New story details are in the article from the latest Dragon+ magazine:
https://dnd.dragonmag.com/2020/03/02/in-the-works-baldurs-gate-iii/content.html“The more you use your tadpole by selecting it from the options within dialogue, the stronger the influence of your tadpole becomes. But the more you use it, the quicker you unlock your powers,†says Larian Senior Designer Edouard Imbert.
“It’s that duality we’re introducing. It’s comparable to Bhaalspawn, which is a nice link to Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II. We want players to be wary this thing is still inside them, and the fact that they can turn into a mind flayer is still there,†warns Smith.
To add to the chaos, a new cult known as the Absolute is on the rise. It quickly becomes clear that certain enemies you encounter within this faction also have tadpole powers, making them more interesting (and more dangerous!) opponents. Don’t be surprised when that priestess you’re facing off against suddenly uses telekinesis to drop one of the temple’s statues on you.
The question every fan of the Baldur’s Gate series will be asking themselves is: will we see a few familiar faces from past games? “Fans of Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II are going to look at our game and have certain expectations. Some of those expectations we’re going to completely shatter. We’re set 100 years after Baldur’s Gate II and we are taking everything in the Forgotten Realms D&D books as canon,†Smith says, the earlier playtest confirming that Volo is in the game. “We don’t want to take away the expectation that they might meet this or that character again. But we’re not going to change timelines or do anything crazy to introduce anyone, we’re using the lore very respectfully.â€