unbeliever536
2015-07-20, 08:11 PM
The druid of 5th edition fixes a number of problems that plagued the 3rd edition druid. It no longer has an arbitrarily long wild shape in which to hide, and doesn't carry around a pile of class features that boil down to "what the ranger gets, but better". However, it still carries the basic problem: in many fights, the druid can simply hide in another form, not caring at all about their physical stats. They also have essentially arbitrary scouting capability, and the balance of the class is dependent on future authors not adding broken abilities to their monsters. It also fails to be simple, unlike most parts of the transition from 3rd to 5th: a druid still needs to track entirely separate statistics in multiple forms. Not to mention it has a bunch of abilities that come online with ABIs, unique among PHB classes. I don't think that's actually a bad idea, but unity in design is important, so I'm counting that as something to fix. Oh, and like all 5e casters, it's got a bunch of (semi-) dead levels when it picks up new spell levels. What follows is my attempt to adjust the druid's class features to be simpler and entirely futureproof. For now, I'm leaving the spell list alone. I'm of the opinion that spell power should be tuned downwards a bit and number of spell slots should be pumped up, but that is the domain of a magic fix, not a class fix. The main thing is that I want to bring Wild Shape more in line with 3rd edition's Shapeshift variant, which I think the 5th edition Wild Shape is pretty clearly based on. As there isn't really precedent for direct boosts to ability scores in 5th edition, I'm avoiding that, but many of the other components of the Shapeshift feature can be imported quite easily.
I'm still missing a few class features: I need a high level feature for level 18 (I had another level of beast spells here, but I didn't like it), and I need a capstone. I'd also like to add a third circle, perhaps based on fighting aberrations and undead, but I'm not sure what features to give it. Some sort of way to claim a demesne could be cool and flavorful, but it wouldn't fit all campaigns. In any case, take a look:
The Druid
Level
Proficiency
Bonus
Features
Cantrips
Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
+2
Spellcasting, Druidic
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
+2
Wild Shape (first form)
2
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
+2
Druid Circle
2
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
3
4
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
+3
Wild Shape (second form, enhanced form)
3
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
+3
Druid Circle feature
3
4
3
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
+3
Wild Shape (third form, enhanced form)
3
4
3
3
1
-
-
-
-
-
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
3
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
9th
+4
Timeless Body
3
4
3
3
3
1
-
-
-
-
10th
+4
Druid Circle feature
4
4
3
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
11th
+4
Beast Spells (1st level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
-
-
-
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
-
-
-
13th
+5
Beast Spells (2nd level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
-
-
14th
+5
Druid Circle feature
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
-
-
15th
+5
Beast Spells (3rd level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
-
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
-
17th
+6
Beast Spells (4th level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
18th
+6
{???}
4
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
20th
+6
Archdruid
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
1
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at higher levels: 5 (or 1d8) + your Constitution modifier for each druid level after 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and shields, excluding those made of metal.
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Tools: Herbalism kit or poisoner's kit
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival.
-Instead of a weird note about how druids don't wear metal armor or use metal shields, they're just not proficient with them, which accomplishes 100% of what the old restriction did (no casting in metal armor) and isn't difficult to interpret.
-I thought about adding shortbows to the druid's weapon list. Haven't done it yet, though.
-Druids who poison people are a great archetype that should be available to players. They are no less valid than healer druids.
Equipment
In addition to the equipment granted by your background, you start with 50 (2d4 x 10) gp worth of equipment, or the following starting gear:
(a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon and a wooden shield
(a) a sling and 20 bullets, (b) 10 darts, or (c) 4 javelins
Leather armor, an explorer's pack, and a druidic focus
Did you know a bunch of starting packs in the Players' Handbook give more than average gold worth of gear? I didn't until Friday. The druid's doesn't, actually, but the pack could still stand some adjusting for sensibility.
