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This skill let's you use items not made for your class or alignment which is very useful.  You need 25 ranks to master this class and typically bards will have 14 charisma at least, making is easy to master.  The chart on page 178 explains the skill, the value of the item is from toolset if you're unsure if you can use it.  Good stopping points generally are 15 ranks with bonuses, (ie 13 with 14 charisma), 20, and 25.  I find for the plate bard with OC items gets a big use out of being able to use that lawful tower shield +5 for example, but it's pricey from use magic til much later.
Unlike the rogue, the benefit of using scrolls and wands aren't very apparent as most, if not all, items like these are useable by bard.

Discipline- skill
This skill lets you resist a combat move such as called shot, knockdown, disarm, sap.  They have to hit you first, and as a bard you have one of the better ACs out there, and with the attack bonus cap of 10, only
+38 can be the max attack.  Then you roll against the attack roll with your discipline skill to resist the attempt.

Heal- skill
This skill has been discussed in other guides, but i consider it very worthwhile if you have the points to spare.

Empower spell- feat
I only take this feat in low magic item campaigns.  Where typically you dont see any + stat items, etc.  This basically let's me max out a lot more stats than any other could as well as have all the enhancements of a bard.  Just empower bull's strength, and cat's grace.  The problem with that though is that your improved invises get taken up like this, but you can solve this later with....

Extend spell- feat
Using extended warcries and improved invises not only have the benefit of freeing up your 4th lvl slot, they make them longer as well.  Generally I like this feat a lot, empowered is more if you feel the module has almost no +stat items in it.

See invisibility- 2nd lvl bard spell
I generally always take this spell after after the stat ones and ghostly visage.  This is basically a poor bard's version of true sight, but helps a lot vs invisible people in the PvP scene and lasts for a long time.  Though rogue sneaking will still get the jump on you, they generally can't pierce your 52 AC if you're a plate/tower shield using bard, and since you retain dodge bonuses if you got barb 2, then you won't worry.  They sneak for like 70 dmg the first round, because one or two attacks miss when you're buffed, and then you can just club em down.  Of course, scroll uses provide a problem still, but I generally always keep the gear listed on that I have vs mages.

Dismissal spell- 4th lvl bard spell
For summon dependent casters like druids and mages, dismissal works wonders not to mention as an on the fly caster, you can use this situational spell as needed.  Typically though, summons have never made a dent in me as a meleer bard and a ranged one I could just hang out of sight all the time.

Warcry spell- 4th lvl bard spell.
Duration is 1 round per lvl, and centered around caster in a big radius.
Adds +2 hit, and +2 damage, and fears enemies.  I found the fear effect more annoying than anything, but the archer bard can get some use out of it.

Greater dispelling- 5th lvl bard spell.
Mages just assume they're safe vs a big plate warrior tromping down the field even invised, and are surprised to see them cast greater dispel on them.
This spell is of limited use, but for PvP or enemies with lots of buffs, having a chance to strip them is good.  Then again, you can generally just kill whatever without too much worry.

Ethereal visage- 5th lvl bard spell.
This spell seems appealing at first, 20/+3 soak, and immunity to 3rd lvl spells or less seems awesome.  Unfortunately, by then most mobs have better spells and better weapons to pierce that soak, so I find it very limited because of this.  There's also the duration to worry about, being only 1 round per lvl, and needing so many +cha items to get the 6th lvl bard spell at 16th, makes it unfeasible to cast extended, or to cast a lot of.  Basically I only use this rarely to roleplay a ghost or something.



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IV.  PvP with the bard.

Stoneskins-
A +3 weapon in the hands of a bard that has reached at least +2 attack from songs can pierce stoneskins, a mage feels safe in low powered campaigns vs meleers with premonition but not with a bard around.  This applies to the attack bonus of bows as well, i.e. that composite longbow +3 will pierce stoneskins.  You can also use a plain old +1 weapon with warcry and songs to pierce stoneskins, and if you really need too, drink a bless or aid potion with these for a non magical weapon to pierce it.


Archers-
I'll say a quick thing, the archer bards can do a lot of great PvPing with unlocked camera and shallow/long angles.  Since you appear half faded with improved invisibility and far away, most people have trouble seeing you.
The benefit over a rogue is that you don't need to get within 30 feet to make your bow effective with sneaks, and as a hasted force, you can run long circles around anyone and not be spotted.  True sight is also notoriously short sighted letting your first shots land quite easily.

