I don't have the Bard Class Deck, but based on your description I would say that the Retainer would work on checks to defeat Barriers which are typically non-combat. The Dilettante would not help you with Barriers which is why it has the basic trait, and the Retainer doesn't.
edit (thanks Sandslice): mixed up the two cards when replying. Dilettante works for barriers, Retainer doesn't. I'd rather have Dilettante.
I don't have the Bard Class Deck, but based on your description I would say that the Retainer would work on checks to defeat Barriers which are typically non-combat. The Dilettante would not help you with Barriers which is why it has the basic trait, and the Retainer doesn't.
Retainer would not work on barriers, because its set of options excludes barriers.
Dilettante would, because "Basic" does not affect a card's playability against a barrier - and non-combat check literally means "any check that is not a Combat check."If they have the same +die on the described check, and they both have discard to explore, Dilettante is strictly better despite being Basic.
We don't always assign the Basic trait based on power level. Sometimes we assign it based on whether we want it ever to be culled from the deck, or whether we want to make it available to characters on day one. So if the Retainer were—totally hypothetically, of course—to appear in Wrath, and we wanted it not to be available for the characters on day one, and never to be culled, it would not have the Basic trait. That would not affect our decision on the Dilettante.
Also, I think there's at least one combat check to acquire somewhere in the game. Even if there's not, it's possible.
Still rather have the Dilettante, but the point (minor in the extreme though it is) stands.
Also, I think there's at least one combat check to acquire somewhere in the game. Even if there's not, it's possible.
There's that angel late in Rise of the Runelords (Deck 6?) where you can either do the standard Charisma/Diplomacy or try a Combat check instead.
Still rather have the Dilettante, but the point (minor in the extreme though it is) stands.
The Dilettante (and his S&S cousin, the Cabin Boy) are *excellent* allies, because they are so versatile. In RoTR, I thought that the Standard Bearer / Sage / Troubadour were the best Basic allies, but at present I'd typically rather have a d4 in any noncombat check versus a D6 for two of the six skills.
In any case, there's only 1 Dilettante in your Class Deck, so if you're swimming in allies (Siwar, perhaps?) you can go with Retainers.