6.0 Bard complete rework please

[Kalise]

And yet every example you just gave does in fact use a weapon. For casters, it's purely aesthetic, true, but Dancers? Ninja? Are we just going to ignore how much less versatile Dancer would be, and how little reason it would have to make any of its motions outside of Standard/Technical Step if not for its chakram? Are Ninja's daggers entirely arbitrary and its motions, stats, and toolkit entirely deserving of a different weapon? Do you want to do nothing but spam Ninjutsu 24/7?

You're missing the point.

The point is that, in this setting, weapons aren't necessary in order to be combat effective.

A Ninja has daggers, yes, but they don't need them in order to cast devastating Ninjutsu.

Also, casters weapons are not purely aesthetic, outside of BLU, they're used to channel aether into their spells.

It's no different to if Bard used an instrument to channel aether into devastating spells. As opposed to simply "Singing Aggressively" at enemies.

Then why are you so hung up on Bard being a Rogue instead of an Archer? It literally does not matter, save that a Rogue is going to be in a less advantageous position to make use of its "bardery" than an Archer would be.

I literally don't care about the base for the class. Be it Archer, Rogue, Potato Farmer etc.

The point is that the base of the class should include Bard. Rather than the base of the class being a complete stand alone class with a full kit that then gets Bard tacked on top.

P.s. Have you ever even used a bow? Especially a high draw weight one? Try singing while constantly pulling back a 100+lb bowstring and then talk about how "Advantageous" a position it is to be barding as an archer.

But I still want my Bard to feel like a combatant

Again, it's very much possible for a Bard to feel like a combatant irregardless of what tool they decide to use as a "Weapon". In a setting where devastating magic can be performed with wholly, un-weaponlike objects (A staff, a book, a rod that is just for show and not actually used to cast BLU magic, hand gestures etc).

The main issue is ensuring that whatever "Weapon" Bard uses, does not overtake their Barding and merely complements it. This can include using a bow, so long as they still get to use songs/magical words as a core combat mechanic.

Though, again, the most "Bard-like" option that there could be, is using a magical instrument to channel aether into magical attacks via playing music. Though it's not necessary to do something like that.