Balance: How important in your game?

[BryonD]

I once played a 12th level wizard in a group for which the rest of the characters were 6th level. It worked out okay because the rest of the players were okay with it and the GM was willing to do the extra work. That doesn't mean it's a good idea in general to have a big level split.

I agree with you here, but this isn't what I think of first in regard to balance.

When I think about balance, it is purely a game system matter. If I can expect to know reasonably well what power level a 6th level character is by that information alone, then the kind of balance I consider important is met.

As long as the players want it, then an intentional power disparity is fine.
But I think of balance as a matter of system consistency (or lack thereof) in power. Which I don't think is an important thing.

In the right hands 12th with 6th can be fine. But powerful 6th with weak 6th is hard to make nearly as fun.