My favorite Cleric build is usually Divine Paragon-5/Evangelist-10... I feel it epitomizes all things Cleric.
Pick a fully fleshed out deity that offers full Exalted/Evangelist/Sentinel Boons... because you will end up access to all of the Evangelist Boons and all of your choice of either the Exalted or Sentinel Boons. Legit.
If you want to do a little more than dabble with the Undead... I highly advise you consider working in 5 levels of Agent of the Grave. It's one of favorites, because Necromancy is fun.
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@ OP: Here are some mechanical tips for building and playing an effective cleric:
While Cleric's Channel Energy ability is not very strong, it can be useful. Offensive channeling of negative energy to harm helps you melt faces, but allies appreciate healing a lot more. Consider going both ways with Versatile Chanel. Works great if you are neutrally aligned and worship Gozreh, Nature God of Wind and Sea. Probably channel Positive Energy primarily, because that's where the numbers count most.
Some will say that Selective Channel is essential but I disagree. It's often possible to work around this issue by either A) Healing out of combat or B) Using landscape to block effects
Understand reach tactics and know that this approach is especially effective for a cleric. Do cleric stuff on your own turn and deliver melee attacks during the GM's turn. Spear works great underwater, too. Mechnically, this option gets a huge power boost from Gozreh's Plant(Growth) domain. Here's an example build. No need for your 1st level cleric to inflict 40 hp per round, but know that it's possible.
Wise Clerics always leave an open spell slot for every level of spell they can cast. Always do this. Thus, at first level your spell list might be: Open Spell Slot, Enlarge Person (Domain Spell), and Bless. That open spell slot can become whatever you need in just 15 minutes. Need to dive deep? Change your Open Spell Slot to Air Bubble! Didn't use your Open Spell Slot? Just before resting change your Open Spell Slot to Endure Elements and cast it, good for the next 24 hours.
Consider the very capable Evangelist Archetype of Cleric. First check whether your party already has a Bard. If not, be an Evangelist. Here's an Example of Play with even more cleric tips.
A quick look down the list over on AoN shows about half a dozen deities with both Death and Water Domains...
Pharasma, N
Hanspur, CN
Gogunta, CE
Charon, NE
Uzumae, LE
The Pale Horse, N
I found one deity that has both Death and Weather Domains... Set, NE.
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Wise Clerics always leave an open spell slot for every level of spell they can cast. Always do this. Thus, at first level your spell list might be: Open Spell Slot, Enlarge Person (Domain Spell), and Bless. That open spell slot can become whatever you need in just 15 minutes. Need to dive deep? Change your Open Spell Slot to Air Bubble! Didn't use your Open Spell Slot? Just before resting change your Open Spell Slot to Endure Elements and cast it, good for the next 24 hours.
Consider the very capable Evangelist...
Pretty sure it doesn't work like that
A divine spellcaster chooses and prepares spells ahead of time, but unlike a wizard, does not require a period of rest to prepare spells. Instead, the character chooses a particular time of day to pray and receive spells. The time is usually associated with some daily event. If some event prevents a character from praying at the proper time, she must do so as soon as possible. If the character does not stop to pray for spells at the first opportunity, she must wait until the next day to prepare spells.
Pretty sure that means prep them 1st chance you get or lose them
Here is a blank sheet build... Divine Paragon-5/Evangelist-10. Just to show you what it has to offer. I chose Hanspur off the list I provided earlier because his Boons would be beneficial in a naval campaign, and he was the first fully fleshed out deity I happened to look at before posting this. Obviously you can choose whatever deity you want.
Here are the Boons you get to choose from, for Hanspur in particular. You will get all of the Evangelist Boons through the prestige class. You can choose Exalted or Sentinel Boons via Divine Paragon. The level by level breakdown is after the Boons:
Evangelist
Source Inner Sea Faiths pg. 59
1: River Sage (Sp) hydraulic pushAPG 3/day, river whipACG 2/day, or hydraulic torrentAPG 1/day
2: River Scion (Su) Just as drowning was not the end of Hanspur’s story, inhaling water holds no terror for you. As a free action you can breathe underwater, as if affected by water breathing, for a number of hours per day equal to the number of Hit Dice you possess. These hours need not be used consecutively, but must be used in 1-hour increments.
3: River’s Embodiment (Sp) The river is a part of you, and you are a part of it. Once per day as a standard action, you can transform yourself into a Huge water elemental, as per elemental body IV. You can stay in this form for 1 minute per Hit Die you possess, and can dismiss this effect as a free action.
