I was leafing through the 2e Complete Bard's Handbook (one of few really good 2e classbooks), looking for inspiration for a 4e bard, when I started to think of ways to represent the bard kits (which really more like subclasses) in 4e. And I think that most of them are entirely portable to the new edition simply through proper character choices. Below are my suggestions for the first three kits: the Blade, the Charlatan, and the Gallant. Feel free to comment, criticisize, offer your own ideas, or praise the Complete Bard's Handbook! 
Blade (Assassin / Spy / Weapon Master)
“Blades are master artisans with bladed weapons… [they] perform amazing displays of weapon skill and control as they flash various weapons all about their bodies with deadly precision…Blades also perform slow, elegant dances, involving incredibly precise movement and timing. These dances include thrusts, lunges, leaps, graceful arcs, etc.
“Blades have a great reputation as the most deadly weapon masters in the land. This is generally far from the truth… Blades don’t understand offensive and defensive maneuvers, nor do they know the locations of vital body parts. Blades can be effective in many combat situations, however, as they use flash and flare to enhance their attacks.”
Ideal Races: Human, Halfling, Drow, Goblin.
Alignment: Any.
Ability Scores: Dex 13+, Con or Int 13+. Blades that want to fully explore multiclassing with the rogue class will want to increase their Dex as they level, rather than their Con or Int.
Bardic Virtue: Either. Valor blades inspire their comrades with their flashy weapon displays, while cunning blades use their skill to confuse their enemies.
Skills: Acrobatics, Intimidate.
Feats: Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Defense, Sly Dodge (Martial Power) or another rogue multiclass feat, weapon proficiencies.
Powers: Focus on weapon attacks over ranged attacks. Song of Courage and Song of Defense (both utility 2 spells) are good stand-ins for the 2e blade’s offensive/defensive spin abilities. Mobility- and intimidation-based rogue exploits are good power-swap choices, especially attacks with the Rattling keyword. However, attack powers should be avoided unless the blade’s Dex score starts high and is advanced with levels.
Equipment: “Blades often dress in black garb, even going so far as to wear masks, facial wraps, or black headgear. Their weapons are always kept in perfect condition and highly polished for maximum effect during a performance.” Blades prefer heavy & light blades, as well as exotic weapons that are particularly suited for performance displays, such as the spiked chain. Cunning or high-Dex blades will prefer studded leather (i.e. hide) armor, while valor blades will probably opt for the protection of heavier armors such as chainmail.
Instrument/Implement: Songblade.
Alternate Build: Rogue (artful dodger build), possibly with the bard multiclass feat. This version of the concept is a deadly swordsman and is not inherently magical.
Charlatan (Trickster / Con Artist)
“Charlatans are masters at manipulating people… [they] prey upon the foolish, overconfident, and greedy people around them.
“Charlatans are wanderers. They go from town to town, switching from one identity to another, always a step ahead of the last person they swindled… When times are tough and no great con comes to mind, charlatans sometimes perform sleight-of-hand tricks just to get by. Charlatans also have a knack for acquiring jobs that allow them to bluff their way through each day. Charlatans can sometimes be found masquerading as priests, healers, sages, diplomats, powerful mages, and retired heroes.”
Ideal Races: Human, Tiefling, Gnome, Doppelganger.
Alignment: Cannot be Lawful Good.
Ability Scores: Int 13+. More than other builds, charlatans are suited for making use of the bard’s Multiclass Versatility, as it helps them in impersonating a wide variety of different roles. In order to do so, the charlatan will want a 13+ in a variety of ability scores.
Bardic Virtue: Cunning.
Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Perception, Thievery (requires a feat), knowledge skills.
Feats: Bardic Knowledge, Jack of All Trades, Skill Training: Thievery or Sneak of Shadows, any multiclass feat.
Powers: Focus on ranged spells, especially those with the Charm or Illusion keywords. Rogue utility exploits that require training in Bluff or Thievery are good power-swap choices, as are Cha- or Int-based attack spells from other classes.
Equipment: Charlatans wear whatever is necessary to maintain their current disguise. Under normal circumstances they prefer cloth or leather armor and small, easily concealable weapons.
Instrument/Implement: Oratory, any musical instrument, wands.
