+1 LA Bard Race?

[Nightgaun7]

I want to make a bard as a backup character for a 9th level game, taking place in a Nordic/Frostburn themed game, with the Asgardian Pantheon from "Deities and Demigods". We get LA buyoff, so my question is, what +1 race might be good for a melee-oriented bard besides Aasimar? No Dragon magazine content, although this is slightly malleable.

I'm not that interested in Jaebrin or Aasimar. Siberian Tiger Catfolk mite b cool, and of course Draconic Creature gets you set up for Dragonfire Inspiration. I hate gnomes.

Any other ideas?

[Divide by Zero]

If you can get your DM to rule that racial HD count toward buy-off (by RAW they don't but that's dumb) and are willing to go up to +2, then gloura (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003e) are a fun choice for a bard (Cha to AC and saves being the most fun part).

[Spuddles]

Aasimar is so good, not just the stat bonuses, but Outsider proficiency with all martial weapons.

Not a race, but a template, is Half-Minotaur. Take a minor intelligence hit, but more than make up for it in size and strength. Kinda broken, imo, but so good.

[Nightgaun7]

Aasimar is so good, not just the stat bonuses, but Outsider proficiency with all martial weapons.

Not a race, but a template, is Half-Minotaur. Take a minor intelligence hit, but more than make up for it in size and strength. Kinda broken, imo, but so good.

Good idea with the minotaur, and I've always wanted to play one. I could fluff it as a yak or musk-ox instead of the normal bull.

I know aasimar are mechanically good, but I'm just kinda ehhh... about them. Is there anything that the proficiency with all martial weapons really helps with, in terms of PrC entry or something?

[Logic]

Aasimar is so good, not just the stat bonuses, but Outsider proficiency with all martial weapons.

Not a race, but a template, is Half-Minotaur. Take a minor intelligence hit, but more than make up for it in size and strength. Kinda broken, imo, but so good.

I don't think "Native Outsider" is automatically proficient with all weapons. In fact, I don't think outsiders are proficient with all martial weapons in the first place.

Outsider Type

An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence.
Features

An outsider has the following features.

8-sided Hit Dice.
Base attack bonus equal to total Hit Dice (as fighter).
Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.
Skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.


So what source are you using that says outsiders are automatically proficient with all martial weapons?

EDIT: Actually, if I had not thought the rest of the outsider entry belonged to the next category, I would have answered my own question.


Traits

An outsider possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life. An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.
Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Outsiders not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Outsiders are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish). Native outsiders breathe, eat, and sleep.


EDIT EDIT: A quick Google search shows that RAW your statement is true, except in Pathfinder.

[TaiLiu]

I don't think "Native Outsider" is automatically proficient with all weapons. In fact, I don't think outsiders are proficient with all martial weapons in the first place.

So what source are you using that says outsiders are automatically proficient with all martial weapons?
Keep looking a bit lower:

Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.

Addendum: Edit-Ninja'd, it appears.

[Matticussama]

Feytouched (medium fey (FF) Dex +2, Con -2, Cha +2, Charm Person, Immunity to Mind-Affecting, +2 bonus on Hide & Move Silently) is pretty good if you're going for a Weapon Finesse melee Bard. The -2 Con hurts, but the rest definitely makes it worth the LA. The Charm Person racial ability lets you choose other Bard spells, while still being able to influence people. It also allows an extremely interesting background with fairy/fey influence, and all of the things that entails.

[Coidzor]

Divine Minion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a) can be fun.

The only directly bard-relevant templates are Unseelie Fey and Magic Blooded (magic-blooded?) and IIRC, both of those are Dragon Mag, though I think one of them became dragon compendium...

Well, I suppose Half-Fey is pretty sweet if you can stomach an extra LA.

There's also an LA 0 version of Feytouched (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a)and a savage progression of Half-Fey. I'd swear I recall some kind of potentially borked combination of LA 0 Feytouched and Half-Fey for a mere additional +1 LA, but it seems that was just a false memory.

[Divide by Zero]

The only directly bard-relevant templates are Unseelie Fey and Magic Blooded (magic-blooded?) and IIRC, both of those are Dragon Mag, though I think one of them became dragon compendium...

Unseelie Fey is in Dragon Compendium. Magic-Blooded is 3.0 but it's also LA +0 so if it's allowed you definitely want to take it (unless you're worried about your Wis getting too low).