Pathfinder 1E Duplicating Classes in a Party

[LWDLiz]

The bard is THE premier buffer and a decent combatant. Not much like a sorcerer, more a sort of cleric/rogue mix in my experience. But yes, you could focus on enchantment and make a sorcerer-ish controller bard - and probably feel a bit weaker than a specialized enchanter sorcerer. You still have your performance buffs, however, and those are stellar. Multiple bards work but are not optimal - performance bonuses don't stack with each other, but they can overlap.

I agree wholeheartedly. I currently play a bard in two games. One game it is my sole character and pretty low-level. Playing a low-level bard can be tough sometimes, because you aren't that great in melee and your buffs sort of help. However, the second bard I play is actually my main character's first-mate. We are leveled up pretty high and he can make or break the success of a combat. The group made fun of my bard for a while, but they soon recognized his usefulness. I never let them live it down when we got silenced in one combat and they began lamenting the fact that they did not have their usual buffs.