##Not at all; Bards are a very flexible and potent class
At least not if you allow an admittedly-large number of supplements. Even in straight Core, Bards are fairly middle-of-the-road (decidedly better than Fighter, Monk, or Paladin, decidedly worse than Cleric, Druid, or Wizard), though they are quite limited. But if you have a lot of books available, then they have a ton of options out there, many of them quite good.
###Inspire Courage is great
Inspire Courage, by default, gives +1 to attack and +1 to damage to all allies who can hear it. Not particularly glamorous, but that’s a pretty sizable bonus. It does, unfortunately, grow very slowly, at +⅛ per level.
Take the Song of the Heart feat (Eberron Campaign Setting), cast inspirational boost (Spell Compendium), activate a Badge of Valor (Magic Item Compendium), and you’re at +4+⅛/level attack & damage. If you’re willing to allow it, Words of Creation (Book of Exalted Deeds) doubles this.
Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic) allows you to play a separate song that gives +1d6 Fire damage for each +1 to attack/damage your Inspire Courage would normally grant, again to all allies who can hear it. Note that this stacks with Inspire Courage; they’re two separate songs. Now we’re looking at +4 attack, +4d6+4 damage, or twice that with Words of Creation.
###Bardic Music can make you a melee powerhouse
Snowflake Wardancing (Frostburn) allows you to add your Charisma to damage rolls, Gauntlet of Heartfelt Blows (Dragon vol. 314) adds Fire damage equal to your Charisma (that’s Charisma×2), and a Crystal Echoblade (Magic Item Compendium) gains bonus Sonic damage if you’re using Bardic Music. The harmonizing magic weapon enhancement (Magic Item Compendium) allows you to attack and use your music together more easily. In combination these can turn a Bard into a very potent melee character, while still distributing considerable bonuses (through the above stuff) to the rest of his party. Use Song of the White Raven (Tome of Battle) to multiclass Bard with Crusader or Warblade for even more martial prowess.
###Diplomancy, or just Suggestion
Diplomacy, if you use the rules straight from the book, is absurd. It’s not very hard to make the check necessary to make even your most heated rival fanatical to you (DC 50). Most DMs don’t run Diplomacy this way, and even if you do, a real “diplomancer” quickly becomes dull since everyone is supposed to always do what he wants. Still, never underestimate the power of convincing someone to do what you want.
If you don’t want to rely on Diplomacy, which are probably governed by ill-defined houserules, fascinate and then later suggestion are extremely potent abilities whenever you’ve got to convince a crowd of anything. If you haven’t, read Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene II (“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears”) for just how amazingly awesome this can be. Sure, he used Diplomacy, but the Bard doesn’t even have to.
###Spellcasting
Don’t underestimate the Bard’s spells: they aren’t a Cleric’s or a Wizard’s, but they’re really quite good. They make a Bard flexible and adaptable.
Some great choices include summon instrument and the aforementioned inspirational boost, as well as grease (see why), glitterdust, heroism, phantom steed, freedom of movement, etc. etc. The various image spells are amazing. Invisibility is never bad. And so on.
###Glibness
Glibness gets its own section. Hell, for that matter, glibness got its very own Order of the Stick comic! This spell is stupid-amazing. +30 to Bluff, on a high-Charisma, high-skill class, means almost nothing that isn’t actively using magical truth-detection abilities is going to fall hook, line, and sinker for even the most preposterous lies. If you cannot think of awesome ways to use this, you’re not trying hard enough.
###Prestige Classes
There are more awesome Bard-related prestige classes than you can shake a stick at. Lyric Thaumaturge (magic+songs), Virtuoso (magic+better songs), Urban Savant (lots of really nice city-themed abilities), Sublime Chord (9th-level spellcasting as a Bard), Warchanter (powerful new songs) etc. etc. The list really does go on. You’ve even got weird things like the Battle Howler of Gruumsh (faster Inspire Courage progression).
