Ok, so im about to start a new game and we are short a utility caster and ranged damage dealer. Im used to playing wizards, I like wizards but I also want to play something different. I thought about MC wizard for the utility and warlock for the ranged damage. But Im also thinking about playing a dedicated Warlock. I tried it once before but the game never got off the ground. The concept was going to be a fiend tome pact warlock who was a wizard school dropout. The issue is short rests, they might happen, they might not. If I play a warlock my character will be the only short rest dependent character.
So sell me on a mono-class warlock vs wizard for this situation...
Well, as a Tomepact you have the best cantrip utility in the game. Those don't get compromised by short rests, and you have options that you would never get as a Wizard (Guidance, Shillelagh). You would have ritual spells that also work independent of short rests; like Goodberry and Find Familiar. You already have the best ranged attack in the game online at level 1. And don't forget the Invocations. Even if you went the standard route with Agonizing Blast, you could take Mask of Many Faces, Devil Sight, or Aspect of the Moon and not need to sleep. Pick invocations that don't chew spell slots and you can use them often.
The short rest mechanic is not as big a deal as you think. And a normal group does take them at least once, if not twice per day.
If your group doesn't really do short rests all that well, and you've tried everything to get them to take it, maybe speak with your DM about a different system since it's not a fun handicap (maybe after every "out of initiative" you get your slots back if the group collectively decides to skip playing out short rests?)
From personal experience, my group never used to do short rests (and I'm a pure warlock) but after the group nearly TPK'd once because my character's idea for a short rest was shot down, my character then became insistent on actually getting to chill mid session. I mean, you could even reflavour a "short rest" as a "hunger and wound management break". Characters do get hungry. Wounds do need to be patched up unless you want to be leaving an easy trail for other enemies to follow / deal with infections. Just mention the previous two in character, and suddenly you're providing a good argument for it to actually happen.
That said, I really love my warlock. She's a genie warlock and there's a lot of fun possibilities for patron interactions. I mean to start with the roleplay potential: personal quests, patron quests, quests that your patron sends you on because they owe someone a favour, there's potentially other NPCs that work for your patron too. Maybe your patron is reputable / disreputable?
Also warlocks are good at ranged damage. Between invocations and feats, they can get an incredible damage output and impressive range with the ability to ignore several types of cover. They can also cover a bit of utility too. They also have a bit more health than a wizard.
That said, what I would find more fun and what you would find more fun will differ. As long as you're enjoying the game, it ultimately doesn't matter which one you go with.
I'd consider Genie pact if you are having trouble getting short rests, hand the fighter your ring hop in and make your own short rest. And hey they do slightly more damage with their attacks. Go with Dao if you want more utility from eldritch blast shoves as its pretty boss with spike growth, if the party has a druid and they are willing to work with you on that maybe not as essential, but being able to deliver it yourself is nice the druid probably has other things they want to concentrate on. But I think any of the genie options other than efreet adds some nice utility spells to your options.
You might be worrying a bit too much about the short rests. Coming from a wizard there's a chance you're thinking of a Warlock as a "Wizard with less spell slots". It really is a different class that needs to be played differently.
I've been playing a Pact of the Chain warlock with the Fiend patron for a few months. I rarely take short rests. What I've found fun is all the summoning spells that work well thematically with the Fiend. Summoning something like a Barbed Devil is a great use of one of the limited spell slots. And lots of Eldritch Blast.
I love the warlock class most for its roleplaying potential but that requires a DM who will buy into it as well. If your Patron never "shows up" and your familiar is just a normal one with some extra abilities instead of a creature with its own personality, a warlock is quite boring imho.
I can't sell you on a warlock as a utility caster, because it's not. Warlock is an archer. It will do the ranged damage dealer part exceptionally well, but as a utility guy...that's just not what it really excels at.
If you're willing to multi-class, perhaps warlock|bard will meet your requirements.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
If you want a utility caster then go with a Sorc+lock Divine soul +hexblade
-Eldritch blast+hex is good damage on its own so you can use your spell slots freely on utility. -Access to the cleric spell list so you get stuff like guidance, healing word, bless etc. -You will have tons of cantrips, including guidance. They can all be utility other than Eldritch blast. -You can pick up healing word to pick people up in combat and still cast eldritch blast (twin healing word can pick up 2 people in combat and still get your EB off) -Repelling blast is a lot of utility and you cant get that kind of force movement anywhere else -Eldritch blast+agonizing+hex with quicking spell is massive damage, especially if you add hexblades curse on. -You can either get even more cantrips and ritual casting, or the Imp familiar for an invisible, shape shifting, familiar with hands. Both are great utility.
