[Gimli]

Hey Cerebro - I don't think the game will be much easier with a bard over a ranger with that party, it will be more than strong enough either way to finish the game. IMO you at least want one good arcane caster and one divine one, and you already have that. My feeling is I'd take the bard, but that is because I don't like the way IWD II handles the ranger class all that much - you'd think they would make the best archers but the only fighting perks they get are free dual wielding feats. In this game fighters would make the best archers - although a ranger(x)/fighter(4) would be good to get WS in the long bow. But the extra fighter feats come in handy when you want things like improved critical, dirty fighting, rapid shot and precice shot to make your archer-type more effective. I think the bard class makes more RP sense to me and in this game and is more fun to play, but either way you'd be OK.