Pathfinder Cleric Advice

[Walkeroftheway]

I've been reading these forums for a while now but this is my first time posting. I am making a new character for a Pathfinder game that a friend of mine is starting soon. I am thinking about rolling a cleric and am considering trying to make him a skill monkey/roguish type. My plan was some kind of archery build with a focus on utility. While I am an RPer at heart I also want to be useful in combat. The character that I envision is stealthy, subtle and quick. I am considering elf for race. Also trickery domain. Any suggestions?
I know that some of the folks on this site are pretty clever!

[JHShadon]

You might just want to make a bow-using Inquisitor with a bunch of utility spells.

Otherwise my only suggestions are to put a few points in INT and use your favoured class bonus to get skill points.

[Spore]

Skill monkeying is a tad bit hard as Cleric. Have you considered Inquisitor (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/baseClasses/inquisitor.html)?

They get a domain, 2/3 casting with an own utility based spell list and triple the base skill points as well as better class skills.

[Walkeroftheway]

Thank you, I appreciate the advice. I'm actually new to PF, this is the first time our group has given it a try. I've played a few skill monkey style clerics in 3.5 using divine insight etc. The Inquisitor sounds interesting. I guess I'm just attached to the idea of being a primary spellcaster.

[Craft (Cheese)]

Skillmonkey Cleric is harder to pull off in PF thanks to the loss of spells like Divine Insight and Guidance of the Avatar, but it's still totally doable (Inquisitor is better at it but if you're set on 9th level spells more power to ya). You can be as good as the Rogue, at the very least, which sadly isn't saying much. Be a human for the extra skill point, then take a skill point for your favored class bonus each level, and then put your INT to at least a 12 (14 if you can afford it): This gives you at least 5 skill points each level to play with. You can go Cloistered Cleric for 2 more, but I'd recommend against this as the archetype gives up a lot in exchange for very little. Consider taking a 1 level dip in Ninja to get 9 more so you can put the mandatory 1 point into climb, swim, heal, etc without cutting into max ranks in the important ones.

Unfortunately while there are plenty of traits for applying INT to various skill checks (e.g. Student of Philosophy lets you get INT to Diplomacy checks, Practical Activator gives INT to Use Magic Device) there are none that I know of for applying WIS. Might want to take one or two those though if you can't afford to get your charisma very high.

[Spore]

The Inquisitor is (imho) best played with the Feather Subdomain (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/coreClasses/cleric.html) and the Preacher (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spellcastingClassOptions/inquisitor.html#_preacher-%28archetype%29) and Infiltrator Archetype (you can stack Archetypes as long as two don't modify the same class feature.

This would give you a Human:
(Hu) Point Blank Shot
(Feat on1) Precise Shot
(Inq 1) Domain: Animal Subdomain Feather; Judgment 1/day; Guileful Lore (Cha+Wis on Bluff/Diplomacy); Orisons; Misdirection
(Inq 2) Cunning Initiative (Dex+Wis on Init); Detect Alignment; Forbidden Lore
(Feat on 3) Rapid Shot
(Inq 3) Determination 1/day
(Inq 4) Judgment 2/day
(Feat on 5) Weapon Focus (your bow)/Rapid Reload for Crossbows
(Inq 5) Bane, Necessary Lies

[JHShadon]

Unfortunately while there are plenty of traits for applying INT to various skill checks (e.g. Student of Philosophy lets you get INT to Diplomacy checks, Practical Activator gives INT to Use Magic Device) there are none that I know of for applying WIS. Might want to take one or two those though if you can't afford to get your charisma very high.

Wisdom in the Flesh (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/religion-traits/wisdom-in-the-flesh-god-of-perfection) can make one Str or Dex skill use Wisdom instead, also you don't have to go Human for the Extra skill point because the Elf racial stats effectively give you another skill point.

[grarrrg]

Thank you, I appreciate the advice. I'm actually new to PF, this is the first time our group has given it a try. I've played a few skill monkey style clerics in 3.5 using divine insight etc. The Inquisitor sounds interesting. I guess I'm just attached to the idea of being a primary spellcaster.

Cleric into Gray Warden (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/gray-warden) then maybe?
It's basically "Inquisitor: The PrC"
7/10 Divine Casting, 6 Skills/level, about half of the stuff Inquisitors get.