south here having some sort of argument, one of them already wounded. Just use some ranged attacks on them and you can easily finish them off. There's a Battleaxe lying on the ground here.

Talking to some of the dying Enthralled Cultists on the ground around this area can give you a little insight on how they think. One will talk about red, flying rats in the kitchen clawing at him, clearly referring to the imps who attack the thralls. Another will speak as if he's talking to his mother, saying that he's tired and wants to go to sleep early. Although talking to them reveals, rather tragically, that the thralls are just poor, regular humans under mind control, you can nevertheless finish them off for some very minor gold and XP (They are about to die anyway, might as well put them to rest).

The path forward is back into the Nautiloid via a corridor to our north, stretching east. There's a mucous membrane you just need to attack to break through, and then a door leading into the next major room.

Illithid powers

In Early Access, illithid powers were much simpler. Instead of consuming other tadpoles to gain points to spend on powers, your tadpole grew more powerful as you used Illithid Persuasion options in dialogue. Once you'd used Illithid Persuasion three times, a special cutscene was triggered during your next long rest and each character gained a single illithid power unique to their class. Some of these abilities were reworked into the current illithid powers. A full list of Early Access powers can be seen below:

Early Access Illithid Powers
Power	Class	Description	How to Obtain
Endless Rage	Barbarian	While Raging, deal an additional 1d4 damage with weapon attacks, but receive 1d4Psychic damage each turn. Prevents Rage from ending early.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Stage Fright	Bard	Drown your enemies in an overwhelming fear of failure. They receive Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and take 2d6Psychic damage each time they miss an Attack Roll. Ends when they hit with an Attack Roll.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Survival Instinct	Cleric	Infuse a creature with psionic force. If it reaches 0 HP, it regains 3d4 HP instead of falling Unconscious.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Aberrant Shape	Druid	Magically assume the shape of an Intellect Devourer that can deal Psychic damage.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Psionic Pull	Fighter	Pull a creature or object toward you.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Fracture Psyche	Paladin	Invade a target's mind and disrupt its defenses (Reduces target's  Armour Class by 1).	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Force Tunnel	Ranger	Charge forward and push all objects and creatures in your path away from you.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Inkblot	Rogue	Create a cloud of magical darkness and immediately attempt to hide. Creatures within the cloud are Heavily Obscured and Blinded. Creatures cannot make ranged attacks into or out of the darkness.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Horrific Visage	Sorcerer	Release the eldritch magic within you and terrify a creature with your twisted powers. Regain 2 Sorcery Points and potentially deal 1d4Psychic damage per turn for 3 turns.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Supernatural Attraction	Warlock	You are part of a greater whole. Concentrate on your connection to teleport to another tadpole-infected creature.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Reflective Shell	Wizard	A protective shell envelops you. It reflects any projectiles targeted at you to their point of origin. Does not affect creatures that don't rely on sight or that can see through illusions.	Succeed on 3 Illithid Wisdom Skill Checks, then rest until you receive a dream cutscene.
Repulsor	All Classes	Channel the power of the Absolute, knocking back all creatures and objects and dealing 2d6Force damage.	Help Omeluum investigate the parasite

Unimplemented spells

Main article: Unimplemented spells

Many spells were never fully implemented in the game, but remnants of them remain in the game files.

Unimplemented items

• More Coins - icons for various types of coins from Forgotten Realms can be found in the game files, matching their look from the Fifth Edition of D&D. It's possible the developers were initially going to implement the D&D coin system: copper > silver > gold > electrum > platinum. They were probably cut to make the money system simpler as the previous Baldur's Gate entries didn't have the other types of coin either.

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  CopperCoin

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  Copper Pile

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  Silver Coin

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  Silver Pile

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  Electrum Coin

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  Electrum Pile

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  Platinum Coin

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  Platinum Pile