Primal Druid

Note:

This isn't an actual subclass, I just wanted to share an idea I had on a homebrew version of the Wild Shape ability.  It gives the ability greater combat useability at the cost of its out of combat utility, and gives it more of a primal, skin changer feel.  It also steals from the Circle of the Moon subclass, making it practically obsolete, but it does create the potential for more subclasses to be built around it. (I also added this into the feats section just in case that's a better place to put it.)

Wild Shape

Starting at second level, you gain the ability to create Skins, magical clothing or equipment made from the flesh of a beast.  This item requires Attunement and will let you transform into the beast the item was made from an unlimited amount of times as a bonus action.  The transformation lasts until your health falls to 0, or you end the transformation as a bonus action.

To create a skin is a very spiritual process, it requires that you set out to hunt and kill the beast on your own before skinning it and crafting it's flesh into a wearable item.  You must then perform a ritual which could last many days, weeks, or even months, where you channel your Druidic magic into the skin.  To do this you must sacrifice 100 first level druid spells, imbuing the item with your magical energy.  The process of sacrificing 1 spell takes 1 hour, so a 9th level spell (which is worth 9 first level spells) would still only take 1 hour to imbue, the same amount of time as sacrificing only 1 first level spell, so the greater the spell you spend, the less time you have to spend on it.  Once the ritual is complete, the Skin will only attune to you, the creator, and you can only attune to 1 skin at a time.

Most of the other restrictions still apply as in accordance with the Wild Shape ability:

• At second level, you can't create a Skin of a beast with a flying or swimming speed
• At fourth level, you can't create a Skin of a beast with a flying speed
• At eighth level, you can create a Skin from any beast

There is no restriction on the CR rating of the Skin you can create, as long as it's a beast, if you can track it, hunt it, and kill it all on your own, you can wear it.

Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.  The strong magic of the Skin enhance the strength of the beast, giving an additional 5 points to the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores upto a maximum of 25 while transformed, additionally, your attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.  You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them, however, you can use it's multiattack if it has one. 

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 Your health is the same while transformed, if you are reduced to 0 HP while transformed you will revert back to your original form and fall unconscious, however, while transformed you gain a number of temporary HP equal to 1d4 x Druid level and you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.  While transformed, your AC changes to 10 + Constitution Modifier + Dexterity Modifier.

You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell that you've already cast.

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 You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.  When you attack, you add your Proficiency Bonus + Strength Modifier to the attack, and you add your Strength Modifier to the Damage.  Claw attacks, Fist Attacks, Hoof Attacks, Talon Attacks, Tail Attacks, and Tentacle Attacks all count as unarmed attacks.

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 You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the GM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment. Your equipment doesn't change to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

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Summary

• Takes far longer for the setup to actually turn into a single beast
• You can only transform into 1 beast between rests, but you can transform into it as a bonus action an unlimited number of times
• you share a health bar while transformed, so if you die while transformed, you remain dead
• you gain temporary HP = 1d4 x Druid level upon transforming
• can heal 1d8 HP per spell level expended while transformed
• attacks count as magical while transformed
• retain WIS, INT, and CHA scores, Replace STR, CON, and DEX scores with beasts upon transforming
• add 5 to the STR, CON, and DEX scores upto 25 while transformed
• AC becomes 10 + CON + DEX while transformed
• You can use the multiattack if they have one while transformed
• No restriction on the CR rating of the beast
• all other restriction apply

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