Striving for playability - help? (Rescuing my Cleric 4/Monk 2 build)

[PhaedrusXY]

Darkfire is interesting, though it'd be better (from my perspective) if it stacked with punching things in the face.

It should, actually. You can combine touch attack spells with unarmed strikes. This was clarified way back in 3.0 in Sword and Fist or something, and should be in a FAQ or something as well.

Ah, now we're getting somewhere!  I'll go searching for that FAQ answer (though if anyone should come across it, please feel free to post).

Complete Arcane covers it:

Improved Unarmed Strike: You can add the damage of your unarmed strike to the damage of a touch spell by delivering the spell as a regular melee attack instead of a melee touch attack. The defender gets the full benefit of armor and shield, but if the attack hits, the unarmed strike deals normal damage over and above any damage the spell does as it is discharged. If the unarmed strike misses, then the spell is not discharged.
If the unarmed strike scores a critical hit, damage from the spell is not multiplied.

Cool; that'll help.

You can cast the spell and make one touch attack as part of casting it, too. So round 1, you'd cast and touch, getting only the Darkfire damage. Rounds 2+, you'd go Flurry of Blows and stack it with your unarmed strike damage. So it doesn't hurt as badly on the action economy as a "buff", either.

[Brainpiercing]

Well, it looks like Darkfire is the winner then. You just really have to get that first SF level.

[Janthkin]

You can cast the spell and make one touch attack as part of casting it, too. So round 1, you'd cast and touch, getting only the Darkfire damage. Rounds 2+, you'd go Flurry of Blows and stack it with your unarmed strike damage. So it doesn't hurt as badly on the action economy as a "buff", either.

I don't think so - the spell description specifies "Beginning the following round, you can strike opponents with a melee touch attack...."  But it's a good use of a buff casting.  I think the party will have to get by without level 3 Touch of Healing; I need both of those slots!

Well, it looks like Darkfire is the winner then. You just really have to get that first SF level.

Yup.  It also gets me level 3 domain spells, meaning Anyspell, meaning I'll be able to hit myself with Alter Self (once per day).  I better get a wand of that, too.  (I also need to pick up Wraithstrike; I don't see any reason to exercise restraint here.)

[Brainpiercing]

I'm thinking you COULD even make your first attack and flurry as an unarmed strike, and your iterative as a (ranged) touch attack, in order to hit better.

Once you can afford a Fanged Ring (Savage Species) you could think about retraining your INA feat.

One thing to take care of is also: If you feel you never get a buff round, talk to the DM about spotting encounters earlier. Tell him you basically always want to be looking around for trouble. Pump your spot and listen checks (which are good, anyway, due to Wis).