Planned novels to bridge the edition leap?

[Olaf the Stout]

In the latest Drizzt book, he's still around post-Spellplague 100 years afterwards. You can read about it in the previews on the WotC website.

[sblock=PLOT SPOILER PLOT SPOILER PLOT SPOILER]His friends, however, will not age as well. Cattie-Brie, for instance, chose the worst time to multiclass into Wizard. Wulfgar went back to the tundra, and I think Bruenor died of old age.[/sblock]

It will be interesting to see how they somehow bring Cattie-Brie and Wulfgar into the future. Drizzt, Breunor and Regis might be ok since those races tend to live a while. As humans though, Cattie-Brie and Wulfgar should be pushing up daisies if they move the timeline along 100 years+.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Raduin711]

Rangers having two-weapon fighting is probably drawn from Aragorn driving off the Nazghul at Weathertop while wielding a torch in each hand.

I find that the most likely reason as well. Can't prove it, though...

AD&D 2nd edition was published in 89. Crystal Shard was published in 88.

While Drizzt precedes 2nd edition, that book couldn't have been that much of a smash hit to influence the game they were no doubt developing at the time. But then again, I was 8 years old at the time, so I don't know how big the reaction to Drizzt was in 1988.

In any event, I think about the only meaningful fantasy reference to "rangers" outside of D&D belongs to Lord of the Rings, so I think it is safe to say that the Ranger class itself is an homage to Aragorn, and mostly an invention of D&D. Therefore, I see no reason why rangers should continue their dual-wielding ways, since that idea has become so entrenched with the fans.

 

[Nymrohd]

Well the undead trilogy in Thay and the drow trilogy have not finished yet so we may get some info out of them. The undead one might well end near the Year of Blue Fire. The drow one is too disgusting to discuss any further.