Her voice was the voice that women have,

Who plead for their heart's desire.

She came—she came—and the quivering flame

Sunk and died in the fire.

It never was lit again on my hearth

Since I hurried across the floor,

To lift her over the threshold, and let her in at the door.

(Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, public domain)

 

You are a child of the wild, of nature and all that grows.  Your hands are permanently stained with the things of your trade.  Your hair is a mess, full of insects and mayhaps a small bird.  You converse with wild things with no care in the world.  Your power comes from the earth beneath your bare feet, from the green aura that surrounds all growing things, and from the living waters that flow across the land.

You practice an art that has been passed down since the dawn of time.  You were taken from your home when you were young, either secretly or through a deal struck.  Your matron raised you in the wild, teaching you the art of which you find solace in now.  Since you were young, you have watched your matron speak with the spirits of nature that are as old as nature itself.  You have learned herbs, and poisons, and potions, and how to create these and more.

Towards the end of your adventures, you feel the unresisting urge to find another, a girl child, whom you can raise and teach.  The art must prevail.  The knowledge must be carried on.

Nature's Child

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to communicate with all the beasts of the land.  

You can communicate with any beast that lives on land (not flying or swimming).  Instead of direct communication as the spell, these animals can understand your speech, and you gain the ability to decipher their noises and motions.  Most beasts lack the intelligence to convey or understand sophisticated concepts, but a friendly beast could relay what it has seen or heard in the recent past.  This ability doesn’t grant you friendship with beasts, though you can combine this ability with gifts to curry favor with them as you would with any nonplayer character.  (Animal Handling, for example.)  You know the sounds of nature, and recognize when things are not normal.  In a natural setting, you gain a +5 bonus to your passive perception.

You carry with you the natural abilities learned while living with your matron.  You are proficient with herbs, and with poisons of a natural nature.

Totem

Starting at 3rd level, you may choose a single item that is of some significance to you.   Mayhaps, 'tis a reminder of your childhood, or something given to you by a friend, but will always be something that only you find value in.   (examples might include the skull of a racoon, or a pine cone, or a simple carving, or even a bit of polished stone). 

This totem is your spell focus, needed for ALL spells that otherwise require material components.  While in your possession, your totem grants you a bonus of +2 to your armor class.  

Once chosen, you must never part with your totem, for within it carries your connection with the land.  To lose it will result in a loss of your powers and abilities.  A new totem can be chosen and empowered through a ritual that requires a bit of your blood and several hours of your time.

Witch's Familiar

Starting at 6th level, a familiar comes to you from the natural world.  You can call out to a specific type of beast, though the one that responds will always reflect your personality.  (Work with your DM here, but any beast with a challenge rating of 2 or lower may be chosen.)  This is an actual animal, however, and not the spirit of one that is called through the spell.  You may directly communicate with your familiar as long as it is within 1/4 mile of you.  Should your familiar die while in your service,  you may perform a 2 hour ritual to call another.  This requires a Nature check, with a DC equal to 25 minus your Druid level to succeed.

Your ability to communicate with other animals is now extended to all flying beasts.

Possession of your totem grants you a +1 bonus to your Spell Save DC.

Witch's Broom

Beginning at 10th level, you have gained the ability to create a Broom of Flying.  You will only ever create one at a time for your own use.   To create this for others, or for profit, horrifies you beyond description.  

Your ability to communicate with animals is now extended to those living beneath the water. 

Possession of your totem grants you a +1 bonus to all Wisdom Ability Checks.

Witch's Hut

Starting at 14th level, you attain the ability to focus the forces of nature around you, drawing forth into being a home of earth and plants.  Performing a ritual over the course of 30 minutes, you draw the plants, the earth, and nature's force itself to follow your bidding.  Roots will rise, thickets will form, the earth will harden as you create a home that will protect you from the world, keep you warm (or cool), and ensure you a peaceful night's sleep.  The hut will be large enough to comfortably sleep 6 adult humans.  It will include bunks (without the bedding), a table with benches, and even a meal of whatever plant based food is readily available at that location (even if it is out of season).

The hut is proof against the weather, rising or lowering the ambient temperature up to 30 degrees toward a more comfortable level.  Including a small yard, the hut will be surrounded by an 8' fence thicket of dense thorns and vines, causing any that wander into it 1d12 piercing damage.  ALL beasts not friendly with you will avoid the area, and all fey creatures will not harm you while you are within the hut.  The hut is susceptible, but resistant, to fire and cold-based spells, with an AC of 16 and 100 hit points before failing.   The thicket fence, with its own AC of 20 and 200hp will lash out against anyone you consider a foe, with a reach of 10 feet. The hut, and its fence, is immune to non-magical weapon attacks, immediately re-growing when damaged.  

When you wish to leave the hut's yard, the fence will die away but the hut will remain.  Over time, it may die of natural causes and lose its protection abilities, but its presence will be seen for  years to come. 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.