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Something I've been playing around with is a half-elf archaeologist. The favored class bonus gives +1 rounds of performance, which really helps.
With the spell Timely Inspiration, you can still help out the party when needed. And since it's a competence bonus, you'll get slightly more use out of it than if you had Inspire Courage up.
Get 14 Cha at level 1, then some other mix of the other attributes. Start out with Extra Bardic Performance (bear with me!) and join the Kitharodian faction. Trait wise, Maestro of the Society could help.
Survive to third level.
Take this feat from Faction Guide...or not since it isn't legal. OK, so this isn't PFS advice anymore. Onward!
At third level, you'll have...15 rounds of Luck per day. This luck will give you +2 to hit, damage, saves, and skill checks. At 5th level, you can pick up Lingering Performance to get 51 rounds per day (which honestly is probably overkill, assuming 4 encounters per day of 4 rounds, you won't be running out of luck).
But at 5th level, you're getting +3 to hit, damage, saving throws, and skills for at least 17 rounds per day. You could pick up Arcane Strike at 5th level for an extra 2 damage, or power attack and have luck swallow the penalty from that, giving pure, pure damage. That's awesome :D
With grand master performer, at 11th level you'll be getting +5 to all those things. Plus you can grab weapon proficiency from the half-elf to get a falcata and two-hand that.
In your first round of combat, you can cast Mirror Image or some other defensive spell. Or maybe you can activate Allegro to get Haste. At 4th level, you'll be getting +3 to hit, +2 to damage, +2 to saves (+3 for reflex), +2 to skills, +1 AC, +30 move speed, and 1 extra attack on a full attack. With just a quick back of the envelope calculation, that'll almost quadruple your DPR.
How about Sandman?
With the right party allies, and some thinking outside the box, it is useful for buffing and combat.
The Paladin can cast Lesser Restoration as a first level spell? Now I can too! With both of us casting Magic Circle Against Evil it protects us for hours! And look, I'm a Bard with Divine Favor!
The Ranger can cast Resist Energy as a first level spell? Now I can too! And look, I'm a Bard with Gravity Bow and Lead Blades!
The Summoner can cast Haste as a second level spell, and Obsidian Flow as a third level spell? Now I can too!
Not as simple a shtick as Inspire Courage, but potentially even more useful.
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With regards to reach weaponry and bards, I played a bard/rogue (stop rolling your eyes, I see you!) and used a long spear. It was pretty awesome.
You don't need MUCH rogue, and the skills certainly synergize, which is nice if you go Arcane Duelist. (I heard the gasps too...yes, arcane duelists imagery is that of a swordsman, but you can use a long spear too...I checked.)
The idea here being the 5 foot step rule, and the 10' reach the spear gives you. If you can work it in, the lunge feat, and the vital strike line work well. Another key to this for the rogue to work well is the Gang Up feat...now you need not be flanking, just need 2 of your party members to threaten. Power Attack is also good, if you have the room for it (rogue traits to get extra combat feat, i'm lookin at you!)
I was rogue 3/bard 7 at 10th level, and it was pretty ugly. Certainly NOT front line damage, but neither was it something to sneeze at either.
See, from my PFS experience, most places are pretty small that you fight in. 10', with a 5' step is usually pretty OK. Also, while you are hitting hard, you are not typically dealing the damage that the barbarian/fighter/ranger are, nor are you the flashy boom! that the wizards/sorc are.
I believe the key was to IC, then haste/heroism/goodhope, then move/flank/charge and whup the snot out of something that has been softened up. I tried to be the guy that got the killing blow in, and most times it worked.
Between casting, inspiring, moving, skills...you are NEVER at a loss to do anything. Often you will be squawking for MORE time to do stuff until you have the IC as a move action, or a mm rod of quicken.
Further, the Arcane Duelist gives the rally option, and since most of the lower level casters you face have "Fear" on their list, and when I ran they would typically hit the biggest tank with that, its a good way to ensure that your barbarian buddy isnt running away.
PFS skills are mostly knowledge skills, diplomacy skills, and then certain physical skills. You still get to add +1/2 bard level on all knowledge skills, and bards/rogues NEVER have too little to choose from. Perception is the biggest/most often used. Its a necessity to have that as a class skill.
I'd go human for the extra feat...you would need it.
So, to sum up...I played a Long Spear rogue/bard in PFS and it worked, and worked well. I had a CHA of 14 to start, I didn't have a dump stat but I only had a 10 con (hardly EVER got hit, tbh) and it worked fine. I had plenty of skills to go around, I had plenty of bonuses on them to go around, I had plenty of things to do every combat, and usually did all my stuff from about 10' - 15' away from the bad guy. It was pretty tasty, and I had fun. Further, my party loved it.
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I originally had the Maneuver Master level at 1st (and that archetype grants maneuver feats sans prereqs), and forgot about it. Two levels of monk[MM] works nicely to pick up both, but shaves off another level of bard is a melee dip is still wanted for breastplate and weapon proficiencies.Where would combat expertise be?
01 rang1 [urban], Improved Trip, Weapon Focus:Whip
Threatening Defender trait. It's almost like a free +1 to AC.
3 ranks in Acrobatics gives you the +1 AC while fighting defensively; Threatening Defender only grants "free" AC when using Combat Expertise (so, must take, needing higher INT, etc) at BAB3 or less.
Depends on what you consider powerful.