Spellcasting
Drawing on the power inherent in nature itself, you can cast spells that shape that power to your will. See chapter 10 of the Players' Handbook for general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 of the same for the druid spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn additional druid cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the druid table.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The druid table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these druid spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare a list of druid spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the druid spell list. When you do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your druid level (minimum one spell). These spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 3rd level druid, you have four 1st level slots and two 2nd level slots. With a Wisdom score of 16, you can prepare six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st or 2nd level slot. Casting a spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of druid spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell you don't already have prepared.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature and the spirits around you. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, your Wisdom modifier is added to spell attacks you make with druid spells and sets the saving throw DCs for the druid spells you cast.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast a druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a druidic focus (see chapter 5 of the Players' Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.
-One very minor change: there's no time cost to keep a spell, even if you're changing out other spells. This isn't super meaningful, but it matters to me.
Druidic
You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know the language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, but can't decipher it without magic.
Your knowledge of Druidic allows you to understand the speech of beasts with ease. You always have the speak with animals spell prepared, and it does not count against your total number of spells prepared.
Druidic is a cool, evocative class feature nobody uses. Speak with Animals is a cool, evocative spell nobody prepares. Let's stick them together! Now Druidic does something neat that isn't "pass notes to NPCs", and druids can use Speak with Animals without worrying that they're losing out on a better spell that they'll need.
Wild Shape
At 2nd level, you learn to take the form of an animal you are familiar with and take on some of its abilities. You can shift into your animal form as an action. The transformation lasts for half an hour or until you spend an action to shift back. When your transformation would run out, you can immediately expend another use of this ability to extend it by half an hour without spending an action. If you know multiple Wild Shape forms, you can transform between them without shifting back into your humanoid form, but each change to a different Wild Shape form expends an additional use of this ability. If you are reduced to 0 hit points while transformed, you shift back to your regular form. You have a number of uses for this ability equal to your druid level, and regain a number of uses equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one) each time you finish a long rest.
When you transform, you decide whether your worn and carried gear melds into your new shape or falls to the ground in your space. If you choose for your gear to meld into your body, you can keep attuned magic items from doing so, as long as your new form is capable of wearing or using the item. If your gear is melded into your animal form, it is restored when you transform back, voluntarily or otherwise.
While you are transformed, you can only speak Druidic, though you understand all languages you can speak in your ordinary form. However, you can communicate with anyone who casts speak with animals and you are treated as though you had cast that spell for the duration of your transformation. Each day, you may designate a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom bonus in a special ritual that takes ten minutes. You can perform the ritual on several creatures at once, or in sequence, as you desire. Each creature you so designate can understand you while you are transformed for 24 hours or until you take a long rest, which ever is shorter.
The animal forms listed below do not necessarily represent specific animals - you choose when you learn the form precisely what animal you change into. Each form you know represents a single creature you can transform into, which does not change unless otherwise noted. Your creature type becomes Beast, and your game statistics are otherwise unchanged by your transformation except where specifically stated. You are always proficient with any natural weapons granted by a Wild Shape form. You cannot cast spells while in Wild Shape.
Aerial Form
You transform into a type of bird that you know, such as an eagle or owl. Your size becomes small, and you gain a fly speed of 40 feet. You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d4 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 11 + your Dexterity modifier.
When you improve this form, you may either gain the ability to hover while flying as long as you are conscious, or you may increase your fly speed to 60 feet.
Aquatic Form
You transform into an aquatic creature that you know, such as a porpoise or swordfish. Your size becomes medium and you gain a swim speed of 30 feet.You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d4 piercing or bludgeoning damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. While in this form, you can breathe only underwater.
When you improve this form, you may either gain the ability to breath on land and underwater, or you may gain 60 foot darkvision while in this form (if you already have darkvision, it improves by 30 feet instead).
Burrowing Form
You transform into a burrowing creature you know, such as a badger. Your size becomes small and you gain a burrowing speed of 20 feet. You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d6 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Further, you gain 60 foot darkvision if you do not already have darkvision. You can dig through sand, dirt, mud, or ice using your burrow speed. When you dig, you leave behind a tunnel that a small creature can squeeze through or a medium creature can crawl through. you may tunnel down vertically if you wish; climbing the walls of your tunnel after you have dug it requires a DC 15 Strength (athletics) check, which a medium creature makes at advantage.