Their primary strength is having the best ranged cantrip in the game, along with invocations that allow it to do a passable job at crowd control. Being charisma casters means they're also pretty good with social skills, indeed they have two invocations, Beguiling Influence and Mask of Many Faces, that make them very good.
If you go with, for example, a Celestial Pact Tomelock you have a Warlock that at level 3 can grab eight different cantrips giving it quite a toolbox of spells. Nine if you play a High Elf or Drow.
An interesting combination I thought of was three levels of Rogue (going Arcane Trickster) then Hexblade thereon in. Arcane Trickster doesn't need intelligence so could run mage hand, prestidigitation, mending, and disguise self, color spray, and mage armor (negating the need for Mask and Armor) then taking eldritch blast and booming blade as Hexblade. Rogue having four proficiencies mean you can take persuasion and deception sparing the need to invest in Beguiling Influence.
Having booming blade means they can still make effective melee attacks before they get Thirsting Blade at Warlock 5 (character 8) and of course cantrip damage is based on character level not class level.
While I fully support the notion that we should view warlocks as a type of ranged martial, we should not discount their ability to perform as a controller.
All warlocks can access fear and hypnotic pattern and banishment. Dao genie has spike growth as a second level spell, and phantasmal force. That's great!
The optimal way to play a caster is to lay down a game changer spell, like one of the aforementioned, then spam your cantrips. Warlock can definitely do that! Use one spell per battle, two battles in, you're good!
While they have access to some control spells, they lack flexibility....and can be pushed hard if the DM does not use short rests. That said, the OP was looking for a utility caster with good ranged damage and that's not really what a warlock does best. wizard is really the best pick for what he's stated, but also said he doesn't want to play a wizard. For a single class, sorcerer, particularly aberrant mind is a great pick. Bard has the utility but the damage might be a bit lacking, depending on the OP's desires.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Your DM does not have to allow you to spend an hour of un-interrupted time.
As a DM, I have FINAL say over whether my party does anything they want to. If I don't want them to take a short rest, all I have to do is attack them before it's over. It's that simple and easy.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Your DM does not have to allow you to spend an hour of un-interrupted time.
As a DM, I have FINAL say over whether my party does anything they want to. If I don't want them to take a short rest, all I have to do is attack them before it's over. It's that simple and easy.
Typically a DM will take decisions that maintain immersion and tell a great/meaningful story.
Often, though not always, this would involve the DM will ruling on the chances of characters being located... and, to this point, the dice can be given the final say.
The DM has the final say whether to operate like this or not and, if so, to decide on any courses of action that maybe taken if the party is discovered.
I've played a pact of the Chain Goolock up to level 9 so far, and not only have I had a lot of fun, but the character is really good at pulling his weight in the party.
The trick is to carefully pick the most effective spells and incantations. There are plenty of articles available that review the strengths and benefits of each.
Listen, if you think about it, most adventuring days have about four encounters. Going with the classical controller style, you're using one slot per encounter. For most warlocks, this means you really only need one short rest. If you can't have even that due to your DM's pacing, then it's time to have a serious talk with them because that's not okay. The game's balance for classes somewhat revolves around how often you can have a short rest.
That said, genie warlocks (like the one I play) can more often than not find a way to sneak a short rest thanks to their vessel and its portability, much like MyDudeicus mentioned.
Now, here's something to consider and a big sell for the pure genie warlock: at level 10, you can take your party into your vessel (assuming the party is no larger than 5 members), and a short rest only takes 10 minutes while inside the vessel. The implications are huge! Say you're a chain pact warlock (like the one I play), and you need to infiltrate a location and leave. You can instruct your invisible imp to fly into the location, then everyone hops in, and your imp carries the vessel into said location. getting out, you could use a 5th level slot at that point to cast invisibility on everyone, and you walk out.
If you don't have an hour to rest, by that level you can take 10 minutes instead to recharge all your slots. Next level, you get another 5th level slot, three per short rest! If you can reliably count on the DM giving you at least one short rest, you can safely rely on having at least an additional 10 minutes to recharge-- another short rest to be had! You can essentially count on having nine (9!!) 5th level slots per day. If you have a fighter in the party, this helps them too, and if you have a caster with access to catnap, this feature accentuates the spell even further.