Gallant (Romantic Warrior / Cavalier)
“The gallant travels the lands on the wings of romance and true love, stealing the hearts of the young and lightening the spirits of the elderly… Gallants are often mistaken for paladins or cavaliers… but they are not driven by blood lust or the desire to slay monsters for the sake of destroying evil… They defend beauty, innocence, and love.
“Their romantic outlook is such that they can always imagine a purer life just over the next ridge. Thus, they never stay in one place for long.
“The pastime of many gallants is the medieval tournament. Here the skills of jousting, dueling, archery, and other combat practices are honed. Such tournaments draw crowds… before which the gallants may perform. Although the warrior classes usually win these tournaments, gallants often win the hearts of the onlookers and steal the day’s glory away from the victorious warriors.”
Ideal Races: Human, Half-elf.
Alignment: Cannot be Evil or Chaotic Evil.
Ability Scores: Str 13+, Con 13+. Gallants that want to fully explore multiclassing with the martial classes will want to increase their Str as they level, rather than their Con.
Bardic Virtue: Valor.
Skills: Athletics, Diplomacy, History.
Feats: Mounted Combat, armor & shield proficiencies, fighter and/or warlord multiclass feats. A gallant with a low Str score may want the Melee Training feat (PHB2).
Powers: Focus on weapon attacks and spells that lift your companions’ morale.
Equipment: Gallants outfit themselves much like an idealized noble knight. They will want a horse as soon as they’re able to afford one.
Instrument/Implement: Oratory, song, poetry, harp/lyre (or other courtly instruments), songblade.
Romantic Appeal Bard Utility 2
Encounter • Arcane
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You fail a Diplomacy check when interacting with a member of the opposite sex
Prerequisites: You must be trained in Diplomacy and follow the Code of the Gallant (see below)
Effect: Reroll the Diplomacy check. You have a -2 penalty on Diplomacy checks for the rest of the encounter when interacting with members of the same sex.
“The Code of the Gallant: The Gallant will…
…defend lovers, the innocent, and those of the opposite sex and aid them in times of need (unless they are enemies or hostile).
…never marry nor solemnly vow to only love one person.
…never retreat from combat until allies of the opposite sex have done so first (unless they are fellow gallants).
…never overstay his welcome at any place.
…spend at least half of his money on the innocent or romance.
…own only what he can carry with him.”
* The Complete Bard’s Handbook written by Blake Mobley
Blade (Assassin / Spy / Weapon Master)
“Blades are master artisans with bladed weapons… [they] perform amazing displays of weapon skill and control as they flash various weapons all about their bodies with deadly precision…Blades also perform slow, elegant dances, involving incredibly precise movement and timing. These dances include thrusts, lunges, leaps, graceful arcs, etc.
“Blades have a great reputation as the most deadly weapon masters in the land. This is generally far from the truth… Blades don’t understand offensive and defensive maneuvers, nor do they know the locations of vital body parts. Blades can be effective in many combat situations, however, as they use flash and flare to enhance their attacks.”
Ideal Races: Human, Halfling, Drow, Goblin.
Alignment: Any.
Ability Scores: Dex 13+, Con or Int 13+. Blades that want to fully explore multiclassing with the rogue class will want to increase their Dex as they level, rather than their Con or Int.
Bardic Virtue: Either. Valor blades inspire their comrades with their flashy weapon displays, while cunning blades use their skill to confuse their enemies.
Skills: Acrobatics, Intimidate.
Feats: Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Defense, Sly Dodge (Martial Power) or another rogue multiclass feat, weapon proficiencies.
Powers: Focus on weapon attacks over ranged attacks. Song of Courage and Song of Defense (both utility 2 spells) are good stand-ins for the 2e blade’s offensive/defensive spin abilities. Mobility- and intimidation-based rogue exploits are good power-swap choices, especially attacks with the Rattling keyword. However, attack powers should be avoided unless the blade’s Dex score starts high and is advanced with levels.
Equipment: “Blades often dress in black garb, even going so far as to wear masks, facial wraps, or black headgear. Their weapons are always kept in perfect condition and highly polished for maximum effect during a performance.” Blades prefer heavy & light blades, as well as exotic weapons that are particularly suited for performance displays, such as the spiked chain. Cunning or high-Dex blades will prefer studded leather (i.e. hide) armor, while valor blades will probably opt for the protection of heavier armors such as chainmail.
