I'd seen some posts that relegated Bards to multi-player only. Well, I've got Kibby up to level 14 and am about to enter Luskan. She rocks!
She's an elf with lots of CHA (30) and DEX (20, I think). I sacraficed WIS (8) and I need to carry two bags of holding cause she's kinda' weak.
I read a post about killing Belial in Charwood Castle, so I figured that that would be a good test. I have the Orc barbarian as my henchy; I gave him a mess of potions - I never use them so I had a wide selection. I had found a scroll of summon VI so was able to call up a water elemental instead of the usual dire bear. Then I consumed one of nearly every potion I had and summoned the Daemon - without any protection from evil. Oh, I also changed from my favorite custom-built-in-chapter-one sabre, to a sickle +3, because I'd heard it takes +2 to hit Belial. And I cast Ghostly Visage and did the Bard Song before the summon.
Alas, I failed the saving throw versus his first death spell and died immediately (rolled a 2!). So, I reloaded and went throught he potionizing thing again. This time I got him. Easily. Very easily. No one needed healing. I ignored his summoned succubus. Once I saw that the water elemental was able to hit him, I cast haste on it. It all happened very quickly. It took much longer to prepare than to actually fight!
So, while she can't cast like Sorcerers or even Wizards, or fight like Warriors or even Rangers, I think the Bard is a fine all-around character without the limitations of many. (It's so nice to not have to listen to Tomi now that her disable traps is like 11 or 12. She's identified everything I've found right away, and she can use almost every magical item she's found.)
--Kibblez