Suggestions for a third Nature's Bond

[Asmanefer]

I am currently in the process of building a new character, which should become a druid heavily focused on shapeshifting. Just like Treantmonk's Spirit of the Beast.

One thing I am struggling a bit with, though, and that is the Nature's Bond. Objectively the animal companion is the clearly better choice for that character, the thing is I just do not like playing a character with pets very much. This is purely subjctive/style based and no comment on their viability.

So the other option would be to take that extra domain for a few more spells, but that would be clearly weaker. Therefore and since my DM seems open to sensible suggestions for modifications my question for all of you:

What could be a balanced house rule variant for nature's bond that for a shapeshifter would be about on par power wise with the animal companion? Ideally some way to strengthen her shapeshifted form.

[Thomas LeBlanc]

I had two ideas for new nature's bonds, but nothing for shapeshifting. If you add more to the shapeshifting you risk unbalancing it. With the domain, the abilities granted do not interact much with rest of the class abilities much. Same for the companion. Any change to the bond would have a big impact on the balance for the class.

I guess you could create a minor set of abilities that would not be useable in the shapeshifted form. Something similar to the shaman totem transformations or sorcerer boodline powers. The abilities could scale or new ones gained as you level. Using different animals, plants, or vermin.

[Son of the Veterinarian]

There's a D20 variant (archetype) of the Druid called the Druidic Avenger that drops the Nature's Bond and ability to spontaneously cast summon spells in exchange for some Barbarian abilities.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#druid VariantDruidicAvenger

Also, the Races of Eberron book had an alternate racial feature for Shifter Druids that as I recall allowed them to switch out the animal companion for what amounted to being possessed by the spirit of an animal. It gave some of the same bonuses as having a Wizard's familiar, but I don't have the book nearby and cannot remember the details.

[Drejk]

I would consider option for replacing spontaneous summon nature ally spells with spontaneous domain spells. This would enhance value of domain for druids that do not focus on summoning and with right domain could go in hand for shapeshifter druid.

[Quandary]

I agree with Thomas: if you add something that 'synergizes' with Wildshape, that risks un-balancing it.

I also agree with Drejk's suggestion: at least one Druid Archetype already allows spontaneous Domain Casting. (Storm Druid)
Between all the standard Druid Domains, Terrain and Shaman Domains, and alternate Archetype Domains, you really have alot of great powers and spells. This seems to go along with the OP's play-style anyways, since if he doesn't want 'pets', having lots of Summons doesn't make much sense either.

EDIT: honestly, Spontaneous Domain Casting DOES have potential to highly synergize with Wildshape, depending on the spells granted. Personally, I don't actually think you need anything else, taking the Domain option is solid on it's own. Look at Archetypes if you further want to get other abilities (if you are giving up stuff that's tangential to your concept, than everything you are getting is pure win... probably enough to counter any 'weakness' you percieve in the domain option).

[StabbittyDoom]

Rather than something that synergizes with Wildshape, I'd make something to bring it forward. By that I mean, I would allow a player to sacrifice nature bond in order to get the first forms of wildshape at level 1, and treat themselves as 3 levels higher for the purposes of uses/day and duration.

On top of that, I would allow them to (at level 6ish) select one feature on the list of what the shapeshifting might grant them and possess that feature regardless of which form they select. This feature must be selected ahead of time and is on a per-type basis (all animals get ____, all plants get ____ and so on). They could switch this when their shapes upgrade. They could, of course choose to shift without it to look like a real animal, plant, etc of that type.

This would avoid any real increase in power of wild shape (no new forms, the strong forms don't come any earlier), while giving the player some minor benefits (able to shift at level 1, one "extra feature" thing).

All of this is a bit rough, of course.