It seems to me that a lot of people view bards and minstrels as, basically, buff bots. You start your song, go for a walk, and come back to a few more bubbles of experience. The main cause of this is simple: Neither class can melee while using instruments, and they can't use their class defining songs without an instrument. I think it would be nice to give them a castable, no-timer DD, so that they can actually be doing something. Bards already have castable heals, so I don't think it would be unbalancing.
The alternative would be to give them at least one song that doesn't require an instrument, or to simply make instruments optional things which boost effectiveness - thereby allowing bards and minstrels to melee like a Skald can.
The alternative would be to give them at least one song that doesn't require an instrument, or to simply make instruments optional things which boost effectiveness - thereby allowing bards and minstrels to melee like a Skald can.
