min/max help with savant

[Kimras]

Hello all I'm currently helping a friend min/max a Savant from Dragon Magazine Compendium. Since factotum is off the table with the DM I'm not sure if Chameleon will be allowed. But this is my first time looking at the savant so not much is coming to mind for min/maxing this class any help would be greatly appreciated. His race is a home brewed fire giant and a home brewed racial template of a half dragon he chose the silver dragon if you want to here

Fire Giant Racial Traits
All Giants share the following traits:
⏤ +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Wisdom
⏤ Large Size. -1 penalty to Armory Class -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty to hide checks +4 bonus on grapple checks, and double carrying limits
of medium creatures.
⏤ Space/Reach 10ft/10ft
⏤ Fire Giants have one “level” of giant granting an additional 1d8 hitpoints
⏤Fire Giants have Darkvision to 60 feet.
⏤Fire Giants have a base land speed of 40 feet
⏤Weapon Proficiency: Fire Giants are proficient with the Great Club, and Warhammer due to cultural tradition, resulting in such weapons being used in feats
of Strength.
⏤Fire Giants cast Evocation, Conjuration and Abjuration spells of the fire type as if they were three levels higher.
⏤Spell like abilities 3/day flare, 1/day Scorching Ray, Caster level 5th
⏤Fire Giants have a +3 resistance bonus to Resist Poison
⏤Fire Giants have a +4 to Intimidate Checks
⏤Fire Giants have Fire Resistance 10
⏤+3 Natural Armor Bonus
⏤Automatic Languages: Giant, Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Hobgoblin
⏤Level Adjustment: +4
⏤Preferred Class: Barbarian

he chose silver dragon

Alften Racial Traits
Alften is a template that can be applied to any member of any other races to mark a significant amount of Draconic Blood.
The younger race will be referred to as the “base race” when discussing racial traits. When creating an Alften character treat it as the
base race with the following differences.
⏤Draconic Lineage: Upon creating an Alften character, the character must select one of the following Draconic types to draw upon for some of their racial traits.
The types are Gold, Silver, Bronze, Brass, and Copper (for the “Good” metallic races), and Red, Blue, Green, Black, and White for the (“Bad” chromatic).
⏤Abilities: As base race plus +8 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma
⏤Alften are classified as Dragons in addition to their other typings.
⏤Speed: As base race plus, if the Alften is large or larger than it also gains wings which allow it to fly at 120 feet per round at average maneuverability.
⏤If the base race doesn’t have Low-Light Vision, and/or Darkvision (or Darkvision at less than 60 feet). It gains Low-Light Vision, and Darkvision to a range of
60 feet.
⏤Alften receive a +4 natural armor bonus to Armor Class in addition to their base race’s bonuses.
⏤Immunities and Resistances: As base race, plus immunity to Sleep and paralysis effects as well as one type of energy based on type
(Fire for Red, Brass and Gold Dragons; Acid for Green, Black, and Copper Dragons; Electricity for Blue and Bronze Dragons; and Cold for White and Silver Dragons).
⏤Alften receive 2 claws and a bite attack that they can use as natural weapons in a full attack regardless of level. These attacks deal lethal slashing damage
depending on size (Small characters deal 1d4 damage on a bite and 1d3 on claws, Medium characters deal 1d6 with a bite and 1d4 with claws, Larger characters deal
1d8 damage on the bite and 1d6 on claws).
⏤Alften receive a breath weapon attack based on their Draconic forbears. This attack deals 6d6 damage and has a Reflex save for half damage equal to
(10 + 1/2 of the Alften’s character level). This attack is usable once per day. Black and Copper Dragon descendants get a 60 foot line of acid, Blue and Bronze
get a 60 foot line of Lightning, Green get a 30 foot Cone of acid (gas), Red, Gold, and Brass get a 30 foot Cone of Fire, and Silver and White get a 30 foot
cone of Cold.
⏤Automatic Languages: As base race plus Draconic.
⏤Level Adjustment: As base race +4
⏤Alignment: An Alften must have an alignment within two steps of that of their Draconic Ancestor: Lawful Good in the case of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Dragons;
Chaotic Good in the case pf Copper and Brass; Lawful Evil in the case of Blue and Green; Chaotic Evil in the case of Black, Red, and White.

[Gildedragon]

Crystal Mighty: +8LA?! That's insane!
And a -2 malus to int? My advice: change races or change classes cause that just doesn't work.

Also the template seems to be very similar (ie identical; I can't find any differences, albeit my reading was very cursory: format things a bit, please... At least with line and section breaks) to the Half Dragon (+3 LA) template...

[Gildedragon]

But... Let's assume they aren't ECL 9 before their first class level... And aren't taking maluses to their casting stats

Much of what my factotum guide says about skill usage stands for the Savant, though they are not as able to boost their skills as sky high as the factotum.

For Skill Assistance:
Hide/Move Silently and Spot/Listen are probably the best options; Hide and Move Silently are of particular note because one party member failing means the whole party failed (a day thus you can shore up the armored lunk's lunkyness and not blow your ambush; and Spot is good because ONE party member succeeding means the whole party succeeded, and getting many rolls benefits you. Listen is like spot but probably will come into play only against invisible characters.

The other skills are so so: in order of usefulness
Balance (5 ranks in you protect the whole party from balancing) if the party has those 5 ranks, this goes to the bottom of the list
Disguise (with creativity and good rolls it can get you in a lot of places)
Swim (if the party doesn't have ranks in this and water comes up they might very well die... Worth it just for the contingency)
Climb (just get up there and toss them a knotted rope... And is a skill obviated by a dozen spells)
Ride: you aren't going to be using a mount.

Talent Lore:
Bonus feats are bonus feats, check the feat section of the guide

Spells:
Tricky, unlike a factotum you can't choose new spells or learn more spells. You get 30 arcane spells known and 20 divine, and you're a prepared caster. So pick things with no save for attack and make sure all your picks are distinct

If you can Lost Traditions your divine casting stat to Int: do so to reduce MAD

[Kimras]

He might be willing to change his race to better suit the class but two thing what do you mean by lost traditions my MAD and second any thoughts on feats

[Gildedragon]

Lost Tradition is a third party feat that lets one change casting stats

MAD: multiple attribute dependency
A savant needs Int for skills and arcane casting; con for HP; wis for divine casting; Dex for attack and ac... Only Cha and (maybe) str can be dumped and both are (or at least Cha is) very useful stats

Using a feat to change your divine casting stat to Int lets you safely dump wis

Feats: see the handbook in my sig; though reserve feats are probably handy to let one blast without spending one's very limited spell slots and spell knowledge

[Troacctid]

Reserve feats are useless. You can't power them in any reasonable capacity as you have neither the spell slots nor the appropriate spells.

For combat, you want Craven and Staggering Strike to take advantage of sneak attacks. You could also take Unseen Seer to further maximize that strategy—it advances your savant casting and gives a much faster sneak attack progression.

Obtain Familiar is also a must-have feat IMO. It is too good not to take on skill monkeys.