Having looked at the lizardfolk a few months ago, I'm going to (more briefly, I suspect) look at the other low-level race of reptilian humanoids in D&D: the troglodytes. Like lizardfolk, troglodytes have no real counterpart in mythology or legend.
Having said which, the term, which literally means "cave-divers" in Ancient Greek, is an old one, and was used to refer to a purported human tribe by Herodotus back in the 5th century BC, and by other authors since. It's often used to refer to cave-dwelling subterranean races, such as H.G. Wells' Morlocks, and even has its place in modern taxonomy as a part of the scientific names of a number of creatures (most notably chimpanzees and wrens). But none of these things have any real connection to the race described by Gygax, for which, so far as one can tell, he simply borrowed the name.
1E
Troglodytes, as described in the original Monster Manual, are a reptilian humanoid race distinguished from lizardfolk by a number of features. Their feet are more digitigrade (that is, they stand on their toes, but not on their heel), their tail and snout shorter, and their head more rounded. They are also slightly shorter, but more heavily built, and have a large crest on their head supported by a row of spines - while lizardfolk now have a head-crest as well, this did not appear until 3E, making it perhaps the most obvious physical difference at the time.
They live only in subterranean caverns, as one would expect given their name, and hate all human life. (From context, this probably means mammalian humanoids in general, rather than humans specifically). They have a similar intelligence to the more bestial lizardfolk, and don't wear any form of clothing or armour, with only a few belts to carry their primitive stone tools and weapons. Despite being chaotic, they live in communities averaging a hundred or so individuals, with chieftains and other leaders, but perhaps little in the way of formal organisation or customs.
Females are just as common as males, but, as so often in 1E, they are physically weaker and seemingly don't leave the tribal lair to go hunting as the males do. Like lizardfolk, troglodytes lay eggs. Presumably, they have language, but this isn't stated, and one assumes that it isn't terribly sophisticated.
2E
In this edition, while the statistics (as usual) remain similar, the physical appearance of troglodytes changes dramatically. The new version is noticeably less humanoid, and has a particular resemblance to monitor lizards - the group that includes the largest real-world species. Their hips are low down on their body, with the sprawling gait typical of real lizards, rather than the more mammalian arrangement seen in lizard men, and the long toes on a narrow foot also echo many monitor species. The tail is longer, dragging on the ground, and the body slimmer, with smaller scales, while the head crest, which we are now told is only found in males, has a different form.
Their culture does not appear to have changed much, and there is relatively little clarification on the details (presumably because there's precious little to say). We do know that troglodytes are exclusively carnivorous, something that's typically, but not universally, true of monitor lizards. As with most such races, males are physically stronger than females, and the latter have only a subordinate role in society, not, for example, joining hunting parties. Since female monitor lizards are, indeed, not much more than half the size of males this is, for once, not wholly unreasonable.
In this edition, troglodytes do have their own language, but are specifically unable to speak any others.
Their culture does not appear to have changed much, and there is relatively little clarification on the details (presumably because there's precious little to say). We do know that troglodytes are exclusively carnivorous, something that's typically, but not universally, true of monitor lizards. As with most such races, males are physically stronger than females, and the latter have only a subordinate role in society, not, for example, joining hunting parties. Since female monitor lizards are, indeed, not much more than half the size of males this is, for once, not wholly unreasonable.
In this edition, troglodytes do have their own language, but are specifically unable to speak any others.
3E
The change in physical appearance is less significant in third edition. The individual shown is slimmer than the 2E one, but that might not be a universal trait. It has are a series of linear bands along the ventral surface, as the 1E version does, but the 2E version seems not to (hard to tell for certain, though, given the pose). The eyes are larger, as befits a nocturnal/subterranean creature, and the jaw more prognathous and, unlike most real reptiles, the heel of the foot is held clear of the ground. The text says the eyes are black, but the picture shows them as gold. In all, while they still look generally reptilian, the changes are enough that the 'monitor lizard' look has largely gone.
Now that we can see their more detailed statistics, troglodytes turn out to be rather unimpressive, equal or inferior to untrained humans in most respects other than combat skill and physical resilience. They are more intelligent than before, although still pretty dim - the same as orcs, but no longer truly bestial. They are now slightly shorter than humans, rather than of similar height, but females and males appear to have a similar build (again, distancing them from real-world monitor lizards). At least a few are actually able to use magic, and they no longer have a unique language, being able to readily communicate with lizardfolk and kobolds, among others.
5E
Fifth edition sees another shift in the look, with a powerfully built torso and a much more humanoid/mammalian gait than before. Their eyes are small again, and the crest has been replaced with a row of thick heavy spines. There are also, for no obvious reason, blunt spines on their elbows, which you'd think would be more awkward than anything else. It's not obvious from the text that they are even reptilian, although they are presumably supposed to be.
As implied by their physical build, troglodytes are now stronger than humans, but their intelligence has dropped back down to its original, near-bestial, level. Their skin, previously said to be as tough as mail armour, is now merely leathery (which makes more sense), and, while their combat prowess hasn't really changed, their hit points - normally higher in 5E than in earlier editions - haven't either, making them less impressive in relative terms. They are said to have difficulty fighting in full sunlight, which is new, and their language is once again a unique one.
Troglodytes are, in most D&D sources, clearly reptilian, and it is usually stated that, like most reptiles, they lay eggs. In most respects, then, there is little to say about their biology that wouldn't be equally true of lizardfolk.
Unlike lizardfolk, however, they have the ability to change the colour of their skin to match their surroundings, typically giving them a bonus to Stealth rolls or the like. This doesn't seem to be described as anything more dramatic than that of real-world chameleons, and so is biologically plausible. One might question why a creature that habitually dwells and hunts in complete darkness would need such an ability, but it seems to work on Darkvision, too, and pretty well everything they're like to come across has that.
More significant is the 'signature power' of troglodytes, which is their ability to exude a staggeringly foul stench. In the early editions, this is due to an oily secretion, that is produced whenever the creature is angry or frightened, as they surely must be whenever they are in combat. This doesn't take the form of a spray, and so likely oozes from pores or scattered scent glands in the skin. It apparently breaks down rapidly on contact with air, as the effect is of limited duration. In the first two editions, this stench affects only humans and other "good guy" humanoid races, but in 3E it, more reasonably, affects anything with a sense of smell and no inherent immunity to chemical attack.
In 5E, however, the stench adheres permanently to the troglodyte, which doubtless makes them inedible to larger underground monsters. One would think that this would rather counteract the stealth ability imparted by their natural camouflage, since surely one could smell them coming from some distance away, long before the stench has any physical effect, but there you go.
The exact effects of the stench on the victims vary with the edition, especially once more universal rules for 'conditions' come into being, but the implication is that it's no worse than a bout of extreme nausea, temporarily weakening the subject.
In terms of other systems, the D&D troglodyte would come across as a humanoid with near-bestial intelligence with abilities little different from a competent human warrior, focusing more on strength and resilience than speed or agility. They usually have a particularly tough hide, although it's hard to see why. The main challenge is modelling the stench, which should prove merely inconvenient, without posing any risk of permanent damage. In GURPS, for example, it's clearly the Nauseated Affliction, while in more fluid systems it could be a temporary attribute loss or a flat penalty to skill rolls.
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