Bards are good not crap

The only problem with bards in the game are the fact that there are only three good mages and two (maybe three) thieves. With a bard as the PC in the party it is hard to balance the party:
You have to have Jan Jansen until you get Imoen
You have to have Nalia or the other guy...
Now you are very heavy in magic.
But you will want to keep both a druid and cleric in the party (Ok, maybe the druid is expendable because their weapon choices are so bad). This leaves you with only one tank. Maybe it's not so bad if you can rush to get Imoen.

Another problem is they messed up by offering the ring of human influence right away. They ought to make it a challenge if your PC doesn't have good charisma. And the eye glasses of identification, the fact it can be pickpocketed, really hurts the bard's usefulness.

The bard is absolutely the best choice to play as a main character, at least as a roleplaying point of view. At least I need a good reason for my character to wonder around and get to troubles. It's an imagination problem or something I quess..
Figter: just can't imagine my self as a brainless huge swordsman.
Mage: hm.. no.. I rather spend my time in some tower or castle than stomping around.
Thief: I don't want to be a full time criminal after all!
Ranger: why would I travel with bunch of geeks, when i could be alone in forest or something..
Paladin: ugh, sooo noble and booooring.
Druid: jeah, nature boy, right..
cleric/monk/jne. "no armor, no weapons, no nothing.."
A bard? Why yes, he's the guy who can't stay still and has to go wonder around and look for new things, troubles and all kind of cool stuff. Good charisma, some handy spells to aid in troubles, quick hands to steal if money runs out.. Perfect adventurer I think.

-hobs'da bard-

If you can't imagine yourself as a brainless swordsman, then dual one to a mage. Best of both worlds, and you can pretend to be smart and witty, like me. I've found fighter/mages and thief/mages to be a lot more effective than bards. Don't know about roleplaying, I'd prefer to be the uncaring, ale drinking, wealth obsessed journeyman than the flippant, lute-wielding... er... guy.

>Don't know about roleplaying, I'd prefer to be the uncaring, ale drinking, wealth obsessed >journeyman than the flippant, lute-wielding... er... guy

hmh.. Bard CAN also be an uncaring, WINE drinking journeyman, he's just a bit of more stylish and elegant than a rugged sworsdman who bashes himself through the happenings with raw power without thinking, killing everyone in sight.

-bards rules!

mmmmmmmmmmmmm!! all good points i like the bard the most cause of the
wave.He can now hold his own in a hard battle without using spells and wands.And when i use spells its usually in very difficult battles or when im bored.And i think the bard is the true person who doestnt give a shit about anything except making money and charming ladies.

Hello since i am currently in a good mood and since i like bards I am making a Harp of the Great Bard. And some other cool items. Any suggestions are welcome! Please give me some.

[Aegis]

If a Bard really was any good, why aren't any famous people bard's??? Never heard of anyone in any realm who ever was a bard.......

Aegis

"Mors ultima linea rerum est"

Umm, William Shakespeare is commonly referred to as a bard. "Shakespeare in Love" is sort of a good example of the bard persona.

Anyone notice that most of the anti-Bard comments come from a certain Half Orc. Now, we all know how intelligent Half Orcs are, don't we?

Nothing 'stylish and elegant' about me, hobs. I wore a feathered hat down the street once and a pidgeon tried to mate with it. I can't help but see bards as too poncy for me to try and roleplay.