I think too that Bard is a disadvantaged profession.
First of all, I substituted the (frankly useless) Entrtaining Ways list with Paladin's Insipiring Ways. It has the right mood for the character I feel and it is not umbalancing as well. I am still thinking about a subsititute for Item Lore which is also less than useful.
I agree, 1st one is really covered by 2 skills, we could call them 'prestidigitation' in art/active and 'prestidigitation lore' in lore/obscure, that are what magicians in real life use. We know that RM really is an infinite skills game, in manual are listed the more used, but as we have the categories there is no problem in adding what we need. It is not really useless, depends on your games, for a combat game style, it is useless, but if you need to act for money it is usefull as it helps you, maybe a good bard earns much money entertaining a royal court, and adding background music to your acting I am sure is usefull for that.
2nd one it would be usefull with greater % in identifying items, a 10% per 'I' and level is very low, as you can cover that with skills:
- Spells in items (potions, etc.): attunement.
- Abilities: 'item lore' or other spells that says you the item function, and once you know them, try-and-error.
with Paladin's Insipiring Ways
I'd change the list in the way 'songs' works, so I'd put them 50' radius and 'C' for time duration (as works while you are singing), you can amplify them as any other songs. Target can be 'all allies' in radius.
so the list could be named 'Insipiring Songs', based on paladin 'Insipiring Ways' but with bard style.
We only need to see 'Controlling Songs' to know how songs works, and copy it.
I took the Magent weapon group costs and substituted it to the Bard's.
No problem as they are both mentalism semi-spell users.
I'd not change the bard to essence as I think it has been moved to mentalism intentionally, with the mentalism 'range' limitations, as its 'group' spells are supposed to be the songs, not its open or closed realm lists.