When you improve this form, you may either learn to burrow through wood and stone (though you still cannot burrow through metal) or you may increase the size of the tunnels you leave behind, so that a small creature can walk freely and a medium creature can squeeze through them. When you dig an expanded tunnel or go through stone, you spend one more foot of movement per foot traveled.
-No more eliminating your physical ability scores by transforming
-No more free HP buffer on transformation
-You can talk to party members without returning to humanoid form! That was a stupid problem to have anyway.
-Same time progression as normal, but you can subdivide better (ie, at all).
-I'm not sure about some of the form improvements: I worry that burrowing through rock is too strong, that flying at higher speed is not strong enough. I'm also a little worried that flight is overpowered for a level 2 ability, but Aarakocra have it from level 1, so I'm not too concerned.
-Natural attacks are intentionally pretty vague, but my idea was that bites are piercing, claws are slashing, and bludgeoning comes from some kind of slam attack.
-The idea with the enhancements was that each form would have a weak version, a full version, and a partial version. More than two enhancements for a form is reasonable; feel free to propose some others.
-Suggestions for additional forms welcome. Mostly the main sequence forms are for utility; combat forms are reserved for the Circle of Beasts. The burrowing form is a touch stronger in combat because I felt that otherwise it wasn't worth taking. Feel free to correct my intuition in this regard.
-Finally, on the recovery rate: D&D is a resource management game. Oddball resource recovery mechanics add to that. Plus, this way, adventuring can have consequences that go beyond the next day (in the base rules, the only thing that isn't completely reset after a long rest is Hit Dice, which come back after two days).
Druid Circle
At 3rd level, you choose to identify with a circle of druids: the Circle of Beasts, Circle of the Land, or Circle of the Moon, all detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. If your GM allows you to take feats, you may take a feat in place of one of the above options.
Timeless Body
Starting at 9th level, the primal magic you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years you would age normally, your body ages only a single year.
Gotta love ribbons!
Beast Spells
Beginning at 11th level, you can cast some of your spells while in Wild Shape. You can perform vocal and somatic components while in beast form and you are treated as though you were using a druidic focus, but you cannot provide expensive material components or complete a ritual. At 11th level, you can cast 1st level spells while in beast form. At higher levels you learn to cast more powerful spells while transformed, as shown on the druid table, up to 4th level spells at 17th level.
Natural spell is a good idea and shouldn't be dropped completely (or shunted off to 18th level oblivion), but it needs to be toned down from the 3rd edition version so that the druid isn't spending every possible moment in Wild Shape. I broke it up into a progression like regular casting, and capped it at 4th level.
Archdruid
You gain an awesome title and a horrible job.
The main part of the PHB capstone as written is, I think, too much. I've absorbed some of it into the Circle of Beasts level 14 ability, and I'm dropping the rest. I don't know what to replace it with, though. The title is awesome and I'm keeping it.
I'm still missing a few class features: I need a high level feature for level 18 (I had another level of beast spells here, but I didn't like it), and I need a capstone. I'd also like to add a third circle, perhaps based on fighting aberrations and undead, but I'm not sure what features to give it. Some sort of way to claim a demesne could be cool and flavorful, but it wouldn't fit all campaigns. In any case, take a look:
The Druid
Level
Proficiency
Bonus
Features
Cantrips
Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
+2
Spellcasting, Druidic
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
+2
Wild Shape (first form)
2
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
+2
Druid Circle
2
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
3
4
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
+3
Wild Shape (second form, enhanced form)
3
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
+3
Druid Circle feature
3
4
3
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
+3
Wild Shape (third form, enhanced form)
3
4
3
3
1
-
-
-
-
-
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
3
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
9th
+4
Timeless Body
3
4
3
3
3
1
-
-
-
-
10th
+4
Druid Circle feature
4
4
3
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
11th
+4
Beast Spells (1st level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
-
-
-
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
-
-
-
13th
+5
Beast Spells (2nd level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
-
-
14th
+5
Druid Circle feature
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
-
-
15th
+5
Beast Spells (3rd level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
-
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
-
17th
+6
Beast Spells (4th level)
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
18th
+6
{???}
4
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
20th
+6
Archdruid
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
1
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at higher levels: 5 (or 1d8) + your Constitution modifier for each druid level after 1st.
