Everyone tears their pants, even the pros.

The good thing is it is an easy fix. Most folks probably already know this trick, but just in case...

Do like this: with the pants removed, stretch the ripped/torn portion of the fabric (softshell works best, but goretex shells work too) taught and realign the ripped portions. With the rips butted-up with themselves, place masking tape along the length of the torn sections. Now turn the pants inside out. The masking tape will still be holding the torn areas tightly together. Now apply seam-sealer to the torn areas like a wide glue-bead (5mm) along the length of the tear/puncture. When this seam-sealer drys, it will hold the torn area from the inside and be waterproof and a bit flexible. Now turn the pants right-side out again and remove the masking tape. Almost good as new!

Are softshell pants typically water resistant, or is that not really needed. Just got the Outdoor Research Solitude pants, and they are super nice. So those should be my top layer and thats it?

That should do it for most of your cold weather activities, with appropriate insulation layers depending on forecast. Full on rain, might be a different story however.

Sometimes it depends. Something like the OR Solitude pants is often what you would need for 80-90% of your days.

On days that are ugly cold (where you wonder why are you even out) or when its really warm (and you wonder if its sane to be climbing since the climb could collapse- which I've seen and its spookie to have just walked away from it) and the climb is running with water; then the hardshells are often appropriate.