Noodling around with ideas, here. :) What if Obsidian had been created as a bard instead of a wizard? How would it had been different?

OBSIDIAN
N Female Elf Bard 1
Init +2; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +2
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DEFENSE
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 shield, +2 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2
Immune sleep; Resist Elven Immunities
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OFFENSE
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Spd 20 ft.
Melee Rapier -1 (1d6-1/18-20/x2) and
Unarmed Strike -1 (1d3-1/20/x2)
Ranged Crossbow, Light +2 (1d8/19-20/x2)
Special Attacks Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day, Bardic Performance: Countersong, Bardic Performance: Distraction, Bardic Performance: Fascinate (DC 13), Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1
Bard Spells Known (CL 1, -1 melee touch, +2 ranged touch):
1 (2/day) Summon Monster I, Ear-Piercing Scream (DC 14)
0 (at will) Read Magic (DC 13), Mage Hand, Prestidigitation (DC 13), Detect Magic
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STATISTICS
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Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 11
Feats Bard Weapon Proficiencies, Combat Casting, Elven Weapon Proficiencies
Traits Charming, Forlorn
Skills Acrobatics -1, Appraise +7, Climb -4, Craft (Jewelry) +7, Diplomacy +7, Escape Artist -1, Fly -1, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (Nobility) +8, Perception +2, Perform (Oratory) +7, Perform (Sing) +7, Ride -1, Spellcraft +7, Stealth -1, Swim -4, Use Magic Device +7
Languages Common, Elven
SQ Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex), Elven Magic
Combat Gear Bolts, Crossbow (20), Buckler, Crossbow, Light, Leather, Rapier; Other Gear Artisan's tools: Craft (Jewelry), Backpack (empty)
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex) Add + 1 to all knowledge skill checks.
Bardic Performance (standard action) (7 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Bardic Performance: Countersong (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sound.
Bardic Performance: Distraction (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sight.
Bardic Performance: Fascinate (DC 13) (Su) One or more creatures becomes fascinated with you.
Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1 (Su) Morale bonus on some saving throws, attack and damage rolls.
Charming +1 Bluff/Diplomacy/save DC for a language-dependent spell vs. targets who could be sexually attracted to you.
Combat Casting +4 to Concentration checks to cast while on the defensive.
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to Sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 racial bonus on caster checks to overcome spell resistance. +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.

The first thing that comes to mind is that she has a lot more skill points to play with, and is noticeably less frail. And while she doesn't have the case full of scrolls any more, she doesn't really need it as much because she can Inspire Courage, do damage directly with her ear-piercing scream or act indirectly via summon monster.

She also had enough skill points to put one into Craft (Jewelry), which is purely there for flavor. It's what she does as her "day job" when not out adventuring.

I had the idea of her still carrying the case full of blasty scrolls and activating them with Use Magic Device... but the DCs on that are so prohibitive that it would probably be a waste of money. Just to cast burning hands from a scroll has a DC of 21, which means she'd have to roll 14+. Given how badly I roll dice, that'd just be a recipe for burning up money.

Anyway, the net result is actually not all that different-- other than the scrolls in her inventory (and telling an NPC that she's a wizard) there's nothing she's done in the game that is incompatible with having been a bard the whole time, if we just assuming she had an amazing streak with her Use Magic Device rolls. when level-up time comes, I might retrain her retroactively as a bard, assuming jamesbarrett doesn't object. I don't really want her to multiclass between wizard and bard, tho... it's just too diluting.

-The Gneech