Optimizing a 3-Man Party for Shackled City

[Endarire]

The Shackled City hardcover module will be ours to tackle soon.  I know my GM will redo the fights within to optimize them.

However, I can only count on having 3 party members.  I figure we need the iconic roles of healer, meat shield, trapsmith, and Wizard.  One guy seems set on playing a trip-focused Bard, one other is uncertain, and I have ideas but plan to make something greatly help the party.  I'm hopin' for a healin' Crusader via the Crusader Hoedown (Martial Spirit stance and healing maneuvers).

I've never played this before and I want to avoid spoilers!  Be discreet with your story- and setting-based stuff.

Rules
-We all start at ECL1 with 300 gold.  The module is scheduled to end at level 20, but I'm unsure how far we'll get.
-18 point buy.  All stats start at 10 and are 1 build point per stat point.
-Item creation time is uncertain.
-Figure almost all official 3.x stuff is allowed, but no magazines nor Unearthed Arcana.  Web articles are OK.
-Necropolitans are allowed starting around level 10.
-No infinte or nearly infinite loops.
-We aren't using alignment.  Alignment-based abilities will be changed, and alignment restrictions are nixed.

[Havok4]

Crusader works well with a couple of incarnate levels. The therapeutic mantle is especially good with the healing abilities. 2-4 levels work nicely.

[juton]

You will need someone who can handle traps from level one on. Maybe Beguiler or Rogue/Wizard going into Unseen Seer. You'll need muscle, so a Tome of battle class or a Druid with the right animal companion would suffice. Last slot should go to a Cleric, I recommend going the Ordained Champion route but any strong Cleric build should work.

The Shackled City is a lot of dungeon crawling. So you'll be fighting in close, the ceilings won't be that high (important for enlarge person). You'll have to deal with a lot of weaker enemies, so being able to swing a sword well can really help. The DM has the option of putting in ticking clocks in some of the adventures, so have a party with good endurance may be essential.

[snow_white]

Talk to your DM about time.. I'm about to give up my artificer I'm running in this campaign due to a total of 30 days passing between level 8 and 14. 

[Endarire]

My plan so far is a LA0 Blue Swordsage.  (Swordsages get Trapfinding in this campaign.)  I may go Swordsage/Wizard/Jade Phoenix Mage.

One other player is likely to go LA0 Aasimar Crusader.  (She's still getting a feel for things, meaning she's probably going Crusader and not Ruby Knight Vindicator.)

[Endarire]

Party dynamics have changed!

Now we have these:
-Dragonborn Warforged Crusader1.  I plan to go Transmuter and possibly Jade Phoenix Mage to round out my tankiness and gishdom.  No Enchantment nor Evocation for me!
-LA0 Tiefling Swordsage1.  Plans to stay Swordsage.  Wants to be a ninja/assassin (the role, not the classes).
-Human Bard1.  Plans to multiclass among Bard, Rogue, and Crusader.  Likes tripping.  Plans to use Illusions to further mess with people.

I'm concerned that I'm the only "full caster" in the group.  I know a Wizard, if properly done, can solo the game from level 1.  My main trouble is keeping everyone alive.  I can do the Crusader Hoedown between fights to refill everyone's HP (just kick the ground in Martial Spirit).  What should I be most aware of since I'm effectively the group's VIP, and that we're down the traditional healer/reviver/status remover role?

[Hallack]

Can the Bard go Divine Bard?  That opens up some more spells for them doesn't it IIRC?

[Endarire]

I was hoping UMD would cover that.  Now, the Bard has a high DEX and CHA but "meh" scores for the rest.  As a Divine Bard, he'd need higher WIS.

[Endarire]

I assume then that we'll do just fine if we're careful.

Based on the module, and with as few spoilers as you can, are we missing any significant party roles?  If so, what should we aspire to get?

[juton]

I don't want to overstate the risk, but their are a lot of traps. If you aren't taking a Rogue, or even a dip you should keep about 15 feet behind your scout and bring something to stabilize your scout quickly should they be knocked into negative hps. In the early levels most of the less obvious traps are mundane, so if you have a party member pump up their search they should be able to function as a trap detector.

[Endarire]

The Swordsage is handling traps.  (House rules.)  As a Crusader with Martial Spirit, I can do the Crusader Hoedown (kick the ground for HP) to keep us all full out of combat.