For example, I have a couple of new 6th level PCs being created. One is a Wizard, the other is a Paladin.
For both, I'm going with the DMG's suggested 500+ gp & starting equip & an Uncommon magic item (high magic setting)
Easy.
But a big question I have is whether the expectation for the Wizard is that he should only have the free spells one would get by leveling up (2/level, etc.) or whether there's a balance expectation at that level that he would have found, learned, and scribed spells from other sources along the way.
Well, yes. I suppose I considered that to be a given, but you're absolutely right that I would allow for that. My core question, though, is whether there should be additions to the level-by-level spellbook progression automatically provided for a higher level wizard, or whether that's considered to be unnecessary for the proper balancing of said wizard when held up to other classes of the same level.
Unless you're giving the other character(s) additional magical items or other specialized gear, I wouldn't necessarily give the wizard any additional spells beyond what they'd already have based on their level advancement. They would have six (6) spells at first level and an additional ten (10) spells for levels 2nd through 6th, and sixteen (16) spells isn't too bad for a 6th level wizard. As Pantagruel pointed out, you can also allow them to just buy additional spells with the 500gp, which would be easy enough to justify that they found and copied them into their spellbook over the course of those levels.
If they still seem to be lacking, then it's easy enough to toss them some extra ones in the next few adventures, which they can they transfer over as well.
Well, yes. I suppose I considered that to be a given, but you're absolutely right that I would allow for that. My core question, though, is whether there should be additions to the level-by-level spellbook progression automatically provided for a higher level wizard, or whether that's considered to be unnecessary for the proper balancing of said wizard when held up to other classes of the same level.
5e barely pays attention to gear when balancing, and it won't actually make huge differences in power level regardless of your decision, but I wouldn't give anything other than what you can buy.
For example, I have a couple of new 6th level PCs being created. One is a Wizard, the other is a Paladin.
For both, I'm going with the DMG's suggested 500+ gp & starting equip & an Uncommon magic item (high magic setting)
Easy.
But a big question I have is whether the expectation for the Wizard is that he should only have the free spells one would get by leveling up (2/level, etc.) or whether there's a balance expectation at that level that he would have found, learned, and scribed spells from other sources along the way.
Thoughts?
Let him spend part of that 500 gp on more spells?
Well, yes. I suppose I considered that to be a given, but you're absolutely right that I would allow for that. My core question, though, is whether there should be additions to the level-by-level spellbook progression automatically provided for a higher level wizard, or whether that's considered to be unnecessary for the proper balancing of said wizard when held up to other classes of the same level.
Unless you're giving the other character(s) additional magical items or other specialized gear, I wouldn't necessarily give the wizard any additional spells beyond what they'd already have based on their level advancement. They would have six (6) spells at first level and an additional ten (10) spells for levels 2nd through 6th, and sixteen (16) spells isn't too bad for a 6th level wizard. As Pantagruel pointed out, you can also allow them to just buy additional spells with the 500gp, which would be easy enough to justify that they found and copied them into their spellbook over the course of those levels.
If they still seem to be lacking, then it's easy enough to toss them some extra ones in the next few adventures, which they can they transfer over as well.
5e barely pays attention to gear when balancing, and it won't actually make huge differences in power level regardless of your decision, but I wouldn't give anything other than what you can buy.
Sounds close enough to a consensus for me.
Thanks, folks!