Kurotowa
Legend
I played a Warlock from 10th to 15th level. IME from that:
The Warlock is not the best damage dealer. The group's archer did more in an average round and the paladin could spike much higher when she pulled out Smite Evil + Power Attack. However the damage was very reliable, the attacks never missed, and Maximize SLA meant he could still spike for a boss fight. And against anything with a high SR he was useless. Did nothing against the Abyssal Basilisk and ran like heck from the golem.
Where the Warlock can be troublesome if the DM isn't prepared is with utility powers. I used Baleful Utterance to Shatter locks, traps, doors, ropes, and just about anything I could think of. Flee the Scene may be short range, but it's still Dim Door and can carry others. I used it to get around obstacles, walls, guards, and mazes. People often overlook Warlock's Call, but as an Invocation it only takes a standard action to use instead of 10 minutes. I drove my DM mad calling up every friend and contact, and after one session I agreed to switch it out again for Chilling Tentacles. Which I then happily used to punish any mob or army that got in our way.
The point is that Warlocks play very differently. They take a lot of adjustment in planning to handle well, and can run roughshod over modules. As much as I like them, in a lot of ways I think they're cruder than what came later in MoI and ToM. The powers are very uneven and can be hard to mix well with a group. They're great for BBEGs or a solo campaign. But I can understand a reluctance to use them.
The Warlock is not the best damage dealer. The group's archer did more in an average round and the paladin could spike much higher when she pulled out Smite Evil + Power Attack. However the damage was very reliable, the attacks never missed, and Maximize SLA meant he could still spike for a boss fight. And against anything with a high SR he was useless. Did nothing against the Abyssal Basilisk and ran like heck from the golem.
Where the Warlock can be troublesome if the DM isn't prepared is with utility powers. I used Baleful Utterance to Shatter locks, traps, doors, ropes, and just about anything I could think of. Flee the Scene may be short range, but it's still Dim Door and can carry others. I used it to get around obstacles, walls, guards, and mazes. People often overlook Warlock's Call, but as an Invocation it only takes a standard action to use instead of 10 minutes. I drove my DM mad calling up every friend and contact, and after one session I agreed to switch it out again for Chilling Tentacles. Which I then happily used to punish any mob or army that got in our way.
The point is that Warlocks play very differently. They take a lot of adjustment in planning to handle well, and can run roughshod over modules. As much as I like them, in a lot of ways I think they're cruder than what came later in MoI and ToM. The powers are very uneven and can be hard to mix well with a group. They're great for BBEGs or a solo campaign. But I can understand a reluctance to use them.