Elemental magic system concept
Loosely based on the five elements' attributes in modern witchcraft
Affects the gut. Mainly deals with motivation. Is mostly attributed with success, luck, action, manifestation. Too much can cause impermanence.
Affects the mind. Mainly deals with intelligence. Is mostly attributed with communication, clarity, focus, ideas. Too much can cause apathy.
Affects the heart. Mainly deals with emotions. Is mostly attributed with sleep, love, lust, visions. Too much can cause instability.
Affects the body. Mainly deals with grounding. Is mostly attributed with banishment, cleansing, health, karma. Too much can cause stagnation.
The element that makes life possible. Everything alive has it. Can be used as a medium for the magic from other elements.
Everyone has the soul element in them and has the potential to use it as a medium to use other elements. However, magic is a honed skill, hence a journey to witchcraft can differ from person to person.
The setting is modern circa 2020.
I like urban fantasy concepts, mostly bc the magic sort of feels like it can be possible if you think hard enough. I want the magic to seem like it's recognized as a real thing, but those who can use it still feel obligated to hide it.
Perhaps it's recognized as a thing of the past? Or maybe something that only a small group people can legally practice? Yeah that works. Doing it like this would mean that the reactions to seeing people outside that group practice it can vary, although most will be surprised. There will be those who hype it up, those who don't care, those who have valid concerns, and those who outright hate it.
The potential for being a medium varies as well. Some are just born with raw talent for magic, although if left unchecked or not taught how to use it can be disastrous. Some have to practice endlessly to even be half as good.
Patrons for extra help? Idk yet I would probably have to make the references vague idk how patron magic works just yet. Or I could create my own deities.
A witch (someone who actively practices magic, not to be confused with a medium, which is a person who simply has the ability to use the elements) will often find that they have an affinity for certain elements and have a difficulty for the others. It's rare to find someone who is basically a jack of all trades when it comes to the elements.
What's tricky here is that those who have a strong affinity for those elements tend to be far more likely to experience the drawbacks related to the element. As such, the key to mastering magic is learning the elements that DON'T come naturally to you. Otherwise, the element will consume you and turn you into one of the four elemental beasts and lose your humanity.
The drawbacks themselves are designed to loop. This is why baby witches are strongly recommended to join covens, so that they can be assisted.
Huh actually that might be another motivation for forming covens. If the small group from earlier learns that a certain place has the presence of elemental beasts, witches from that place will be weeded out.
The result therefore is witches looking out for each other, if sometimes only for their own sake.
The main villain team, the group that includes the only witches who can legally practice witchcraft, has sort of like these four witches who are revered as the most powerful in a certain element. It's most likely not their dominant element, but it's the one they practice a lot so they became very good at it.
I wanna make it so that their personalities are the opposite of the things associated with their elements, like a balancing act. It would also explain why they are able to cultivate that element into a level that would otherwise consume other witches.
Earth witch is the energetic shonen protagonist.
Water witch is the pragmatic and stoic rival, the rule follower.
Air witch is the witch stereotype personified, aka the whimsical empath.
Fire witch is the typical tired uncle who looks like they would rather waste away in a bar than babysit a gaggle of young adults/teens.