Starting out my bard

[HSB]

So... for RP reasons, my (RL) wife and I are both starting out forest gnome characters after a hiatus from the game. She's playing an empath and myself a bard. So far we're in the level 6/7 range, and eating it up. My question(s) is (are) this:

Playing a forest gnome bard, should that influence my training path? For example, I have a hard time imagining my little gnome charging things with a lance, but that could be strictly RP-based. Is there something mechanically that would make the somewhat-prototypical "swinger" bard less viable for a forest gnome? Conversely, is there something in the makeup of a forest gnome that would lend an advantage to being a "pure" bard?

Right now I'm sword and board, and intend to be so until 12 or 13, when I'll probably switch to twohanded weapons (utilizing the 30 days of free fixskills), then switch from that around title, but I'm not sure if that step should be polearm or pure. Any thoughts, or is it purely a matter of personal choice?

[AMUSED1]

If you go the pure route you probably won't want to switch to it until at least 30. But even then I'd wait a little longer than that so you have enough mana to get through a full hunt if you get unlucky.