How essential is Practised Spellcaster?

[Belkarseviltwin]

My character for an upcoming campaign is an Archivist focused on Summoning and going into Malconvoker. So two of my feats are spoken for already (the Malconvoker prereqs of Spell Focus (Conjuration) and Augment Summoning).

The question is, is the loss of one caster level at the first level of Malconvoker sufficient to justify burning a feat to partially fix it with Practised Spellcaster? This would be taken as my 6th level feat, so as I enter Malconvoker.

If so, I would have to choose between which of Draconic Archivist and Spontaneous Summoner went in my human bonus slot, or take a Flaw (DM is allowing these) to get both.

If not, I'd probably take Spontaneous Summoner as my bonus feat, and Draconic Archivist at 6th.

Unless there's another very useful feat that's glaringly missing? Note that my DM is not allowing Academic Priest.

[Studoku]

For a single caster level, it usually isn't unless you really have nothing else to spend it on. Bear in mind that Practiced Spellcaster only increases your caster level- it doesn't give you extra spells known, spells per day or access to better spells.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Unless there's another very useful feat that's glaringly missing?

Greenbound Summoning, Ashbound, Versatile Spellcaster*, Summon Elemental, etc.

*Versatile Spellcaster is useful with Spontaneous Summoner not for actually using it, but for its interaction with other mechanics. It makes the highest level SNA spell you can cast one higher, so a Ring of the Beast has its limit increased, and that level is also counted for your Summon Elemental reserve feat (and you can even qualify for that at 6th level).

Definitely consider taking Thaumaturgist as well, you can get a Ghaele Eladrin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/ghaele.htm) as your Planar Cohort as early as level 12 with that. It also gets Augment Summoning as a bonus feat, so if you already have that then see if you can get another feat in its place. Otherwise just retrain that feat (PH2 Chapter 8) at the level you gain Thaumaturgist 2, or hire an NPC Psion to use Psychic Reformation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm) on you to repick it.

[nedz]

I don't know what your racial choice is, but you could consider Illumian — with the Krau feat you effectively get Practised spellcaster on all your classes, albeit at only +1