If you like the bard class, by all means use it, it's great fun. In combat it's best used as a supporting unit, so you do need some tanks in the first line. You can use Lae'zel, Karlach and even Minthara all together in the party. Interchange them, depending on where you are. with cleric Shadowheart of course. I did a PT like this. Although I multiclassed my bard with a bit of ranger and one level of wizard, though in the end that was maybe not really necessary. I took ranger for the added armour proficiencies (and because it's a class which I also like a lot) and wizard because I didn't want Gale in the party but needed some AoE attacks also. Neither did I want Astarion, so the bard also did the lockpicking and trap-disarming chores which worked very well.
I had Tav-bard and Lae'zel as core party and switched the other half between Minthara (from act 2 only of course), Karlach and Shadowheart. Only employed Gale in the sorcerous sundries and Astarion in Cazador's palace, because it's their quest.

Note : I play on balanced difficulty mode.

One team example at lvl 12 :
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by ldo58; 14/07/24 12:18 AM.