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and shields, excluding those made of metal.
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Tools: Herbalism kit or poisoner's kit
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival.
-Instead of a weird note about how druids don't wear metal armor or use metal shields, they're just not proficient with them, which accomplishes 100% of what the old restriction did (no casting in metal armor) and isn't difficult to interpret.
-I thought about adding shortbows to the druid's weapon list. Haven't done it yet, though.
-Druids who poison people are a great archetype that should be available to players. They are no less valid than healer druids.
Equipment
In addition to the equipment granted by your background, you start with 50 (2d4 x 10) gp worth of equipment, or the following starting gear:
(a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon and a wooden shield
(a) a sling and 20 bullets, (b) 10 darts, or (c) 4 javelins
Leather armor, an explorer's pack, and a druidic focus
Did you know a bunch of starting packs in the Players' Handbook give more than average gold worth of gear? I didn't until Friday. The druid's doesn't, actually, but the pack could still stand some adjusting for sensibility.
Spellcasting
Drawing on the power inherent in nature itself, you can cast spells that shape that power to your will. See chapter 10 of the Players' Handbook for general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 of the same for the druid spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn additional druid cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the druid table.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The druid table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these druid spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare a list of druid spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the druid spell list. When you do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your druid level (minimum one spell). These spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 3rd level druid, you have four 1st level slots and two 2nd level slots. With a Wisdom score of 16, you can prepare six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st or 2nd level slot. Casting a spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of druid spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell you don't already have prepared.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature and the spirits around you. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, your Wisdom modifier is added to spell attacks you make with druid spells and sets the saving throw DCs for the druid spells you cast.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast a druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a druidic focus (see chapter 5 of the Players' Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.
-One very minor change: there's no time cost to keep a spell, even if you're changing out other spells. This isn't super meaningful, but it matters to me.
Druidic
You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know the language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, but can't decipher it without magic.
Your knowledge of Druidic allows you to understand the speech of beasts with ease. You always have the speak with animals spell prepared, and it does not count against your total number of spells prepared.
Druidic is a cool, evocative class feature nobody uses. Speak with Animals is a cool, evocative spell nobody prepares. Let's stick them together! Now Druidic does something neat that isn't "pass notes to NPCs", and druids can use Speak with Animals without worrying that they're losing out on a better spell that they'll need.
Wild Shape
At 2nd level, you learn to take the form of an animal you are familiar with and take on some of its abilities. You can shift into your animal form as an action. The transformation lasts for half an hour or until you spend an action to shift back. When your transformation would run out, you can immediately expend another use of this ability to extend it by half an hour without spending an action. If you know multiple Wild Shape forms, you can transform between them without shifting back into your humanoid form, but each change to a different Wild Shape form expends an additional use of this ability. If you are reduced to 0 hit points while transformed, you shift back to your regular form. You have a number of uses for this ability equal to your druid level, and regain a number of uses equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one) each time you finish a long rest.
When you transform, you decide whether your worn and carried gear melds into your new shape or falls to the ground in your space. If you choose for your gear to meld into your body, you can keep attuned magic items from doing so, as long as your new form is capable of wearing or using the item. If your gear is melded into your animal form, it is restored when you transform back, voluntarily or otherwise.
While you are transformed, you can only speak Druidic, though you understand all languages you can speak in your ordinary form. However, you can communicate with anyone who casts speak with animals and you are treated as though you had cast that spell for the duration of your transformation. Each day, you may designate a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom bonus in a special ritual that takes ten minutes. You can perform the ritual on several creatures at once, or in sequence, as you desire. Each creature you so designate can understand you while you are transformed for 24 hours or until you take a long rest, which ever is shorter.
The animal forms listed below do not necessarily represent specific animals - you choose when you learn the form precisely what animal you change into. Each form you know represents a single creature you can transform into, which does not change unless otherwise noted. Your creature type becomes Beast, and your game statistics are otherwise unchanged by your transformation except where specifically stated. You are always proficient with any natural weapons granted by a Wild Shape form. You cannot cast spells while in Wild Shape.
