I think we have a no-win scenario here, as your description indicates a "killer GM" mentality at play. --If you come up with a stronger character, he will merely escalate to keep his preferred PC death-ratio intact.
Aside from that, we need to know details: New character? Modifying existing characters? Point-buy? Books allowed? 1st-level or parachute in at Nth?
race: human
Str+ 17 (bump 4th)
Dex: 15 (bump 8th, or just leave at 15 and keep advancing Str)
Con: 14
Int: 7
Wis: 14 (use headband upgrades to advance wisdom)
Cha: 10
character traits: Defender of the Society (AC+1), Magical Knack (cleric)
01. Fighter1 [Relic Master], Shield Focus, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
02 cleric1
03 cleric2 Power Attack
Concept: standard reach-cleric build with better armor, a better weapon (bardiche instead of longspear), Swim proficiency, two more feats (because you don't have to take Heavy Armor Proficiency), and +2 HP.
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Most of the cleric class features don't support this sword and board playstyle and won't actually help you. At best, you can cast self buffs to approximate a martial character's martial capacity, but those classes actually have features that complements a melee playstyle. So I guess what he effectively gains by doing this is being less effective at his chosen role to have the option to cast higher level spells, which he will also be less good at because he will spread around his stats and probably not have maximised wisdom?
Against a killer GM, I don't see this concept working. He will not be good enough either way. Perhaps a better call here would be to make a warpriest 'tank', since that class can better support the sword and board playstyle with swift action self buffing or healing, bonus feats and fighter specific feats (arsenal chaplain archetype also gives weapon traning).
That said, there are a few things you can do to make a pure cleric with a melee presence:
-Take the animimal subdomain for an animal companion. Take the boon companion feat. Also, there is a cleric archetype that drops one domain to get the other one at 2 levels higher. An animal companion two levels higher than your own can be good.
-Focus on summoning to let them do the fighting for you.
-If he is abosulutely committed to going melee cleric, I'd probably also go reach cleric and getting the feats that allow for a shield in the other hand (shield brace/unhindering shield). If he's sold on the idea of a sword, Nodachi's are the best weapons and game-technically count as polearms for their feat support.
Two domains are probably the most generally useful for a melee cleric: the rage subdomain and the freedom/liberation domain. The prior one gives rage as per the barbarian class feature starting at level 8 and the other one is basically mass freedom of movement for the party also starting at level 8. Get items that prevent becoming fatigued (see any number of barbarian threads on rage cycling) and you can probably switch between 2 handing and casting cleric spells pretty well.
-Kind regards,
Trevor
A bad touch cleric - one who uses touch spells & touch domain powers for offence much of the time - is certainly possible. It's not an option powerful enough to beat a killer GM often though IMO, unlike a well-made paladin or a superstitious barbarian.
If he wants a bad touch cleric anyway what level are you looking at?
As a melee cleric, Divine Focus will be your go-to 1st level spell for the entirety of your career. +1 luck bonus to attack and damage for 1 minute, bumping up to +2 at 6th level and +3 at 9th level.
You should go with the Fate's Favored trait for another +1 to all luck bonuses.
A 9th level cleric casting Divine Favor with Fate's Favored will have an easy +4 to attack and damage castable for basically every battle in a day. And since they're Luck bonuses, which are comparatively rare, it will stack with all of the more common attack/damage bonuses you'll have from other sources.
The Fate's Favored trait will not only boost Divine Favor, but the Prayer and Deadly Juggernaut spells as well. (Deadly Juggernaut is especially handy when fighting mobs of lower-level mooks.) And there are a few items that grant Luck bonuses as well. Plus, if you go with a Half-Orc with the Sacred Tattoo alternate racial trait, it will give you +2 luck bonus to your saves as well.
Half-Orc also has the added benefit of granting you racial proficiency with the Greataxe and Falchion (or Flail and Dire Flail proficiency with an alternate racial trait), which is handy if you can't find a deity with a combination of the domains you want plus a decent favored melee weapon.
Half-Orc Fate's Favored Melee Cleric FTW.
What the rest of your party has, and how you work together will change what will be effective and what won't.
A reach build with sacred summons focused on throwing out multiple weaker monsters to slow up advancing enemy as well as hitting those who make it forward with attacks of opportunity could work well if you have good ranged damage options in the party. Growth subdomain could be a good choice with this, giving swift action enlarge could enhance this as well. Divine Strategist is also something to think about, giving a bonus it init and surprise round actions.
I'd avoid rage; you'll be well south of the barbarian's gargantuan pile of hitpoints yet saddled with their dumped AC (-4 versus the build provided above) enabling monsters to land their poorer iteratives.
You can't summon the angelic hordes if you're constantly burning actions to heal yourself...if you can even do that while raging (the Rage domain doesn't say you can cast spells while raging).
Consider Reach Spell for a Bad Touch Cleric. You can perform Touch spells as Close range spells for only +1 spell slot.
Also, are Psionics allowed in your campaign? If so, consider the Soulthief Vitalist in lieu of a Bad Touch Cleric. They are extremely survivable, have some of the best buffing in the game, and triage heal the group through their collective. Your Killer DM will have a rough time with a Soulthief Vitalist as your frontliner.
Your Killer DM will have a rough time with a Soulthief Vitalist as your frontliner.
No he won't. He'll just up the ante.
If you do go with a cleric with the War and Rage domains, there's a feat called Mad Magic that allows you to cast spells while raging. A few levels of barbarian will help boost your melee, but you'll be behind on casting. Of course, any multiclassed caster has that problem.
Oh please, stop with this "killer DM" thing. There is nothing like that.
Your OP included: "Our DM is quite a severe one, and play every monster using every strategical possibility to the max...." --That implies he's ignoring the limited intelligence of many opponents. Or, at least, it looked that way to me. Zombies, for example, are brainless; they run straight toward you, without any tactics whatsoever, and break off only if some other target becomes closer.
Your Killer DM will have a rough time with a Soulthief Vitalist as your frontliner.No he won't. He'll just up the ante.
I've got a Soulthief Vitalist currently hulksmashing through my campaign. The only thing that works on her is Death spells, but now they have resurrection so that's just a speedbump :P
Level 1 : fighter
Level 2+ evangalsit cleric.
Almost full bard boosting, almost full caster.
All in martial weapons, heavy armor and power attacks.
Domain can be :
1. Heroism for heroism spell
2. Trade for fly and d-door
3. Animal for companion