So at first, I didn't like warlocks because they don't seem to do a lot of damage all at once, and they also tend to be put even more at the mercy of the DM than is typical for a class. But they do damage fairly well, and I have a roleplaying idea for dealing with the other problem, or changing it to create new challenges. 

In particular this works with the fiend pact, though it can also work with other pacts. 

Instead of making a pact with a mighty fiend for power, what if instead that power was taken? whether by stealing it, or by sheer force of will, they now have that power. No bargains, no servants, just raw dominance. This particularly works with the pact of the chain; the little fiend you summon is bound to you not because it was granted to you but because you have seized power over them. It may resent you or even hate you, but it cannot disobey you or cause you to falter. 

Admittedly, I come from playing a lot of World of Warcraft. The idea I had was an organization similar to something like the Council of the Black Harvest. A group of warlocks who are primarily concerned with their own interests and on gathering power and knowledge. They gathered to pool resources and do things like binding outsiders, group rituals, teach novice warlocks, and even creating magic items. While not explicitly evil (as alignments go) they are often amoral in the pursuit of this power; they may summon a devil to torture it for information or to research its physiology. Most knowledge of extraplanar creatures, particularly fiends and fey, come from them. 

Mechanically, there's no real difference. But the balance of power is shifted in favor of the spellcaster rather than the patron. 

What do you guys think?

So, you're RP idea is that a PC is more powerful than the Patron they pull power from? Well, if you're summoning fiends, then I guess you aren't starting at level 1...

Warlocks aren't more dependent on the DM than other classes (at least, not all of them). Ranger building requires a discussion w/ the DM about setting for a fully useful/enjoyable experience. If you want to build an Arctic based Ranger and the campaign is set in a desert, that could kill a lot of fun. Both Clerics & Paladins are dependent on the DM to keep them in line with their gods' principles or their own convictions. Not to mention, the campaign is kind of at the mercy of the DM with all the NPC's and enemies and in game stories for PC's. What I'm saying is, if your DM is a good DM, you probably won't have any "being at the mercy of" problems. They're kind of supposed to work with you (unless it's laid out before hand that "this will not be the case").

I don't know about the taking their power story. Maybe, if you stole something of power that belonged to said Fiend (something that adds to their power? or is a part of their power?). Of course, the Fiend would probably send some creatures after you over time. That could fun & interesting.

Then again, I like starting my characters from lvl. 1. So, yes, my opinions are shaded in the direction that they don't start as mighty beings, they become them. So, take it w/ a pinch of salt(I don't even know what that saying means).

When I say "The balance of power is shifted in favor of the spellcaster" I don't mean that the warlock is more powerful, I mean that a warlock is more or less saying "I have your power and (assuming Pact of the Chain) your little minion, what are you gonna do about it?" kind of thing. It means that the fiend is not as powerful relative to the warlock. In time, the warlock DOES become potentially as mighty as the fiend. 

Warlocks aren't more dependent on the DM than other classes (at least, not all of them). Ranger building requires a discussion w/ the DM about setting for a fully useful/enjoyable experience. If you want to build an Arctic based Ranger and the campaign is set in a desert, that could kill a lot of fun. Both Clerics & Paladins are dependent on the DM to keep them in line with their gods' principles or their own convictions. Not to mention, the campaign is kind of at the mercy of the DM with all the NPC's and enemies and in game stories for PC's.

The issue is that the warlock has extra to worry about in regards to having to potentially please their patron, much more than clerics or paladins do. Clerics and Paladins likely have to deal with moral decisions more than they do serving a patron that is, given the warlock's list of patrons, going to be very temperamental. A Great Old One patron may not necessarily care what a warlock is doing at any given moment, but a Devil certainly is going to be very demanding, and a demon very likely will be. So will a Celestial, or even Hexblade's shadow patron. That's why I say that a Warlock has extra to worry about with a DM, because the patron could potentially have the warlock sacrifice a much needed magical item, or force them to offer a child up to a hag coven in order to keep their powers. It's far less likely that a deity is going to ask this unless you're serving a deity like Bane or you're a drow serving Lolth. 

The assumption I'm making is that spellcasters are, even at their lowest level, still potentially quite scary. Even a very basic spellcaster has the ability to melt someone with a splash of acid to the face or incinerate most of a room.  

Fair.

It's really up to your DM, though...wait, sacrifice a needed magical item!?! That's a red flag. If you need the item and the DM takes it from you (your party) and doesn't return something, some way, to the party, you may want to start eyeing a new DM. Offering a child up to a hag coven? I could see that. It also sounds like a fun scenario. Like, could you cheat your way out of it somehow?

IDK... I think part of the fun in playing these classes is that you can be put in these situations. Like, a Life Cleric that has to choose between saving the life of a child (pre-resurrection spells) or killing an undead boss monster. Or, a Paladin of the Crown (or justice, whatever) that has a dilemma every frickin' time the Rogue Thief decides they need a bit more pocket change. Both of these scenarios could end up w/ someone losing abilities depending on the DM. 

Hm... What if the Imp (I'm rolling w/ your Pact of the Chain), or Quasit, is that small bit of power that I mentioned in an earlier post? Yeah, I can see that. You're actually siphoning power from the Fiend through the companion w/out (at least, in the beginning) the Fiend realizing it. That would give the DM plenty of juicy story to play with (especially, at later levels) and should ease the mind of anyone who's worried about the DM. Just a thought. I might use this one.

Quote from G_Wiz >>

 

Hm... What if the Imp (I'm rolling w/ your Pact of the Chain), or Quasit, is that small bit of power that I mentioned in an earlier post? Yeah, I can see that. You're actually siphoning power from the Fiend through the companion w/out (at least, in the beginning) the Fiend realizing it. That would give the DM plenty of juicy story to play with (especially, at later levels) and should ease the mind of anyone who's worried about the DM. Just a thought. I might use this one.

This is, actually, EXACTLY what I'm thinking of. I'm just imagining them taking that power, not bargaining for it. It can work with the other pact boons in a similar way but requires a bit of creativity; perhaps having been taught by a warlock gone rogue, or by an organization similar to the Council of the Black Harvest. Eventually it shifts to raw dominance. 

You could always go the other way, in the extreme.  Have the warlock try to dominate the imp, not realizing it was far more powerful than he thought (succubus in disguise or something) and RP the Imp THROUGH the warlock.  So the warlock comes off as being in charge and absolutely dominating the imp, giving the imp a harmless and pitiful appearance.  But in actuality the Imp is using the warlock's body like a puppet and his soul as a battery.

It's not a bad idea.  Either way, though, you need to have a discussion with your DM b/c if your DM isn't going to include backstory-relevant material into their campaign, then it doesn't matter much whether the patron is your micromanaging boss or you are a contractor filching supplies from your short-term supervisor.  Communication is always helpful.