I'm thinking about playing a drow still, so I'm wondering, given ECLs, you will naturally be tailoring each characters encounters/game to that individual, right? Like a rogue won't be tested by combat so much, but by skill stuff, and you wouldn't set a poison needle trap as a challenge for a wizard, correct?
So, for instance, a fighter with only 4 class levels but +2 ECL could still expect a reasonable challenge, just not the challenge made for fighter with 2 more HD and +2 BAB?
The problem with ECL in a solo game is that ECL is designed for internally balancing a party. It kind of gets messy trying to use it as a guide for solo games. I'm not trying to get out of anything, I'm just trying to get a feel and see if I could play a drow something without crippling myself.
Does all that make sense?