Advice for Wizard Summoner Build & Character Concept

[Allitra]

Intro: Looking for approval/vetting on this character concept/build. Suggestions for possible templates, class-dips, spells, variant features, downtime activities, skill tricks, equipment, etc
Campaign: The campaign I'm designing my character for is currently in the air so I have nothing to aim for or what to expect. So a general approach would be helpful, and maybe a few suggestions on what to do if we lean towards any particular 'genre' (outsiders, undead, etc).
Character Idea: Born to a lower-middle class family in a impoverished kingdom. She apprenticed as a scholar until she was pushed by her master into a academy for wizardry at age 12. By the age of 18 she had graduated with degrees in: planar studies, geography (interest in magical locations/leylines), engineering, and exotic zoology (dragon specialist). Despite being offered numerous positions in various high-magic academies, organizations, and royal magic divisions. She chose to adventure and experience the planes firsthand in search of magic and relics to save her kingdom.
Goals:

Bind genie/elemental of every element (fire, water, wind, earth)
Become the most knowledgeable planar scholar.
Reinvigorate her kingdom and turn it into a ley line nexus.
Create a extra-dimensional mansion linked to each plane of existence.

Play style Idea: Primary battlefield controller & summoner.
Races: Human, unless there's a far better choice.
Templates (LA buy-off is permitted): None that I'm aiming for unless there is some amazing +0 or +1 LA template.
Class Build: Wizard 3/ Master Specialist (Conjuration) 3/ Malconvoker 5/Master Specialist 5/Malconvoker 4/
Specialized School: Conjuration
Banned schools:

1st: Necromancy
2nd: Enchantment
3rd (FS): Evocation

Variant Features:

Focused Specialist (Conjuration)
Rapid Summoning
Enhanced Summoning

Prestige Classes: Master Specialist & Malconvoker. Unless I'm missing a good class/PrC dip.
Traits:

1st: Focused
2nd: Nearsighted

Feats (Flaws are permitted):

Flaw (Feeble): Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Flaw (Noncombatant): Cloudy Conjuration
Human Feat: Collegiate Wizard
1st: Improved Initiative
3rd: Metamagic School Focus
6th: Sculpt Spell
9th:Summon Elemental (Possibly Rashemi variant)
12th: Demon Mastery
15th: Rapid Spell
18th: Spell Mastery

Skill Tricks:

Collector of stories
Magical Appraisal
Swift Concentration

[ATHATH]

Don't forget to pick up the Abrupt Jaunt ACF!

Also, Cerebrosis and/or the Key of the X items (they're both in the same Dragon Magazine issue) might be appropriate for your character, since they're messing around with the planes and stuff.

The Phrenic or Half-Fey templates (refluffed to be planes-related, if you want) are quite good with LA buyoff allowed, especially since, in the case of the Phrenic template, all of your PLAs will be augmented up to your HD for free. The lDark or Shadow Creature templates might be more appropriate for your character concept, though.

[Bullet06320]

Don't forget to pick up the Abrupt Jaunt ACF!
cant with rapid summoning variant, you want rapid summoning variant so you can quicken later on



Templates (LA buy-off is permitted): None that I'm aiming for unless there is some amazing +0 or +1 LA template.


magic blooded template from dragon 306, the big thing here is the cha boost, good for malconvoker



Banned schools:
• 1st: Necromancy
• 2nd: Enchantment
• 3rd (FS): Evocation


keep enchantment, can be usefull for planar binding, ditch illusion instead



Prestige Classes: Master Specialist & Malconvoker. Unless I'm missing a good class/PrC dip.


Thaumaturgist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/thaumaturgist.htm) is good after malconvoker
all you need is lesser planar ally, which you can get from master specialist spell knowledge, errata nerfed this, ask your DM
3rd level gives you augment summoning, which you can use retraining rules to get rid of your earlier version for something else
5th level gives you planar cohort, think planatr(17th level cleric casting) or sumthing similar power at that level



Feats (Flaws are permitted):
• Flaw (Feeble): Spell Focus (Conjuration)
• Flaw (Noncombatant): Cloudy Conjuration
• Human Feat: Collegiate Wizard
• 1st: Improved Initiative
• 3rd: Metamagic School Focus
• 6th: Sculpt Spell
• 9th:Summon Elemental (Possibly Rashemi variant)
• 12th: Demon Mastery
• 15th: Rapid Spell
• 18th: Spell Mastery


3rd level summon elemental reserve feat, better utility at lower levels, saves spell slots for when you need them
6th level extend is better, keeps lower level summons around longer for greater utility, sculpt does little for summonors
9th level rashemi elemental summons is good here, ask DM if it works with the elementals from the reserve feat, the reserve feat says "as if you cast"

and always always always keep flash cards or a notebook with all your commonly summoned critters on hand with all the adjustments for augment summoning and any other buffs normal on, for ease and speed of game play, you never want to go book diving in the middle of combat when you have 12 critters summoned

and sum light reading for you
Legal 3.5 Summonable Monster List (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444042-Legal-3-5-Summonable-Monster-List)
The Summoner's Desk Reference [D&D 3.5] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?255219-The-Summoner-s-Desk-Reference-D-amp-D-3-5)
the-Conjurer-s-Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498825-the-Conjurer-s-Handbook)
Summoning Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?527203-Summoning-Handbook&p=22092940#post22092940)
Mastering the Malconvoker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?528090-Mastering-the-Malconvoker)
Practical Demonkeeping (A Summoner’s Guide to the Lower Plan (https://web.archive.org/web/20131110162508/brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5573.0)
LOES (Level One Elemental Spammer OR Lil' Ol' Elemental Summoner) - A Handbook to Elemental Summoning (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?528314-LOES-Spamming-and-Summoning-Elementals-From-Level-1)
Rising Above (A Summoner's Guide to the Upper Planes) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?527527-Rising-Above-(A-Summoner-s-Guide-to-the-Upper-Planes))

[Allitra]

Don't forget to pick up the Abrupt Jaunt ACF!

