[Serak Moonblade]

just to counter your points, i feel that find traps of the cleric is quite a useless spell as there are often several traps beyond the fog and they don't see to figure up.

secondly even if the traps were detected they cannot be dismantled by a bard or by spell (to my knowledge).

possible spoilers for the novice!
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this is even more critical in the yuan-ti's last line of defence before yxunomei which are almost all confusion traps. they leave you with less fire and/or spell power. especially in insane when yuan-ti shamen attack you fropm behind a few moments after you engage yxunomei.
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end spoiler!

but i must agree that a bard would make the game more challenging by making your team handicapped in some aspects though there are a few minor positives such as a lightly enhanced role-playability...