[3.5] Malconvoker Feat Advice

[AngelOmnipotent]

Hello!

I'm starting up a new game tomorrow and I've settled on using a Malconvoker. I'm taking the Conjurer varient from UA and Focused Specialist from Complete Mage. I've banned Enchantment, Evocation, and Necromancy. Basically I'm looking for some general advice but mainly feat advice to fill in the blanks.

The GM is allowing 2 flaws and its a rather high powered game. There are also house rules, but these are the ones that actually apply to this question directly:

• Background Feats: At levels 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 all characters gain a free bonus 'background feat', which can be any feat generally regarded as underpowered (e.g. Endurance, Skill Focus, Alertness...)
• Death and Dying: You are disabled from 0 to negative your CON modifier, and dying down to negative CON score. For example with a CON of 18 you are disabled from 0 to -4, and dying until -17. At -18 you are dead. However with a negative CON modifier, 6 CON for example, you are automatically dying from 0 and dead at -6.

My current idea of progression is as follows (any room for suggestions is welcome) and all sources are available:

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I'm also toying with 1 level of Sacred Exorcist, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. If it is, where should I stick that level? If not, level 20 will be Wizard.

My idea was to take Twin Spell as my 6th level feat, and sticking Shadowy Conjuration (I think that's what it's called?) in there somewhere, but all the feats I have right now are easily replacable, although the rule about Death and Dying makes Diehard very powerful in the early levels.

Go to town and tell me if I've made a royal mess of it, or whether I'm on the right track. It's the first time I've ever had the freedom allowed from a GM to make something outside of mostly Core.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Completely forgot, the list of background feats is as follows:

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Acrobatic
Agile
Alertness
Animal Affinity
Athletic
Deceitful
Deft Hands
Diligent
Endurance
Diehard
Great Fortitude
Investigator
Iron Will
Lightning Reflexes
Mounted Combat
Negotiator
Nimble Fingers
Persuasive
Run
Self Sufficient
Simple Weapon Proficiency
Skill Focus
Stealthy
Track

[Keld Denar]

Cloudy Conjourations is the feat you are thinking of. Its in Complete Mage.

Another good feat to consider, that I take on nearly all of my mages, is Minor Shapeshift. Its a reserve feat, and the big thing you get from it is as a swift action, you can get CL temp HP for CL rounds as long as you have a 4th+ level spell from the Polymorph subschool. Out of combat, you can pretty much keep it perma-refreshed. In combat, you can refresh it if you feel the need when you get hit for pretty decent self healing at the expense of casting swift action spells.

[Eldariel]

I'd definitely pick up Obtain Familiar on higher levels. Just 'cause giving it up is worth it doesn't mean you don't want a Familiar as well. At 12, Quicken Spell becomes a must. Especially since thanks to Webs and Aid Another, low level Summons are surprisingly useful even later on.

Other than that, pick feats to taste.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Spellcasting Prodigy is not worth spending a feat on. The 3.0 version gave an effective +2 to your stat for DCs and bonus spells, the 3.5 version in PGtF only counts toward your bonus spells, but not DCs. I'd consider it a background-quality feat. If you can take 3.0 versions of regional feats, get Cosmopolitan: Bluff instead.

I'd make your Background feats Great Fortitude at 1, Endurance at 5, Diehard at 10, and after that maybe Run or Skill Focus, or maybe Lightning Reflexes. Don't spend one of your general feats or even a flaw feat on Diehard when you can get it for free.

If possible, take Obtain Familiar at level 1 and then trade that ability to acquire a familiar for the PH2 Conjurer variant. If you can't, then still get that and take Improved Familiar (CW or DMG version) for an Outsider familiar. Polymorph it into something like a Hellcat or Kelvezu, keeping in mind that its creature type gives it proficiency in all simple and martial weapons. Remember you can buff it with (Greater) Mage Armor, Shield, and Displacement.

Rashemi Elemental Summoning from Unapproachable East is a first pick for any summoner-type character, especially considering the Storm Elementals in MM3. You only need a few ranks in Knowledge: Local to qualify for it, so do that when it's a class skill. Imbued Summoning (PH2) is also decent, especially with Metamagic School Focus (CM), use it with Bull's Strength or Mage Armor depending on what you need.

The Summon Undead line of spells (SC) are good for making multiple Troll Skeletons or Ogre Zombies for offense or meat shields, respectively. With Malconvoker you won't even need to worry about their [Evil] tag any more.