At that level, your warlock can rival a wizard in the quantity of high level stuff they can cast. Imagine, nine potential castings of wall of stone, if you pick a genie dao warlock (like I did.) Sure, it's no wall of force, but wall of stone is pretty damn good and with that quantity is well on par, if not superior. This is not even mentioning their ability to act as an excellent ranged martial, or their suite of invocations to fill a whole other set of niches or grant utility. Sometimes, illusions make the best battlefield control-- silent image is great for that, and warlocks can cast that at will with misty visions invocation! Pair that with the minor illusion cantrip, and you can make some pretty cool things happen! Can wizards do the same? Sure, but not at will (unless they take a feat for it, but that's a whole other conversation). They have to weigh the times they use it. Warlocks can just do it with reckless abandon.
The warlock also acts as a better scout than a rogue with their pact familiar! In dungeons, I've sent my imp to scout ahead. I was afraid I was stepping on my party's rogue's toes, but even he sighs in relief at the idea that the familiar can go in his stead. Sure, a wizard can scout with their familiar too, but with the invocation voice of the chain master, you can send your familiar as far as you like and still perceive through their senses. You can feed intel to your group in real time no matter what! If your DM doesn't have any issues with saying your talking, flying, invisible imp familiar giving reliable scouting reports, you can forgo the invocation entirely and just send the imp and hope he comes back in one piece. That's MULTITUDES better than wizard familiar scouting!
As a charisma caster, you can be really good at social skills with proficiency in deception and persuasion. You can plan around this with your build, and make taking the actor feat as part of your progression. Take the invocation mask of many faces-- now you're a top tier infiltrator/spy. Can the wizard do this? Short version, no.
Now, I'm not saying the warlock invalidates the wizard. Far from it! The wizard will always be king in their department, and that's okay. But that doesn't mean warlocks can't give wizards a run for their money. You can most definitely be a controller, but you can also do other things. Saying "wizards>warlocks" is just flat out wrong.
I disagree. Both classes are played differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses. I don't think you can say that one is better than the other without more context. Warlocks are the most consistent blasters in the game and, in addition, they always fulfill other roles according to the pact, your subclass and the eldritch invocation you choose. If you want to play a Wizard-flavored warlock, the obvious thing to do is go for the Pact of the Tome (and the eldritch invocation book of ancient secrets). In that case you would be a better ritual conjurer than a wizard, as you would not be limited to the ritual spells on the wizard list. This does not mean that you would be better than a Wizard, but rather that you would be better in this particular aspect. If you want to be a summoner warlock, the obvious choice is to go for the Pact of the Chain. If your patron is also the genius, you would be one of the best infiltrators in the game (and without the need for the invisibility spell). You get on the vessel, and let your imp take you. Anyway, a warlock can be many things (although rarely more than two at a time), and fulfill many roles perfectly if you design it well (but again I remember that it can potentially fulfill many roles, but usually no more than two or three at a time if you want to do it well). Wizards, on the other hand, can be much more versatile than a Warlock and you don't need to focus as much on your character in the design (although it is usually a good idea to do so).
Your DM does not have to allow you to spend an hour of un-interrupted time.
As a DM, I have FINAL say over whether my party does anything they want to. If I don't want them to take a short rest, all I have to do is attack them before it's over. It's that simple and easy.
I disagree. Both classes are played differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses. I don't think you can say that one is better than the other without more context. Warlocks are the most consistent blasters in the game and, in addition, they always fulfill other roles according to the pact, your subclass and the eldritch invocation you choose. If you want to play a Wizard-flavored warlock, the obvious thing to do is go for the Pact of the Tome (and the eldritch invocation book of ancient secrets). In that case you would be a better ritual conjurer than a wizard, as you would not be limited to the ritual spells on the wizard list. This does not mean that you would be better than a Wizard, but rather that you would be better in this particular aspect. If you want to be a summoner warlock, the obvious choice is to go for the Pact of the Chain. If your patron is also the genius, you would be one of the best infiltrators in the game (and without the need for the invisibility spell). You get on the vessel, and let your imp take you. Anyway, a warlock can be many things (although rarely more than two at a time), and fulfill many roles perfectly if you design it well (but again I remember that it can potentially fulfill many roles, but usually no more than two or three at a time if you want to do it well). Wizards, on the other hand, can be much more versatile than a Warlock and you don't need to focus as much on your character in the design (although it is usually a good idea to do so).
Your DM does not have to allow you to spend an hour of un-interrupted time.
As a DM, I have FINAL say over whether my party does anything they want to. If I don't want them to take a short rest, all I have to do is attack them before it's over. It's that simple and easy.
