Depending on the focus of your chat, there are a lot of options open for people who choose to use icons. I'm just throwing some ideas out there, feel free to use them or not at your discretion. My full selection of DigiChat compatible icons can be found at the Avatars page.

Chat-specific

I have a number of chat-specific icons available on my DigiChat avatar page. There are thematic icons for Unsanctioned characters, OOC logins, Assistant Storytellers and full Storytellers, so no matter what sort of game you want to run there should be appropriate icons there.

Let's say you're running a modern WOD game. Chat entry code can be set up to display an X based on the type of character the player wants to have sanctioned. This makes it easier for STs to tell at a glance which venue a character wants to enter, which saves everyone time. Likewise, venue-specific ST icons will let players have a better idea of who to talk to for each venue.

I also have a number of status icons, like a staked icon for vampires, a prison icon for jailed characters, and a tombstone for dead characters, a police badge, and so on. If there's anything you need which I don't currently have, let me know and I'll do my best to accomodate you.

Half-breeds

It's up to you what icons you use for which purposes. However, some chats have used some venue icons with backgrounds to denote a half-supernatural, while the same icon without a background represents a full supernatural.

Using Werewolf: The Apocalypse as an example, could represent a Kinfolk, while represents one of the Garou.

Character Status

What I've seen on some chats is the awarding of different icons based on either Status or the "power" stat (Blood Potency, Gnosis, etc). It's a great incentive for in-game maneuverings in order to justify the appropriate XP expenditures.

Using Vampire: The Requiem as an example, all vampires would start off with a Vampire icon: . If they reached Status 3 with their Covenant, they earn a covenant icon: . Conversely, if they gain Blood Potency 3, they get a clan icon. Technically, I've only seen this used in a single step, but I have sufficient icons in many cases to give one icon at 3: and another at 5: .

I believe the chats which use this method narrow the player down to a single icon, but there's no reason why code can't be set up which, upon selecting their character, a screen just prior to login gives them a dropdown box containing all the icons to which they're entitled. In our example, this includes the generic Vampire icon, the covenant icon, and one or both clan icons. Each time the player logs in, they get to decide which of their icons to display. You thus reward long-time players not only with special icons, but with increased flexibility.

Legend

Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy sites which have a legend outside of the chat itself which display all (or most) of the available icons, along with descriptions of what each of the icons represent. It's possible to use my avatars in this legend, so users can click the small DigiChat icon to see the avatar as a larger version, dynamically replacing the icon with the avatar (see tutorial: Add and Remove HTML elements dynamically with Javascript).

Example: (Click on the Orgotek symbol)

The same goes for a character's sheet. The larger avatar can be used on the sheet rather than the small icon, or the ability to toggle back and forth.

Forum tie-in

If your chat database is tied into forum software, my avatars could be used on the forums, assigned based on their digichat icon. Even if the foruyms and the chat aren't tied together, you can feel free to use my avatars within the forum. Players will enjoy the sense of continuity and consistency across your site.