PFS Legal Exalted
Source Inner Sea Faiths pg. 59
1: River Guide (Sp) obscuring mist 3/day, haunting mistsUM 2/day, or aqueous orbAPG 1/day
2: River Traveler (Su) A priest of Hanspur should never fear the water, and should move as freely as the fish (and rats) that make their homes within it. As a free action, you can grant yourself and any allies within 30 feet of you a swim speed of 60 feet. This effect lasts for 1 round per Hit Die you possess or until you dismiss it as a free action, whichever comes first. Your allies must remain within 30 feet of you or lose this benefit. In addition, you gain a +2 profane or sacred bonus (of the same type as that provided by your obedience) on saves against spells with the water descriptor.
3: River’s Depths (Su) The river is your companion, and it fights on your behalf, teaching your enemies about the holy act of drowning. Once per day as a standard action, you can cause one creature within 30 feet to begin drowning, filling its lungs with water. The target of this ability can attempt a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect. If the target succeeds, it is staggered for 1 round while it gasps for breath. On a failed save, the target immediately begins to suffocate. On the target’s next turn, it falls unconscious and is reduced to 0 hit points. One round later, the target drops to –1 hit points and is dying. One round after that, the target dies. Each round, the target can attempt a Fortitude save to end the effect. This ability affects only living creatures that must breathe and cannot breathe underwater. This is a curse effect.
PFS Legal Sentinel
Source Inner Sea Faiths pg. 59
1: River Warden (Sp) wave shieldACG 3/day, masterwork transformationUM 2/day, or quench 1/day
2: River Champion (Su) The river is your weapon. Three times per day as a standard action, you can sculpt water into the form of a melee weapon with which you are proficient (typically a trident, but it could also take the form of a dagger or another light weapon). You must have enough water to form the weapon, an amount equal to the weapon’s normal weight. Once formed, the weapon behaves as a weapon of its type with an enhancement bonus of +1. This bonus increases by 1 for every 5 additional Hit Dice you have beyond 5 (up to a maximum of +4 at 20 Hit Dice). This weapon deals double the normal amount of damage to creatures with the fire subtype. The weapon dissolves into ordinary water after a number of rounds equal to your Hit Dice or as soon as it leaves your hand, whichever happens first.
3: River’s Renewal (Su) As Hanspur was reborn in the water, so too are you healed by it. When completely submerged in water, you gain fast healing 2. You can recover a total number of hit points equal to twice your Hit Dice in this manner each day. At 20th level, if you fall below 0 hit points and your body is fully submerged in a river, you automatically stabilize.
Level by level breakdown:
Divine Paragon Cleric
1. Aura
... Divine Brand
1. Devoted Domain
...
... Choose Exalted or Sentinel Boons
1. Domain Power
...
1. Domain Spells
...
...
1. Channel Energy 1D6
1. Orisons
1. Spontaneous Casting
1. Spells
1(class): Deific Obedience
1(level):
2.
3. Domain Spells
...
...
3. Channel Energy 2D6
3(level):
4.
5. Domain Power
... 1st Exalted or Sentinel Boon
5. Domain Spells
...
5. Channel Energy 3D6
5(level):
Evangelist PrC
6. Skilled
...
...
7. Protective Grace +1
7(level):
8. Divine Boon
... 1st Evangelist Boon
8. Domain Spells
...
...
8. Channel Energy 4D6
9. Gift of Tongues
...
9. Domain Power
...
9(level):
10. Multitude of Talents +4
10. Domain Spells
...
...
10. Channel Energy 5D6
11. Divine Boon
... 2nd Evangelist Boon
11(level): Divine Interference
12. Protective Grace +2
12. Domain Power
... 2nd Exalted or Sentinel Boon
12. Domain Spells
...
...
12. Channel Energy 6D6
13. Gift of Tongues
...
13(level):
14. Divine Boon
... 3rd Evangelist Boon
14. Domain Spells
...
...
14. Channel Energy 7D6
15. Spiritual Form
... 10/min per day
... Telepathy 100'
... +4 to one ability
... wings
15. Domain Power
... 3rd Exalted or Sentinel Boon
15(level):
@15:
BAB +10/+5
Base saves +7,+6,+7
CL 14, 7th level spells
Five levels in Agent of the Grave later...
@20
BAB +12/+7/+2
Base saves +10,+8,+10
CL 18, 9th level spells
[A mini guide to Cleric]
That was very helpful, thanks!
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Pretty sure it doesn't work like that...
Pretty sure that means prep them 1st chance you get or lose them
I'll just correct Name Violation on this. Yes, Clerics and Wizard (and other prepared casters!) can leave Open Spell Slots and fill them later. It works exactly as I describe. It's right there in the core rules. Lots of players, even experienced players-of-clerics, don't know about this option, which is why I mention it.
Yeah. For clerics there’s a difference in their daily spell reset and their ability to replace individual empty slots later in the day. That daily reset gives you the slots back but you can choose to fill them whenever.