If you do that, you are just a lousy DM.
He is right, Wizard is just flat out better, people can like lock more but mechanically wizard is the top of the game in 5e. The only class that might be their equal is bard.
And no a DM is not being a bad DM for not letting the players take unlimited short rests whenever they want. I'd say the opposite is true. The entire reason the game made them take 1 hour over 4es 5 minutes I suspect was so they could logically be interrupted. Personally I think they should have gone with 5 minutes but some limit on how many between long rests.
You are a bad DM if you play against your players. It's that simple.
Regarding whether wizard or warlock is better, it depends on what you want to play and how you want to play it. Everything has its pros and cons, and it depends on the role you want to fulfill.
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Ok, so im about to start a new game and we are short a utility caster and ranged damage dealer. Im used to playing wizards, I like wizards but I also want to play something different. I thought about MC wizard for the utility and warlock for the ranged damage. But Im also thinking about playing a dedicated Warlock. I tried it once before but the game never got off the ground. The concept was going to be a fiend tome pact warlock who was a wizard school dropout. The issue is short rests, they might happen, they might not. If I play a warlock my character will be the only short rest dependent character.
So sell me on a mono-class warlock vs wizard for this situation...
Well, as a Tomepact you have the best cantrip utility in the game. Those don't get compromised by short rests, and you have options that you would never get as a Wizard (Guidance, Shillelagh). You would have ritual spells that also work independent of short rests; like Goodberry and Find Familiar. You already have the best ranged attack in the game online at level 1. And don't forget the Invocations. Even if you went the standard route with Agonizing Blast, you could take Mask of Many Faces, Devil Sight, or Aspect of the Moon and not need to sleep. Pick invocations that don't chew spell slots and you can use them often.
The short rest mechanic is not as big a deal as you think. And a normal group does take them at least once, if not twice per day.
If your group doesn't really do short rests all that well, and you've tried everything to get them to take it, maybe speak with your DM about a different system since it's not a fun handicap (maybe after every "out of initiative" you get your slots back if the group collectively decides to skip playing out short rests?)
From personal experience, my group never used to do short rests (and I'm a pure warlock) but after the group nearly TPK'd once because my character's idea for a short rest was shot down, my character then became insistent on actually getting to chill mid session. I mean, you could even reflavour a "short rest" as a "hunger and wound management break". Characters do get hungry. Wounds do need to be patched up unless you want to be leaving an easy trail for other enemies to follow / deal with infections. Just mention the previous two in character, and suddenly you're providing a good argument for it to actually happen.
That said, I really love my warlock. She's a genie warlock and there's a lot of fun possibilities for patron interactions. I mean to start with the roleplay potential: personal quests, patron quests, quests that your patron sends you on because they owe someone a favour, there's potentially other NPCs that work for your patron too. Maybe your patron is reputable / disreputable?
Also warlocks are good at ranged damage. Between invocations and feats, they can get an incredible damage output and impressive range with the ability to ignore several types of cover. They can also cover a bit of utility too. They also have a bit more health than a wizard.
That said, what I would find more fun and what you would find more fun will differ. As long as you're enjoying the game, it ultimately doesn't matter which one you go with.
I'd consider Genie pact if you are having trouble getting short rests, hand the fighter your ring hop in and make your own short rest. And hey they do slightly more damage with their attacks. Go with Dao if you want more utility from eldritch blast shoves as its pretty boss with spike growth, if the party has a druid and they are willing to work with you on that maybe not as essential, but being able to deliver it yourself is nice the druid probably has other things they want to concentrate on. But I think any of the genie options other than efreet adds some nice utility spells to your options.
You might be worrying a bit too much about the short rests. Coming from a wizard there's a chance you're thinking of a Warlock as a "Wizard with less spell slots". It really is a different class that needs to be played differently.
I've been playing a Pact of the Chain warlock with the Fiend patron for a few months. I rarely take short rests. What I've found fun is all the summoning spells that work well thematically with the Fiend. Summoning something like a Barbed Devil is a great use of one of the limited spell slots. And lots of Eldritch Blast.
I love the warlock class most for its roleplaying potential but that requires a DM who will buy into it as well. If your Patron never "shows up" and your familiar is just a normal one with some extra abilities instead of a creature with its own personality, a warlock is quite boring imho.
I can't sell you on a warlock as a utility caster, because it's not. Warlock is an archer. It will do the ranged damage dealer part exceptionally well, but as a utility guy...that's just not what it really excels at.
