I'm a great fan of bards
POTENTIAL ITEM SPOILERS
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I think the only weapon a bard can't use is Composite Long Bow - but they can use normal longbows (incl. elven court bow)
I think Evil Jake means Planar Prison, not Planar Sphere. Planar Prison lets you get your stronghold and some of the treasure includes a great chain mail for bards and the boots of speed. (although there is loads of good stuff in the planar sphere too).
Tensers Transformation (lvl 6) is the most useful spell for a bard, write it into your spell book as soon as you get hold of it. It doubles your HP, improves your AC by 4 (up to -10), all attacks are made as if you were a fighter of the same level with an additional +2 to hit and damage. You can do some serious slicing with this one!
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Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
Epona of The Laughing Hyenas and The Ladies Guild.