The Bard has been one of my favorite classes to play since 3rd Edition. I don't think there is anything that *needs* to be changed for the this class.
People who try to play a Bard like an Eldritch Knight are going to be disappointed. Maybe there needs to be an Eldritch Knight base class.
Of course, all classes probably have things that *could* be better. And of course there are ways to change the class to better fit a particular culture.
If I had to change something about the bard, I'd probably do something like THIS! Oh, wait, I already did that.
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I think the bard is a star buffer and a star skill-junky. The other stuff he does is usually "meh", though properly built he (like any correctly-statted character) can output good melee / range damage... they're still better off buffing the PallyFighters though. It's only out of selfishness that I want to get into melee myself :).
But I never agreed with the bard being "the jack of all trades". This usually falls on the rogue, who I dislike far more as a character (and would only ever play because he's the ONLY one who gets find traps).
I think it's important to note that bards can buff the paladin AND go run into melee/plink with arrows on his own at the same time ;)
Bard is definately not a "master of none." He can do pretty awesome damage with melee or archery, he's got a really good number of skills (He has more then 6+ int, you just need to take Versatile Performer into account), and he's got a list of some fairly potent spells. My only dislike is with the per-rounds of bard music, but even beyond that, he's definately more then just a fifth wheel.
I am having no problem with my Charisma bard in Pathfinder.
Yes Sure. The low DC is no problem at all and the limited spell list with hardly any damage dealing spells isn't either, nor is the few spell slots.
The bardic MAD problem that prevent you from have as high casting stat as a sorcerer or a wizard is no problem and since bards only have level 6 spells he can't really pick meta magic feats. Using rods is problematic if you have a bow and is just as problematic if you play a sword and board Bard. You could pick quick draw and use a buckler, but then you lose your shield ac.Nor is there a problem that almost all spells and bardic performance are mind affecting which make them useless vs. undeads and other mindless creatures.
And if you just happen to create a melee bard you'll have an AC problem and a problem hitting thru creatures damage reduction, same problem the monk have.
And if you want to play an archer, which is probably your best bet, you have to spend almost every feat you have on archer feats - including one to get either rapid reload or Proficiency to use a long bow. Further more spending all your feats on archer stuff make you good at only one thing - not very bard like. Me, I dislike archers so I'm one of those suckers who have to get by on buffing my friends and using a sword and buckler and having a crappy ac. At mid levels that will be alright. At higher levels not so much.
Sure Bard is a great buff class. A class that make other better, so was the 1:ed cleric. Anyone wonders why they bosted the cleric in 3.0? Because the cleric was one of the most important classes but they where boring to play.
Edit: Great BUFF class?
Yes sure. The ulltimate buff class doesn't even have stuff like Mage armor, Magic vestment, Magic weapon, Greater magic weapon, Resist energy, Protection from energy or Prayer.
Resist energy can be cast by ALL spell casting classes except the Bard.
Yes no problem with Charisma bards in Pathfinder.
But I agree this is the best bard and at level 8 or 9 she is at her best.
Anyway, I'm sure the Advanced Player’s Guide will fix most of my problems :-)
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Bard is a terrible "Generalist". His best bet is as a buffer. And when the party has their allocation of his buffs for the fight ("This fight seems hard enough for X of my spells, plus bard song"), he doesn't need to just sit there. Typically people find shooting the bow the "more efficient route" (keeps him off the front line, as his AC isn't going to be good enough to stay there), but as a class with pretty much no stat requirements (unless you play the "straight caster" bard, which is REALLY nerfing yourself, Cha doesn't need to start higher than 14), you can focus in on melee. I for one play Thalin as a bard with Combat Reflexes and a Spear, attack from 10 feet away, and AOO anyone who tries to close in. I have an 18 strength, so at the low levels am dealing out highly respectable damage, especially since my buffs are "group buffing". Once I hit level 7 I can do the "only bards can do this" Haste/Song for +3/+2 to hit/damage for party + haste action, and let the wizard focus on locking down the enemies.
My role cannot be reproduced, I cannot do what others do. But I am an amazing asset of buffing in the party, and a really good face for the party to boot.
Just a heads up, melee bard isn't weak at all. A big strength bard who melees, maybe going Dragon Disciple, can be a beast against enemies.
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My only real complaint with PF Bard is the per-round thing. Change it back to the previous normal bardsong.
I'm okay with combat applications taking rounds, although I'd want the Bard to have a few more rounds by default.
