To follow up -
(1) Bards are a utility class. Because of this utility they can solo effectively, in the ways that I described above. By charming to solo kill, you solo almost as fast as any other charm class in an outdoor zone, and just as safely as a druid. It does require many more key strokes however. You can charm solo all the way to 60 outdoors, and it's even easier with Velious.
(2) Also because of this utility, you can duo with almost any other class - and in duo, you will gain xp faster than solo. Bards can duo by aggro kiting (with a melee pounding on the mob), by fear kiting, by helping an enchanter, druid or necro manage charm breaks, by increasing mana regen and doing dot damage to a rooted mob, etc. Literally, a bard can duo with any class and make that class better. This is different from an enchanter, who cannot duo well with a rogue, or a warrior who cannot duo well with a wizard.
(3) Full groups are great - and bards that level by aoe kiting are not as adept at working in a full groups as a Bard that comes up soloing, duoing, and generally using more spells. But Bards can solo just fine while waiting for a group in any zone.
(4) Yes, you can aoe kite up to 60, then be a raid bard and play resists or kite fear...but you don't scratch the surface of the class. There are lots of great challenges that a Bard can do solo, which is why I keep coming back to the class. So I wish you good luck with the journey! Here, again, is a small list of things I would keep in mind:
A. Prioritize mobility - this means soloing in outdoor zones whenever possible, getting the best drum possible, keeping up SOW when you can as a backup to selos fading, and getting high MR to resist roots and snares.
B. When I gear, I prioritize MR > Dex up to ~110 > Cha >HP > CR and FR > AC. People can argue about this list. By prioritizing MR, you also get a leg ahead when you start raiding and need MR to resist old world and kunark dragon fears. I hate carrying around extra gear, and I don't see a need for a bard to have a MR and a PVE/stat and HP set that are divverent.
C. If you keep leveling or have money, worn Regen like a Fungi is great for a bard - it allows you to take a hit or two and not have to play a regen song. For charming, you will inevitably take a few hits, as well as when you CC. Some clerics don't heal Bards up the way they would an Enchanter, and I always insist if I'm CCing that they keep me above 80%.
D. Carry a few pumice - in case you get rooted or snared while soloing, a pumice can dispell the root and save your life.
E. Get a peggy cloak - selos song of travel is more trouble than it's worth. Selos and a levi buff is infintely better.
F. Orb of Tishan is required gear, as is the best drum you can afford. Proc weapons with DD or Stun effects can be useful for kiting.
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