If you're willing to multi-class, perhaps warlock|bard will meet your requirements.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Not mono class but,
If you want a utility caster then go with a Sorc+lock Divine soul +hexblade
-Eldritch blast+hex is good damage on its own so you can use your spell slots freely on utility.
-Access to the cleric spell list so you get stuff like guidance, healing word, bless etc.
-You will have tons of cantrips, including guidance. They can all be utility other than Eldritch blast.
-You can pick up healing word to pick people up in combat and still cast eldritch blast (twin healing word can pick up 2 people in combat and still get your EB off)
-Repelling blast is a lot of utility and you cant get that kind of force movement anywhere else
-Eldritch blast+agonizing+hex with quicking spell is massive damage, especially if you add hexblades curse on.
-You can either get even more cantrips and ritual casting, or the Imp familiar for an invisible, shape shifting, familiar with hands. Both are great utility.
Warlock has some built in roleplay that isn't directly shoehorned into "Im an academic."
Warlock abilities largely give you more free use abilities.
You can function as a face for the party in negotiations.
Usually get one or two really powerful pact abilities that are the equivalent of much higher spells than other classes get access to at level 3.
great multiclass avenue with sorcerer.
nerd with little perception of how bad their social skills are or an airhead charisma bot, optimally.
Warlocks are different to Wizards.
Their primary strength is having the best ranged cantrip in the game, along with invocations that allow it to do a passable job at crowd control. Being charisma casters means they're also pretty good with social skills, indeed they have two invocations, Beguiling Influence and Mask of Many Faces, that make them very good.
If you go with, for example, a Celestial Pact Tomelock you have a Warlock that at level 3 can grab eight different cantrips giving it quite a toolbox of spells. Nine if you play a High Elf or Drow.
An interesting combination I thought of was three levels of Rogue (going Arcane Trickster) then Hexblade thereon in. Arcane Trickster doesn't need intelligence so could run mage hand, prestidigitation, mending, and disguise self, color spray, and mage armor (negating the need for Mask and Armor) then taking eldritch blast and booming blade as Hexblade. Rogue having four proficiencies mean you can take persuasion and deception sparing the need to invest in Beguiling Influence.
Having booming blade means they can still make effective melee attacks before they get Thirsting Blade at Warlock 5 (character 8) and of course cantrip damage is based on character level not class level.
While I fully support the notion that we should view warlocks as a type of ranged martial, we should not discount their ability to perform as a controller.
All warlocks can access fear and hypnotic pattern and banishment. Dao genie has spike growth as a second level spell, and phantasmal force. That's great!
The optimal way to play a caster is to lay down a game changer spell, like one of the aforementioned, then spam your cantrips. Warlock can definitely do that! Use one spell per battle, two battles in, you're good!
While they have access to some control spells, they lack flexibility....and can be pushed hard if the DM does not use short rests. That said, the OP was looking for a utility caster with good ranged damage and that's not really what a warlock does best. wizard is really the best pick for what he's stated, but also said he doesn't want to play a wizard. For a single class, sorcerer, particularly aberrant mind is a great pick. Bard has the utility but the damage might be a bit lacking, depending on the OP's desires.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Your DM does not have to allow you to spend an hour of un-interrupted time.
As a DM, I have FINAL say over whether my party does anything they want to. If I don't want them to take a short rest, all I have to do is attack them before it's over. It's that simple and easy.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Typically a DM will take decisions that maintain immersion and tell a great/meaningful story.
Often, though not always, this would involve the DM will ruling on the chances of characters being located... and, to this point, the dice can be given the final say.
The DM has the final say whether to operate like this or not and, if so, to decide on any courses of action that maybe taken if the party is discovered.
I've played a pact of the Chain Goolock up to level 9 so far, and not only have I had a lot of fun, but the character is really good at pulling his weight in the party.
The trick is to carefully pick the most effective spells and incantations. There are plenty of articles available that review the strengths and benefits of each.
Listen, if you think about it, most adventuring days have about four encounters. Going with the classical controller style, you're using one slot per encounter. For most warlocks, this means you really only need one short rest. If you can't have even that due to your DM's pacing, then it's time to have a serious talk with them because that's not okay. The game's balance for classes somewhat revolves around how often you can have a short rest.
That said, genie warlocks (like the one I play) can more often than not find a way to sneak a short rest thanks to their vessel and its portability, much like MyDudeicus mentioned.
