If you go with Icewind Dale 1, you might want to turn off the party AI; I find that bard songs do not work well with it on, as the bard will happily stop singing when a monster shows up and attack that monster. (And IWD1 *does* have some very useful bard songs.)

His or her loss, somehow, from my perspective - because a bard is a hard writing outside of a party based system for balance or gameplay, because bard is no expert in anything.

I understand the OP's pref as such - as I do dual wielding rogue CHAR if possible.

Even with DA:I with M&K input, I do it. I know - pray, insert maximum shock and sarcasm here - but the overall writing matters the most to me.

But the OP is not that badly off. I trust he/she shall rejoice on inXile KS project for Bard's Tale sequel, and hopefully have been early enough aware even to contribute.

Unless I misunderstand the concept, I've never liked the whole idea of a Bard in gaming. Singing and/or playing a musical instrument to aid/heal allies? To mesmerize foes into switching positions during combat?

I can buy into divine, arcane, and primal magics...but not musical magics.