[Bozos of Bones]

SPOILER!!! Here goes the spoiler now, get ready for it... I was thinking of the Every God Ring, +5 to wisdom. so there... did you like the spoiler? END SPOILER!!!
OK, Greataxes are good, but the enchanted are less available, but some are great(elemental bursts come to mind)but then there's a +1 greatsword later in Kuldahar that has a mean little enchantment, more handy than a +5 greataxe. The paladin is going to be wearing heavy armor, and there are some awesome plates that have +0 MAX DEX, so why waste 2 points best used into STR.
The short people stuff has not been incorporated into the game, or your barb would be dealing 1d10 instead of 1d12 with the axe. About the bard, with Lingering Song he can rule in most battles. Just hit pause, click to play a song, click t play another song etc... and you get free 2 rounds of song effects without using any time whatsoever. Probably an exploit. LOL at the blind leading the blind, but the Bard can be of great help to a sorceress. But be carefull, this is your first run through the game and you haven't got wizards, so the spells you choose stick with you...