Also, Cerebrosis and/or the Key of the X items (they're both in the same Dragon Magazine issue) might be appropriate for your character, since they're messing around with the planes and stuff.

The Phrenic or Half-Fey templates (refluffed to be planes-related, if you want) are quite good with LA buyoff allowed, especially since, in the case of the Phrenic template, all of your PLAs will be augmented up to your HD for free. The lDark or Shadow Creature templates might be more appropriate for your character concept, though.
What feat would you suggest I drop for Cerebrosis? (What would you think the best method to include this into my background?) Also, unless I'm missing other keys, you're talking about the Key of the Call/Surpassing Dismay/Traveler? Specifically, the Traveler (lesser extent the Key of The Call) seems the best use for my character. Any other obscure magic items that'd be good for my character fluff/Summoner?

The Phrenic Template seems to keep my character 'fluff-wise' most baseline. I like the idea of going from 'little scholar' to 'controller of beings from beyond.' So, when I'm looking at template I don't want to be overtly 'blessed from birth.'

cant with rapid summoning variant, you want rapid summoning variant so you can quicken later on



magic blooded template from dragon 306, the big thing here is the cha boost, good for malconvoker



keep enchantment, can be usefull for planar binding, ditch illusion instead



Thaumaturgist is good after malconvoker
all you need is lesser planar ally, which you can get from master specialist spell knowledge, errata nerfed this, ask your DM
3rd level gives you augment summoning, which you can use retraining rules to get rid of your earlier version for something else
5th level gives you planar cohort, think planatr(17th level cleric casting) or sumthing similar power at that level



3rd level summon elemental reserve feat, better utility at lower levels, saves spell slots for when you need them
6th level extend is better, keeps lower level summons around longer for greater utility, sculpt does little for summonors
9th level rashemi elemental summons is good here, ask DM if it works with the elementals from the reserve feat, the reserve feat says "as if you cast"

and always always always keep flash cards or a notebook with all your commonly summoned critters on hand with all the adjustments for augment summoning and any other buffs normal on, for ease and speed of game play, you never want to go book diving in the middle of combat when you have 12 critters summoned

I was going to ask that (Abrupt Jaunt clashing with Rapid Summoning, but you covered it. Sadly, I don't get two familiars to lose lol.

I'd need to run Magic-blooded (as well as everything else about this character) by the DM, but that seems like the best template.

Does banning a school prevent me from 'casting' spells from wands/scrolls/staves? I'd prefer not to lose either, so I was really torn on which to choose. Mirror Image and Invisibility are great utility, and I thought most Enchantment spells phase out of usefulness the later levels you get into.

What class levels would you suggest dropping for Thaumaturgist? What build?

Noted on the feats, thank you.

I haven't had tips other than actual game mechanic help, other strategies/tips like keeping extensive notes and pre-adjusted creature sheets is really obvious but also easy to forget! I typically keep good notes, but this is something I hadn't completely thought about.

I'll definitely read up on it.

Thank you both!

[ATHATH]

What feat would you suggest I drop for Cerebrosis? (What would you think the best method to include this into my background?)
The Far Realm is a plane, no? Maybe go on a quest or something for the forbidden knowledge that will let you summon beings of unimaginable (literally) power from the Far Realm or something like that. Work with your DM.

Hm... The powers from the Phrenic template could be part of a Warlock-style pact with some unknowable entity (possibly from the Far Realm). Again, ask your DM.

[Kaleph]

Thaumaturgist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/thaumaturgist.htm) is good after malconvoker
all you need is lesser planar ally, which you can get from master specialist spell knowledge, errata nerfed this, ask your DM
3rd level gives you augment summoning, which you can use retraining rules to get rid of your earlier version for something else
5th level gives you planar cohort, think planatr(17th level cleric casting) or sumthing similar power at that level

Question regarding the thaumaturgist's planar cohort - I remember it was ECL-based, how do you get around it, since planetar has for sure ECL21+?

[Bullet06320]

ECL = HD + LA if I remember correctly
planetar has 14 hd no LA so you can take it at level 16 if your able, but the last time I did that, the character was level 20

[Kaleph]

ECL = HD + LA if I remember correctly
planetar has 14 hd no LA so you can take it at level 16 if your able, but the last time I did that, the character was level 20

To my knowledge, LA:- doesn't mean LA 0; normally it means that the race cannot be used for PC/Cohorts, normally out of two reasons:

Not appropriate for a character class (e.g. less than Int 3)
ECL would be too high (epic)


This is demonstrated, at least by RAI, by the fact that the astral deva has ECL 20, and accordingly it's reasonable to say that the planetar has ECL22 or so.

[Allitra]

To my knowledge, LA:- doesn't mean LA 0; normally it means that the race cannot be used for PC/Cohorts, normally out of two reasons:

Not appropriate for a character class (e.g. less than Int 3)
ECL would be too high (epic)


This is demonstrated, at least by RAI, by the fact that the astral deva has ECL 20, and accordingly it's reasonable to say that the planetar has ECL22 or so.

Likely a dumb question, but is there any way to raise ECL above 20?

Also, are there any other Far Realm magic items/artifacts like The Keys of X?