Bard PvP vs meleers.
A fully geared up bard in plate/tower shield can get 52 AC a lot easier with their songs bonuses.  Which means, with most combat manuevers suffering a
-4  to hit, they'll have problems getting it to hit and attempt on you in the first place, and you should be even able to resist these attempts with this skill.  Just start out with a big two hander if you notice the other guy has one too, as this negated the size bonus of larger weaps for disarming.  This coupled with concealment from improved invisibility, give you an edge over every other class.
A thief hood is good vs melee fights.  Also starting with a cheap flare weapon/shield is usually advised to see if they have disarm as well.  I mean a +0, d6 flare weapon, looks the same as a +5 +2d6 flare weapon, and you can change weapons appropriately.  I always keep about 3 or 4 different weapons hotkeyed for fast drawing.  Its no big loss to see your weapon on the ground if they can't hit you in the first place.
Greater belts pose a problem, but just have different damage types that look similar, i.e. a rapier is hard to tell from a longsword sometimes, but most meleers just assume people have slashing.  Also, there's currently a bug if you add bonus damage type slashing and it was a rapier, it gets resisted just like a longsword, where it should've been a bonus.  You can also switch to full damage mode and hope to pierce their resistances.  If they have even more than that for all types, I'm usually at a loss of what to do except use scrolls  and wands on them, or use a two hander with a good threat range, and good massive crits.
If they got belts, you should too, hopefully, so swap as needed for them.
Taunting is also essential if you both have high ACs, and only barbarians and paladins will really have it to use vs a bard.  Taunt, then try a combat move, it just might work if you guys are just pounding at each other.  Try to make your gear have regen stuff, as coupled with your temporary hit points from bard will make you regen the hits faster than they can dish out.
Use the withdrawing tactic on players too, its annoying for meleers to chase you 2 steps, while you're still hitting them 4 or 5 more times, and they only get one attack.
Heal kit as needed, a critical from a scythe hurts a lot, but not as much if you can just heal kit the damage easily.  And with concealment/AC on your side only a very few lucky blows will take you out. vs spellcasters.
Much like fighters, immunities items are crucial to surviving PvP vs a spellflinger.  Make sure to have immunity death effect as the bare minimum.
After that, go for freedom, level/stat drain, negative energy protection for immunities if at all possible.  Finally use a ring of elemental resistance. I listed the order of importance of stuff.  Its better to wear a cloak of freedom vs a mage than a cloak of protection +5 or whatever, unless the mage is gonna melee you for some odd reason.  In fact, its generally best to always wear anti mage gear.  Wear immune mind effects as well.
Between your spellcraft bonus to saves, your bigger hp pool, dismissal spell, greater dispel, and being able to pierce stoneskins in any campaign you should be easily able to make a dent into a mage without too many troubles
And you can ask to praticipate in the arcane duels, as technically you are an arcane spellcaster.  Mages can't really make the concentration check when you hit them for 20+ dmg over and over, and they generally dont have the hide skill letting you scout them out with see invis and being invis yourself.
Use heal kits as needed, though it's not essential as vs clerics generally. vs clerics/druids
This fight will either be more of a melee type fight, spellcaster fight, or both as most clerics are.  Always keep the death immune item on that you have for this kind of fight, as implosions are pretty common as well as fingers.  The negative protection item is also crucial vs harm, as this basically makes you take 0 from those spells.  Also always keep on freedom items as well, as creeping doom can't be resisted, and being stuck longer in it is detrimental to a bard's health with the slow down effect of it.
Immunity mind effects helps a lot as well vs hammer of gods and stun spells.
Keep heal kits, you can heal kit the damage a lot faster if you have the skill maxed as a bard, and between regen, etc, even a sun cleric constantly trying to burn you with little light rays, will be sweating when he's out of spells and you're only at barely injured.  60 damage from empowered searing still hurts, but on a good kit  +10 check and max heal, you can heal 54 hp, add in bard song bonus, and you heal 57 with bard lvl 16 song.  That should see you through a searing light spam.
After that, if they choose to melee you, you can taunt/knock em down silly usually.  Or since you basically know how to face any meleer, it won't be much of a problem, taunting is tougher vs clerics, but ah well. vs archers/rogues
Well I have a tough time with the two hander, as you still gotta find the archer. But vs a rogue archer who generally relies on sneaks, the damage from arrows and ranged stuff is piddling to your regen from song and items.
With your spells and high AC, generally not being flatfooted, most rogues will  still have a tough time hitting with more than their first attack.  The concealment really bugs them, the immunity to spells you have will bug them as well for scrolls, and the fact they generally have weaker will saves, makes them easy prey to bard spells.
Typical fight with rogue:

Rogue:  (Sneak damage 70+) Gotcha!  (all other attacks miss) darn....
Bard: (heal kits damage) Falalala~
Rogue:  Darn  bard!  (pulls out meteor swarm scroll)
Bard:  Falalala~ (casts hold person)
Rogue:  Curse my weak will saves!  (Dies promptly after 1 round of combat.)

I like to say I respect the rogue, but PvP wise, they got a tough time vs a bard.  Though I do like the heavy hitting rogue 16/warrior classes 4 but they dont really rely on their base class, much like a bard shouldn't either except to enhance their effectiveness.

In no way do I think the bard is the end all for all PvP, but for most of it, they're pretty good, and with spellcraft to saves, a lot tougher for spells than most combat oriented classes even if they lack immunity to whatever.
Harm is still a problem though.  Also NWN is fun for PvP, but its definitely not made for it, it was made for player vs monster encounters where you sing to your group and beat down the monsters silly.  Also, any smart PvPer can do just about anything with their class and win.


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V.  Conclusion, credits, etc.
First off I'd like to thank the gamefaqs for hosting this guide as well as the forum.  The forum is generally where I refined all my character builds and learned many good tips from others.
Of special note, lurker discovered the bard lvl 16 perform thing, wolfy42 for his dedication to the the bard casters, Asimpkins for his revised chart,
Caoslayer for bringing up use magic discussion, and many others who deserve thanks for their special encouragement and insight on the forums.
If you got questions, post on the forums, I generally troll around there.
You're free to distribute it, just give credit where's it's due.
I'd also like to say, I only played to prelude, most of my builds are mult player ones.  I'll add a PvP section in the next update.
In conclusion, the bard has a lot to offer, just make sure to focus on a fighting stat, and dont spread yourself too thin for stats and trying to cover everything.  Bards like casters, you generally have to wait some levels to get the full benefit, but they're usually not as handicapped as casters in the beginning for fighting.  As the bard you're a jack of all trades, but trying to do everything by yourself is self-defeating for stat spread and for enjoyment of team playing.