Originally Posted by
Theodoxus
I'm not sure how you'd go about codifying it, but if something like: Wildshape/Moon is a 1/3 caster, Animal Companion is a 1/2 caster, and "Balance/Resto" is a full caster, I think it would work well.
What I'm not sure you're talking about, putting it into Warlock parlance, is if these are Patrons or Pact Boons.
I would think making this kind of division at the patron/subclass level would make the most sense. Since they're granted at 1st level, there's no pulling back of slot progression, and it doesn't affect multiclassing.
Circle of the Moon and Circle of the Land are pretty obvious. (Though Moon only grants the 2014 baseline Druid Wildshape - see below.)
I'd incorporate Stars with Land, and maybe add an option at 1st level to emphasize healing, like with Life only slightly different bonuses, or blasting like an Evocation's sculp spell effect.
Circle of Companionship (I think it flows better than Shepherd, but I'm not adamant about it) would grant a companion, but unlike Rangers, I think it should include options for plants and fungus. Sort of rolling Spores and Shepherd together; the companion itself would work akin to the Ranger's (might even subsume the Ranger's BM completely...)
Then the Primal Boons... I'm thinking doubling down on circle aspects... Beast, Book, and Staff.
Beast grants a limited WS capability, probably 1/LR (with invocation support to boost it). But when coupled with Moon, it grants 2014 Moon wildshape.
Book works like the Warlock boon (extra cantrips), but grants an extra spell slot of your highest level instead of rituals and ritual casting.
Staff grants the Find Familiar spell, but for Companionship it instead boosts your companion (adding HP, maybe doubling the PB bonus they receive, etc.)
Invocations (Primal Gifts?) would then both modify the Boons, and grant other druid specific benefits (Barkskin, maybe boosting Goodberry to restore 1+PB HP?, continual Shillelagh on any club wielded, etc.)