Now, here's something to consider and a big sell for the pure genie warlock: at level 10, you can take your party into your vessel (assuming the party is no larger than 5 members), and a short rest only takes 10 minutes while inside the vessel. The implications are huge! Say you're a chain pact warlock (like the one I play), and you need to infiltrate a location and leave. You can instruct your invisible imp to fly into the location, then everyone hops in, and your imp carries the vessel into said location. getting out, you could use a 5th level slot at that point to cast invisibility on everyone, and you walk out.
If you don't have an hour to rest, by that level you can take 10 minutes instead to recharge all your slots. Next level, you get another 5th level slot, three per short rest! If you can reliably count on the DM giving you at least one short rest, you can safely rely on having at least an additional 10 minutes to recharge-- another short rest to be had! You can essentially count on having nine (9!!) 5th level slots per day. If you have a fighter in the party, this helps them too, and if you have a caster with access to catnap, this feature accentuates the spell even further.
At that level, your warlock can rival a wizard in the quantity of high level stuff they can cast. Imagine, nine potential castings of wall of stone, if you pick a genie dao warlock (like I did.) Sure, it's no wall of force, but wall of stone is pretty damn good and with that quantity is well on par, if not superior. This is not even mentioning their ability to act as an excellent ranged martial, or their suite of invocations to fill a whole other set of niches or grant utility. Sometimes, illusions make the best battlefield control-- silent image is great for that, and warlocks can cast that at will with misty visions invocation! Pair that with the minor illusion cantrip, and you can make some pretty cool things happen! Can wizards do the same? Sure, but not at will (unless they take a feat for it, but that's a whole other conversation). They have to weigh the times they use it. Warlocks can just do it with reckless abandon.
The warlock also acts as a better scout than a rogue with their pact familiar! In dungeons, I've sent my imp to scout ahead. I was afraid I was stepping on my party's rogue's toes, but even he sighs in relief at the idea that the familiar can go in his stead. Sure, a wizard can scout with their familiar too, but with the invocation voice of the chain master, you can send your familiar as far as you like and still perceive through their senses. You can feed intel to your group in real time no matter what! If your DM doesn't have any issues with saying your talking, flying, invisible imp familiar giving reliable scouting reports, you can forgo the invocation entirely and just send the imp and hope he comes back in one piece. That's MULTITUDES better than wizard familiar scouting!
As a charisma caster, you can be really good at social skills with proficiency in deception and persuasion. You can plan around this with your build, and make taking the actor feat as part of your progression. Take the invocation mask of many faces-- now you're a top tier infiltrator/spy. Can the wizard do this? Short version, no.
Now, I'm not saying the warlock invalidates the wizard. Far from it! The wizard will always be king in their department, and that's okay. But that doesn't mean warlocks can't give wizards a run for their money. You can most definitely be a controller, but you can also do other things. Saying "wizards>warlocks" is just flat out wrong.
I disagree. Both classes are played differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses. I don't think you can say that one is better than the other without more context.
Warlocks are the most consistent blasters in the game and, in addition, they always fulfill other roles according to the pact, your subclass and the eldritch invocation you choose.
If you want to play a Wizard-flavored warlock, the obvious thing to do is go for the Pact of the Tome (and the eldritch invocation book of ancient secrets). In that case you would be a better ritual conjurer than a wizard, as you would not be limited to the ritual spells on the wizard list. This does not mean that you would be better than a Wizard, but rather that you would be better in this particular aspect.
If you want to be a summoner warlock, the obvious choice is to go for the Pact of the Chain. If your patron is also the genius, you would be one of the best infiltrators in the game (and without the need for the invisibility spell). You get on the vessel, and let your imp take you.
Anyway, a warlock can be many things (although rarely more than two at a time), and fulfill many roles perfectly if you design it well (but again I remember that it can potentially fulfill many roles, but usually no more than two or three at a time if you want to do it well). Wizards, on the other hand, can be much more versatile than a Warlock and you don't need to focus as much on your character in the design (although it is usually a good idea to do so).
If you do that, you are just a lousy DM.
He is right, Wizard is just flat out better, people can like lock more but mechanically wizard is the top of the game in 5e. The only class that might be their equal is bard.
And no a DM is not being a bad DM for not letting the players take unlimited short rests whenever they want. I'd say the opposite is true. The entire reason the game made them take 1 hour over 4es 5 minutes I suspect was so they could logically be interrupted. Personally I think they should have gone with 5 minutes but some limit on how many between long rests.
You are a bad DM if you play against your players. It's that simple.
Regarding whether wizard or warlock is better, it depends on what you want to play and how you want to play it. Everything has its pros and cons, and it depends on the role you want to fulfill.