[RPG] Does the verbal component for spellcasting have to be words

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To make a long story short: for my first D&D campaign, I want to create a warlock that had to give up her voice as a part of her deal with her Patron.

As such, she is incapable of speaking, but she can still produce sounds with her mouth. I was wondering if that would incapacitate her from casting spells with a Verbal component.

Do spells needs a specific phrase to be cast, or does gibberish work?

Thank you all for your responses !
I brought your suggestions up to my DM and we agreed that she could not cast spells that very specificly required phrases to take effect (Suggestion for example)

For communication, she indeed made a Pact with the Great Old Ones, alllowing her to speak telepathically.

Thank you all for your help !

Best Answer

By the strictest rules, we can expect a character that cannot speak to be unable to cast spells with Verbal (V) components:

Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the silence spell, can’t cast a spell with a verbal component.

However, since this is related to the Warlock’s specific pact with a patron, I would see no reason to say this particular Warlock doesn’t have their own special “verbal components” that can trigger the spells granted to them by their patron. It’s a decent bit of flavor for an interesting concept. But, of course, you will need to clear that with your DM.

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