Putting aside the suggestions others have made (all helpful as usual from the knowledgeable people here, I might add)... I have a question for you: if your group has "forced" you to make this change in your character, which wasn't part of your original plan for your character, and after seeing how a better Wisdom score could help make this transition, could you maybe petition your DM to allow you to swap your DEX and WIS scores?
After all, this was a change the group asked you to make, and you, being a super-nice cooperative helpful player ( ! ) have been trying to make this happen, but, your stats as originally generated were intended for a different path, so maybe the DM would see his way to letting you simply swap the 2 stats in question.
Worth a try maybe? It might make your life a little easier.
I should note, there is no 'forcing' taking place. There was a discussion around the lack of spontaneous healing spells. The only Cleric we did have (now gone due to player departure) was a LN devotee of Wee-Jas (very effective in his own right), and lack of healing possibilities in general. A Wand of Cure Light Wounds (or Lessor Vigor or whatever) is a valuable thing, but also ultimately limited.
Figuring to advance my character's somewhat mysterious past I volunteered to take on Cleric levels. It fits quite well. So well I wishe I had thought of it at character creation and planned my abilities better. Since I volunteered, I wrung an ability score adjustment out of the DM. My Charisma is now no longer <10, with Wisdom buffed by removing points from Strength and Intelligence. Playing 'flawed' characters is, I find, normally more fun than playing Superman with a minimum of 16 in each score.
I noted a lack of ranged power (sorry, effective ranged power.....) in the party when we were cut to ribbons along an open road by a handful of Gnolls (rather embarassing encounter really). I also noted that with a Cleric level my character's melee power was...diminished. Lower strength, less HP and missing a point of BAB made a bigger hole than I thought it would.
Following the "ow I hurt session" I remembered reading on the boards here about a "cleric archer" that was supposedly quite effective. Figuring to kill 2 birds with 1 stone I am canvassing possibilities (thought experiment really) and future potentials. If I read correctly, the optimised build seems to revolve around Zen Archery; i.e. you get a primary physical attack and spell casting capability out of the same stat (suitable for "poorly statted" characters). Carrying a smalle cache of special materials arrows to cover all eventualities was also something I had never thought of previously, and a most welcome suggestion.
So, I think I've read what I was looking for - an optimised build for the oft-mentioned cleric archer. I can take parts of the optimised build as I and the party can/need. Thanks guys 'n' girls, you've been a big help.
