YARC: Bards What’s in a name?

I know originally I said that I wasn’t going to do Bards but I just couldn’t resist. Why? Mainly because I like the class despite its varied history. And yes I know in official Swords & Wizardry there isn’t a Bard class.
Let’s talk first about the history and how I see the class. It was originally really hard to become a Bard. You were Fighter then a Thief then Druid (and thus becoming a Bard). It used the old dual classing rules that really were a pain in the butt. The Bard became a jack-of-all-trades in Second Edition. That was my favorite iteration of the Bard. 3.x gave us the support Bard. They really weren’t that good at anything else and had a tendency to die. And then finally in 5E, there’s sort of balance between the jack-of-all-trades and the support Bard.

For YARC, I’m running the jack-of-all-trades Bard. Because, well, that’s my personal favorite. The Bard still has that support role of being second best or better than nothing in a particular and still having sort of niche of the face of the party. I look at Bards as the dabblers in all manner of things from spells to fighting. They live by their wits and their luck. I’ve never really enjoyed the musical bard. I view it as the difference between a random priest who isn’t a cleric and minstrel who isn’t necessarily a bard. Sure they can entertain just like the priest can perform religious ceremonies. But like Clerics, the Bards should be adventurers.

Attack Progression: As Theif
Base Saving Throw Progression: As Fighter
Hit Die: D4
Class Abilities:
Power of the Written Word: Bards may use any spell scroll.
Lucky Stiff: If a Bard’s CHA is 13 or more then the character gains an additional HP/Level.
Spells: Bards may cast a limited number of Magic-Users spells each day. They may cast up to their level or the total of CHA and INT Modifiers whichever is less. Bards cannot research spells but they may attempt to transcribe spells from spell books or scrolls. This is the only way Bards may learn new spells. They face the restriction of casting in armor as a Magic-User.
World Traveler: Bards begin play with an additional language.
Skills: +2 in Appeal and Banter, and +1 to any other three skills of choice.