So one of my good friends just recommended Station Eleven to me and while I was reading the summary and reviews online it struck me as a good look at what I think the Bardic version (the latest, version 3.14 or so) is supposed to be.

Post-apocalyptic. Scattered settlements. Main character is part of a traveling troupe of actors and musicians keeping art and humanity alive.

In thinking about DR history though, the main challenge to Bards has been the Dragon Priests. But there are a lot of threats to civilization, from Necromancers and the undead to rampant invaders to extra-planar invasions. Bards don't really fit as the primary force against any of these. Would be nice to have more DP threats. Or other things where Bards felt like they were involved.