Dragon's-Eye View - Reimagining Kobolds

[Mirtek]

I like 3e's draconic kobolds. I really liked the myth of how Kurtulmak hatched from an egg laid by Tiamat.

I like them as trap builders and as good trap builders

 

[Libramarian]

I don't care for the draconic connection. If they need to be related to a bigger, badder monster, I wish it were devils rather than dragons. I've always thought of them as basically the modern tormenter devil with the pitchfork, and the red hide, white horns, and the long pointed tail. They love when their traps leave something alive so they can stab it and laugh at it for a while.

I want evil gnomes with red eyes and BLUE!!! skin. If they ain't blue, they ain't Kobolds. That's where the name of the mineral and color come from, dag nabbit! But D&D has never done them right, and I don't expect they ever will.

Sounds like Xvarts. Xvarts are pretty much the mythological Kobold, eh?

I think hands-down the best artist out there for humanoid monsters is Mike Wilson (http://www.mikewilsonart.com/).

Here are his kobolds:

Way too sympathetic and Watership Down-y for me.

Looking at that thread, I like his trolls and bugbears though.