Ashworm Dragoon building help

[RedWarrior0]

So, looking at the Ashworm Dragoon class, it looks fun to play. In addition, one of my fellow PCs (the character) was recently traumatized by an advanced Ashworm our DM loosed upon us. Now, I want to play one as my backup character. Entering through ranger is tempting, but Animal Companion, casting, and the weapon style would largely go to waste. Barbarian doesn't quite feel right, nor does it have that much to offer. Warblade doesn't get Ride and I'm looking to enter at level 6; Swordsage has the medium BAB; Crusader just feels wrong, and I'm not likely to give up those initiator class levels.

So, primarily I'm lookig for a good class to enter through as fast as possible. However, I'd also like some help on choice of feats, race, and whatnot. What would the Playground suggest?

[Greenish]

You could enter as warblade with fighter dip.

[Tvtyrant]

For perhaps the only time in history Paladin is probably the best choice because it gives your Worm more HD and you can call it to you rather then carry it around.

[Greenish]

With burrow and climb speeds, the thing can probably get to most places. A few bonus HD is neat, but I might prefer having the mount at hand the whole day.

Besides, if you don't make it your paladin mount, it gets to keep the poison, and you can apply Warbeast on it.

[Coidzor]

Ashworm Dragoon's mount can be designated as your special paladin mount & that would allow you to take devoted tracker (with a source of animal companion, like beastmaster) & then progress it with animal companion bonus HD as well.

[Darrin]

Entering through ranger is tempting, but Animal Companion, casting, and the weapon style would largely go to waste.

Frostblood Orc or Half-Orc
Ranger 1.
Wild Empathy -> Spiritual Connection ACF (CChamp), speak w/ animals/plants 3/day
Track -> Trap Expert ACF (Dungeonscape), trapfinding
Ranger 2.
Combat Style: Ride-By Attack (Dragon #326)
Ranger 3.
Endurance -> bonus feat (via Frostblood)
Ranger 4.
Spells -> Awesomesauce, WTF, do not want? But Champion of the Wild ACF (CChamp) gives you some limited bonus feat options.
Animal Companion -> Distracting Attack ACF (PHBII) or Spiritual Guide ACF (CChamp)

Now add Dragonborn of Bahumat, you lose Endurance (oh noez!), but can swap one of your existing feats for Dragon Tail (natural attack) or Dragon Wings (which puts you 1 feat away from a fly speed). If you keep Track rather than Trapfinding, you can swap that for Dragon Tail/Wings.

So, primarily I'm lookig for a good class to enter through as fast as possible. However, I'd also like some help on choice of feats, race, and whatnot. What would the Playground suggest?

Any particular reason Knight isn't being considered?

I like Knight 4/Crusader 1, although you said something about Crusader feels wrong (???). Knight 5 wouldn't be a bad idea, but I'd look at Ranger 3/Knight 2 first (particularly if you can get Ride-By Attack as your combat style). All the Ranger ACFs make it something of a swiss-army base class for melee types.

[RedWarrior0]

Hm... Didn't think about all the ranger ACFs, I'll look at those.

Ashworm Dragoon's mount can be designated as your special paladin mount & that would allow you to take devoted tracker (with a source of animal companion, like beastmaster) & then progress it with animal companion bonus HD as well.

Well, I'd like to enter at level 6, but if I can get it to be an Animal Companion as well, that would be awesome.

[Coidzor]

I believe the earliest you can get Devoted Tracker up is at level 6 and that's between 5 levels of Paladin for special mount and 1 level of Beastmaster for the animal companion.

Depending upon the requirements of Ashworm Dragoon you could either wait for Beastmaster+Devoted Tracker or wait until entering Ashworm Dragoon at level 7.

If you're a halfling, say strongheart halfling for the bonus feat, then you can turn your ashworm into a demi-super mount by taking Halfling Outrider levels.

Granted, I don't recall the pre-requisites of Ashworm Dragoon, so take this with a grain of salt.

Relevant Entry:

Pally 1 - Smite Evil, (Bonus Feat = ???) 1st level feat = Track [Flaws???]
Pally 2
Pally 3 - 3rd level feat = ???
Pally 4
Pally 5 - Special Mount
Beastmaster 1 - Animal companion & 6th level feat = Devoted Tracker, Special mount gains animal companion bonuses
Ashworm Dragoon 1 - Special Mount becomes Ashworm