If you don't buy impervious, Protection isn't affected by Penetrating either. ;) Defensive Roll and regular (non Impervious) Protection are a closer comparison since they're the same price.
Um...penetrating attacks ONLY affect Impervious defenses, cancelling the "no need to save" effect of...
Hogan had been pretty poor in the ring since his return. He needed the rest, he had been working injured for several weeks. He moved like an old man, he throws the worst punches in the company, and is still working the same tired program. The idea of watching Smackdown for Hogan is alien to...
IMC it's been about 18 months of game time, and the players are 8th or 9th level, closing in on 10th. It's been over 2 years of real time.
Ideally, I might have wanted more game time to pass (through extended down time), but the party is battling the calender so there not a lot of downtime.
I've wondered if on occasion some publishers try and scoop WOTC with their releases, such as Traps and Treachery (beating Song and Silence to the shelves) and the Divine and the Defeated (Deities and Demigods).
Without WOTC's red tape, it seems possible to get a product together well before...
I'm pretty sure you'll find their ECL in both MOTP and PsiHB. Even though there are differences between versions in those two manuals, they are all +2.
IMC, only the three core books are canon, everything else is negotiable.
That being said, the things I'm most open to are Forgotten Realms feats, Relics and Rituals, Defenders of the Faith, Oriental Adventures feats, and Book of the Righteous.
This is pretty much exactly what I had in mind...he starts out as an "apprentice" Vigilant. When he actually enters the elite training, he's a more of a journeyman.
As has been pointed out, the mechanics almost demand that players plan for their prestige classes well in advance - usually right from Level 1.
Why not think of a prestige class as *starting* at level 1? If someone wants to be an arcane archer, then think of the arcane archer as a single class...
Kill the king, impersonate his "pet Cleric", wave your hands around and say that the king doesn't want to come back.
IMC, Monarchs are reluctant to allow themselves to be ressurected. Gives the clergy too much leverage over the empire, in deciding who can be rezzed and who has to stay dead.
Both Githyanki and Githzerai are ECL +2. GY's are massively overpowered with their TK at will (16d6 every round), but are easily managed with house rules that limit either times/day or caster level of their psionic powers.
I never said Doc Atomic couldn't dish the beats! I'm sure he was responsible for more KO's than anyone. Formula One (my speedster for everyone except those other 7 who played with us at the Con) definitely wasn't a damage dealer, but I think Raven would have waxed you all if I hadn't pinned...