Aerial Form
You transform into a type of bird that you know, such as an eagle or owl. Your size becomes small, and you gain a fly speed of 40 feet. You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d4 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 11 + your Dexterity modifier.
When you improve this form, you may either gain the ability to hover while flying as long as you are conscious, or you may increase your fly speed to 60 feet.
Aquatic Form
You transform into an aquatic creature that you know, such as a porpoise or swordfish. Your size becomes medium and you gain a swim speed of 30 feet.You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d4 piercing or bludgeoning damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. While in this form, you can breathe only underwater.
When you improve this form, you may either gain the ability to breath on land and underwater, or you may gain 60 foot darkvision while in this form (if you already have darkvision, it improves by 30 feet instead).
Burrowing Form
You transform into a burrowing creature you know, such as a badger. Your size becomes small and you gain a burrowing speed of 20 feet. You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d6 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Further, you gain 60 foot darkvision if you do not already have darkvision. You can dig through sand, dirt, mud, or ice using your burrow speed. When you dig, you leave behind a tunnel that a small creature can squeeze through or a medium creature can crawl through. you may tunnel down vertically if you wish; climbing the walls of your tunnel after you have dug it requires a DC 15 Strength (athletics) check, which a medium creature makes at advantage.
When you improve this form, you may either learn to burrow through wood and stone (though you still cannot burrow through metal) or you may increase the size of the tunnels you leave behind, so that a small creature can walk freely and a medium creature can squeeze through them. When you dig an expanded tunnel or go through stone, you spend one more foot of movement per foot traveled.
-No more eliminating your physical ability scores by transforming
-No more free HP buffer on transformation
-You can talk to party members without returning to humanoid form! That was a stupid problem to have anyway.
-Same time progression as normal, but you can subdivide better (ie, at all).
-I'm not sure about some of the form improvements: I worry that burrowing through rock is too strong, that flying at higher speed is not strong enough. I'm also a little worried that flight is overpowered for a level 2 ability, but Aarakocra have it from level 1, so I'm not too concerned.
-Natural attacks are intentionally pretty vague, but my idea was that bites are piercing, claws are slashing, and bludgeoning comes from some kind of slam attack.
-The idea with the enhancements was that each form would have a weak version, a full version, and a partial version. More than two enhancements for a form is reasonable; feel free to propose some others.
-Suggestions for additional forms welcome. Mostly the main sequence forms are for utility; combat forms are reserved for the Circle of Beasts. The burrowing form is a touch stronger in combat because I felt that otherwise it wasn't worth taking. Feel free to correct my intuition in this regard.
-Finally, on the recovery rate: D&D is a resource management game. Oddball resource recovery mechanics add to that. Plus, this way, adventuring can have consequences that go beyond the next day (in the base rules, the only thing that isn't completely reset after a long rest is Hit Dice, which come back after two days).
Druid Circle
At 3rd level, you choose to identify with a circle of druids: the Circle of Beasts, Circle of the Land, or Circle of the Moon, all detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. If your GM allows you to take feats, you may take a feat in place of one of the above options.
Timeless Body
Starting at 9th level, the primal magic you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years you would age normally, your body ages only a single year.
Gotta love ribbons!
Beast Spells
Beginning at 11th level, you can cast some of your spells while in Wild Shape. You can perform vocal and somatic components while in beast form and you are treated as though you were using a druidic focus, but you cannot provide expensive material components or complete a ritual. At 11th level, you can cast 1st level spells while in beast form. At higher levels you learn to cast more powerful spells while transformed, as shown on the druid table, up to 4th level spells at 17th level.
Natural spell is a good idea and shouldn't be dropped completely (or shunted off to 18th level oblivion), but it needs to be toned down from the 3rd edition version so that the druid isn't spending every possible moment in Wild Shape. I broke it up into a progression like regular casting, and capped it at 4th level.
Archdruid
You gain an awesome title and a horrible job.
The main part of the PHB capstone as written is, I think, too much. I've absorbed some of it into the Circle of Beasts level 14 ability, and I'm dropping the rest. I don't know what to replace it with, though. The title is awesome and I'm keeping it.