Talk:Bard/@comment-1779566-20190623080645/@comment-8506165-20190624145039

Tenser's isn't really meant to make you better at fighting than a pure-class fighter, though... it's to augment your combat capabilities when you're committed to just fighting and not casting spells. There'd be no point picking a pure-class fighter if anyone with access to Tenser's could just cast it to do their job better.

Bards can still wear elven chain and cast spells, or Bracers of Defence if you've not found any elven chain. Plus they can prebuff with Stoneskins/Mirror Images/etc. and Ghost/Spirit Armour if you really want to double down on defence. Add on the -4 bonus to AC from Tenser's itself and you can still achieve a very respectable AC. Tenser's doesn't grant additional APR but this can be somewhat compensated for by using speed weapons (Belm, Kundane) and Improved Haste or Offensive Spin (if running a Blade). Can situationally combo with some polymorphs too. Sure, you may not out-DPS a level 13 Berserker or Kensai with grandmastery in their chosen weapons, but you can still be perfectly respectable in an all-out brawl.