Instrument/Implement: Songblade.
Alternate Build: Rogue (artful dodger build), possibly with the bard multiclass feat. This version of the concept is a deadly swordsman and is not inherently magical.
Charlatan (Trickster / Con Artist)
“Charlatans are masters at manipulating people… [they] prey upon the foolish, overconfident, and greedy people around them.
“Charlatans are wanderers. They go from town to town, switching from one identity to another, always a step ahead of the last person they swindled… When times are tough and no great con comes to mind, charlatans sometimes perform sleight-of-hand tricks just to get by. Charlatans also have a knack for acquiring jobs that allow them to bluff their way through each day. Charlatans can sometimes be found masquerading as priests, healers, sages, diplomats, powerful mages, and retired heroes.”
Ideal Races: Human, Tiefling, Gnome, Doppelganger.
Alignment: Cannot be Lawful Good.
Ability Scores: Int 13+. More than other builds, charlatans are suited for making use of the bard’s Multiclass Versatility, as it helps them in impersonating a wide variety of different roles. In order to do so, the charlatan will want a 13+ in a variety of ability scores.
Bardic Virtue: Cunning.
Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Perception, Thievery (requires a feat), knowledge skills.
Feats: Bardic Knowledge, Jack of All Trades, Skill Training: Thievery or Sneak of Shadows, any multiclass feat.
Powers: Focus on ranged spells, especially those with the Charm or Illusion keywords. Rogue utility exploits that require training in Bluff or Thievery are good power-swap choices, as are Cha- or Int-based attack spells from other classes.
Equipment: Charlatans wear whatever is necessary to maintain their current disguise. Under normal circumstances they prefer cloth or leather armor and small, easily concealable weapons.
Instrument/Implement: Oratory, any musical instrument, wands.
Gallant (Romantic Warrior / Cavalier)
“The gallant travels the lands on the wings of romance and true love, stealing the hearts of the young and lightening the spirits of the elderly… Gallants are often mistaken for paladins or cavaliers… but they are not driven by blood lust or the desire to slay monsters for the sake of destroying evil… They defend beauty, innocence, and love.
“Their romantic outlook is such that they can always imagine a purer life just over the next ridge. Thus, they never stay in one place for long.
“The pastime of many gallants is the medieval tournament. Here the skills of jousting, dueling, archery, and other combat practices are honed. Such tournaments draw crowds… before which the gallants may perform. Although the warrior classes usually win these tournaments, gallants often win the hearts of the onlookers and steal the day’s glory away from the victorious warriors.”
Ideal Races: Human, Half-elf.
Alignment: Cannot be Evil or Chaotic Evil.
Ability Scores: Str 13+, Con 13+. Gallants that want to fully explore multiclassing with the martial classes will want to increase their Str as they level, rather than their Con.
Bardic Virtue: Valor.
Skills: Athletics, Diplomacy, History.
Feats: Mounted Combat, armor & shield proficiencies, fighter and/or warlord multiclass feats. A gallant with a low Str score may want the Melee Training feat (PHB2).
Powers: Focus on weapon attacks and spells that lift your companions’ morale.
Equipment: Gallants outfit themselves much like an idealized noble knight. They will want a horse as soon as they’re able to afford one.
Instrument/Implement: Oratory, song, poetry, harp/lyre (or other courtly instruments), songblade.
Romantic Appeal Bard Utility 2
Encounter • Arcane
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: You fail a Diplomacy check when interacting with a member of the opposite sex
Prerequisites: You must be trained in Diplomacy and follow the Code of the Gallant (see below)
Effect: Reroll the Diplomacy check. You have a -2 penalty on Diplomacy checks for the rest of the encounter when interacting with members of the same sex.
“The Code of the Gallant: The Gallant will…
…defend lovers, the innocent, and those of the opposite sex and aid them in times of need (unless they are enemies or hostile).
…never marry nor solemnly vow to only love one person.
…never retreat from combat until allies of the opposite sex have done so first (unless they are fellow gallants).
…never overstay his welcome at any place.
…spend at least half of his money on the innocent or romance.
…own only what he can carry with him.”
* The Complete Bard’s Handbook written by Blake Mobley
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