That's the thing, Josiah.
Bards only get higher charisma with 40s and maybe bonus charisma, because they have little else to spend drachma on.
But higher charisma doesn't contribute to your grip runs, unless you do mobs that are standing alone, which is exceedingly uncommon and dangerous.
I don't see why
9x40 gods of war wouldn't give you more damage, compared to 1x40 gods of war. It'd make it worth to get mid-high level bards with you to splork much larger mobs. In large groups, bards would be more inclined to keep singing, rather than blasting. Of course, they could heal, if needed.
Or we need a resonator that lets a bard focus his cry at a particular mob.
Two ways a bard can be more useful: a stronger song+strike or a strong single-target blast with charisma.
Since these are two various gamestyles diff bards use, both would be good.
And yet JB doesn't agree with me completely about higher damage for all aspects of gods, and then complains his bard is made to firewind rather than do his bard work.
I have no problem with bards blasting or striking, but it sucks, when their prime skills aren't more useful past 4x40.