bard are better mage in general than some *ahem* mages in the game but they cap out at level 6's so if you want 7's 8's and 9's then get a real mage
like edwin, now that's what i call serious mage, i mean at the max he has i think 7 or 8 level 9 spells, might not seem like much but that's like a couple timestop, improved alarcity, and energry blade, and so on CHAIN CONGUGRITY the best spell imho!!!!
i liked the blade's offensive/defensive stance early in the game but onice he got his stone skin enmass he never needed to use it untill i hited watchers's keep in the non magic room i needed it and it saved my ares. heh hmm i'm thinking of next trying another party but this time have a skald as one of the npc, i might mod haris dude to a skade and fix that freaking low health
lol i keep the stat count the same, i don't go 25 everything, i just move around the points from skills that are useless imho to soemthing more better like more con!