Not that it is likely to be of much relevance in 5e but I used to play a Bard on a persistent world which used the NWN module (Nordock was the name of the server, on the off chance anyone here used to play there-it was bloody fantastic). The parties I grouped with absolutely loved having my Bard along because she buffed them ridiculously well. No idea if that is still an option in 5e but I loved playing a sort of backseat character who was actually very integral to the party's success.
