From publisher blurb:
The bard class covers a wide range of historical and mythical archetypes. The term bard entered English from Gaelic, through the Irish, Scots, and Welsh. The Gaelic bard was a poet, musician, and singer. By the Middle Ages, bards had fallen out of favor with the Scots?the crown considered bards little better than vagabonds?but remained an important facet of Irish and Welsh society. Still, the Gaelic bard was by no means the only poet, musician, and singer in Medieval Europe.
There are a wide variety of character types which the bard encompasses. In replicating these character types in a game, it is not necessary to create new classes or feats. Rather, existing classes and feats can help one to shape a character to match a particular paradigm. This is what NPG Bards has done. Inside, you will find details on the artist, the minstrel, the skald, and the tragedian. All these are character archetypes that fit into the concept of the bard, some more closely than others. Each of these includes a character to illustrate how one can use existing classes, skills, and feats to replicate this type of character.