BG3 has many skill checks that is arguably a time for skill-monkeys to shine, but those are to a large degree used in a layered system to prevent perceived binary catastrophic failures. I suspect this, skills, important aspect of Bards will constitute a relative nerf several reasons:
1. Save-scumming is prevalent in computer games as opposed to tabletop. Re-roll those failed checks as much as you want.
2. Friends cantrip is buffed in that it can be used indiscriminately. Everyone can now be a silver-tongued "mini-bard".
3. Tadpole wisdom and inspiration re-rolls.
4. Unlimited resting will take the Lucky feat from borderline overpowered to outright broken. Unless balanced to the setting in a way Larian hasn't done with all other aspects affected by resting mechanics.
I'm hoping Larian considers balance issues important enough to address at some point and compensate nerfs caused by the setting.
When it comes to Magical Secrets; the wizards has access to a de facto super version without practical limitations in that they can learn any and all non-wizard spells currently. Bards are one of the many classes negatively affected relative to that. This really needs to change.
I would also like to add that Bards can't use Bardic Inspiration on themselves, so if you create one to be your main character and you want your main character to lead in every skill check because they're obviously the main character, you're not going to benefit from it. I imagine the eventual Bard companion is going to be extremely popular to enable the rest of the party to beat down the RNG of skill checks, along with the sheer utility that exists in their spell list.
That said, Bards have so many stacking bonuses to skill checks that they don't
need someone else casting Bardic Inspiration on them. For example, I have +9 to Persuasion right now at level 3 thanks to Expertise, and range from +1-4 to everything else thanks to Jack of All Trades. The vast majority of skill checks I've seen with the mod ask me to just roll 6 or higher (without Guidance). I could roll a 1 on several of them and still succeed.
