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[pisskop]

The egg-laying is not necessarily pointing towards them being lizards. Platypus also lay eggs and they are mammals as was already said. Pretty crazy mammals, laying eggs, using electrolocation, being poisonous and whatnot. It's like evolution had a bad hang-over and felt like making a practical joke. xD

I think the key trait is kobolds being homeothermic. I don't think there are any homeothermic reptilia. Only mammals and birds have warm blood and kobolds have no beaks, tails or feathers, so...

Some reptiles can generate a limited amount of heat.  I agree that the level of heat they produce is significant, but its not like there are zero examples of reptile with mammalian features.

I'm surprised nobody has made a move to compare homeothrermic dinosaurs to kobolds yet.

[smjjames]

Not to mention that mammals evolved from reptiles. And before creationists complain, there are PLENTY of transitory forms.

[Badger Storm]

What do I think of kobolds?  Generally, I don't.

Except that I'd like them better if they were viviparous.  Something semi-canine laying eggs is just weird.

[smjjames]

What do I think of kobolds?  Generally, I don't.

Except that I'd like them better if they were viviparous.  Something semi-canine laying eggs is just weird.

Then you'd probably find the Theraspids wierd. I don't know if Cynognathus did live birth or not though.

[than402]

i hate the little runts. they keep spamming messages, they don't carry interesting weapons, are too weak to be FUN but not enough to be ignored, they keep stabbing my citizens, their clothing is too small and are immune to my cage traps. kobold massacres are among my favourite pastimes in adventure mode, however, so there's that

[Naryar]

I am also thinking kobolds are monotremes. Or the DF equivalent thereof.

Or at least primitive egg-laying mammals. What was this thing Dimetrodon was part of ? Diapsids or something ?

edit: oh nope it's synapsids

[funkydwarf]

Kolbolds are canine humanoids ...ie dog people.....but not domestecated and small and yippie....so fox-people...not sure about the laying eggs part, thats pure DF...but in the d&d universe they are dog people....

[Floppypig]

Here look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIeFcUl2SHs

[smjjames]

Here look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIeFcUl2SHs

That looks more like a really short and brown skinned goblin IMO. Don't know what that thing with the long arm in the corner is though.

[therahedwig]

Kolbolds are canine humanoids ...ie dog people.....but not domestecated and small and yippie....so fox-people...not sure about the laying eggs part, thats pure DF...but in the d&d universe they are dog people....

It's been said several times in the thread already they are small brown skinned humanoids with humanoid faces and glowing yellow eyes that lay eggs. I think it's safe to say they are nothing alike to DnD kobolds.

[Agent_Irons]

I am also thinking kobolds are monotremes. Or the DF equivalent thereof.

They're definitely monotremes. Something like an Bilby-person but without the tail?

http://members.optusnet.com.au/bilbies/images/c_bilbies_at_night_5.JPG

[smjjames]

Uh, bilbies are marsupials, not monotremes.

[Mugh]

Here look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIeFcUl2SHs

Yeah, this is an old game of theirs, right? So one can assume this is how Toady and ThreeToe see kobolds in DF as well.
There's also this bit from the old dev list thing, though I dunno how relevant it is now:

Core90, PROPER KOBOLDS, (Future): Of course, this means different things to different people.  To us, a proper kobold is neither a chihuahua man nor a mini-draconian, but instead sort of a small mammaloreptilian humanoid with pointy ears and yellow eyes with a penchant for trickery and mischief, context-based sublanguage, poisonous critter collection, traps and kleptomaniacal hoarding.

[therahedwig]

penchant for trickery and mischief

Yeah, that was why I mixed them up with gremlins.

[Taffer]

I like kobolds. Sure, they could use some more definition in the game. A more complex civilization, better sites, and a broader niche than simply "occasional thieves". Still, they already fare much better than the animal men and gremlins in that regard. Most humanoid races in Dwarf Fortress lack definition and even sites. That situation will be remedied eventually, I'm sure: other things are just more important at the moment.

As for their appearance, I find myself thinking of these two images by the same artist on DeviantArt (even if the artist considers the former a goblin). They're somewhat consistent with the kobold drawn by Toady in Kobold Quest, as well (at least in regards to the fur and - in the first image - the eyes).