What I don't like is that inspiration is no longer useful for longer skill uses, that could take multiple rounds (disable device), a full minute (diplomacy) or longer (gather information). Some sort of exception allowing a bard to only expect 1 round worth of inspiration to apply to a single skill check, even if the skill use takes a longer amount of time before that check is made, might be cool (although the bard would have to be present and 'inspiring' the whole time, no 'be inspired!' and then wandering off to do his nails while you finish your local history research or long-term care check...).
I liked bards in Everquest...
twisting songs, that's awesome.
I also like bards that Monte Cook came up with.
While the PFRPG bard fits exactly into the normal spell system, Monte Cook's bard has more of a bard feel to it.
While he's got some good buffing abilities, I question whether he buffs better than a Cleric (or can help the party through "indirect buffs" better than the Druid).
When the cleric can get three of the best buffs in the game out all at the same time in one round call me back on that. Until then he can't really touch the bard for buffing quality or time.
One round a bard can: Haste, Good Hope, and Inspire Courage the entire party at once.
The best "party buffs" the cleric gets are prayer and Heroes' Feast -- which is close to Good Hope but gives less of a bonus to fewer things in general.
Now that's not to say the cleric doesn't have good buffs -- but he can't get the whole party with them and especially can't do it as fast as the bard, and the bard's is more likely to directly shorten the length of the battle substantially -- after all getting a +5 to hit and +4 to damage with an extra 30 feet of movement, +1 to AC, +3 to reflex saves, +2 to other saves, and an extra attack as part of a full attack action is very hard to argue with especially when you get it all at once at the start of combat.
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The point is, generalists don't have a role to fill. It's nothing needing doing. People hate bards because they think they ARE generalists. They get a good number of skill points, and versitile perform lets them trade skill points at 2-for-1, basically giving them even more of such (also puts certain skills, like acrobatics and sense motive, against charisma instead of their respective stat). But skil points do not a generalist make.
No, all bards are buffers and "party faces", that is the role they are expected to play. Beyond that, you just have to make sure you are "meaningful" when you are not busy doing these things (as those never really take up more than 2 rounds of combat). This involves choosing a combat style and focusing your feats in it. So yes, melee bards are "fine", we can get the whole arcane strike / power attack line and an 18 strength with buffs and dish out massive damage. Issue is a bard cannot really have the AC of the fighter, nor the "free action heal" of the Paladin; so unless you pump con out they're not going to be great there. With their feats focused they can do just as well at archery, so that's the "optimal style" for bards. Plus, with halfling an 18 Dex / 18 Cha bard is almost too easy, and you get +1 extra hit to boot.
EDIT: how are you getting good hope and haste out in the same round? Quicken rod?
In my personal opinion, bards are generalists in all but one aspect, and in that aspect, they can be even better.
A melee bard is a generalist with his buffs, skills, spells, etc, but he can still be pretty awesome at melee.
Likewise with the archer bard.
I think one problem is the clinginess to the staple four of cleric, wizard, rogue, fighter. In 3e, be it 3.x or Pathfinder, that staple four isn't needed. A bard can be the healer outside of combat - in-combat healing really isn't that great. Or a bard can be great as a mid-range fighter, or as a spellcasting archer.
If people can't find a position for the bard, they ain't looking.
As for Monte Cook's bard variant, color me disappointed. It really wasn't at all what I was looking for - it's just a normal bard with fewer and weaker spells and less abilities.
I guess this is more of an attempt to be extremely supportive in a different way than the bard, but I'm knee-deep in designing a class to be a very specialized supporter with a lot to do. The class itself is me owned, but borrowing mechanics is obviously something that's up for grabs. This class is designed to focus entirely on the bardic music idea outside of the bard's spell list. Basically, I thought to myself "I would like to see an absolute supportive class," and this is what I have so far as a first draft.
One important factor was not to try to stomp out the bard with the conducting abilities, so a lot of them give differing bonus types to mesh better with spells, other conductions and bardic music. Replacing the bard is the last thing I want to do here. The idea was more on making a bard with a lot of different kinds of music that they could use tactically as opposed to just inspiring courage at the beginning of every fight.
One thing I should warn you about: An ability from the class gives bonus force damage. I believe it still automatically overcomes hardness on objects. It's a limited resource and the Conductor's only real purpose, so I decided on it for flavor and to give it a bit of out of combat/in combat utility aside from just another damage boost. It's not perfect yet either (A couple of typos), but maybe it can give you some ideas as to what you'd like to see the bard do.