I guess so much of the flavor and ‘feel’ of D&D 1e ... ignores the high level features that may or may not happen.
I had an Underdark 1e Druid, who did reach high level, and did use the wild shape on occasion for subterranean animals. But somehow it never felt like a salient part of the concept to me.
Via 1e ‘spell research’, I had a way to ‘swap in’ spells (thus choice of flavor) that was suitable for the natural life of the Underdark − and especially for the mystic element of Earth (soil, rock, metal, crystal).
Heh, lucky for the DM, my character concept didnt include metal heavy armor. The earth theme was so strong for so many levels, if I pressed for metal armor, I would probably have gotten it − or some magical way to get it − like made out of corundum-diamond adamans − rather than iron steel.
It was pretty remarkable to "shapeshift," even if only into animal forms, in 1e at only 7th level, and all Druids got it. The limitation then was by size, you could assume a form from small bird to largish animal, about double you weight - and it healed you. That's not a lot of really butch combat forms, but useful in combat for the recovered hps, and a lot of potential for scouting and getting places you normally couldn't.
In 5e, unless you go Moon, your forms are more utility than combat, so that fits, too.
I do like wild shaping. Just not for
every Druid concept.
If Wildshape was a spell for a slot (like Find Familiar is), I might be happier with design.
Also, I would like different kinds of shapeshifting options. An elemental form, a special affinity for a specific element, or fluidly several elements. Humanoid forms (like Many Faces at lower level, compare Changeling). A werewolf form with an alternate form that is one specific animal, fluidly becoming that form of animal, plus medially, somewhere in between human and that animal. And so on.
Some players would rather a summon an animal or elemental, rather than become it.
A concept that is just weather magic (compare X-Men Storm) could also be cool.
I want more customizability. I think this is the issue. A class design that grants the player more customizability.
I actually appreciate that the Druid class just gets all its traditional stuff like it used to, instead of being chopped up into 3 mutually incompatible sub-classes like 4e, with shapechange in one, healing in another, and summoning in the third.
5e sub-class design is not much for blending. If something gets relegated to a sub-class, and something else to another, it's harder to combine them than to combine abilities from another class, entirely.
I totally get this. I am glad all of the 1e features are available for the 5e Druid.
I guess I wish it was more like a help-yourself all-you-can-eat pick-what-you-want smorgasbord of options, rather than a strings-attached design.
A player who wants a little bit everything (ala 1e) is a fine choice too.
